The Reaping of 1986 changed everything about how humans and cryptids interacted. Cryptids Presently, cryptids legally reside only in labs or cages as a result of that horrific event. Rebecca Essig is one of the few survivors of the Reaping and we are about to watch it unfold through her eyes. Meanwhile, in the current day, Delilah Marlowe is in hiding with a small group of cryptids. Pregnant and fearing that things will remain unsafe for her soon-to-be-born baby, Delilah is desperate to see things change… but at what cost?

FURY is the third and concluding book in the <i>Menagerie</i> series and wow, I didn’t want to see this one end! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, stop what you are doing and read them immediately. FURY is a spectacular tale, all the more so because of the post-Reaping history we’ve watched Delilah endure and even thrive in.

Delilah is a phenomenal heroine. She’s been beaten and battered in some of the worst ways possible and yet she strives to see the beauty in others. Her loyalty to her friends (who are more like family) makes her both vulnerable and strong. It’s easy to understand why the furiae resides in her. One of the things I love most about FURY is that we get so much more insight into the furiae and its origin within Delilah. The story isn’t an easy one but oh is it a captivating one!

Rachel Vincent intertwines two stunning tales to conclude the <i>Menagerie</i> trilogy. The transitions from 1986 to present day flow seamlessly together as Rachel Vincent melds past and present events together to give us a fascinating portrait of how a world came to be divided by fear. Rachel Vincent provides us with a masterful conclusion to her dark fantasy trilogy with FURY!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

Oh my gosh! Where do I begin? I didn’t know this was the third book in a trilogy. E of time constraints, I had to read it as a stand alone and I hated that. I will try not to give away any spoilers, especially since I am not quite sure what I might spoil… I sort of pulled things together at the end, though I do plan to go from the beginning and read all three.
So, here’s the gist, from what I can tell. Delilah Morrow and her friends including Gallagher- he’s important- and others have escaped the Savage Spectacle some time ago, at least 10 months or more. The group is in hiding with some friends and looking for others who escaped at the same time. They are the cryptids and humans hate them or use them for entertainment (kind of reminded me of a Hunger Games/X-men blending in that sense.) The story is told from different time periods by two different characters. One, of course, is Delilah and the other is Rebecca Essig. The past is the 1980s and Delilah lives in the present day- not exactly sure when this present day is, but- both of them seem to be telling parts of the same story at different times at events that all come together in the end. This was really confusing at first, maybe because I haven’t read the other two books yet, but I started to catch on.
A lot of the story is about Delilah and the fact that she is pregnant. Oh yeah, 10 months pregnant because she is part fae. Also, this is Gallagher’s baby, which is a huge issue and they didn’t plan it, they were…coerced maybe I can say, into conceiving this child. I think Gallagher is a bad boy with a good heart. He tries to comfort and protect Delilah but she is resentful and distant towards him. There’s not really romance per se, just that it sort of lingers in the background between them.
What this book does have is violence. Lots of it. A friend who has read all the books told me that the whole series is assaulting to the readers sense of morality. This is a perplexing and unique story. Since I am not sure I might give away too much, I’ll stop here.
As far as my actual review of the book? Well, I already said I was going to get the other two and read the whole trilogy. Not even knowing the backstory, I absolutely loved this book!!! It is fascinating and complex. It is tender at times and also full of malice. The ending was bizarre for me. That is not the right word. I mean, it made sense, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. And it wasn’t pretty.
All in all, without having read the first two books, I would say this book is a definite must read for folks who like dark  fantasy or dystopian books. I give this book a 5/5.


This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


This review, or portions thereof, will be posted (when able) on Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, Bookbub, BAM, Litsy, IG, B&N, Pinterest, Facebook, Kobo, and my own blog. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide all links at this time, as I am using my phone.

