3.5 stars. I'd seen a lot of hype about Furyborn, and I was excited to start it; I'm typically a ya sci-fi fan. And while this book does have engaging characters and a lot of action, I found myself choosing other activities over reading it. At times I found myself confused by the myriad of characters and settings, but instead of doing a little research to set it straight in my mind, I just kept reading, not overly concerned about the details. Maybe I read this at the wrong time, when life was too hectic to give it the attention it deserved. But it is well-written, and I did love the characters. I just wished it had been more focused on the characters and less on the storyline. If that makes sense.

Angels and magicians collide in this epic tale by talented author Claire Legrand, the first in the Empirium Trilogy. A must read for anyone who loves strong, determined female characters, interesting world building concepts and a dramatic story, I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I devoured it in a single sitting, risking serious sunburn in the process.
The two main POV characters in the book are living in the same country separated by a thousand years. Rielle is a hugely powerful magician, proficient in multiple elements who is forced out of hiding when she risks everything to save the crown prince, the man she loves. Magical talent on that scale is unthinkable to most, and immediately reveals Rielle is one of two prophesied Queens, The Sun Queen who will bring light and salvation by keeping the nation safe from the Angels, imprisoned by seven saints generations before, or the Blood Queen who will rule over death and destruction.Seven trials will test not only her magic, but also her devotion to her home, failure will result in her execution.
A thousand years later Rielle's name is a legend, a mere historical trifle to ruthless bounty hunter Eliana, who trades her services for her family's safety under the harsh rule of the Undying Empire. When young girls and women begin to disappear, Eliana teams up with the rebels and discovers a horrifying truth.
Both characters are so vividly drawn and so completely believable, each with many shades of grey and their own flaws and foibles, so while they are sometimes unlikable, it is still difficult not to root for them on their respective quests. While we do learn something about the world the book is set in , it is clear there is much more to be revealed as the series continues, and I for one am eager to learn more, especially about the Angels, who have a decidedly and deliciously malicious vibe.
It did take a little time to adjust to the alternating timelines,but once you get to grips with that, the pacing is really good, with several mini cliff hangers to keep the reader's interest piqued, and plenty of action and drama, particularly in Rielle's trials. The whole book kicks things up another notch towards the end, when the link between the two timelines is revealed.
A dramatic and intriguing beginning to what promises to be an excellent trilogy, I highly recommend this as a must read for fantasy and YA fans.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC copy of this book.

Furyborn is told through the eyes of two fierce young females;- one destined to be The Blood Queen and cause destruction throughout the land, and the other destined to be The Sun Queen!

While each their stories are set over 1200 years apart they are deeply interlinked! Rielle's story kicks off with the birth of her daughter, who is then given to a young boy who must get away and keep her safe from an evil angel. The story back tracks in time to when Rielle was younger and we learn that she is the only one able to wield the seven magical powers and because of the prophecy, she is forced to train in secret and keep these powers hidden. In order to save her best friend (and love) from a deadly attack, she uses (and thus exposes) her powers and is then made to (at the request of the King) undergo a series of trials to prove she is The Sun Queen otherwise death awaits her (but she just might die trying).

While Eliana is hiding a different secret to Rielle's, it is one that she must keep hidden at all costs. Eliana does whatever she needs to do to survive and to feed and look after her younger brother and Mother. This includes some gruesome tasks and she becomes a deadly assassin working for the ruthless Emperor. When her mother gets abducted, and in her quest to find her, Eliana makes a deal with a stranger known as The Wolf. * In Eliana's story, angels have been banished behind a gate but is all hell about to break loose!

The prologue is action packed and the beginning of the book starts of with a bang and throughout there's high fantasy, fighting, adventures, drama, humour, and two fierce female leads! There's a range of other diverse background characters and there's lots of different forms of magic, evil angels and zombies (only in a dead but brain controlling sense) too! Each chapter is engaging and pulls you into wanting to know what's going to happen next! Some of it I predicted, but it didn't spoil any aspect of the story telling. Each chapter switches between the two characters POV and I felt that even though each story is set a millennia apart, it was still easy to follow.

