“Fury” by Clyo Mendoza (trans. Christina MacSweeney)

Clyo Mendoza’s mastery of language, mood, and story are on full display in her debut novel, “Fury”. Christina MacSweeney’s sharp translation is the perfect compliment.

“Fury” consists of a series of poetic snippets of varying length that meander in and out, building upon themselves, creating a tapestry. Characters appear and disappear only to reappear, sometimes alive, often not, occasionally in dreams, that are most often nightmares.

There are few smooth surfaces in Mendoza’s narrative. Life is harsh in Mendoza’s desert. Procreation is raw. Death is never far away. Magic and sorcery abound. Love is fleeting where it exists at all. War and conflict are constant, with combatants not always clear for whom and what they are fighting. Women are mistreated at every turn, with the men eventually paying a retributive price. Sexuality and gender can change in a moment of passion or hate.

To be clear — “Fury” is a composite of horror stories, not for the faint of heart. But it is written in such a remarkable way- haunting, visceral, hallucinatory, phantasmagorical. “Fury” is a profound statement on humanity that makes the reading highly compelling and truly thought provoking.

Thanks to the wonderful Seven Stories Press and NetGalley for the eARC.