A thrilling, intricately woven dark fantasy set in an alternate reality

1986: It is a world in which humans live alongside cryptids, aka werewolves, sirens, dryads, oracles, faes, minotaurs, and other mythical creatures. One night, 14-year-old human Rebecca Essig returns home from a slumber party to a horrifying double murder. Her family’s tragedy is part of a nationwide child massacre known as ‘the reaping’, instigated by children called ‘surrogates’, changelings with the ability to force humans into committing terrible crimes against each other. One of the few survivors of the reaping, Rebecca struggles to understand why it happened as she grows up in its shadow and is compelled to discover what became of her lost, replaced sibling.

Present-day: In the years since the reaping, much has changed. Blamed for the child massacre, cryptids have been rounded up and held in captivity: forced to perform in carnivals; tortured and experimented upon; used as slaves, gladiators and hunters’ prey. However, Delilah, a human woman inhabited with the spirit of a Fury, has escaped and, in doing so, has freed other cryptids back into the world. Pregnant, in hiding with her cryptid friends, and increasingly unable to control the Furys’ violent urges, Delilah discovers that humans are once again committing terrible crimes reminiscent of the reaping. As the crime wave closes in around her, she realises the Furys’ rage may have a purpose she never imagined …

Although Fury is the third in a series (the first two novels being Menagerie and Spectacle), it can easily be read as a standalone novel. Instantly plunging the reader into Rebecca’s personal tragedy, the author deftly alternates between the appalling events and aftermath of the reaping and Delilah’s first-person account, gradually unveiling, layer by layer, the nightmarish backstory of the cryptids. As the strands of the two separate stories are skilfully drawn together and woven into a cohesive whole, Fury becomes a real page-turner that grips the reader from the very first revelation of the reaping and never lets up.

The often brutal violence may be off-putting to some, but it is fascinatingly and accurately reflective of the dark nature of many mythological stories – involving revenge, bloodlust, sacrifice – and of the Furys themselves, who mete out vengeful and gruesome punishment. Intertwined with these ancient forms of violence, the ever-present horrors of persecution, prejudice, scapegoating, and fear of the ‘other’ permeate the novel as overarching themes in the dehumanisation (for lack of a better word) of the cryptids, lending the story a powerful topicality in today’s world. All this being said, however, there are also glimmers of hope throughout the novel and, towards the end, a definitive light amidst all the darkness. Highly recommended reading.

Arwen Evenstar

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 Stars for the Menagerie Trilogy.

Fury is the third and final installment of the Menagerie trilogy, and can absolutely NOT be read as a standalone.

Patient, I am not, which is exactly why I held onto copies of Menagerie and Spectacle until Fury was available. While it sounds as if I'm beyond patient for waiting an entire three years, I am impatient when it comes to waiting for sequels and suffering through cliffhangers. With Fury in my hands, I read the entire trilogy in less than 24 hours.

I spent 24 hours with Delilah and company, and now that it's all over... depression and a book hangover are my punishments.

This review is for the entire trilogy, not just Fury. This review will also contain no spoilers or plot points, as I refuse to spoil the journey for anyone. Also, because I truly haven't a clue how to review it. Tongue-tied that I am – utterly speechless.

This is fantasy. I need to hammer home how this is not romance. At All. This is not young adult. This trilogy is NOT for the faint of heart. If you follow my reviews, my next statement will take you by surprise, judging by the books I both read and write.

Menagerie the trilogy is DARK.

In fact, it's the darkest I've read. Degradation. Assault. Rape. Kidnapping. Captivity. Slavery. Zero humanity by the humans in charge. Monsters in all forms, with those who are monstrous on the outside having the most humanity. Systematic brainwashing. ZERO autonomy or rights. Knee-jerk reactions to fear. Nonstop action. Graphic violence. Utter hopelessness.

Besides the human race, mythological and paranormal creatures abound.

Loathing injustice, I felt as if I was the fury suffering from the injustice on every single page. I was frustrated, suffering gut-punch after gut-punch, emotionally invested.

I applaud Vincent for tying everything together from the first word to the last. Having journeyed through the trilogy back-to-back, I can attest that things that crop up during Fury flawlessly connected to passages in Menagerie and everything in between.

Did I enjoy the trilogy? I felt like a masochist reading it, imprinting current injustices happening in our society. I actually tried to talk myself out of reading the next book when I finished the last, then found myself halfway through the next within hours. Blink. I ended up reading all three without stopping.

