| Title | : | Green Eyed Envy (Shades of Fury, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1101529172 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781101529171 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published June 28, 2011 |
As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has meted out justice since time immemorial. As Boston's chief magical investigator, it's her duty to solve any crimes committed by or against supernaturals.
Months have gone by since Riss discovered some unwelcome truths about her past--and managed to stop a supernatural war. Since then things have been quiet. Too quiet. But that all changes when the bodies of Bastai, shapeshifters also known as Cats, begin piling up in Boston's magical underbelly--even though the legendary shifters are supposed to have ninety-nine lives.
One common thread ties the victims together: all were old flames of FBI Agent Harper Cruz. And since Harper and Riss's lover Scott Murphy enjoyed a one-night stand before he and Riss reunited, the Fury has twice the incentive to crack the case wide open, before the killer's green-eyed gaze turns in Scott's direction..
Green Eyed Envy (Shades of Fury, #2) Reviews
-
This instalment read much like a mystery novel to me, with a serial killer at large, and the protagonist cracking her brain and busting her ass in trying to resolve the murders, find the killer and save the day. I liked having to think and deduce which suspect could be a potential killer. I read this book right after reading book #1, Red Hot Fury, and although I thought the general concept, premise, setup were decent and had potential, it still had the same issues that I experienced on the previous book. It failed to deliver a capturing urban fantasy tale and its execution was not smooth at all.
The following may contain spoilers, so proceed with caution.
Characterization
All right, Riss, the heroine, seriously pissed me off. The author portrayed her as a badass character with supernatural abilities to help her police the arcane community, but she was consistently inconsistent. I would have expected her to be more tough and hardass, but at one point of the story, she broke down and cried into her boyfriend’s (Scott’s) chest. What the hell?!? Did she have some sort of complex or something?!? Yeah yeah yeah, she was a Fury with problems controlling her Rage and may experience the occasion moodiness and whatnot. But enough already!!! She was plain annoying and I felt like slapping her every time she opened her mouth with a smartass or snarky comment about anything. Then there was the Scott-factor. Scott, as Riss’ boyfriend, was a hybrid Warhound/mortal. He was a possessive, territorial man, with a sense of over-protection when it came to his woman. Other than his usual growling and aggressive behaviour to anyone who appeared to be threatening in any way, he did not stand out at all. After two books, I still didn’t quite get why Riss and Scott fell for each other – there were no sparks or chemistry. It just felt flat and boring.
Plot Sloppiness
The sub-plot of Scott’s little brother, Sean’s disappearance from the last instalment, was not furthered nor resolved in this book. Additionally, the author introduced more Fury politics and conspiracies in this book as a lead for a potential subsequent book. Riss’ niece, Cori, also came into her almighty Fury powers, but oh that was a minor detail that would be addressed later. Oh lord, the author was all over the map, with none of the sub-plots tied together interestingly. The main plot was okay, but the identity of the villain became too obvious after awhile. The overall execution was not elegant at all. The story felt choppy and after an incident or two here and there, the author sort of left those trails all alone and focused all her attention on the main plot for the rest of the story, which was Riss playing detective on the serial killer mystery. It really felt like the job of a novice who had some great ideas and attempted to slap and stitch all the ideas together in one volume. The ultimate outcome? - failure to deliver.
I already mentioned this in my review of Red Hot Fury, but I am saying this again. The author’s continued excessive use of italicizing words on every other paragraph was a rampant issue in both books #1 and #2. Are you noticing those words that I italicized in my review here? Imagine seeing those EVERYWHERE for almost 300 pages!!! At one point I even felt like doing a tally on the side just to see how many italicized words I could find in the book. But then again, I just wanted to quickly finish the book and move onto something else - I was seriously losing patience.
I give this book 2 stars only. -
(3.5 stars) Riss’s friend Harper Cruz, a Cat shapeshifter, is marrying Pennington Banoub, a Hound shifter and the cousin of Riss’s boyfriend Scott. But as the wedding date approaches, someone is knocking off Harper’s old boyfriends. Not only is this troubling in itself, but Riss has a very personal reason to be worried as the murder spree continues: Scott had a fling with Harper while he and Riss were broken up, and if the killer knows, Scott could be the next target.
Green-Eyed Envy is rife with red herrings. Suspects are numerous. You’ll probably suspect half the characters in the book at various times — some of them more than once. I did realize the culprit was scum long before Riss did, but I couldn’t be sure if he or she was murderous scum or just the regular sort.
