Literature / The Fury

What happens when the world turns against you?

The Fury is a YA horror novel written by Alexander Gordon Smith. It follows the perspectives of Cal, Brick and Daisy. All three are normal teenagers going about their day to day when in an instant, everyone around them is out to kill them. Their presence triggers this bloodthirsty response in friends, family, and strangers. They have been plagued by the Fury, and must find each other and work together to uncover its truth before it gets them killed.

While originally published as two separate books The Fury and The Storm, eventually due to a decision about publishing the book in America, both books are sold together as a 700 page copy of The Fury.

This novel contains the following tropes:

• Abandoned Area: Brick helps gather the others affected at an abandoned amusement park, Fursville. Isolated from the public, it allows them to stay relatively safe from the Fury.
  • A House Divided
• Aerith and Bob: There's the Bastion twins; Rilke and Schiller, and then you have Chris, Marcus, Cal and Brick.
• Alas, Poor Villain: After Schiller's death, and Brick literally shattering her mind, Rilke dies screaming all while scared and vengeful for her brother's death.
• All-Loving Hero: Despite the horrors that the angels have caused her, Daisy can't help but feel bad for them and wishes they didn't have to suffer a life alone.
• Ancient Evil: The Storm is implied to have been as old as the universe itself. This is confirmed in Smith's next series The Devil's Engine, along with the reveal that their universes, along with the one of Escape from Furnace, are all connected.
• Angels, Devils and Squid: Both the Storm and the angels are described along the lines of 'god-like' and supernatural. The battle between their opposing forces share striking similarities with biblical interpretations of the end times in Revelations, but are unique in being creepily otherworldly and downright horrifying.
• Angsty Surviving Twin: Rilke, who is wrecked with grief as her brother dies in her arms.
• Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: What happens when the host of an angel dies, usually in a fiery explosion of light.
  • Winged Soul Flies Off at Death: An interesting literary example of this, as the angels' fiery forms are literally seen detaching themselves from their host, spreading their wings, and taking off.
• Big Bad: The man in the Storm.
• Body and Host: The bodies of those affected by the Fury are actually hosts for the angels trying to defeat the Storm, however they remain in complete control of their thoughts and actions. Those who overuse this power show signs of Possession Burnout.
• Brown Note: Nose, ear, and eye-bleeds, as well as some form of psychological damage, are common symptoms of seeing the angels in action. Most witnesses end up shaken or in terrified awe, some even clawing their eyes out at the sight.
• Bury Your Gays: Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the nuke dropped on London, Graham is horribly killed. It's unclear whether or not his boyfriend David made it out alive and well, though it's a pressing issue for Graham to make sure David gets to safety.
• Capital Letters Are Magic: Lampshaded by Daisy who notes that when Cal talks about the Fury, his use of a capital "F" makes it serious and real.
• Dating What Daddy Hates: Lisa's parents don't really like Brick as he comes off harsh, rides a motorcycle and they assume he was the one who persuaded Lisa into getting facial piercings.
• Devoured by the Horde: The unfortunate fate of most of those affected by the Fury.
• Disguised Horror Story: As Daisy, Kim and Chloe get into costume before heading on stage for their dress rehearsal, Daisy notices Kim preparing for her role as Tybalt. By repeating the word "die, die, die" and stabbing into the air in timing with each repetition in an increasingly violent trance.
• Eldritch Abomination: The Storm and the angels.
• Ensemble Cast: The narrative is told through multiple point of views of the cast, often changing several times per chapter. And though Cal, Daisy and Brick tend to be first billed, there's about twelve named angels in the cast.
• Evil Brunette Twin: Rilke. Although character descriptions are scarce, Rilke is described as having 'dark hair,' while Schiller is described as being blond.
• Fireball Eyeballs: When the angels are unleashed from someone's person, their eyes are often described as 'molten portals.'
• Gas Station of Doom: Brick has an encounter at one when he tries to get gas for his motorcycle, and is swarmed by the other drivers and gas attendants.
• Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter: When Daisy is able to read and connect to other people's thoughts, Cal warns her, as a teenage boy, to get out of his head.
