Ash’s review of Red Hot Fury by Kasey Mackenzie
Urban Fantasy released by Ace 29 Jun 10
Instead of the usual vampires and werewolves, Kasey Mackenzie has given us Furies and Warhounds. What could have been just another typical book turned out to be one that I didn’t want to put down. It isn’t without its flaws, but they are minor and I never thought of them after the fact. There is a bunch of things to like, though.
Riss is a Fury, which means if you are a bad guy, you wouldn’t like her when she’s angry. I find myself liking her all of the time, whether she is happy or on the verge of unleashing her Rage. It’s a relief to have a Fury as our main character, instead of the usual were or vamp.
She stands out and it’s exciting to read about what she is. Riss has people after her, loved ones betraying her, and an ex who might be more. It is the basis of tons of other urban fantasies, but this one stands out.
Since I am always looking for the romance in every book I read, I have to talk about Scott, the ex. They are still in love, and, of course, I found myself wanting more time spent on them. Still, I thought Kasey Mackenzie did a good job in making their relationship realistic.
The romance is not a big thing in this book, there are people missing and they don’t waste time on each other when they have things to do. It was actually nice to have them focus on what needs to be focused on while not ignoring their feelings either.
I did immediately suspect the person that ends up being the big bad. I kept hoping it would be someone else and surprise me, but it didn’t. Still, there are plenty of other twists and turns.
There’s never a dull moment, and I think there is a lot of potential in this world that has been created. So now I have another series to look forward to, and I hope it continues to deliver.
Grade: B-
Summary:
As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. As Boston’s Chief Magical Investigator for the past five years, she’s doing what she was born to: solving supernatural crimes.
It’s far from business as usual when the body of one of Riss’s sister Furies washes up in Boston harbor. Riss discovers that the corpse’s identity has been magically altered, but as soon as she reports her findings, she’s immediately—and inexplicably—suspended from her job. Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss starts to realize that someone may be trying to stir up strife between mortals and Arcanes.
When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to untangle this case. Without the support of the mortal PD, Riss turns to the one man she can trust to watch her back—shapeshifting Warhound Scott Murphy. But since Scott is also Riss’s ex, she’ll have to keep a tight leash on more than just the supernatural rage that feeds her power as they try to solve a murder—and stop a war…
Read an excerpt.