A subplot deals with family issues and intra-Fury politics; Riss’s grandmother has awakened from her coma but isn’t acting quite like herself, and Riss’s mother thinks there’s something fishy going on. It’s great — and far too unusual in urban fantasy — to see a heroine with a loving, supportive, kick-butt mother. This storyline also leads to what is perhaps the most awesome moment in the whole book, involving Riss’s niece Cori. This plotline appears to be setting the stage for the third Shades of Fury novel.
Another subplot concerns the deepening commitment between Riss and Scott. Riss realizes that the relationship is getting serious, but fears that she’ll ruin it — whether because of her knee injury and self-medicating with Jack Daniels, or because of a disturbing new attraction to Harper’s charming man of honor, which she blames on her mercurial Fury nature. Riss’s struggles are relatable, and her growing determination to take responsibility for her life is admirable.
Kasey MacKenzie’s writing style isn’t the most distinctive in the field, but it does the job, and it’s improved since Red Hot Fury. Green-Eyed Envy has more humor, better scene transitions, wiser choices about what to show vs. what to tell, and only one use of the word “weps.”
Stronger (but also fluffier) than its predecessor, Green-Eyed Envy is a fun mystery with lots of action and twists. Add this one to the beach bag. -
I really like Riss and her circle. She is strong, usually smart but at the same time a little vulnerable. If I was basing this review strictly on how much I like the characters and reading about their interactions with each other, it would get 4 stars, but there were issues I just couldn't ignore.
What I enjoyed:
* The cast. Riss and Scott. Harper and Penn. Trinity. Riss's family. They are all interesting and fun to read about.
* The Fury structure. There are major issues going down and they were just skimmed on in this book. I'm pretty sure they will be the focus of the next one and I look forward to learning more about it.
* Riss and Scott are great together. They obviously care deeply about each other and aren't afraid to show it.
What could have been better:
* The villian. How Riss missed such an obvious thing is beyond me.
* I want more Nike and Nemesis. -
Reviewed by
http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...
I really enjoyed RED HOT FURY, so there was no doubt in my mind that I would be grabbing a copy of GREEN EYED ENVY the day it came out. I find Riss (Marissa) sassy, fun, and determined. I have also really liked the rest of the characters so far in the series. Harper a friend and past fling of Scott's that we met in book one has a much bigger role in book two. The whole book is pretty much about her and a serial killer that is offing her ex boyfriends as it gets closer to her wedding day. Riss is not only determined to stop him from killing more people but she is worried for Scott as well due to his past "relationship" with Harper.
I didn't feel that GREEN EYED ENVY was AS good as RED HOT FURY for a few reasons. The mysterious were pretty easy to solve to me. There were lots of things I guessed before their reveals. The emotions weren't as high for me, I didn't feel as attached to the story line as I would have liked. Although you can tell that they care a lot about each other and the feelings built up more the relationship between Riss and Scott didn't have as much emotion behind it as in book one. I missed the whole Fury aspect. There wasn't as much of her being her Fury self as there was in book one and I really would have liked that. Even after saying all of that I don't regret reading GREEN EYED ENVY, I still enjoyed it and there were a few things that happened in the book that I'm excited to see more of in following books. I will be buying the next book in the series and I think if you liked book one you will still enjoy what GREEN EYED ENVY adds to the series. -
Magical investigator Marissa 'Riss' Holloway has her hands full. Not only are Fury politics threatening her family, but Riss can't do anything to help since she has her plate full trying to hunt down an arcane serial killer who has somehow managed to kill three Catshifters despite the fact that, with 99 lives, 'Cats' are nearly immortal. And to make matters worse, the investigation is hitting pretty close to home because the common link to the murders involves a close friend, and one of the potential victims is even closer to Riss' heart.
'Riss' has some pretty cool powers to go with the anger management issues that come with being a legendary agent of vengeance (which she keeps pretty well contained this time around) and the parts of the story with the Cats and Hounds and their long standing emnity were pretty interesting. So, even though the start of the story was sort of slow, and I some nits with Riss' repetative self talk - about her knee and her 'Rage' - I did like this second book better than the first. And since the story does pick up about midway through and I thought the wrap up to the murder investigation (and the wedding) were entertaining, Green-eyed Envy gets an 'ok' to 'pretty good' overall from me.
And since MacKenzie leaves Riss and her family in peril as the targets of Fury political intrigue, it is clear that everything is set up for another 'colorful' Fury sequel. (Furious Blues? Black-hearted somethings? no clue yet on MacKenzie's site). -
This book is second in Ms. MacKenzie’s Shades of Fury series, but the first I’ve read…And I don’t think I’ll come back for more. Don’t get me wrong, I went in very little expectations, but the promise of the blurb constantly on the back of my mind. Unfortunately, the book didn’t meet those measly expectations or kept the promise of the blurb.
