[Book Review] The Furies

The Furies / Mark Alpert

For centuries, the Furies have lived among us. Long ago they were called witches and massacred by the thousands. But they’re human just like us, except for a rare genetic mutation that they’ve hidden from the rest of the world for hundreds of years.

Now, a chance encounter with a beautiful woman named Ariel has led John Rogers into the middle of a secret war among the Furies. Ariel needs John’s help in the battle between a rebellious faction of the clan and their elders. The grand prize in this war is a chance to remake the human race.

For fans of Michael Crichton, Justin Cronin, and Stephen King, The Furies weaves cutting-edge science into an ingenious thriller, showing how a simple genetic twist could have inspired tales of witchcraft and sorcery, and how the paranormal could indeed be possible.

A family of genetically divergent women have lived among us for thousands of years, their rapid healing and long life marking them as targets of fear and hatred.  A seemingly chance meeting with a woman named Ariel drags John Rogers into both a hidden society and a family war.

The narration is pedantic, stodgy, and overwrought with exposition that may or may not further develop the story.  Character description of John Rogers hinges on name dropping, half of the anger fueling the war is based on incestuous desire, and the sex scenes are just tediously boring.  The premise and setting failed to convince, and the thrills failed to deliver.  Nothing like the works of Crichton or King, possibly less engaging than Cronin's The Passage which I could not make myself finish.

Advanced Reader Copy copy courtesy of Netgalley; differences may exist between uncorrected galley text and the final edition.