Furies Rising: Book One: Hollow Valley

by Andrew Lyons

Lukas Lincoln is an average fifteen-year-old enjoying the last days of summer camp in the remote Texas Hill Country. But when a strange virus infects 90% of America, killing many and leaving the others as unthinking, relentless flesh hunters, Lukas and a small group of surviving, uninfected campers and counselors must find a way to escape. Among them is his older brother Caleb, Caleb's girlfriend, Juliana, whom Lukas yearns for, Lukas's best friend, Javi, and a mysterious female camper named Aubrey. Their journey will take them on a desperate race across the state in search of potential safety. Along the way, as their personal bonds and will to survive are tested, they will uncover a shocking discovery about the origin of the outbreak.

376 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Cassandra Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offered a new twist on a zombie apocalypse. Our hero’s start at a remote summer camp - much like the one I went to as a kid - and from there had to navigate keeping their group of survivors alive. Andrew Lyons did a great job of having a mix of characters you root for and ones you just want to push off the truck and let the zombies get them. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this story! I liked the main character & found the general energy of the adventure to be good! A nice balance of action, with interesting ideas & over all a really good fun read! A great edition to the YA apocalyptic genre I think & it is well worth a read!

[Erica Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when you thought summer camp was over and it’s time to return to school… zombies! Luckily for some teens, this camp taught a few survival skills. Just what you need when it’s the end of the world.

Furies Rising is a fun take on the apocalypse. It has all the tricks and tropes you’d expect from a coming of age zombie saga. What it lacks in chapter depth it makes up for in blood and gore. Don’t take this too seriously and you’re in for a seriously good time.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Book Nerdection · Rating 5 out of 5]

Furies Rising (Book One: Hollow Valley) is a gripping narration filled with nonstop action and tension. The imagery gets violent and gory but not in a bad way, but rather in a manner that will be appreciated by fans of escape and tension-filled horror novels.

Andrew Lyons’s descriptive prowess shines throughout the narration, giving a movie-like feel to the reading experience. The conundrum in the book is also excelled by the characters’ decisions. Lukas who had feelings for Jules, his brother’s girlfriend, gave no attention to this when the crisis began. Leaving the said romance hanging and not properly attended to throughout the narration. I find this, particularly as an intelligent deviation from the romance tension in young adult narrations.

The story is so thrilling that the reader is left with a lot of hanging suspense that remains unresolved beyond the pages of the book. For example, Andrew Lyons never made it clear why Soldier One was able to track the survivors no matter how far they ran. The characters only speculated that it might be because of some sought-after tracking infection he released in Lukas during their fight during the camp hallow way escape. He also never stated whether Lukas’s parents survived the plague. Whether Caleb (Lukas’s elder brother) died or was turned to a fury, remained an enigma even at the very end to Lukas and the reader. These unresolved conflicts make the narration linger in the mind of the reader even beyond the last page of the novel. Making you want to know what happens to them and look forward to the next book in the series.

Despite the gore and the many tragic events, the narration remains so intriguing that I found myself just plowing through the entire book in a couple of days.

I highly recommend this book and give it a Must Read Seal of approval.

Reviewed By Andrew

[Bookshelfenigma]

"Furies Rising: Hollow Valley" offers a unique take on the zombie genre, blending suspense, action, and horror with a coming-of-age narrative. The book's gripping narrative leaves many unresolved questions, such as why Soldier One was able to track the survivors and whether Lukas's parents survived the plague. The enigmatic fate of Lukas's brother, Caleb, adds to the lingering suspense. These unanswered questions keep the story lingering in the reader's mind beyond the final pages, creating anticipation for the next book in the series.

What I liked:

- Unique take on the genre

- Modern-day setting

- Inclusion, Mental illness (Javi, Emily)

- Coming-of-age

- Family Drama

What I did not like

- Self-Sacrifice of friends

- not knowing how the outbreak started (patient 0)
I did receive an ARC of this book and am happy to give my honest review

[Kristen Reardon]

Furies Rising expertly illustrates Andrew Lyons' gifts for storytelling.

Inexplicable events reveal a mystery that starts as a truth-seeking endeavor and turns into an escape and survive thriller. Furies is an action packed, page-turner that builds tension and hooks the reader.

Lyons's skillful and effective character development creates main characters who are relatable, like the love and envy sibling dynamic. Told in the first person, the reader becomes intimate with Lukas's thoughts, feelings and self-doubt.

Furies is non-stop action - running, fighting and escaping the apocalypse with payoffs, twists and did-not-expect-that-turns. There are no passive or sideline players. To run, fight, engage is to survive and the reader is part of it.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great YA apocalyptic novel where a pandemic turns people into flesh hungry, violent creatures know as furies. A band of teenagers away at summer camp struggle to survive against the onslaught of the furies, a government conspiracy, and the quest for safety.

Where were books like this when I was a youth?!

Perfect for spooky season, this has the drama of teenager, followed by action with enough gore to paint horrific scenes of loss and danger. The pacing is fast and relentless once the action begins.

Cannot wait until book two is released.

Huge thanks to Andrew Lyons for giving me the opportunity you to read this amazing work.

[Jason M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally pass on YA’s. In the past, I get a few chapters in and throw in the towel. They usually bore and annoy me.

However, Furies Rising was surprisingly good.

Has everything I Love in a Zombie story, including a nice twist.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melanie Bomar · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! It pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading all the way through. For teens and adults alike, the narrative is exciting and heart touching. Worth a read! I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of kids are at a summer camp when most of them are turned into these zombie adjacent monsters called Furies! Those that aren’t “turned” now have to figure out how to survive!

This is a great YA zombie apocalypse book!

[John Bitsko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, I picked it up and just got list in the story. It is fast paced with great characters. Definitely recommended!

[Lisbeth Ivies · Rating 4 out of 5]

With spooky season pretty much upon us, that means I had to read at least one horror and/or zombie novel to commemorate. I'm happy I chose Furies Rising to be my commemorative title for the season. A refreshing take on some of the more tired tropes of the genre, this is a rare series starter as well. The closest comparison I can draw would be from movies instead of literature: Red Dawn meets Land of the Dead.

I might not have realized quite as much while reading (because it blended in so well), but the author's choice of setting was both crucial and masterful. From the skills the main characters possess to how they strategize to try and survive, the plot stays more practical than not. And, largely because of the setting choices. Where our main characters are at the onset, and everywhere they aim to go after, drive the story forward.

The mainstay of the genre does remain: a ragtag group of survivors banding together but slowly dwindling as they face an overwhelming hoard of brainless reanimated corpses. What elevates that mainstay are two things. One, that band of survivors acts smart, has the tools and resources to do more than just hole up somewhere and wait out the apocalypse, and for the most part, plans for the good of the whole. Two, these aren't just zombies but Furies. Seemingly driven by both hunger and rage, some can talk and even direct other members of the hoard. The why and how offer a subplot of mystery to support the overarching survival one.

As much as I enjoyed Furies Rising, the read wasn't all smooth sailing, particularly in the first third. A crush of one brother on the elder's girlfriend leads to some unsettling internal machinations. These thankfully get dialed back eventually, but they directly impacted the character's likability for me. Scenes with a larger cast of characters can sometimes be bogged down by the description. There is also an underlying chosen one thread here, which is not a personal favorite.

One of the better novels of the genre I've read in recent years, I do highly recommend Furies Rising to readers who enjoy a good zombie apocalypse. The still normal humans are more decent and more resourceful than most, making them largely quite easy to rally behind.