Though not really a fan of urban fantasy, I am a big fan of mythology, so I was naturally curious to see a “real-life” fury in action. Unlucky me, I got a strangely chic-lity book with a sassy, overly-self-talking heroine that despite her big “Rage” spiel, didn’t show it that much. And for someone who’s the boss in the magical investigative division, she was strangely blind as to what was going on around her - mostly in the villain department.
For the rest...What can I say. As far as romance goes, this was definitely an urban fantasy novel, since the boyfriend thing didn’t strike me as overly sincere. I didn’t feel the chemistry, I didn’t feel the connection. I was told there was, but I didn’t “experience” it. The suspense part was quite good, but, once again, the big bad magical investigator almost blew it. The supporting cast added a rather humorous tone, which was good, the fighting scenes were good, but the pacing seemed a little off, since the book really picked up speed only in the second half. -
Everyone can get a little jealous at times. But, when that jealousy turns to something completely different that it can become dangerous. And in this case, downright deadly. Although Riss isn’t necessarily the one in danger, her own jealousy throughout this tale puts her in a decent amount of danger. And as two parallel conspiracies unfold around her, she is not only in a race to save the next victim of a serial killer, but also a race to save her own family.
Although one of these tales (the issues with her family) doesn’t actually get solved during Green-Eyed Envy, the fact that there is an extra complication in Riss’ life helps to increase the fast pace of this tale. Her ties to her family also help to not only ground her when things start getting a little bit too weird, but also create a larger issue. One that I can’t wait to see solved (hopefully) in the next Shades of Fury novel.
Serial killer tales and the race to stop them can always be interesting but adding in a supernatural spin on this murder spree, I just lapped it up. Add in Scott’s ex, racial prejudice and wedding bells in the future… well, you know that this is going to be good fun. I also love the way that issues such as racism and maddened possession are built upon to create a better understanding of the world. That, and it makes some of the issues that Riss is facing a little more relatable and realistic. I doubt anyone has seen a Fury, but we’ve all seen racism… -
Si ignoro la relación de los protagonistas (no me gusta nada), el libro no está mal.
-
This book continues where Red Hot Fury ended.
Marissa Holloway is the new Chief of the new Magical Crimes Unit of the Boston PD. With her human partner Trinity LaRue she is called to a murder scene, another Cat has been killed. And as Cats, or Bastai, have 99 lives, that sure is impressive. Will they have their first Arcane serial killer to catch? When they find out the one thing those victims have in common, is that they are previous lovers from Harper, Riss will have to find the killer before her own boyfriend is the next victim.
They will have to interview all Harper’s previous boyfriends, and offer them protection. To flush the killer out in the open, Harper and Penn, her fiancée, decide to hurry up their marriage. There is a lot of hostility about that, as Harper is a Cat, and Penn is a Warhound, and a cousin to Scott. But Penn is from the rich Banoub branch of the family, and they kicked his mother out when she married his father. Those two families do not get along, at all. And of course Penn’s relatives are not pleased that their golden boy, the head of their family, is marrying a Cat.
While searching for the killer, Marissa is going undercover as their wedding planner, this gives her the opportunity to mingle with both families and other wedding guests and ask questions. But she really does not count on her strange attraction to the Men of Honor, and another of Harper’s former boyfriends. She is in love with Scott, so why is she lusting after Victor?
In the meanwhile, in the realm of the furies, things are not going well either. Sure, she has her mother back after 20 years, but no one believes Stacia was acting alone. And suddenly her grandmother has come out of her decades long coma, and has issued Challenge to one of the Conclave members. Something is really not all right up there. Her mortal family is in danger as well, so she needs Scott’s family to keep them save, with the help of the Harpy’s.
So things are pretty hectic for Marissa and her friends and family, but there are some good things happening as well. Another doctor might be able to fix her busted knee, when even the Oracle’s can’t heal it. And her niece has Fledged! But before they can adopt her into the Fury’s, the complot with her grandmother needs to be resolved ...
I look forward to book 3, and suspect that will take place in the Fury realm. It should certainly have a lot of action, and perhaps more on the different kinds of Fury’s. There are three.
But this story is very good as well. Harper sure dated some strange men in her time, and I don’t really like most of them. Still, to be killed in such a horrible way is something no one deserves. The mystery is not easy to solve, but I was suspicious about one man from the beginning, and that proved to be true.
Scott’s younger brother is still missing, and I also keep being suspicious about that. Something was just not right with him. Having a crush on your brother’s girlfriend is one thing, but what he did, nope.
