Escape from Furnace

Escape from Furnace
Front cover of Escape from Furnace: Lockdown, Book 1 of the series
Author Alexander Gordon Smith
Language English
Genre Young-adult fiction, Science fiction
Published August 2010-November 2012
Media type Print (hardcover, paperback), novella
No. of books 5, plus one novella
Followed by

lockdown

Solitary
Death Sentence
Fugitives
Execution
The Night Children

Escape from Furnace is a book series written by Alexander Gordon Smith.[1] 'Escape from Furnace' is the United States title of the series, in the United Kingdom the series is known by the shorter title 'Furnace'. The books are written from the point of view of the teenage protagonist Alex Sawyer, and are about his incarceration in the fictional London prison, Furnace Penitentiary. Escape from Furnace: Lockdown is the first book in the pentalogy, followed by Solitary, Death Sentence, Fugitives and concluding with Execution.[2] Smith followed up the series with a novella, The Night Children, which tells the story of the 17-year-old commissioned officer Kreuz is on http://www.tor.com/2011/09/21/the-night-children/ (known as Warden Cross in the series) and his meeting with Alfred Furnace, the prison's enigmatic founder, and his creatures in the Belgian woods during World War II.[3]

Ending

Furnace Penitentiary, in the distant future, is the world’s most secure prison for young offenders. It is buried a mile beneath the Earth’s surface. One way in and no way out. Once you're here, you're here until you die, and for most of the inmates that doesn't take long - not with the sadistic guards and the bloodthirsty gangs. Convicted of a murder he didn't commit, sentenced to life without parole, ‘new fish’ Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world.

Only in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil: where creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and as dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.

Together with a bunch of inmates - some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers - Alex plans the prison break to end all prison breaks. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex's actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that's hidden from the eyes of the world...[4]

Main characters

Alex Sawyer - The main protagonist, 14 years old. Although he's a teenage like others, he makes many bad choices: he becomes a bully, a thief and a liar. After a burglary, he is framed for the murder of his best friend so is sent to Furnace with no possibility of parole. With a bunch of inmates he tries to escape twice but fails. After the second attempt he is turned into a blacksuit and during a test to prove himself as a blacksuit, he kills Ozzie. However, he remembers his name and he successfully makes the third escape along with all of the prisoners of Furnace. He's on the brink of insanity due to the nectar running in his veins but with his friends' help he manages to stay true to himself. After the escape he's infected with a new type of nectar, defeats Warden Cross and is turned into a berserker. After escaping the army who wants the nectar for themselves, he kills Furnace by becoming his heir and receiving the stranger's blood in Furnace's veins. He's in control of the war now but with his friends' help he manages to end it by killing all of Furnace's creatures.

Zee Hatcher - One of Alex's closest friends, he's sent to Furnace at the same time as Alex. He is framed for driving into an older woman and prior to Furnace, he used to steal cars. He's immune to the nectar: to the warden in Death Sentence he's of no use (he can't be turned into a blacksuit), while the army in Execution is very interested in him (he could hold the key to the cure).

Carl Donovan - Alex's cellmate, 16 yrs, one of the firsts to be brought to Furnace. At 11 years, he murders his mother's lover with a candlestick - he couldn't bear his mother's beatings. In Lockdown he acts as a guardian angel for Alex, although he doesn't want to admit it, and takes part in the escape plan until he is taken away in the blood watch. In Solitary he is turned into a blacksuit and is killed by Alex. Throughout the whole series, Alex still thinks of him and has imaginary talks with him.

Simon Rojo-Flores - A failed mutant who assists Alex and Zee with and after their escape plan from the hole. He is sent to Furnace because he accidentally murders the owner of a jewelry store during a robbery. He dies at the end of Execution.

Lucy Wells - A girl who tags along with Alex, Zee, and Simon after they meet in Fugitives. Her father was a policeman who's been killed during the Summer of Slaughter, therefore, she hates them at first.

Warden Cross - One of the main antagonists whose eyes are so full of madness, hatred and rancid glee that meeting them is like watching yourself die a million times over. He's over 100 years old, he's been 'adopted' by Furnace during WWII and since then, he's regularly taken the nectar. In Furnace Penitentiary, he has control over the wheezers, blacksuits, prisoners and other creatures. He takes orders only from Alfred Furnace, often referring to himself as Furnace's 'right-hand man'. Due to Alex's rebellion against him Furnace forgets about him and wants Alex instead to be his right-hand man. Warden Cross is eventually drained of his own blood by Alex and fed to the wheezers in Fugitives.