Do I recommend the trilogy? Are you a masochist? Ha! Yes, I highly recommend this to fantasy readers who don't need romance and sensuality, or even a pillow to place beneath your head. This is DARK, so take that as my version of a trigger warning.

The happily ever after is relative for all of humanity.

Told you this review wouldn't make a lick of sense, with me all depressed and book-hungover.

Fury is a powerfully relevant conclusion to an amazing series, I’d recommend this book to fans of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompsonseries, people who enjoyed Anne Bishop’s The Others and to anyone who enjoys books that aren’t afraid to draw parallels with real-world issues, whether there is a ‘solve’ for them or not.
I loved Rebecca’s story, I loved how it tied into the issues Delilah and the other characters face in this novel, and I (surprisingly) love the way Rebecca's story was told. Split-timelines can be tough to do right, they can delay major plot points to fake a build up of tension, but that's not what happens in Fury. Rebecca’s story enhanced (rather than distracted from) the main plot of the novel.
Rebecca’s situation was touching, and her choices noble. I loved the way Rebecca's story impacted the plot despite the time gap, and I feel like a few loose threads from previous novels were skilfully tied up through the use of the flashbacks.
I liked the way that Gallagher’s storyline was tied up. I think the happy ending he receives is a little unlikely, (the political situation built in the world of the Menagerie series was one of the things I liked best, and the hinted at end to this was not specific enough to satisfy me) but I’m glad he got one.
I’m glad that the book didn’t shy away from examining the social and political ramifications of tragedies like mass shootings and other such acts of violence. The need to ignore the instinctive response to find someone to blame and fight when society itself is wounded is put brilliantly in what is one of my favourite lines from the book.
“We make one cut, and instead of bandaging the wound, humanity tries to carve it out…They turn a dribble of blood into a fount.”
Amazing, raw dialogue; and a brilliant summary of the problem with a war on terror. Frightening as it is to confront, there is no easy way to fix a systemic problem like a lack of trust, or trustworthiness, that results in terrorists, vigilantes, martyrs and mass shooters. Tragedies cannot be prevented by spreading hate and panic, explaining how Fury deals with this very weighty issue would be a definite spoiler, so I’ll just say that I think Rachel Vincent does a good job of drawing real world parallels without being trite or sending the wrong message. Instead, Fury mirrors and explores real-world issues much like the first two books in the Menagerie series did when examining the issues of othering, racism/discrimination and gendered power imbalances.
Even listing all of the issues skillfully worked into the series helps to explain why Fury wasn’t able to tie up every character’s storyline as neatly as I’d like. There are some heavy issues dealt with over the course of the Menagerie series, something you already know if you’ve read the first two (and I really wouldn’t recommend reading Fury if you haven’t, not a lot would make sense). As the book itself puts it— “Comfort is not the purpose of truth”.
While I loved thetruths this book explored, I do have a few minor complaints. The action took a while to get going, with the main threat not being presented clearly until almost halfway through. That being said, the characters in this book remained frustratingly oblivious to the very-clear explanation behind the threats, and then ‘discovered’ the real threat only via a very roundabout manner. The slow start in Fury can probably be explained, because the first two books already presented the world as antagonist to the main characters, so a more specific antagonist wasn't entirely necessary to build tension.
The setting of Fury was likewise a little disappointing, though only in contrast to the richly detailed and unique environments described in Menagerie and Spectacle. There were also a few major events that I don't believe carried the emotional weight they should have, as they were incidental to the plot rather than raising the stakes or providing motivation for later plot points.
Overall though, I enjoyed this book and thoroughly appreciated the way Fury holds a mirror up to some of the most complex and frightening problems being faced by modern society, while also telling a compelling tale of sacrifice, justice and the what happens when people give in to fear.

The third book in the Menagerie series. Told in alternating time lines, the story of the surrogates in ththe past and Delilah as she is expecting the birth of her half human half fae baby.