I'm not sure I would call either Rielle or Eliana were likeable necessarily but I also don't feel that they needed to be. They were tough and they could be cruel, and the red queen (who I won't name because of spoilers) was also being pulled by the lust for power. However, they were also complex characters and vulnerable too. They were fiercely loyal to their loved ones and would definitely be someone you would want on your team. In comparison, both Rielle and Eliana's love interests characters felt a bit flat. The rogue angel works well as a villain and The Wolf might prove interesting in the rest of trilogy!

A few more thoughts

I wish there was more world building, especially at the beginning - because this book is so fast-paced and intense, I would have loved to have read more about both Rielle and Eliana's stories were set and their surroundings. There was also very little written about the magical elements aside from when the characters were welding magic, and the seven trials set out for Rielle become a bit repetitive after a while.

*Furyborn is categorised as YA but it does include descriptive sex scenes and sexual content.

This is the first YA fantasy book I've read in a while and overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the trilogy!

This book has a lot of hype surrounding it with very good reason. It is incredibly fast-paced, there are many twists and turns, and the magic is quite a wonder in itself!
I have to say that I was quite surprised at my reaction to the dual-POV. Usually, I tend to care more for one POV and focus on that while trudging reluctantly through another perspective, but with this book I looked forward to both stories. There was never a time where I felt the need to skim just to get back to another character because I *needed* to know about both! I think that had a lot to do with the main characters, Rielle and Eliana. I thought they wonderfully flawed and epically dynamic. They each had their distinct personalities and mind sets that often led them into deep trouble. Their stories were set into two different times settings, but they were connected by a grander legend/prophecy because this is fantasy. One has a redemption arc and the other a fall from grace, which I LOVED reading about!
I enjoyed the plot for the most part. I didn't think the major jump in era was confusing, since both societies were quite distinct. I thought that the magic was excellently done! If you are a fan of the classic elements with a bit of a twist, I think you would enjoy this. As for the twists, they were very twisty, perhaps not as shocking as I had hoped, but they did still have a big impact on the story that are setting up good things for the sequels.
I have to knock off one star, for the sole reason that I'm having a hard time believing this book to be memorable. The story while I was reading was quite good, but I could spot moments when I could put it down and just stop reading. There was no intense need to get back to reading. It had its fair share of dull moments and this was quite a large book.
Overall, I did enjoy this. I am looking forward to the sequel, although I might be in need of a reread when the time comes for the next book!

this book contained dual point of views told from the two princesses who are entangled in this prophecy that half the world does not even believe is real. I love the trails that were described and i felt that one of the perspectives was stronger then the other so it kind of lagged in a few spots for me. I definately think this book is more new adult then ya with the amount of sexual overtones in the book i think it dabbles way to close to the line. I did throughly enjoy the story though i just think it should be marketed better for those who have teens that they want to know what they are reading.

I really liked this one. It’s not a life changer, give me more, I’m crying because it’s over, but it’s good. It’s slightly confusing in the beginning and I felt like it took a little while to pick up, but once it does it’s packed full of mystery, magic, actions and plot twists. It keeps you guessing and keeps you in the dark about things in the best way. You grow to love both of the main characters. You don’t see it until closer to the end, but these two stories that seem completely different are seamlessly woven together. Definitely a talented author! I would definitely love to read the next book and see what happens. I still have a lot of questions!

On the other hand, there are some parts that are rated R. So be warned- it has a little bit of everything in that realm.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

First off I want to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an E-Arc of this book. Now, on to the review because I have a lot of thoughts.

The first chapter of this book was amazing, and I really loved Queen Rielle in those scenes, but after that I found the story to be quite lackluster and it really let me down. That could be because it was so hyped in the YA spaces on the internet, but I really expected so much more for this story and it just fell flat for me. The writing style just wasn't for me either. I really wanted to love this book, but sadly I didn't. I saw the plot twists coming in the first third of the book and I was just all together let down. I think the idea was in the right place, but the execution just didn't do anything for me.

In this high fantasy novel, there are two queens - the Blood Queen and the Sun Queen. One will unite the land and the other will destroy it. In the first book of what will be The Empirium Trilogy, we meet the cast of characters that will lead us through the, what can only be called "epic", journey of two young women.