I really enjoy Kasey Mackenzie’s writing style, her sense of humor and the sarcastic wit of Marissa. I like all the main characters and the ending of the book was very much fun.
Yes I do recommend this series if you like Urban Fantasy and want something different than werewolves and vampires.
8 stars. -
If I could I would give this book 2 1/2 stars. So as a fan of rounding things up... I gave it three. As this book has been given a brief description I'll skip that.
I enjoyed that Riss (Marissa) the Tisiphone Fury of this book actually got to do some detective work. There was Scott in it and you got to see some of the Fury politics. Plus, it was nice to see the return of the Queen of the Harpies. The whole Nan waking up from a mystical coma but she goes and starts causing turmoil in the Fury world. I am curious as to the whole conclusion of this in the next book.
That's all the good stuff that I can come up with. Here are the things that bothered me.
Due to the Fury turmoil there's a civil war brewing and the Tisiphones are being targeted in specific Riss and her family. Now, if you were supposedly a smart 16 year old (or near) and people wanted to kill you and your family wouldn't the wise course of action be NOT to go out and see a movie with your human friends? I could see it if the adults were not divulging that information or just in general a twit. And Riss doesn't even try to scold her for doing it? Or when the niece was moaning about her grounding, no your-parents-are-right? Really?
Yes, Scott was basically there every step of the way, but after the first 50 pages there was zilch personality coming from him. I was kind of hoping to get to see more of his personality and/or world since part of the story revolves the marriage between Harper (FBI friend) and his cousin. Scott's mother had left that side of the family when his mother met his dad who was human (his family regards hooking up humans as beneath them). Though, Scott and his cousin duking it out via arm wrestling was hilarious.
Another thing that I wished Mackenzie would have included in her book was to tell his why the hell the Furies have their own grouping? There's Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megaera. As a kid I loved greek mythology and were intrigued by the Furiae and I know that the titles were actually the three furiae from Greek Mythology, but in Book 1 Mackenzie establishes that nope, they are actually titles. Maybe then she would have explained how the titles work, what sort of policing each group do that sort of thing. She might have explained it in book 1, but she definitely didn't here. I actually had to go to her website and find a pdf of the Arcana Guide to the Furies where it tells each group roles.
Finally, the whole Victor situation. If I was around a dude who caused me to act the total opposite of my who I was, wouldn't that be a clue that the person is doing something? Yes, Riss never gave in, but one would think since she had to keep reminding herself about Scott and even sometimes she would completely forget about him. Wouldn't that send off an alarm bell that something isn't right? She even said that that attraction was weird for her. -
*Rating* 3.0
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
Kasey MacKenzie's Green-Eyed Envy is the second book in the Shades of Fury series and takes place several months after Red Hot Fury where secrets about Risa’s past were exposed and a plot to restart a war between humans and arcanes was stopped by Risa. The one positive that came from those events was that Risa ended up finding her mother and gaining a little brother.
Marissa (Risa) Holloway has since become the first official arcane (non-mortal) member of the Boston Police Department. She is also a magical investigator, as well as the Chief of the newly formed Magical Crimes Unit along with her mortal partner and Deputy Trinity LaRue, as well as Kale, Mahina, and Cass a newbie detective that just joined the squad.
Marissa true identity is that of one of the Furies who are the magical equivalent to the police departments in that they enforce the law among the arcanes and unleash vengeance against those who break the law and the Peace accords between the mortals and arcanes.
This time around, someone is killing Cats. No, not the furry four legged house pets that I love so much. These are the ones who shape shift into cats and whose origins go back to the God Bastai. Normally, these cats have ninety lives which make them nearly impossible to kill and allow them to live a very long time.
Unfortunately for these cats, it appears that a sadistic SOB has come up with a way to kill them by using catnip to take away their ability to survive the brutality they suffer at the hands of their killer.
The victims are all former lovers of FBI Agent Harper Cruz, who has become friends with Risa after the events of Red Hot Fury and is now set on marrying Scott’s cousin much to the chagrin of both families.
But, that’s not all. It also seems that there is a revolt happening within the Paladium of Furies and they are targeting not only Risa, but her entire family as well. Someone, it seems, has decided to use Risa’s own grandmother for their nefarious purposes by waking her up from a decade’s long coma. Risa happens to be the perfect target since she created so much chaos with saving the Harpy Queen Serise and killing her mentor Stacia who had plans of world domination on her menu.
This book turned into a murder mystery novel in that anyone and everyone was considered to be suspects in stopping Harpers wedding. It also has definite swings towards the paranormal romance novel genre with the romance between Risa and Scott Murphy heating up.