My initial reaction when I finished Fury, the last book in the Menagerie series was torn between heartbreak and… well, I’m still not sure. Yet, there’s no way that I could rate this book with anything less than 5 stars. Given the direction that Rachel Vincent had taken the characters and events in Menagerie and Spectacle, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I wanted these characters that we’ve gotten to know, respect and love to get the happiness that they deserved – just like Delilah did. *sigh*

There’s really not a whole lot more I can say without giving things away, and trust me, Fury is one of those books that you have to experience for yourself. There was also a big difference between Fury and the rest of the books in the series. The chapters flipped between “1986″ and “Present Day.” At first it was a little confusing, especially since the book began with “1986.” It didn’t take long to not only get used to, but to actually look forward to each POV. Eventually both POVs catch up with each other and surprising connections are made.

I loved these characters and the world that Rachel Vincent created. Parallels between “fiction” and “non-fiction” weren’t hard to recognize, but the message wasn’t forced. I suppose it’s possible to read the Menagerie series without making the connection, but it would be nice if people paid attention to the details…

Then there was the ending… not what I expected and definitely not what I wished for, but there was a spark of hope, which is always nice to walk away with in a series as powerful and emotional as this one. ❤

To be honest, I can’t quite put my finger on how I feel about this third installment. I think the start was enticing and engaging, while the middle was mediocre at best and the end slapped you in the face with a mischievous smile. So I am all over the place with my rating. I felt strongly about a 3 star rating, but that end was sure something….

So finally we have an installment in the Menagerie series that doesn’t have everyone held captive. Some might find this approach refreshing considering the first two pretty much took the same angle. Instead in Fury the same crew is trying to maintain their freedom in a world that is quickly becoming terrified and openly aggressive towards cryptids. So maintaining their freedom is coming at a terrifying cost with a price and stakes that are too high. While the cryptids we love try to stay united together, the future has some interesting plans in store for this crew. While the past has an interesting history which fills us in with more background on the reaping. Which explains where all the hate and fear comes from regarding our unique yet lovable cryptids.

Now one of the reasons I think this one fell flat was because it was far less action and shock value packed. In the 3rd installment, we get much more background and history as mentioned above. For me, these are the stories I enjoy the least. Like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban or New Moon, those were all my least favorite book in the series mostly because they lacked the high volume action and did much more building and explaining. This story does much more building upon for what I am assuming is a larger plot for the series.

In regards to enjoying the story, I think Vincent does a great job applying issues being faced by today’s world and applying it to our mythical cryptids. There were many instances where I thought about this story and found it applicable to the world’s history. So I must commend Vincent for taking a stand in a unique way for human equality. And if that wasn’t what she was intending, I appreciate the view either way.

Overall, I would rate this story with a 3.5 star rating. While the ending was intense and unexpected, I can’t give a 4 star rating for a story I found pretty average. Will I continue this series…you bet your ass. Although, I honestly have no clue what to expect with the 4th installment.

Thanks NetGalley for the copy of this story. I felt like a total ass getting my review posted after this week’s publication day. But I really was happy to continue my Menagerie journey.

Fury marks the culmination of the Menagerie trilogy as is told in alternating POV.

1986: Rebecca Essig leaves a slumber party early but comes home to a massacre—committed by her own parents. Only one of her siblings has survived. But as the tragic event unfolds, she begins to realize that other than a small army of six-year-olds, she is among very few survivors of a nationwide slaughter.

The Reaping has begun. Readers finally get details to this occurrence; however, there are more questions than every before.

Present day: Pregnant and on the run with a small band of compatriots, Delilah Marlow is determined to bring her baby into the world safely and secretly. But she isn’t used to sitting back while others suffer, and she’s desperate to reunite Zyanya, the cheetah shifter, with her brother and children. To find a way for Lenore the siren to see her husband. To find Rommily’s missing Oracle sisters. To unify this adopted family of fellow cryptids she came to love and rely on in captivity.

Soon Delilah learns that she plays a more pivotal role in this humans vs. cryptid war and that harsh sacrifices might be the only hope toward a brighter future.

This was an unexpected ending to the series. Much felt rushed about the conclusion and may leave readers with even more questions.

