I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Let me preface this review by saying that no, you technically do not need to have read Jen Lawrence's debut novel "Guardian" in order to read this book... but it would be helpful.

Based on a previous NetGalley review, which kindly explained that "Guardian" is much more fantasy forward than this book, I went into this with tempered expectations and that definitely worked out in the book's favor. The world-building is sparse and hard to follow at times (hence my recommendation to read this as a sequel, not a companion), but if you're anticipating that, it still works as a kind of "chosen one" fantasy origin story. The setting and setup are entirely normal, focused mainly on the familial and romantic relationships of the characters. There's a LOT of focus on grief (TW: off-page death of family members) and the nonlinear nature of healing, with a particular emphasis on accepting new love—I was not expecting this kind of trauma to be such a big part of the book. I don't usually jive with this subject material, but it was handled skillfully and did, in my opinion add an interesting layer to the romance; be warned that, as a result, and despite all the flirting, the romance is a true slow burn.

What I didn't love was the pacing, particularly how it's "normal" for nearly 3/4 of the book and then BAM—suddenly the plot is straight-up fantasy. I found it unrealistic that Shay's powers took such a backseat for so long, and I did not appreciate Luna's info-dumping; it really didn't add to the gravity of the situation. I know she is the protagonist in "Guardian," so maybe if I had read it beforehand this information would've seemed more like a rehash instead of a poor attempt at establishing critical context to the sudden fantasy twist... Basically, I think some people will find issue with it like I did, but it's only a few pages, so it's not the end of the world.

Overall, I thought Fury was well-written and I was absolutely sold on the first half(ish). And yes, I probably will pick up "Guardian." I'm intrigued by the idea of the Darke world that Lawrence is creating, and maybe with the context provided in the first book, I will come to really enjoy this series. 4.25 out of 5 stars, ★★★★☆

Shay returns to small town of Nyx where she goes to see her grandmother Ellie who is a hoot and finds a lot had changed. While there meets August who she believes is taking advantage of grandmother and learns that’s not the case even though she still skeptical of her because she thinks August is too good to be true. As they both grow closer they learn more about each other they both realize they may have been brought together. I enjoy this read their are magical elements although I felt the story wasn’t finished well the main story was but I felt towards the end some parts felt unfinished but l do hope we get more Shay and August along with Gia and Luna maybe next book be about them. PS. Love Grandma Ellie



I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I did not finish the first chapter of this book. I felt like there were way too many details that didn’t even paint a scene, too many pauses (commas) and the dialogue was unrealistic. I would really like to see where this story goes but I just couldn’t get through it. I didn’t even make it to meet Mama Ellie.

4.5 stars. Lawrence’s previous book “Guardian” was one of my favorite books of 2021, so when “Fury” was released I had to read it first up and I absolutely devoured it. I already knew Lawrence could write emotions but now I discovered a humorous side as well.

“Fury” is set in the same universe as “Guardian” and those of you who follow my reviews know how much I love a good fantasy story. That said, this story is set in a world resembling earth and a very large part of the story can be seen as a contemporary romance, but of course I loved the moment where the fantasy part kicked in. It’s there, but I think even non-fantasy fans can appreciate this story as the main story line is all about the romance between Shay and August.
You don’t need to have read “Guardian” to read this book, but I think it will enhance the experience (and it is a great book, so why not read it) as there are a few references and Luna from “Guardian” also makes a short appearance in this book.

Shay returns to her grandma in Nyx and suspects August (her grandma’s employee) of taking advantage of her grandma’s kindness. Everybody seems to adore August, especially Shay’s grandma. August is a kind, hardworking woman and has a flirtatious streak that’s somehow overdone and non-aggressive at the same time, I almost found it endearing. In short, she’s too good to be true and Shay is determined to find out August’s motives.
When Shay and August meet they immediately have this distinct way of communicating, I thought it was a bit crude at first and didn’t know what to think of it, but not long after I was a fan of their funny dialogues. That’s not to say this book is not serious, both characters have had their own hardship and the character development in this book is excellent. This book is written in third person from the POV of Shay, so you get most insight in her thoughts, but I also got a clear insight in August’s personality without reading her POV.

