Whoa! What an amazing start to an incredible series to follow! It is a tale of two women who live 100 years apart, while everything is set in fantastically magical universe. The book is brilliant from start to finish with imaginative world, diverse cast of characters, and most of all the features strong heroines who kick ass!

The story flashes back and forth between 2 women, Rielle Dardenne and Eliana Ferracora, who have been prophesied since dawn of time. One woman is suppose to doom the mankind, while the other will bring mankind peace. Their stories alternate through chapters, slowly weaving together to give us answers we so desire. You might think it's an easy question to answer, but with each chapter and more complex twists and turns of the story that answer gets further and further away from you. I honestly never wanted the story to end.

Both of the heroines are strong characters even of their respective times. They are rule breakers and they are relentless in achieving what they set out to do. Rielle fighting to break free from her demons, restrictions that keep her from exploring her magic capabilities further, proving herself to everyone including herself, all while trying to suffer through some love angst. Eliana is just that scrappy girl who will do everything to survive, even when it means doing the wrong thing. If she was a hashtag she would be #NoRegrets. But even as I'm trying to define them both I am doing them injustice as the author gives so much life and complexity to their characters. Giving each one a difficult situation to navigate through, but no matter what it feels like the luck is never on their side, there is ALWAYS a catch.

There is plenty of action to go around for ALL the characters with magic, killing, angels, powers, power in general, sexual tension and exploration (of all kinds which I found myself clapping for as rarely I see such exploration in YA based books) with some of the truly evil antagonists and minions. Claire Legrand is truly a master at creating the universe that is both modern and ancient.

This book is definitely going into my list of Top 5 Reads for 2018. For now it is  - hello darkness, my old friend... as I wait for the next book.

*I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

DNF @ 9%

This book should have hit everything on my like list, but we just didn't click. Honestly, I think part of the reason why is because of how the prologue is done. It isn't so much a prologue as an event that will happen in one timeline (therefore has happened in another). I wasn't curious about how things would lead up to that sad point, and unfortunately, it put me at odds with a character.
I've got to be able to like a character or at least connect with them in order to want to read a book... usual. I know this is something not everyone needs in their books though.

The second lead character seemed a bit wishy-washy and I was confused about what was going on -- who is she, who does she work for, etc.-- not a great way to introduce another character when I'm already on the edge with the other one.

So, I probably could have pushed forward more, but I just don't think we were going to work out.

This doesn't mean I won't be recommending this to people. People who like fantasy with alternating timelines and morally questionable characters, this is a book for them.

There’s been a lot of talk of Furyborn being the book of the year, so of course I’ve heard about it and was naturally tempted to give it a try. Furyborn is the first in the Empirium trilogy, which is a young adult fantasy series. I’ll be honest with you though, the real thing that caught my attention? It was totally the cover. The cover is so pretty that it wiped away any doubt I had about reading this book (I know, I’m such a sucker for nice covers. I can’t help it).
Furyborn is one of those books that you pick it up, feeling a bit curious, only to have the first chapter/prologue be this huge and immersive event. Obviously you need to keep reading to know more, if nothing else than to sate your curiosity. The first scene does start at the conclusion of one character’s plot, so it is a bit of a spoiler (personally I was okay with that; sometimes I’d rather know how things are going to end up for a character).
While some would disagree, I actually felt like things dropped off a bit, after that first moment. Once past the action I couldn’t ignore the fact that I didn’t know any of these characters, and it took me a really long time to start caring about all of them (not going to lie here, pretty sure most of my favorite characters are all secondary characters, and I’m totally okay with that).
Furyborn is the tale of two queens; one with the ability to destroy and one with the ability to create and repair. That description is a bit vague, but it’s all we have to go on for quite some time, so you get pretty used to it after a while.
Rielle is the character’s whose ending we get to see in the beginning, while Elaina lives her life a thousand years later. The chapters switch back and forth between the two, and while they think in strikingly similar manners I didn’t have any trouble keeping the two plots distinct (the different timeline and supporting cast helped quite a bit here).
I’m sure that everyone will have a different queen they liked best, assuming they found themselves attached to either (I’ve seen a decent amount of people hating both characters, so I can’t ignore this fact). I personally found the world that Elaina’s story was set in more interesting, but her personality was too abrasive. Therefore I was fonder of Rielle, even knowing what I did about her and her future.
I want to say it wasn’t until about the halfway mark in this book that I found myself getting really hooked (I actually kept taking breaks in it, since I wasn’t feeling connected to either main character). If you find yourself struggling with it I’d suggest giving it until at least this point before you call quits.
I’m very curious about the world and magical systems that were introduced here, and I think that’s why I ended up liking this novel as much as I did. I’m a sucker for series with unique takes on magic and world building. I feel like there was a lot of teasing going on – lots of magic shown but not explained, and little bits of the world revealed here and there. I would have loved to see more of both, but that may have been intentional. After all, it pretty much guaranteed that I’m going to follow up with the rest of the series.
It was only after I finished Furyborn that I heard it described as a bi fantasy. For the sake of honesty I have to tell you that I found these points to be pretty subtle and not well defined. Most of the information dropped was either done hastily or hinted at. It’s not what I personally would consider a bi fantasy, especially considering it was all relatively minor. I actually almost missed the revelation (Spoiler warning) that Elaina may be bi (I say may here because she uses sex as a weapon, so it is difficult to tell at times if she’s attracted to someone or using them). Rielle expresses curiosity towards her sexuality, but really she’s too obsessed with Audric for that to really go anywhere.
While I wouldn’t say that this novel ends on a cliffhanger (the plot is left open but the current peril was wrapped up) it does end somewhat abruptly. I think it was the storytelling style that made it feel that way; both characters really only got half a book to start their story, so there’s still quite a bit left for them to say.
All in all I’m really happy I continued to read this book, instead of giving up on it. I know there are some divided opinions on this book (it seems like most people have either loved it or hated it, with very little room in between). I’m a bit more on the fence, having enjoyed it but not gone over the moon for it. I still don’t find myself especially attached to either queen (though like I said I do have a favorite out of the two) but I am very much curious to see what happens next.