I found myself unwittingly guessing correctly who the actual killer was after he made several passes at Risa’s undercover character named Sierra Nieves. I also couldn't help but cringe at the grooms family and their antics. I'm sure none of us would want THAT family as in-laws.
I would have to say that Red Hot Fury was a lot better than this once, but, the undercurrent of a war between the Furies, and Risa finally having a person to mentor in her niece Cori, will keep me interested in reading the next book when it comes out.
Recommended that you read Red Hot Fury first before diving into this book. -
Review originally posted on my blog:
A Book Obsession..
After thwarting another Fury's evil plot to take over the Sisterhood and start a war between the races, both Arcane and Mundane, Marissa gained the respect she deserves from the Boston PD. Not only does she finally have a partner, but she is also head of the new Magical Crimes Unit. Their caseload has been relatively easy, at least until male Cat shapeshifters started turning up murdered despite their ninety-nine lives. Aside from their species, one other thing ties the victims together, they were all former lovers of Special Agent Harper Cruz. Considering Riss's better half Scott had his own romp with her back in the day, this case is hitting quite close to home for her. Despite the affair being relatively unknown, Riss knows it's only a matter of time before that well kept secret comes to light, and Scott is placed in the killer's cross-hairs.
I really loved Riss's character in the first installment. She was just so fierce and sassy and not a little bad-ass. However, in Green-Eyed Envy it is almost like she has been tamed down to a kitten rather than a Fury who should be feared. I just didn't get the change in behavior, and honestly I was a little disappointed. She was very secretive and kept important things to herself out of guilt and embarrassment, whereas the old Riss would have just spoke her mind. Basically that spark of passion that really drew me to her was all but burned out. I'm hoping the original Riss comes back, rather than the watered down version seen in this installment.
Since their reconciliation in the previous installment, the awesome sexual tension established between them Riss and Scott has pretty much vanished. I had been hoping to see plenty of smexy time between them. But alas, their interactions stayed more in the affectionate category rather than the inferno I would have liked to have seen. Perhaps that could be because of the issues they were dealing with having to stop a the murderer, and Riss's fear at Scott getting hurt. But honestly, I doubt it as deadly threats didn't stop them before.
Things this time around were much more sedate than the first installment, from the romance, to the overall plot, to even Riss's character herself. Instead of being a gritty and raw treat, Green-Eyed Envy was decidedly much more fluffy. In fact, the whole plot centered around a wild goose chase that was rather unnecessary when it was blatantly obvious who the culprit was from early on. That being said, despite my frustrations with this installment, I still think this is a pretty solid series. I'm actually pretty excited about the next installment as the subplot in this one hinted at a huge political mess in the middle of the Sisterhood, which should prove to be interesting at the very least. -
"Green-Eyed Envy" begins a few months after the first book ended. After preventing another war between the arcanes and the mundanes, Riss has returned to her job as Boston's Chief Magical Investigator. It seems the dead bodies of Bastai, shapreshifters who are also cats, are beginning to be discovered around the city. What makes this so unusual is that cats have 99 lives and therefore, are not likely to be killed. So, who has managed to cause these murders?
It seems that one common thread among all of the victims is that they were the exes of FBI Agent Harper Cruz and one night stand of Riss' boyfriend, Scott Murphy. When Harper is brought in to identify one of the victims, Riss and Scott discover that she is engaged to none other than Scott's stuck up cousin, Penn Banoub. Yea, the very Banoub that had snubbed Scott's mother for marrying his father. Oh and let's complicate matters a little more by stating that interspecies marriage is hardly tolerated (Ha! where have we seen this before?). "Hey Ma! Guess whose coming to dinner?"
Harper is insistent upon working with Riss on these murders and Marissa is no dummy. She knows that Scott may be targeted by the serial killer because he and Harper once slept together. So, Harper constructs a unique plan to use Marissa as her wedding planner under the guise of Sierra Nieves, wedding planner to the stars. This way she can get close enough to both families to ferret out any problems as well as check on portential other victims.
If all of this is not enough, Marissa's commatose grandmother, Nan has reawaken and called out one of the Fury edlers. She refuses to see Marissa's mother (her daughter) and is acting strange. Additionally, sister furies are attacking Marissa and her family. Not to mention that the Harpies are having some problems of their own. Life has just become complicated for Marissa and the gang.
The characters in this second installment are quite a bit more interesting. Additionally, the plot has many unique twists and turns. However, I find that the writing still does not flow as fluidly as I would have desired. It is not clean cut and clear; so, I had to reread various sections to make sure I got the gist of the message the author was attempting to convey. I will confess that this did interfere with my reading enjoyment at times.
