Member Reviews
#Edelweiss #RachelVincent #Fury
Fury has all the intensity of the other two books. The author creates a beautifully, intense final book to a wonderful series.
"Wow. So you're, like, humankind's sword and shield?"
"Something like that. Only honestly, right now I feel like I'm staring down an army, wielding nothing but a plastic spork."
This book is different from the previous two books as it focuses on two main characters across two different periods of time.
Fury continues to follow Delilah and her cryptid friends in their journey to find the friends and family they have been separated from by America's anti-cryptid laws. However, for the first time we also get to see what the Reaping was like for those who experienced it in 1986 through the perspective of Rebecca Essig, whose sister turns out to be one of the surrogates who were placed amongst humankind to control them.
After the events of Spectacle, Delilah is now hugely pregnant, and people are more on edge about cryptids than ever due to their breakout from the Savage Spectacle. Combine this with the furiae's unexplained and unnerving execution of several men who have wandered too close to their cabin, plus Gallagher attempting to reconcile his vow to protect Delilah above all others with the fact that she's carrying his child, and the whole group is very much on edge. Interspersed with Rebecca's experiences of the Reaping and the years afterwards, Fury steadily leads us to see how the two sequences are related; culminating in Delilah's ultimate realisation of the role she has to play, as well as the impossible decision she must make.
How can she face a future in which her kind will forever be hunted?
Why did the furiae choose her in the first place?
What can she do when she is forced to choose between her family and the rest of the world?
Vincent does a fantastic job of creating the atmosphere of tension and anxiety which would be sure to permeate any situation such as this, and draws this sensational series to an appropriately dramatic, if heartbreaking, ending.
I only wish there were more Menagerie books to come; it's a world I'm not quite ready to leave just yet.
Published to ABookBoundGirl.wixsite.com/blog on August 12th 2018.
https://abookboundgirl.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2018/08/12/Fury-by-Rachel-Vincent---Menagerie-Book-3
I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
There has never been a Rachel Vincent book I didn't love and Fury is definitely continues that streak! This is the end of the Menagerie trilogy and it's about to go out with a bang! No one will escape from this story unscathed and I mean that in terms of characters and readers because omg this is the end and Rachel pulls no punches!
Delilah and the rest of her friends who escaped the Spectacle are basically living on the lam in hiding. They are doing everything they can to stay under the radar and just survive. It doesn't help that Delilah is also ten and half months pregnant...and yes, I said ten and half! Poor Delilah doesn't follow a human pregnancy, since she's furiae and her baby daddy, Gallagher is a red cap. What that exactly will mean for her baby has yet to be revealed and likely won't until after her birth--for Delilah refuses to call the baby an "it" and refers to said baby as "her".
What makes this story slightly different from its predecessors is that instead of the multiple points of view, this time it's most Delilah and a third person account of something that happened in 1986. It involves cryptids and a very dark history. As the accounts continue, we slowly, every so slowly, see how it connects to present day.
Delilah and her friends want nothing more than just to live an ordinary life, one without fear and having to constantly look over their shoulders. Delilah wants that more than anything for her unborn child as well. She and her friends also want to rescue those that they have been separated from, starting with Mirela and Lala. In the meantime, Gallagher is searching for the man who made him and Delilah perform for his entertainment and basically led to their having a child together.
This book was sooo emotional for so many reasons. It's the final book of the series and as I mentioned, Rachel pulls no punches. It was gut wrenching to say the least. The friction between humans and cryptids continues to grow more hostile and we will see that is nothing new, based on the flashbacks of the mysterious character we will get to know. This is basically like two stories that slowly form into one.
My one regret from this story was the lack of time for romance between Delilah and Gallagher. They were brought together by forces beyond their control and throughout this series I've been rooting for them. While they have a tentative bond in place already, there was always room for something more. But they had many hills to climb before they could get there. And then that ending...wow, just wow. Rachel, you truly know how to write a book that totally tugs at all one's heartstrings!
The pacing to this one was unique, for awhile we don't really know what's going to happen with our main group. Yes, things happen to them while they try to make their rescue attempt and in the meantime we are seeing things from the past. And it does contain some plot points that make for quite the head twist if you are not paying close attention. And though I was paying as close attention as possible, I'll admit some of the bits of info we learn did throw me through a loop! Though by the end, it all makes sense and it helped to clear up that fogginess I had going!
The ending...this ending was unexpected, yet really not if I think about it. There were clues and hints that led to the epic conclusion, yet I still didn't quite put it all together. And when it happened...yeah. I will say that this ending was right and I really cannot touch upon that anymore than that.
Rachel Vincent has been one of my favorite authors since day 1, way back when I decided to give Stray a go all those years ago. And since then, she has kept me so entranced with whatever world she is writing in! The Menagerie trilogy was no different! It's definitely a series that makes you see society differently, though it's a world of pure fiction, you have to wonder...what would happen if it were true? Could we learn from the mistakes that the previous (fictional) society made or would be doomed to follow the same path! Whoever said fictional stories didn't make you think about real life realistically obviously didn't read many fiction books!
Fury was a heart-racing read from start to finish and I am saddened that the journey is over. But it just makes me more excited for Rachel's next adventure to begin! Hopefully that wait won't be too long!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
Fury releases October 30, 2018
Wow! I requested this title because of the cover, and didn't realise that it was the conclusion of a trilogy.
Luckily, the two books were 99p and I think, 2.99 on amazon, and I happily read the first two (which are very, very enjoyable).
This, the conclusion, is Delilahs ultimate growth as a person and as part of the cryptid group of the menagerie, and is great fun to read. It's lovely to finally see the ship I was hoping for come to fruition, and the climax was heart stopping and tear jerking.
My only criticism would be that there are deaths in the book, and I did not see them coming, nor did I enjoy them, because all I wanted was a HEA!