On realising that this was the third book in the series, I broke with my usual habit of crashing midway into a series and got hold of the first two book and read them first. I was quickly swept up in the dark, intense world of Delilah, who is imprisoned and stripped of all her rights as a human after an incident at a local fair reveals her to be a cryptid in Menagerie. This book is structured differently, in that it is largely a dual narrative so that as well as following Delilah’s story in first person viewpoint, we also learn a lot more about The Reaping as we go back in time to the event that causes all the fae to be treated so appallingly and track the consequences and fallout through Rebecca’s viewpoint.

I really enjoyed this aspect – having read allusions to The Reaping throughout the previous two books, it was satisfying to learn more about what happened, particularly as these events increasingly begin to link with Delilah’s storyline. It wasn’t until I read this book that I realised just how unusual it is to have a pregnant protagonist, or one who is coping with a newborn baby in fantasy. It was a plus that the subject was really well done.

The new spin on the story prevented this series becoming predictable and repetitive – and I certainly didn’t see that ending coming. It’s been a while since I’ve been quite so poleaxed by the final denouement of a story, but it really works. I would emphasise, however, that this series and book is not suitable for younger teens and is not a YA read, despite the fact that Vincent has written successfully for that age-group. While I obtained an arc of Fury from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I do like Rachel Vincent's writing and yes I have been enjoying this series.
This book is very well done and is one that I actually read fast because I couldn't put it down.

I do highly recommend

4.5

August 24, 1986—fourteen-year-old Rebecca Essig decided to come home early from a sleepover. It is the day she discovered two of her younger siblings brutally murdered, the act apparently committed by her parents. As the tragedy begins to unfold in the news and on television, Rebecca realizes, besides an unknown number of six years olds, she is one of the only survivors.

August 24, 1986 is the day of the Reaping. The day that changed everything between cryptids and humans.

In present day, pregnant Delilah Marlow, Gallagher, and the rest of the escapees from Vandekamp’s Savage Spectacle are on the run. Hiding out trying to find and rescue other survivors from the Spectacle, all while contending with rising tensions after a series of brutal massacres begin happening throughout the country and humans look to place blame on the cryptids.

The time has come for Delilah Marlow to play her true role in the war between humans and cryptids. The reason why the furiae, Justice, chose her, and it’s all tied up in Delilah’s past.

Time and again, Rachel Vincent has utterly surprised me in terms of the road this series has travelled and that is still certainly the case with Fury. Alternating between 1986 and present day, there’s really a sense of everything coming full-circle, not just in terms of Delilah’s story arc, but with that of the persecuted cryptids, it’s all intrinsically linked. I loved the unfolding of the mystery of the 1986 Reaping from Rebecca’s perspective. Seeing the moments when fear got the better of people and that, in turn, leading to things like the Menagerie and Spectacle. It also makes you equally wonder if society can ever come back from the Reaping. Can people ever heal and move forward?

I’m a little on the fence in all the ways Delilah’s (and subsequently the other cryptids with her) story is wrapped up. It’s not a book that gives everything to the reader in a nice, neat package with a bow for sure, but then again, that’s never really been the tone of this series in the first place. But there were definitely some story threads that crossed over from Spectacle (i.e. the big change in the Delilah and Gallagher relationship and everything that surrounds that certain event) that I felt like they were just checked off a to-do list. Most of the focus is put on Delilah figuring out what role she, and the furiae, play in everything.

I did like how said role hearkens back to the very beginning of the series making it feel very organic in the way it unfolds. I’ve appreciated that it never felt like Rachel Vincent held back in this series, from showing the beautiful and grotesque, as well as the disturbing and painful, she was never afraid to take risks or sacrifice and that is especially true with Fury. It’s definitely been a book and series that I’ve kept thinking about long after I’ve finished reading.

This book left me speechless. A lot of things happened and not all of them made me happy. I feel in love with this series shortly after the release of Menagerie and have eagerly awaited each new installment. In case you are wondering, this is the third and final book in the Menagerie trilogy which really does need to be read in order. To say that I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book would be an understatement because I just had to know what happens to Delilah, Gallagher, and the rest of the group.