While the story resolved the problem with the serial killer, the issues with the fury attacks and Nan's awakenening from the comma is left as a cliffhanger. I for one do not mind a cliffhanger as long as it is done cleverly and Ms. Mackenzie accomplished this. I doubt that this series will ever be a favorite of mine; however, it is entertaining. -
Kasey MacKenzie's Green-Eyed Envy was a great followup to her debut, Red Hot Fury! I'll admit that what led me to read Kasey's first book was the knowledge that she was a local author and I just had to give her books a try! And they're really pretty good. Much different from my normal "save the world" urban fantasy books. There's still problems Riss has to deal with, but they tend to be more personal. And there's still lives at stake, just not the fate of humanity or supernatural well, sort of...
This time the supernaturals at risk of dying by a possible serial killer, are the ex-lovers of Harper. And they date back from high school. Someone is focusing on the old lovers, not so much the current one. So things are intense, Riss and her team go undercover to try to find out who the bad guy is, all while trying to plan a wedding! Won't say whose either! But the families of both the bride and groom are not at all pleased with the match, which just gives Riss a helluva lot of suspects to look at.
It doesn't help either knowing the Scott had a one-time fling with Harper. Will the killer mark Scott as someone to be killed? Does the killer know about the fling to begin with, since as far as Riss knows, she is the only one not directly involved in the relationship who knew about it.
Green-Eyed Envy was a well told book. Besides the ultimate trying to find the bad guy situation, Riss also has family drama to deal with. And in more than 1 dose. There's definite story potential there that will likely take place in future books, now was just the starting up of future problems.
Riss is a fun character to know. She's sassy and witty. She's not a diva or girly girl. She's got edge. Like most UF heroines, but of course the true UF reader can see the different flavors the heroine has. Even if qualities are similar to other heroines, they always tend to shine in their own light. To me at least!
There wasn't a whole lot of romance in this one, there was a lot of romantic tension and buildup. Riss and Scott are getting back into their relationship from before and seem to be easing into it, so there's no hot and heavy love to see, but there's still love between the two.
I can't wait to see where else the storyline will go with Riss, Scott and the others. The ending was good. After awhile I so totally nailed the killer before the big reveal. And there was still a nice little calm ending--can't quite say HEA since the story ain't over yet--for the characters. Got a chuckle out of me!
Overall rating 4.5/5 stars -
3.8 stars (rounded up)
I want to let out the complaints first ... It's FRUSTRATING for me as a reader, when I feel that the identity of the serial killer is so glaringly obvious but neither Riss, Scott, or the rest of the MCU (Magical Crime Unit) can see it. I guess the identity from million miles away. I mean, the key is in the title, right? Green Eyed Envy. . That is the reason why this book doesn't get the exact 4-stars rating.
Aside from that, I really, REALLY enjoy this second book. I think the writing is much more smooth, and it flows really nicely. The world building and information about the terms used are better. I remember being confused about 'weps' in the first book, for example, and here it is described that weps are magically enhanced weapons.
Riss is sassy and fun (love her inner thoughts). She totally has the attitude I enjoy! I love it when she goes undercover as Harper's wedding planner, because her personality must be tone down (she cannot go Rage in the middle of taking care of those female bitches, right? *lol*) but at the same time, the way she handles the fighting families of Cats and Hounds is delightful.
I like her relationship with Scott and Trinity (her partner in MCU). I appreciate how the book doesn't go with the "lone heroine" plots that I sometimes find in urban fantasy series -- how the heroine must do everything alone because it's her responsibility. In here, Riss doesn't do that. She has her MCU detectives helping her, she has Scott and Trinity -- and she also asks helps from her little brother, Mac. It's a team effort, though Riss CAN kick ass when she's alone too. I wish Mac has more scenes, though, I like that guy!! It's awesome to see Cory fledges for the first time as Fury -- it will be exciting to see how Riss mentors her niece.
The book also continues the muddy and complicated politic problems of the Furies, as the aftermath of book one. I think it's a plot that will keep going even in the next book, since it is nowhere resolved in this one.
Will definitely read the next book. -
Green-Eyed Envy is the second book in the Shades of Fury series by Kasey Mackenzie and an ACE Fantasy.
Book Blurb:
Jealousy can be a killer...
As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has meted out justice since time immemorial. As Boston's chief magical investigator, it's her duty to solve any crimes committed by or against supernaturals.
Months have gone by since Riss discovered some unwelcome truths about her past--and managed to stop a supernatural war. Since then things have been quiet. Too quiet. But that all changes when the bodies of Bastai, shapeshifters also known as Cats, begin piling up in Boston's magical underbelly--even though the legendary shifters are supposed to have ninety-nine lives.