Told in the alternating voices of Rielle and Eliana, their stories span two times of turmoil in their kingdom. Rielle, raised in the elite company of the King's son and his cousin, has been training for years to keep her gift a secret and under control. Eliana, a deadly assassin, working for the evil Emperor, has talents that she is unable to explain.



Furyborn will keep you in your seat as you become acquainted with Reille, Eliana and their friends and family. Every chapter in this tale is packed with action, adventure, danger and romance. It is breathtaking in it's scope and lush in it's descriptions. The character development is strong, and the writing is vivid and fast-paced.



The story of Furyborn will appeal to every fantasy lover out there. However, I have some concerns about putting this book in a school library. It is my opinion that the sex scenes are way too graphic for a school library - even high school! I would blush if I ever had student check out this book - and I don't consider myself a prude. It's not that they are having sex, it is the detailed description of the sex!



The story is great, but I will not be buying this book for the library.

This fantasy novel starts really slow, but as it progresses it will capture the readers' attention and not let go.

I had a feeling I wasn't going to like this one after everyone kept telling me how gripping the prologue was - and I couldn't even make it through that without taking two coffee breaks.

I don't know what it is with fantasies lately, but I fear they're all becoming the same?! The last three fantasies I reviewed had fantastic concepts, creative and innovative ideas that could have been suspenseful and breathtaking - and all didn't live up to their potential. Sadly, Furyborn seems to follow that new recipe.
The writing felt very unrefined and choppy. At first I believed this was only an issue in the prologue, but it stunted sentences throughout the story.
The pacing was lackluster. At times, it wanted to engage the reader but instead dragged on.
We follow two female perspectives in this book, a thousand years apart. This was at best confusing and at worst boring. Sometimes I didn't even know whose chapter I was on because the characters didn't feel all that different from each other. If you're using two POVs, I at least have to be able to tell the difference in characters. While I did like Rielle a bit more than Eliana, I didn't feel a connection to either of them. And the bi rep I was promised...well, I can't even remember reading about it, so it obviously wasn't enough.
All in all, I think this could have benefitted from editing - a shorter, more focused novel might have been the way to go. Still, I'm sure loads of people will love this story; it just wasn't for me.

The world building isn't bad, but the problem really is that there isn't much depth. It's all just non-stop action, and because of that, there's no investment in the characters. Also, I had a problem with the fact that the two main characters have almost identical voices, so unless I specifically looked at the name at the beginning of the chapter, I couldn't tell them apart. I was expecting something more due to all the positive reviews I had seen on Goodreads, but unfortunately I was let down.

This book is epic. The world building and characters are amazing. I really enjoyed reading strong, badass female characters. I can't wait to read book 2. And that cover is absolutely gorgeous.

I’m not really sure what to think about this book. I have wanted to read it for months and was absolutely stoked to receive an ARC but this book was hard work.
Usually I fly through a book quickly. This one, it was tough.
That said, I did enjoy it, and I await the following book(s). I think what bothered me was that basically right from the start we know who Eliana is. That’s not a surprise. But it takes SO long for things to start happening. At about 30% dots start connecting, then they stop. We get more about 55%, then it stops again. Finally at the end we get even more but it’s the end. The intervening sections are hard work to get through. Also, I felt not enough explanation was given about Eliana’s time. What happened after Rielle fell? Why is it bad? Even as simple as who is who?
Still, I did enjoy this book at points. Rielle was an intriguing character, who you thought you’d hate, but don’t. Eliana is a little more complex. One thing though is I absolutely HATE how she uses sex.
Simon is interesting, Remy is sweet, and Navi was neither here nor there.
I did think Zahara’s appearance was random, even if a great addition.
I would like to see more humour, the parts where it was were fantastic, and more explanations. I get we’re supposed to be left in the dark to an extent, but if it’s to the point where we check out, I don’t think is intended.
Still, a decent book if you can stick with it, and am awaiting the next books!

I really wanted to love this book. I've enjoyed other books by this author, but this one just really dragged for me. I found that I could not get interested in the characters or what was happening to them. I found the dual POV jarring even thought I usually enjoy multiple POVs. However, I know other people who have loved it, so it's really coming down to personal taste with this one.