I will look up her writing again, and have put the author on my to-read list.
Recommended.
Yeah, I really enjoyed reading this book! It gives us answers to questions about what the Reaping was, and those babies that didn't go home and how the two were connected. We also got the story of Rebecca, who was one of only 6 survivors of the reaping. And I loved how her story connected with Delilah, because it answered so, so, so many questions!
This is the book where things come all together. Mysteries are solved, and with Rebecca's story, we also got to see how the world got to be the way it was, from the Reaping to the aftermath with the cryptids and all. Everything came together so well!
Oh, that ending! It was so fantastic, and it hurt! There was a really big cost, and I have in my head a partial comparison, but that would be really spoiler. But sufficit to say that not everybody makes it out, that there is a high price to be paid!
I do still have questions, like what was the purpose of the children, why were they left there, what species of fae where they? I would have loved to have more detail about the prologue of Spectacle, and why we got that specific one instead of something else. I wish we also could see more of the world after the end, how much it changed, because that epilogue didn't give many details!
This book was so fantastic, and I absolutely loved it!
Absolutely epic conclusion to this trilogy! It has it's heartbreaking moments, but I feel like it was an ending that brings the book full circle. My only regret is I wish it developed further the background on the surrogates. It never really explained, in my opinion, what kind of creature they are. It vaguely does, but I would've preferred a more in-depth look at why they did what they did, who sent them, that kind of thing. I think most of the focus is on Delilah's pregnancy and it wouldn't have hurt any to devote another few chapters on building that background on the enemy some more. Otherwise, though, great book and sad to see it end.
4.5 stars
An advanced reading copy was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
In this third and final book we get answers to some of our questions.
After the last book ended in a major cliffhanger I was desperate to know what happens to the characters I've come to care so much about.
Will they manage to stay free?
Will Delilah and her baby be okay?
Will they find the others that escaped from the Savage Spectacle?
We well get answers to all that and more.
The book starts with another glimpse in the past, from the view of one of the few child survivors of the Reaping . The way Rachel Vincent managed to depict the brutality and horror of that terrible moment is remarkable. And so is the way she combined the events of the past with the present and future. In the end, it all makes sense.
If you're looking for an action-packed book, this one is not for you. It's full of suspense, fear, worry, happiness and sorrow, but worth it every second.
My one disappointment was the ending. It felt rushed. Unsatisfactorily. I still have questions that went unanswered. It was also bitter-sweet (more bitter than sweet).
'Fury' could have been better. It could have been more. But I still loved it. And this series will always have a special place on my shelf and in my heart.
The last book in the Menagerie Series is beautifully written, brilliantly presented and heartbreakingly wonderful.
I'd been regularly checking to see when this book was due to be released because I really wanted to read this book as soon as I possibly could.
The cover Fury fits beautifully with Menagerie and Spectacle. I have loved all the covers though if I had to pick just one out of the three as a favourite it would have to be Spectacle.
The genres listed for this are Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal & YA. Sure I agree with all those, but would add I am definitely not in the YA bracket and I totally adored this book and series. It has become one of my favourite book series!
This book is brilliant, it has totally amazing characters and a fantastic plot which makes it a perfect read for paranormal book readers, though I don't think you have to be a specific paranormal fan to read and enjoy it. Normally at this point in my review I choose a favourite character, and though I adore Gallagher and Delilah there are so many other fantastic characters and you learn both the good and bad points of being their particular breed/race. For example I guess when you think of an Oracle you think it would be great to know what will happen in the future but then think a little more, as if you can see the good in the future you will also see the bad and have the knowledge there is nothing you can do to change it.
I became attached to the smaller characters of Lenore the siren, Rommily, one of the oracles, and Genni the young shifter are just a few that immediately spring to mind when thinking about the book. The main characters are Gallagher, the fear dearg/red cap who must kill regularly to keep his hat red and stay alive. Gallagher is deeply in love with Delilah whether he recognises the fact or verbalises it or not. The sexual act that one of the Savage Spectacle regulars had them perform has somewhat come between them. They would both rather forget how their child was conceived. So Delilah is pregnant and having some strange things going on around so what does this mean for her unborn child? Its not just a question of is it a boy or a girl, its is more what sort of cryptid, or human will it be and what will be its powers? With a red cap for a dad and a furiae for a mother.
In this book the points of view alternate between the time of the first reaping and the characters that were around at the time, as well as explaining surrogates and their part in the reaping. The confusion of how so many children were murdered by their very own parents who then deny any knowledge of the attacks. The other point of view is the present day, with those that escaped the Savage Spectacle trying to hide, survive whilst at the same time rescue their fellow imprisoned cryptids. This is where we learn why and how fate chose Delilah to be it's instrument. We learn that just one persons split second decision/choice can change the course of the lives surrounding them. The characters, both human and cryptid have come a long way and lots has happened since Metzgers Menagerie in bk1. This book, in fact the whole series is amazing and has an intricately detailed plot. This author seriously knows how to spin a fantastic story and keep you guessing what will happen right to the last pages.
There's love, loss, sacrifice, vengeance and heartbreak within this book's pages. The plot twists and turns for cryptids and humans alike keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering how everything will turn out. I highly recommend this whole series! I think I can honestly say that this book has a cryptid for everyone to fall in love with, for you to really root for their survival and dare to wish for them to have a happy ending.
I could go on and on forever praising this book and the rest of the books in the series. This the last book in the series has an epilogue at the very end which ties things up beautifully, in fact without it I would have been quite disappointed.
I have loved this series from beginning to end. There is sadness and sacrifice in this book but the loose ends are all certainly tied up. The ending was perhaps not one I would have chosen but upon reading it you realise it was the only plausible way this series could conclude.