One common thread ties the victims together: all were old flames of FBI Agent Harper Cruz. And since Harper and Riss's lover Scott Murphy enjoyed a one-night stand before he and Riss reunited, the Fury has twice the incentive to crack the case wide open, before the killer's green-eyed gaze turns in Scott's direction...
My thoughts:
Marissa Holloway is the Chief of the Magical Crimes Unit in Boston, it is her job to investigate - and solve, any crimes committed by or against the supernatural community. But Riss is much more than that.
She is a Fury - an immortal being who polices the arcane races.
When the bodies of Cat’s, who have ninety-nine lives, start turning up dead - Riss and her small crew in the MCU begin their investigation. It is quickly determined that the common factor between the Cat’s is FBI Agent Harper Cruz.
Riss and Harper have a common factor as well - Scott. Harper and Scott shared a night together years ago and now Riss is afraid he is on the killer’s hit list.
Determined to stop this serial killer before another body turns up - Riss and crew devise a plan to draw the killer out.
And if hunting a serial killer weren’t enough, Riss has to deal with Fury politics and assassination attempts against her own life - as well as those she loves.
I absolutely love this series! I give Green-Eyed Envy 5 out of 5 stars.
Product Details
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Ace; Original edition (6-28-11)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441020496
ISBN-13: 978-0441020492 -
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
We can try hard not to judge a book by its cover, but even the most noble among us will fail to be completely impartial when they crack a book for the first time. That’s because however much we might try and deny it, the cover of a book makes certain promises even before we know what the book is about, and broken promises tend to disappoint readers, or at least that’s how I feel after finishing GREEN-EYED ENVY.
Based on the cover alone, I was expecting a sexy, gritty urban fantasy with a tough as nails protagonist. The actual book turned out to be something quite different. It read more like Miss Congeniality takes on urban fantasy than anything else. Nothing against Sandra Bullock movies, and given the right mood I can enjoy a lighter, chick-lit paranormal romp every now and then, but that isn’t what I was hoping for here and that is unfortunately what I got.
Riss is a Fury, a mythological creature who punishes supernatural lawbreakers and works as Boston’s chief magical investigator. In GREEN-EYED ENVY, she goes undercover as a wedding planning to catch a supernatural serial killer. Riss herself isn’t the ‘furious’ character I hoped for. I would describe her as spunky and maybe a bit sassy. She does get to show off some paranormal fighting skills in the book, but she didn’t ever strike me as fierce. The scenes with her boyfriend Scott were pretty innocuous too. No romantic tension, and barely any chemistry that I could detect either.
Overall, GREEN-EYED ENVY just isn’t the book I was expecting it to be based on the cover and description. This book is urban fantasy lite with a feisty rather than fierce protagonist in a story worthy of the next Miss Congeniality movie. If you’re in the mood for a less gritty book, this may be for you, but I needed more.
Sexual Content:
Kissing. References to sex -
I really enjoyed RED HOT FURY, so there was no doubt in my mind that I would be grabbing a copy of GREEN EYED ENVY the day it came out. I find Riss (Marissa) sassy, fun, and determined. I have also really liked the rest of the characters so far in the series. Harper a friend and past fling of Scott's that we met in book one has a much bigger role in book two. The whole book is pretty much about her and a serial killer that is offing her ex boyfriends as it gets closer to her wedding day. Riss is not only determined to stop him from killing more people but she is worried for Scott as well due to his past "relationship" with Harper.
I didn't feel that GREEN EYED ENVY was AS good as RED HOT FURY for a few reasons. The mysterious were pretty easy to solve to me. There were lots of things I guessed before their reveals. The emotions weren't as high for me, I didn't feel as attached to the story line as I would have liked. Although you can tell that they care a lot about each other and the feelings built up more the relationship between Riss and Scott didn't have as much emotion behind it as in book one. I missed the whole Fury aspect. There wasn't as much of her being her Fury self as there was in book one and I really would have liked that. Even after saying all of that I don't regret reading GREEN EYED ENVY, I still enjoyed it and there were a few things that happened in the book that I'm excited to see more of in following books. I will be buying the next book in the series and I think if you liked book one you will still enjoy what GREEN EYED ENVY adds to the series. -
full review will be on my blog: ashleysgotbookcitement.blogspot.com
I LOVED the first book in this series, Red Hot Fury, and Green-Eyed Envy didn't quite live up to the greatness of the first. I still liked the book though. Riss is still a kick-butt, no nonsense heroine. The immerision of Egyptian mythology of the Bastai and Hounds of Anubis is super interesting. And, my favorite Warhound Scott Murphy was there to protect his lady fury and still be his most dashing self.