This book is set up a little differently than the previous books in the trilogy. There are two timelines throughout the book where previous books had only brief glimpses into the past. This book focuses on the present day with Delilah and company but also goes back to 1986 as The Reaping began. I found the parts of the book set in the past to be interesting but I was a bit confused why the focus wasn't more on the present day. As I continued to read, things started to come together and I began to see the larger picture but the shift was a bit surprising.

As I have come to expect from this series, this book has its share of heartbreak. More than its share if I am being honest. The world that Delilah and her friends are living in is cruel and unjust. They must live in constant fear of discovery and simple tasks are quite risky. The group wants to reunite with others that they were separated from during their escape but every move could jeopardize their own freedom.

Delilah's pregnancy is a major focus of this story. Her pregnancy lasts a bit longer than a human pregnancy which is no surprise since the father, Gallagher, is a red cap. Neither Gallagher or Delilah made the choice to become parents but they are both committed to doing what is best for the child. It does put a strain on their relationship as they try to figure out how to move forward and what their roles will be.

I do have to say that I did struggle with the rating for this book a bit. I have been back and forth trying to decide if it is a 3 star read or a 4 star read. Some things happened in the book that I didn't like but I think it is a story well told. After some careful thought, I do think that the book deserves 4 stars. I was quite impressed by the complexity of the 1986 timeline and how everything ended up coming together. I still am not completely sold on the ending and would have liked to see just a bit more than we were given but I can deal with it as written.

I do highly recommend this trilogy to others. It is a really captivating tale of a world where cryptids must fear humans. I have already read some of the early books in the trilogy more than once and plan to re-read the trilogy again in the future which is rather high praise. I can't wait to read more from Rachel Vincent.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Harlequin - MIRA via Edelweiss and NetGalley.

Fury was a decent conclusion to the Menagerie trilogy. Overall, I finished this book but had extremely mixed feelings about it. While it answered some lingering questions I had, some were left unanswered and made my understanding and enjoyment of the series less than it could have been.

I enjoyed the writing style and the two POVs/timelines but I felt that there was something lacking. Not as much action as the previous books, but still easy enough to read. If you are a fan of the first two books this is certainly a nice continuation and finish to the series.

Fury is the third and final installment in author Rachel Vincent's The Menagerie series. The Menagerie series is a captivating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity, and this final book is an intricately woven and powerful tale about the fight for freedom and self-discovery. This series combines all the key elements (magic, mystery, fantastical creatures and an important quest). Told through two intersecting timelines, the grand finale to Rachel Vincent’s stunning Menagerie series will reveal the secret of how Delilah Marlow became a furiae just as she discovers what her true purpose is.

In 1986, 14-year old Rebecca Essing arrives home to blood and death. She is understandably shocked that her parents might have murdered her siblings in cold blood while leaving the youngest to live. Humanity just experienced The Reaping. A nationwide slaughter of children by their parents—one of the country’s most horrific tragedies. What’s even more terrifying: the revelation that the six-year-old survivors are now thought to have caused it not the parents. What's even worse, these aren’t the children their families believed they were.

In truth, they were fae changelings brought home from the hospital in place of the real babies they were exchanged for. The world would never trust another cryptid. For if the fae were capable of such dark evil, surely all cryptid creatures posed a danger to humanity. Rebecca's story takes readers from the day of the Reaping, until the year 2000 when fate intersects with Delilah Marlow's history thanks to Rebecca's own actions which will have long lasting consequences. Rebecca's story is a mixture of shock, sadness, and darkness for which you can't measure with mere words.

2016, Delilah Marlow and a rogue group of cryptids (Lenore, Zyanya, Eryx, Gallagher, Genevieve & Rommily) are on the run, having narrowly escaped the horrors of the Savage Spectacle, a private collection of "exotic wildlife” that specialized in ruthless cryptid cage matches, safari-style creature hunts and living party favors. As they travel in search of lost family members and cryptid friends, Delilah struggles with the difficulties of pregnancy, complicated by the bitter memory of how her child was conceived and Gallagher's desire for bloodshed.


