Review: Envy (The Fury Trilogy #2) by Elizabeth Miles

Some people just have it all. Some people aren't happy, and some people just want to take it all away.

Title: Envy (The Fury Trilogy #2) by Elizabeth Miles
Pages: 320
Release Date: August 30th 2012
Published by: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: Publisher (Thanks Frances!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Spring is here, and the ice is slowly melting in Ascension…revealing the secrets buried beneath.

The Furies are back, and Emily Winters is about to discover that their roots in Ascension are deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to take them down. But it's hard to focus when she's desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her.

Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she's thrilled when not only does popular Gabby takes her under her wing, but the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all…

It's tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

My impression for the whole trilogy took a complete 90 degree turn after reading this book. My feelings for Fury were lukewarm at best, but Envy was a step way above my expectations for a sequel. Surprise, surprise. Envy was way better than Fury.

As the ice slowly melts away from Ascension, Emily's life is transforming, and so is Em herself. Gone was the perky, joyful Em that was Gabby's best friend, she was a hollow shell of her self, forever haunted by The Furies' presence. She had paid dearly for the mistakes she did in Fury, and now she wants to make everything right. Em wants to banish the Furies forever from Ascension, and she knew she must find a way before they could destroy the whole town. But The Furies has found a new target, and like Em, she doesn't know it until it's too late. Skylar McVoy just want to fit in. She wants to be adored just like her older sister Lucy, to stop feeling like a freak, someone who isn't good enough, and to get away from a mother who could care less if she lives or dies. Skylar had a chance to start over when she came to Ascension, but when popular girl Gabby became her friend, all Skylar wants is to be like her. To be her, loved and cared for by everyone, and she'd do anything to achieve that. Anything.

I liked that a lot of changes had happened in this book. It was darker than what I expected it to be, but to deal with such a powerful feeling as Envy, you have to write that way. Gritty, edgy. Everything was darker. Emily's character was slowly morphing into something else, and the intrigue that surrounds such a change gives the book a more interesting feeling. Skylar's story was Envy personified. It happens to everyone, that single minded desire to want what they don't and couldn't have. Envy plunged deeper into the uglier side of a person, and combine that with Em's feelings of regret and grief over her losses, it's a lot to take in, but Envy was surprisingly an easy read. It didn't drag on, and the steady, suspense filled pace kept me in step with the story.

There was no such thing as coincidence when it involves the Furies. A target of their vengeance was chosen specifically by them for a reason. Lives were lost because of the secrets the persons keep. And it seems that good girl Gabby was again the central force that drove this story. Everything was put into motion because of her. Also, the introduction of new characters like Crow and Drea gave the book some more intrigue. Who is Crow? I enjoyed reading about him a lot, but I wish more of his character was revealed. But he definitely gave the book a more mysterious edge to it. Em, who has suffered through a lot and was so close to breaking in this book needs a reprieve, and I see a potential love interest on Crow. Em and JD's relationship were still shaky at best, and it got me so confused at times. There's only so much rejection a person can take. Em has been a tougher, more resilient version of herself. Maybe a little paranoid and mad, but with her persistence, she was slowly getting closer into revealing the true origins of The Furies. And that particular twist, the reason why Em is slowly transforming? I did not see that coming.

Again, with Envy, you have to wait and see how the pieces will fit together. How could one story, one death, be tied to the others? I never had such patience with the first book, but Elizabeth Miles did a better job in putting together this story that it was an enjoyable experience to see the whole thing slowly forming and making sense right before my eyes. Although it is still a great mystery about what are the true origins of The Furies and how their vengeful ways all started, I hope it gets revealed soon. I felt like the clues left were not enough to really give a clearer idea of just really what The Furies are out to achieve.

More chilling than the first, a lot more intriguing as the second book in the series, Envy has done a great build up for what I think will be a fantastical ending in Eternity. Twisted and more sinister, Envy unlocks all the negative feelings and the consequences that comes with desiring what is not ours. Are you prepared to sacrifice anything and everything just to get what you want? At what lengths are you willing to go to achieve what you desire? The Furies are watching. Be careful, because one mistake can end up with them knocking at your door, seeing through those deep dark, buried feelings in your heart, and they will destroy you. A great follow up for Fury, Elizabeth has done an impressive job with Envy!

Content (plot, story flow, character):
Skylar, the girl I loved to hate, but couldn't help but relate to at time.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Is Meg the one in the cover? And Ty was the one in the first?