Right off I know I'm a lone wolf on this book but man I just did not get it AT ALL. I can name the characters but can't tell you who was actually in an authentic relationship. I ship no one in this book. This story had a blood queen, a sun queen, angels, healers and crawlers but I could not picture any of it. Page after page the story never came together for me and I read every word. I don't know what to say except I won't be reading the next book in the series.

This story is told with two POVs: Rielle and Elaina. Rielle’s story is 1020 years prior to Elaina’s story, but these two women are vastly connected.

Rielle has hidden powers that she doesn’t want to expose and tries not to expose. However, when her best friend (also her crush) is nearly killed by assassins, her powers are exposed when saving him. This brings to light a prophecy: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. Because she is exposed, Rielle must go through trials in order to prove she is a Sun Queen. If she fails, she dies.

The book opens with Rielle giving birth and giving her baby to Simon before Corien, an angel, discovers her. This leads us to Elaina’s POV later on. She has a little brother that likes to tell stories and a mother living with her. When her mother is abducted, she runs into The Wolf (Simon) and he promises to help her find her mother if she helps him in return.

It’s always tricky when you find out a book has two POVs because you want to be sure that you can follow the story. Thankfully, it was very easy to understand what was going on in the different time periods. There’s adventure, secrets, fun and dramatic moments that left me hanging on.

Honestly, the only character I didn’t like was Corien, which is plainly obvious. I found him to be creepy because, no matter what, he is always around. I just wanted him to go away, but obviously he is a vital part of the series so I guess he has to stick around. I’d definitely label him as a villain, though.

I loved both Rielle and Elaina. Their personalities really matched and they both were strong girls that had big hearts. I’m not saying that were “good”. When I talk about their hearts, I mean they hold so much love for their family and friends and it gives them so much will to continue their adventure and their mission in the book.

I enjoyed Simon’s character, too. To be honest, the name is too modern for me, but oh well. If it wasn’t for Claire’s character cards, I’d still be picturing him as an oldish man. He was your typical male character, though. He seemed to be angry at something when there wasn’t anything to be angry about. He’s stubborn at times, annoying and is damaged in some way. I totally love that MC trope, though. Bring it.

This book is literally so giant and I didn’t feel like it lost its pace anywhere. Every chapter seemed to fit together and provide the reader with valuable information. There’s one part near the end of the book that really broke my heart. It’s definitely too much of a spoiler, so I won’t say anything. Just be prepared for the shock value.

If you need further reason on why you should pick this up on release day, I’ll quote my tiny review on Goodreads from when I actually finished this book on January 31:

“WHAT!” x2

Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with an electronic advanced reading copy of this book! Someday I will learn my lesson about reading the first book of a series that isn't complete yet. I tore through Furyborn in just a few days and now have to wait until "sometime in 2019." Sigh.

Furyborn was a really great read. The universe is unique and intriguing, and the women are strong and pretty complex. I never felt like the story was dragging, and I definitely didn't want it to end.

The story starts with a prologue that is immediately gripping. It contrasts sharply with the characters' lives and relationships in the first few chapters, which left me hungry to understand how everything could have gone so...wrong. You get the feeling that the story is going to be complex and exciting.

The narrative switches back and forth between our two protagonists: Rielle and Eliana. In a world full of magic and free of the threat of the angels—who have been trapped safely behind a gate for nearly 1,000 years—Rielle is a young girl with power like the world has never seen. She must convince others (and herself) that she will use it for good and not evil. A century later, Eliana is a bounty hunter for the Empire (evil, of course) that rose from Rielle's ashes, trying to convince herself that she is a terrible person so that she can live with herself and the lives she's taken. Then her mother is taken, and a high-ranking soldier from the underground faction of rebels convinces her that he can help Eliana find her. At the center of their stories is a prophecy stating that the angels' gate will fall when two queens rise—the Sun Queen and the Bood Queen, one with the power to destroy the world, and one with the power to save it. But who is which? We're whipped back and forth between the two girls' perspectives like lightning speed as they fight their battles—one whose path careens closer to the fall of the world, and one who will (presumedly) save it.