Then one morning Delilah wakes up with dried blood all over her hands. Though she has no memory of it, she obviously went somewhere—and possibly killed someone—in her sleep. Soon, Delilah finds herself constantly pulled by the furiae, which she hasn’t felt stir within her in quite a while, but who she has no choice but to follow. As she is compelled to act of the furiae’s impulses, she’s beginning to realize that something much bigger is at stake. This is where we learn why and how fate chose Delilah to be it's instrument. There is something connecting her victims, something more than the usual injustice she kills them for—and perhaps something as dangerous as another Reaping…

I have to say that both timelines are dark, filled with emotion, and you really can't put into words what both Rebecca and Delilah go through. You could, but you would be ruining it for other who haven't read this book yet. Rebecca finding out her sister wasn't her sister, Delilah learning that she may have a connection to the 1986 Reaping that left thousands dead, and a world changed forever. For me, Rebecca's timeline was the most appealing, until the final chapters which stay with Delilah, and Gallagher. I am emotionally drained from reading the final chapters. I think the author was brave to choose this avenue, but at the same time, I wish things could have somehow managed to bring the two timelines together when all was said and done.

This finale was so heartrendingly satisfying. The pacing is slow and the setting is tuck in one place, but everything came together so seamlessly. The mystery of what happened in the past, how the world came to be in the state it's in now and how it ties into Delilah and her purpose, it was so engaging. The characters and their developments were one of my favorite parts, I teared up on some parts and cheered on others, but the ending really solidified this rating. It broke my heart, but I think I'm okay with it? This series was such an emotional roller coaster and I'm so happy I was along for the ride.

When I requested, Fury. I didn’t realize that it was part of a Trilogy. I overlooked it somehow, so as you can imagine it was a bit confusing. I didn’t have the backstory of all of these characters. I truly went in blind.

I haven’t ever read a book by Vincent. I was excited to read this book. But of course, I couldn’t follow it as well, as other’s who’ve read the first two. It did jump around in different timelines, switched different POV’s. The world created was quite interesting.

I have to base this review on just this book. I felt it was good.

Overall, I have to give this a three. If I would have been able to follow the story more and had read the first two. My review would have been higher.

Rachel Vincent does it again in this brutal, but compelling tale where past meets future. Fantastic world building and I cannot WAIT to get my customer's hooked!

Favorite Quote:
“I love you. I have always loved you. And when I die, it will be with your name on my lips.”

Reviewed by Angela

Wow. I’ve anxiously awaited the conclusion to the Menagerie series for some time, but now that I’ve read it I’m kind of at a loss. I don’t know exactly how I feel. Maybe it’s because this series has been so sad and terrible at times, the treatment of the cryptids so horrific, the world building and overall story arc a dark and twisted look into the worst parts of humanity. I don’t really know. I was okay with the ending to this trilogy, not thrilled, but content with the way it all wrapped up.

This series follows the main protagonist Delilah Marlow from the moment her status as a cryptid and changeling is revealed and her rights as a human are stripped away, right up until she discovers what her fate ultimate fate. She is first sold to Metzger’s Menagerie, a traveling carnival with a zoo/circus like feel. She learns about her true self, forms alliances with other cryptids held in captivity, and ultimately frees them all. The second book starts out with Delilah and her allies enjoying their newfound freedom, but only a few pages later all their hard won peace is ripped away and they are taken to a new hell on Earth, The Savage Spectacle. I thought I was prepared for the brutality of the second book in the series, but I really wasn’t. This book is absolutely merciless in the treatment of its characters.

Here are my reviews on Goodreads for the previous two books in the series.

Menagerie

Spectacle

The third book doesn’t pick up immediately after the events of Spectacle, but rather a short time later when Delilah, Gallagher, Eryx, Rommily, Claudio, Genni, Lenore, and Zyanya have found a remote place to hide and lie low while Delilah, already in her tenth month of pregnancy, waits for the birth of her and Gallagher’s child. With her made family surrounding her, and the desire to find the loved ones missing since the harrowing escape from The Savage Spectacle, Delilah discovers that the Furiae inside her isn’t done meting out justice. With her child soon to arrive, and world in turmoil, will she and her friends ever find peace?