• God and Satan Are Both Jerks: While the Storm and the angels can be seen as a fight against evil and holy forces respectively, the powers of both often result in pain and inconvenience for any people involved.
• Harbinger of Impending Doom: Angie, in an attempt to protect her daughter Daisy, leaves a scribbled and vague, yet sinister note warning her of the dangers to come.
• Hate Plague: Essentially what The Fury is, the presence of the main characters triggers an immediate violent reaction to any civilian within the twenty meter boundary. Due to the fact that these characters all secretly host an angel, and humans are unable to overcome the compulsion to purge the angels as eldritch abominations.
• I'm Cold... So Cold...: First seen and played straight with Schiller, who is dragged to Fursville by Rilke in a shivering comatose state. This pattern seems to be a preparation phase for each of the angels to 'hatch,' so to speak, when they are not triggered by immediate danger. Howie and Daisy both go through this process as well.
• Jerkass: Brick.
• Lovecraft Lite: While being a Cosmic Horror Story in most ways, the book ends on a positive note where hope and humanity prevail.
• Meaningful Name: Although name uniqueness varies by each character, they often reflect their roles or personalities. Prime examples include Callum - known as 'Cal' - which derives from the Gaelic term for 'dove'; Rilke, whose namesake reflects the angelic themes of the respective poet's work; and Harry - known by his just as suitably harsh nickname 'Brick' - which means to harass or agitate.
• Our Angels Are Different: The angels resemble traditional biblical interpretations in some ways. However, they are made unique, being especially horrifying, causing the Fury to attack those they possess and seemingly being 'emotionless machine.'
  Father Douglas: They are warriors too... ethereal... not creatures of this world. Scholastic theologians teach us that they are —-able to move between places instantly... Because of this they are often shown as being crafted from fire.
• The Main Characters Do Everything: Lampshaded. The man in the Storm that slowly is sucking away all essence of everything, leaving a black hole of absolute nothingness in its midst can only be stopped by the angels, who are all currently inhabiting human hosts. And given that most of these hosts are ripped apart by people due to the Fury, it only leaves the handful of the main cast to fight back. Brick points out how absurd their odds are.
  Cal: What if there is a reason we're here-to fight whatever it was she saw.
  Brick: Yeah, Cal, sure. The world is in peril and it's you, me, and a couple of kids destined to save it.
• Namesake Gag: Brick comes up with random excuses for why he chose "Brick" as a nickname.
  Rilke: Why Brick?
  Brick: Because my dad's motto was never hit anyone with your fist when you've got a brick.
• Plucky Girl: Daisy. Despite their predicament, she is often seen smiling, or overall trying to make the best of the situation.
• Product Placement: Cal practically endorses Dr. Pepper himself, saying its the only hydration he needs over water.
• The Quiet One: Adam, who refuses to speak for the majority of the book. He does, however, unleash a piercing scream when Brick taps out the beat of the migraine they all had before the Fury broke out. In the end, Daisy sees into Adam's minds and realises that Adam became mute after years of abuse from his parents. Adam first only speaks to her after this, as she encourages him to never be afraid to use his voice again.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Given the circumstance in which all of these characters have been swarmed and brutally attacked, introductions are a rocky start. It gets worse from there, between Rilke declaring to purge humanity for the supremacy of angels, angels hatching (and stubbornly not hatching) in inopportune times, to Brick being, well, himself. It's a wonder they can formulate and perform any plans together, though it's often thanks to the help of Cal and Daisy mediating.
• Theme Twin Naming: Rilke and Schiller are named respectively after the German poets.
• Transformation at the Speed of Plot: See I'm Cold... So Cold... example provided above; The icy comatose stage of angelic transformation takes much longer for Schiller, Howie, and Daisy, leaving the group confused in what to do to care for their vulnerable team member, meanwhile Brick's icy transformation takes place in a matter of minutes.
• We ARE Struggling Together: See Teeth-Clenched Teamwork. Disagreements unfold from things such as gathering food and the morals of purging humanity, to simply fighting over seats in Chris' car.