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A review by lauren_miller
Fury by Jen Lawrence
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
4.25
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, ★★★★☆
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, ★★★★☆
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
off-page death of spouse(s) and child