This book is actually told in two alternate timelines. The present being Delilah and her allies, and the past starting at the moment the Reaping began and then following a young woman named Rebecca Essig. These two timelines slowly but surely meander along, telling two stories that will eventually collide in one big moment of pain and sacrifice. Its’ complex and often times slightly confusing to the reader, but worth it in the end when all the plot threads of this series finally come together in one big selfless moment. I won’t get into specific details, but this story was always about Delilah and I think regardless of my feelings on the matter, that the ending to this series was always going to happen. I don’t think it could have happened any other way.

After the informative, yet enthralling, events in Menagerie, and the brutal, overwhelmingly horrific events of Spectacle, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Fury. I didn’t really have any expectations going in other than I hoped to see happy resolutions for Delilah and all the characters I had come to care about. I can honestly say that I kind of, mostly anyway, got what I wanted. The pacing felt different in this book. Less adrenalin pumping action, more a slow, but steady, coming together of plot threads to a big ‘aha’ moment. I can honestly say this urban fantasy series gave me all the feels. Wonder, anguish, overwhelming anger, and then ultimately a sort of grudging acceptance of the end. I could see this author staying in this world, but telling a few side stories that weren’t really resolved fully. I would love that.

I highly recommend this series, but be forewarned that it is extremely dark and readers should read many, and varied, reviews before one-clicking.

Final Grade- B

“We are crawling like flies on the corpse of humanity.”

Let me back up for you, shall I?

Two timelines with a cast of characters, two stories, intertwined and bound by their past.
1986, it’s a time where peace is over. Humans have lived and worked among or alongside Cryptides till then. Werevolves learned to read and write in school side by side with human children and in restaurants you could be served right next to a table with visiting dryads or oracles.

Rebecca Essig went out at night. She returns from a party and notices immediately that something is amiss at her family’s home. Her siblings and parents should have been asleep. The house is quiet. It seems peaceful…until Rebecca steps into sticky residue on the floor as she is heading upstairs into her room. Blood! Frantically she checks her siblings and parents rooms….her siblings are dead and her parents are asleep, with blood smeared all over.

The world is at a crisis. The Reaping had begun. Civil Rights movements and protections have begun. Turmoil ensues.

Timeline two:

Delilah is on the run. She is bloodthirsty and pregnant. Or is it the baby that is bloodthirsty? Overdue, at 10.5 months gestation, she isn’t sure what she is having, but she will love this baby no matter what. A safe delivery where she will not be captured and transported to a lab as so many others, is her ultimate wish.

In the company of shapeshifter Zyanya, Rommily, Gallagher and a few other friends, she is trying to do some good in the meantime. Headlines are showing two children have been captured into captivity. They are part of Rommily's family and they are planning to free them together. In return, they keep shelter together and prepare for the birth of Delilah’s child. As they head into the heart of the lab where different creatures are kept, Delilah’s thirst for blood grows exceedingly stronger, and a few bad apples on their mission will die. She is has mastered ripping out hearts to quench her needs.
In a series of different events, the band has to fight their way through to the ultimate battle at the very end. The question is, will they succeed?

Will Delilah be able to deliver her child safely and live?
How about Rebecca’s family? How does the story intertwine?

***

This novel is book three in the Menagerie series, and it is excellently crafted. A head spin of a tale. Timeless, retro and futuristic, Vincent wove a plot of different elements and genres into a mindboggling novel. Part thriller, part sci-fi it delves into the plight of humanity on the brink of an evolutionary sci-fi future without failing to deliver an emotional plot. Change, laws, order, up rise! A shift in humanity, the acceptance and change in the way of life. What a book.

I really enjoyed this novel. It reads easily and is fast paced. Almost cryptically the reader is taken through the timelines and memories, but it never really comes together till the end, and it left me at the edge of my seat.

This book is great for the YA audience and lovers of paranormal / urban fantasy.

Enjoy!

I received a digital copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you!

My review can also be found here:
https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/blog...