I loved the writing and I’ll happily round up this book to 5 stars, but it still had a few bumps. Some magical things happen and while it freaks out the characters to some extent I think a person who never has come into contact with magic would freak out way more, so this was not the most believable. Another point would be the ending. It was rather abrupt, I was immersed in the story and didn’t pay attention to the remaining pages and all of the sudden it was finished. I was sure there had to be at least one more chapter. The main storyline was finished, but it happened so fast and I would have liked to see how several small things that happened near the ending would continue. I can only hope this means there is another book coming. I feel there are more stories for Shay and August (and for Luna and Gia for that matter), so fingers crossed.

This fantasy romance will likely become one of my favorites of 2022. Lawrence has proven to be an excellent author, this book is infused with emotion, humor and a fantasy storyline that keeps you on your toes just when you think you know where things are going. I hope we can expect more books set in this universe, I will be reading them!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<b> Review </b>

Though a bit different from her debut, Jen Lawrence once again provides an entertaining emotional and hilarious read. She continues her streak of well-written dramas with characters you just can't help but love. After this read, I think it's safe for me to say that whatever this author drops I'll most likely read.

Fury follows Shay settling into her home town of Nyx where she finds out her grandma has a new addition to her farm in the form of insanely attractive and charming, August Alecto.

A page at the beginning of the book describes this as part of the exploration of the fantasy world created by Miss Lawrence referred to as "The Darke Universe" and its Arima bonds. Arima can be attributed to soul mate-like connections between two people. This played a large part in her debut book titled "Guardians" Which came out last year.

If you haven't read Guardians I highly suggest you do. It was one of my favourite books of last year and an amazing debut by this author. However, it isn't necessary to understand this book as it's almost totally standalone. Though the main character of Guardians does make a slight and exciting cameo in this book.

<b> Characters </b>

August and Shay quickly find themselves on my favourite character list of the year. They're both hilarious characters who've been through a lot of trauma and find perfect comfort in each other.

Shay is a bit of a sceptical person which at first comes off a bit annoying till you learn more about her and August is a witty, hilarious and a caring partner in crime. I can't really explain it but it's rare to get two characters with such personalization and easy-going conversations these days.

Ellie, Shay's grandmother, is also a hilarious side character who's absolutely charming in her own rights. She not so sleekly sets up August and Shay and her interactions with them remind me a lot of mine with my grandmother who would always get me to rub her legs just as Ellie does Shay.

If you read Guardians then you'd be excited to know that Gia makes a small appearance in this book and her interactions with Ellie are also golden.

<b> Plot </b>

If I'm going, to be honest, the plot was slightly not what I wanted or expected. The fantasy world parallel to the one in this, that we saw created in Guardian only makes a small inclusion in this book which in my opinion was a bit of a bummer. The social order of that world was something that had me in total awe so it's safe to say that I cannot wait to see it again.

Though, the backstories and relationship of August and Shay make up for it. Lawrence strays away from the fantasy world just a bit and gives us more of a romance and I can't complain much about that.

<b> Writing </b>

Now this is only the second book by Jen Lawrence so I wasn't expecting the most perfect writing but I'm still impressed.

My biggest problem with this book would be the pacing. Some scenes almost irrelevant to the story would take up several unnecessary paragraphs meanwhile ones almost monumental to the story would go by in the blink of an eye.

For example, there are some scenes where something crazy would happen to one of the characters and they'd just straight up accept it when I feel as though they should've freaked out more or just longer in general. I felt like this was a bit unrealistic, considering the fact that Shay is a doctor so you'd think anything outside of the bodily realm of possibility would have her shell-shocked.

The pacing becomes a problem in major scenes. Both characters go through their own changes and the way they find out about these changes is underwhelming because of how little we have time to sit with it. I love the cameo of Gia but her cameo and its impact are fleeting because of how quick they go by. It kind of reminds me of the end of the Morbius movie where you get a load of information, the climax and then the end of the movie in ten minutes.

<b> Final Thoughts </b>

I imagine this book like other short fantasy novels will get a 4.0 rating or a bit below. Had it been longer or juicer I would not doubt its ability to go above. This is only her second book and yet with a Uhaul of undeniability, I can say, Jen Lawrence is quickly becoming my author to look out for. Because I know, she's only going to get better.

I cannot wait for the next book in the Darke Universe, I'm literally praying that there's going to be another. Unlike the first book, there's no teaser or sneak peek at the end so I'm a little worried if I'm gonna be honest and Jen Lawrence seemingly has no social media to see for updates so I'm even even more worried.

Do I recommend it? For the romance? Yes. For the fantasy? Hesitant, but yes. Because I know the pacing might become a problem for some fantasy lovers with this already short book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC in exchange for a honest review