Kasey Mackenzie is also a darn good writer. Her world building and character development are very skilled and her stories are always fast paced and compulsively readable. Mackenzie also excels at the who-done-it aspect. The reader is never quite sure who the bad guy is until the last couple chapters.
My only issue with the book was that there was too many things going on. There was the hunt for a serial killer and something involving Fury politic's causing Riss's relatives to go into hiding. I would have liked it better if just the serial killer aspect was the main focus of the story and had the Fury politics beginnings saved for the next book.
Green-Eyed Envy was good, but just not as great as the first book. I could have had too high of expectations. I definitely say go pick up Red Hot Fury because it is fantastic and also continue reading the series. Mackenzie is a great writer and it's fun to be immersed in the world she has created.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.25/5
Furytastic! -
Marissa Holloway’s abilities and connections as a Fury help make her a damn good Chief Magical Investigator, but sometimes, Fury politics get in the way. Kind of hard to focus on the murders of male Bastai, or Cat shapeshifters, while worrying about family, the machinations of the Fury elders, and her Warhound boyfriend, Scott. But that’s exactly what Riss must do. Oh, the joys of policing Boston’s supernatural community.
Green-Eyed Envy is the second book in Kasey Mackenzie’s Shades of Fury series and it’s every bit as exciting as the first, Red Hot Fury. We get to see more of the shapeshifting communities and a bit of the interplay between the Cats and Warhounds. I’m constantly amazed with the world Kasey created, and love how she intertwines it with bits and pieces of history and mythology.
Riss is a dynamic character, and there are a few times she is faced with The Urban Fantasy Heroine Choice. You know what I’m talking about – the oh-god-why-are-you-running-up-the-stairs-instead-of-out-the-door moment 90% of UF heroines experience. I’m happy to say Riss doesn’t make this mistake. She’s smart, she’s cunning, and she sniffs out danger in time to not necessarily save herself, but develop a plan to catch the bad guy.
Kudos to Kasey Mackenzie for another heart-stopping book. 4 tombstones -
Everyone knew that cats got way more than their fair share of lives, but the poor guy spread-eagle on the alley floor would have called BS on that.
Marissa "Riss" Holloway is a Fury and Boston's Chief Magical Investigator. She is investigating an arcane serial killer that is targeting former boyfriends of FBI Agent Harper Cruz. Cruz is a Bastai (Cat) engaged to Scott's(Riss' boyfriend) cousin, Pennington Banoub, a Hound. Riss agrees to go undercover as a wedding planner to stay close to Harper and Penn and protect him from the killer. The little fact that Scott also slept with Harper makes Riss extremely anxious to catch the killer.
I enjoy this series. It has been a while since I read the first book but I was able to jump right back in with the characters. I've read reviews that knock the storyline for not being dark enough for urban fantasy. I find it to be refreshing that we can have a kick ass heroine without all of the angst. The addition of the storyline with Riss' grandmother fleshed out the book and made it a good read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. -
Too many subplots that were placed in the book just to set up the next story that didn't cohesively flow with the major plot of this book. Too many inconsistencies, one minute they are in a sedan and the next a Ferrari? And last time I checked, when it's before 1 in the afternoon there are more than 9 hours left in a day. Bad transitions between scenes. At one point I thought she slept and woke up in her office when a half paragraph into reading I realized she was actually in her apartment. And the romance...Riss's relationship with Scott is lukewarm at best making me care very little to the future success or failure or their union. Some of the reactions from the chatters were overdramatic making me feel like I was reading a rendition of a soap opera. Blah. Just blah. I have no desire to pick up the 3rd installment of this series.
-
Riss the Fury. :) This book is all about jealousy!
I like the action, I like the plot, and I like the character development too. I don't however appreciate the long monologues although they're far in-between. When they do come up, I practice speed reading. :P This book does finish it's main plot... but there is an underlying plot that doesn't get resolved. The part about her family. I need to read the next book! Grrr. I just don't know if I'll like the whole Fury and Harpy politics.
I think I'm starting to like Trinity more here. In the other book, I wasn't such a fan... but this time around she has more back bone and more sass. :) -
I could not stop reading this fantastic book. From the very first word I was hooked, I had to finish, and continued to read until I had it done in one sitting.
The characters are amazing and you feel like you know each of them personally and that you are part of their world.
The story is amazing and does not let you down throughout. It moves along at a great pace and keeps you entertained throughout the entire book.
This is an amazing read and I look forward to reading what happens next.
