Red Hot Fury (A Shades of Fury Novel)

I absolutely loved Red Hot Fury. The story was an action packed, fast paced, thrilling read for the lover of supernatural and mythological themes. Once I picked the book up, it was really hard to put it back down, there are absolutely no dry patches anywhere to be found within the pages. What you will find are a lot of twists and turns, unexpected surprises in abundance, and lots of other tidbits here and there that will definitely keep you on your toes. Can't wait to see more books from this author hit the store shelves.

It's really hard to believe, between the sassy, fun, fully-realized heroine, the exciting magic system, and the clean, fast-flowing plot, that this is a first novel. It succeeds as a mystery. It succeeds as urban fantasy. Fans of Kelley Armstrong will particularly like this book.

Red Hot Fury is a break out hit! I can't believe this is the author 1st (?!) full length novel. If you love fantasy particularly urban fantasy and gritty paranormal romance this book is a MUST read. This daring and original book stars characters that are fascinating and involving. The author Kasey Mackenzie brings to life new and exciting and mythology which have not been explored in current paranormal books. Because of this it is fresh and inviting for readers tired of the same old recycled feeling plots and character types. Furies are special human women who make a chose to become Furies. Furies are long lived woman with super human powers who protect the human and the paranormal world. Marissa is a powerful Fury and the Chief Magical Investigator of the city. When a dead body of a woman is found with strange tattoos on shores of the Boston Harbor she is called in to investigate. What she finds is the dead body of her long lost best friend and sister Fury Vanessa.. Unfortunately, they part on bad terms and that was the last Marissa moment she spent with her friend. But something is wrong because the tattoos on Vanessa look off. Marissa soon believes that this isn't the body of her best friend. But who is she? And why are the killers trying to prevent the real Vanessa from being found? When Marissa asks for badly needed help from her Fury Elders she is swiftly and strangely denied. Left to her own devices Marissa concedes she needs the help of her ex-boyfriend. The man who betrayed her by agreeing to work for the man she suspected was responsible for Vanessa's disappearance. But without any other options she asks his help. But Marissa finds she cannot stop feelings for a man that she thought she loved. The was a wonderfully creative and emotional book as I was gripped by Marissa's journey to uncover the mystery behind her friend's disappearance. There were several surprised in the story that I really enjoyed and which added a great deal of depth to Marissa and the storyline. The only reason I could think of someone not liking this book is if you don't like the paranormal aspect in your stories or prefer sweet, light novels. I did realize pretty soon on who the villain was but the rest of the story was so good I can easily overlook this minor fault because it has so much depth. This is only the beginning of the series and although the mystery behind her friend's disappearance is revealed more questions and insights are brought to light so many aspects about Fury politics etc that have been left open for further exploration. Plus new characters that practically beg to be explained. This was an exciting and exhilarating read and I am already waiting impatiently for the next book! The author doesn't hold back as she begins her book at full tilt while deftly explaining the intricacies of Furykind and the rest of her paranormal world. Kasey Mackenzie does for the Furies what Kresley Cole has done for the Valk

The cover art intrigued me and, it turns out, is a superb representation of the main character in the book. I very rarely find that in books. The title of the book also is well done. I started reading the first chapter, which the character and the story came at me as a red hot fury, and I was hooked and on-board for a wild ride. Let me back up a bit... I read a lot of books. A lot. Lately I've been feeling like I can't find authors that I enjoy - I don't mean authors that critics say I should read, but authors that I sit down and lose myself reading them. The authors I like don't seem to be writing much and new authors are typically so very painful to wade through for something that I enjoy. To be honest, I ordered this book about 90% because I liked the cover art and was slightly intrigued by the plot from an author I did not know. Halfway through the first chapter I knew I had found an author I liked a lot. The writing style, emotion, pace and the universe of the story had energy coming from the pages straight to my imagination. There are a lot of pieces of the plot I could critique and say could be written tighter. And if all that were fixed, I think it may make the story less attractive to me. This book has rough, fresh edges and I loved it. I was turning the pages eagerly, engrossed in the story, and dreading getting to the edge of the book since there would be nothing else to read. An analogy that pops in my head is me sitting in a movie theater (with a big bucket of popcorn) with wide eyes totally lost in the movie (while non-stop munching on popcorn) and at some points screaming "oh come on!" and at the same time, never blinking, never looking away from the movie (and unconsciously, obsessively, munching on the popcorn). At the end of the movie and the popcorn, I sat back and thought... what a fun ride! Write more.

Marissa is a fury (they start off as humans) who also happens to be the Chief Magical Investigator for the Boston PD. As an arcane (non human) she faces different challenges than a mundane (human). While investigating the death of an arcane she stumbles onto something that no one ever expected. It's going to take all her talents to come out of the situation alive. Especially after she gets suspended from her job (and her resources) and nearly falls victim to an assasin's bullet. I thought the plot here was really interesting. Of course there is the obligatory war and coming out of the non humans but it's what happened after the war that is important. With traitor's all over and things long thought dead appearing magically you sort of suspect that something big is beneath it all. This is, by no means, a heavy romp through major literary territory but its not billed that way. This is a rolicking enjoyable amazing read that has you cheering for Riss and those around her. It's like Butcher's The Dresden Files and Kim Harrison's Witch books and every bit as good. The magnificent writing kept me completely into the story and I read it in one sitting. Marissa (Riss) is clearly a strong take charge female who relishes her strengths. Trin, her mortal partner, dedicated to her job. Of course you've got the werehound Scott, Riss's former lover, who Riss needs now more than ever. The rest of the cast is equally as strong and play a critical role in the story. There are a lot of characters but I never had trouble keeping track of them or who they were in terms of their relationship to the story. The plots the same way -- builds up as you go with clues along the way. The world created is a stunning one very fleshed out and believable. The descriptions are fabulous and the magical creatures just come at you with as much speed as a harpy. From Sidhe to Fury to everything in between. The plot is tight and the action non stop. Fantastic. This folks is urban fantasy done right. Way right. 5 stars all the way. I was completely transfixed -- cannot wait for the next one!