Alfred Furnace - He is the founder of the Furnace Penitentiary and the main antagonist in the series. He communicates telepathically with Alex and the other creatures through the nectar but he appears only in Execution. He is over 300 years old - was born in Hungary in the 18th century - and he's survived so long because of the Stranger's blood, the base product of the nectar. When he was a boy, he was framed for murdering his younger brother József - the real killer was the Stranger - and was crucified by the townspeople; instead of death he choose the Stranger's offer - he received immortality through the Stranger's blood. For centuries, he traveled across Europe, creating soldiers with his nectar in order to make a world where there's only strength and equality. However, Furnace isn't in control of his actions but the Stranger. In Execution he finally dies and is replaced by Alex.Theme Statement:People may make unjust decisions .

Side characters

General Hamilton - A general in Execution who gives Alex, Zee and Lucy a lift from the island to a military base.

Alice Panettierre - A colonel in Execution who attempts to harness the powers of Alex, Simon and other Furnace creatures through blood transfusions, surgeries and other unpleasant experiments in order to create its own army to win the war. She dies when she receives a transfusion of the stranger's blood.

The Stranger in the orchard - An unidentifiable being who is the representation of all evil. He's a parasite who feeds off and manipulates his host who must be a kid in order to achieve his goal: destroy all humanity. He dies while his blood's injected in Panettierre.

Sam - A blacksuit in Execution who assists Alex and his friends in their escape from the hospital. After leaving Alex's house, he is killed by Panetierre and her men while trying to create a diversion to make Alex, Zee, Simon and Lucy escape.

Annabel Atilio - Captain and pilot of Home Defense, First Battalion, D Company. In Fugitives she gives Alex, Zee, Simon and Lucy a lift to a supposed PMC safe place but is killed by Furnace soldiers, disguising as PMCs, while trying to protect them.

Ozzie - A failed mutant who assists Alex, Zee, Pete and Simon with the escape plan in Solitary. He is framed for murdering his parents. In Death Sentence he is killed by a blacksuit-turned Alex.

Pete - A former member of the Skulls who assists Alex, Zee, Ozzie and Simon with the escape plan in Solitary. His fate is unconfirmed - probably dead.

Bodie - A member of the Skulls who assists Alex and the other inmates in the escape plan in Death Sentence. In Fugitives he is infected by the red-flecked nectar and is killed by Alex.

Gary Owens - Leader of the Skulls. In Lockdown he attempts to escape with Alex, Zee and Toby but fails. He is ultimately turned into a berserker.

Kevin Arnold - Monty's cellmate and leader of the Skulls before he is dethroned by Gary Owens, who during his first day brutally beats him. In Lockdown during a blood watch he is murdered by a blacksuit-turned Monty.

Montgomery Earl (Monty) - Framed for the murder of his older sister Susan, Monty is sent to Furnace at the same time as Alex. At first he is aloof and shows no warmness to Alex even after he saves his life during a skirmish in the trough room but at the end repays the kindness by making him, Donovan and Zee a legitimate meal using leftovers in the kitchen. He is taken by the blood watch and turned into a blacksuit - he murders Kevin. At the end of Lockdown, he saves Alex from Moleface and dies. Seconds before his death however, he tells Alex, "Never forget your name", and this would save Alex from turning into a complete monster many times later in the series. Alex and Monty seem to be the only characters in the series who remembered their names after being turned by the nectar (excluding Warden Cross).

Toby Merchant - A boy who arrives at Furnace shortly after Alex and is framed for murder as well. In Lockdown he attempts to commit suicide along with Ashley but is saved by Alex. He helps Alex, Donovan and Zee with the escape plan, but during the escape he is badly wounded by the explosion. In Solitary he jumps with the others in the river but he doesn't make it out.

Moleface - A blacksuit with a small mole on the chin. He is the one who frames Alex for murdering his best friend. In Lockdown he dies during the attempted escape.

Skulls - One of the gangs responsible for the Summer of Slaughter and one of the first to come to Furnace

Fifty-Niners - One of the gangs responsible for the Summer of Slaughter and one of the first to come to Furnace

Rats - Furnace inmates who undergo the procedure to become blacksuits; experiment fails. They completely lose their mind due to the pain caused by the procedure and are always in search for food, including human's flesh, and revenge against the blacksuits and the warden.

Jimmy - He is framed for murder at the same time as Alex, Zee and Monty. In Lockdown he wants to escape with Alex, Zee, Toby, and Gary but fails and rats them out. His fate is unconfirmed - probably dead.

Ashley - A boy who upon arriving at Furnace, commits suicide.

Carlton Jones - Zee's cellmate in Lockdown. His fate is unconfirmed - probably dead.

Brandon - One of Alex's friends prior to Furnace. His fate is unconfirmed - probably dead.

Toby - Prior to Furnace, Toby was Alex's best friend and partner-in-crime who loved Elvis Priesley. During a burglary, Toby is shot and killed by Moleface.

References

  1. "Escape From Furnace series". goodreads.com. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  2. "Furnace series". Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  3. "The Night Children". Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  4. "Furnace series". Retrieved 9 May 2014.

External links

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