Today as part of Indie Authors Appreciation Week I am reviewing Emma’s Fury by Linda Rainier.
Book Description
After a brutal and unnatural death, Emma is reborn as a Fury, a descendant of the mythological deities who were tasked with the judgment of man. They are tasked with protecting the delicate balance between humans and the paranormal world.
In the world of the Fury there is no room for the frivolity of human nature; no room for compassion or a need for love. To fall victim to such volatile emotions leads only to ruin and suffering.
In the shadows, darkness rises, threatening to destroy the tightly controlled world of the Fury. Emma must survive an intricate web of deceit and betrayal as the questions mount.
With the aid of her guardian, David, they must find a way to beat back the evil that threatens to devour them.
Will her hope of finding her place in this world be dashed by the insurmountable odds? Can she control the overwhelming emotions which threaten to tear down her carefully constructed walls?
Amazon US | Amazon UK | goodreads
My Review
I was sent a digital copy of Emma’s Fury by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Linda!
Emma’s Fury is a modern dark fantasy set in Boston, MA. It is told from multiple points of view, in present tense, which, I have to admit, I struggled with. Present tense is my least favourite form of narration and definitely had some influence on my overall feel for the story, as I kept getting distracted by the tense. I loved the fact that it was set in Boston, since I live in the suburbs and could visualize the scenes in the city quite easily.
The main character of the story, Emma, is a Fury, a figure from Greek mythology acting as a kind of deadly law keeper amongst the other supernatural creatures of this world, including vampires, imps, satyrs, fairies a succubus and werewolves:
The Fury maintains order through terror and violence.
I enjoy mythology and any kinds of supernatural beings, so having both in this story was fantastic. A whole wealth of different creatures make their appearance as the plot goes on.
One of the strengths of the author’s writing was how naturally the conversations flowed. There were altercations with bullies, such as Celia and Moss, flirtatious conversations between Emma and David and kindhearted reassurance from Emma to the child Fury, Sarah. The emotional relationships between these violent creatures were well-described and at some times shocking – there is one particular BDSM sex scene between Celia and the god of Death, Thanatos, which was definitely not for the faint-hearted and which firmly took this book outside of the YA realm which is often associated with vampire and werewolf type stories (thank you Twilight!). There is also torture, child-killing and talk of rape.
I was somewhat put off by the large amount of background information conveyed at the beginning of the story. We are told all about the back story of the Fury and their protectors, the Gyges and all about their justice system. I found it all a bit much at once and would have preferred to have discovered this information little by little throughout the novel.
Legend states that when a woman dies an unnatural and violent death she may be reborn as a Fury and Emma has been a Fury for around 450 years following her brutal death at the hands of a vampire.
David has been assigned to Emma as her Gyges, or guardian. He is there to protect Emma by fighting magic with brute force. He’s been training for 75 years and grew up in Boston in the 1920s. Together, Emma and David act as a kind of supernatural detective duo which was an idea I loved.
If a Fury and Gyges engage in a romantic or sexual relationship the Fury is beaten and broken and the Gyges is killed. Guess what? Emma and David are starting to care for one another…but with stakes this high, will they be able to keep their feelings under control?
The three Mother Fury rule over the rest of the Fury, and one of them, Tatiana is particularly cold and calculating, – chilling in her lack of emotion, full of violence and hatred. I thoroughly enjoyed her nastiness. In her eyes the Law is black and white and no leniency should be given. Another Mother, Mei-Li, is more sympathetic and seems to genuinely care for Emma’s well-being.
Emma and David are sent to investigate the death of the leader of a werewolf pack and plenty of jaw-dropping action and mayhem ensues, leading to some terrifying consequences.
If you are a fan of adult vampire/werewolf stories, or stories inspired by mythology, then I would recommend you give Emma’s Fury a try!
About the Author
A kooky introverted New Englander with a fervent love of history and literature. I fell in love with storytelling at a very young age and am always looking to connect with others who love to read. Wife to an incredible man and momma of two fur-babies and amateur photographer.
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