I'm not always a fan of alternating narrators; I feel like it pulls me out of the story. A cliffhanger sort of loses its potency when you have to read another whole chapter before it picks up again, and it's easier to set the book down that way. That was not really the case with this book. I was equally hooked into both storylines. I'd be frustrated when it would switch, but after only a few words, I'd be pulled back into that other story, glad to have returned to it.

A few of the ancillary characters were kind of flat, but completely lovable. And I do think the book set them up to become more complex in the next installment. There were also some really great romantic moments—oof. Wow.

Again, I cannot. believe. I have to wait for the next one. Why, cruel world?

I really did enjoy reading Furyborn! It definitely read as something heavily inspired by books like Three Dark Crowns, The Mortal Instruments and the Red Queen series - the mixture of all these three made it a great book overall, as I enjoyed all three of these series immensely.

My only issue with it is the way the narratives were set out - there were alternate chapters from Rielle's point of view and from Eliana's point of view - personally, I think it would've been better had this first book been about Rielle's story and then the subsequent books had focused on Eliana's character. It currently just reads as highly predictable - the epilogue/first chapter basically gives away the whole premise of the book, and considering it's 512 pages (roughly), it just makes the whole reading process seem pointless.

That being said, regardless of the WAY it was written, the actual story was great. I wouldn't say it was super different, but it was definitely a different take on the stories that have already been done, so I definitely appreciated it. I enjoyed reading it, even if it took me a while to get to it, and I probably will be reading the sequel!

**ARC provided by Sourcebooks via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I am new to YA fantasy, and after hearing several booktubers mention this book, I decided I would check it out ASAP. I was lucky enough to snag an ARC (!!!) and got to reading right away.

The prologue grabbed my attention immediately, but I also knew then that I was in for an interesting ride. There is ALOT happening in this book. You have two different stories happening in two different timelines. I had trouble following the world building because the story switched timelines every chapter.

I did, however, like the storytelling. I found myself racing through Eliana’s chapters so I could find out what happened to Rielle next, and then vice versa. The chapters are short, which I appreciated since I am a late night reader. The romance in the book is also not too “in your face” like I feel it is in most YA books.

Is this a perfect book? No, not even close. There were certain points in the story that I felt were copying The Hunger Games a bit. There are also certain aspects of the story that are not explained well, so I am hoping that is addressed in the next book.

Overall I think this is one that deserves a read, especially if you like YA fantasy. I would steer clear of too many details prior to reading it (hence my lack of plot details in this review). I am anxiously awaiting the next installment of this story!

This book probably could have gotten a grudging 3-star rating out of me if it had been about half the length it is now. Pro tip to authors: just because you are writing high fantasy doesn't mean it has to be ridiculously long, especially when you don't really have any plot to fill up that page space. Sometimes less really is more.

Anyway, this was your usual run-of-the-mill really bland YA fantasy story with weird romance included. There was a sex scene that was apparently horrible according to other reviews, but I can't really attest to that because I saw they were getting naked and just skipped to the next chapter. Also apparently there's a lot of hype for bi-rep with this, but it basically amounts to a few off-hand sentences about both the women sleeping with both men and women in the past [love interests in the current timeline are all male]. While that does technically mean they are bi, I feel like it's not really something to be overly-praised as I didn't even catch it until I came here to read all the reviews. That's how completely under-the-radar the whole thing was.

There was a mildly interesting plot hidden somewhere in this but 1. it was your average chosen one / prophecy plot that has been done to death at this point and 2. I had literally forgotten what was supposed to be happening by the time everything started coming together at the end because it's seriously just that long and boring. Looking back you can predict every plot twist in the book just from the prologue, but I was so bored it that it had already gone in one ear and out the other. Also I had literally forgotten there were angels in the book because they stopped mentioning them for the middle half of it and then suddenly it's back again and I'm just sitting here like 'wait, what???'.

I think the main problem was that none of the characters were interesting enough to make me care so information just went in one ear and out the other and I would constantly be asking myself 'wait, what is the point of this again?'. Someone with more patience for both long books and YA nonsense might have better luck with this, but I'm putting myself on a YA high fantasy ban at this point because I just can't do it anymore.