The book's start was a bit confusing. I found myself lost and having to re-read. After that, the characters started growing on me and the plot was definitely something that felt done already but refreshing at the same time. At the end of the day, I would recommend it.

I feel like I've been doused in cold water, because Furyborn by Clare Legrand is refreshing AF. I say "refreshing," because it's technically labeled as young adult, even thought it reads nothing like most of them. This is definitely my kind of YA book: complicated and immersive word-building, major bad-assery, heady sexual tension, and a fantastic, intricate plot.

What I loved about Furyborn: 
1. First of all, this book has a world that is awesome, and truly difficult for me to describe. When I close my eyes, I think of the Ancient Greeks and Gotham City, of castles on steep cliffs and dilapidated towers scraping the sky. I can't even begin to piece this world together for you: it's bizarre and wonderful and confusing and unique.

2. I loved both of our main characters: Eliana and Rielle. A lot of people said that they found one or the other unlkeable. While I agree that they had their issues, I appreciated that they weren't perfect. They had well-crafted and nicely fleshed out personalities.

3. The sexual tension in this book was a big HELL YES and had me tearing through the book like I needed the wind from the turning pages to cool me off.

4. The magic in this world was fantastic, epic, and larger than life. I adored how it was described and how it was implemented in this story.

5. Sort of superficial, but I really appreciated the uniqueness of the names that Legrand had in this novel (other than Eliana, the rest of them were not names I've read over and over in fantasy novels).

What Furyborn wasn't 5 stars :
1. I felt like Eliana's narrative was a little TOO action-packed. Sometimes it got exhausting. [spoiler]It was like every time a chapter ended someone new was hot on her heels trying to kill her. [/spoiler]

I would recommend this book to any fantasy lover. I think this book's hype is well-deserved and I'm excited to see it soar to the top of the NYT best-seller list, as I'm sure it's bound to do!

THIS. BOOK. WAS. OUTSTANDING.

I could just leave it there, but where’s the fun in that? No joke, though. Furyborn was an amazing and exhilarating read, and it was so difficult to put this book down when I had to work or clean or do something else. I’d literally be cleaning, and either be staring at the book sitting on the kitchen table or thinking about the characters. That’s how addicting I found this book. Like Lisa Maxwell’s blurb says below, this book was utterly breathtaking and has left me impatiently waiting for the sequel.

Furyborn follows the path of two girls, both centuries apart, but somehow connected. There’s Rielle, who can manipulate all seven types of powers. And there’s Eliana, a girl set on finding her kidnapped mother and protecting her younger brother while getting caught in the middle of a centuries-old war (and did I mention she’s hiding something that could make her a valuable asset in the war?). Both these characters are fierce, strong, and undoubtedly charming. I loved reading both their stories and seeing each character progress as a person. Legrand did an incredible job bringing these two characters to life. I highly enjoyed reading Eliana’s story just slightly more than Rielle’s, mainly because I could relate to Eliana’s fierceness, her snarky and sarcastic replies, and her overall protection toward her family.

The world building was phenomenal. Claire did a wonderful job describing both parts of the world (one for Rielle and one for Eliana). There was not a single moment where I got lost in the world building or got bored; actually, there was never a dull moment in this book, in my opinion. There were tons of satisfying action scenes to keep the pace going and to keep the readers engaged. Though, I will admit, there were times where I secretly wanted to skip a character’s chapter just so I could continue the other character’s story. But I didn’t (now that I think about it, though, I might go back and re-read Furyborn, just to see what it’s like when you read each character’s story separately).

Overall, I was very impressed with Furyborn. I had high hopes and expectations for this book and I am happy to say that Furyborn did not let me down. The book exceeded my expectations in every possible way. I know the sequel does not come out until next year, but that does not mean I will stop wishing I had it in my hands at this very moment. Furyborn was one of my favorite fantasy reads of all time!

If you don’t have Furyborn on pre-order, then you need to march down to your nearest bookstore tomorrow morning and pick this up. You will not be disappointed! My co-blogger, Stacy, loved this book and she’s not a huge fantasy reader. To me, that says something.

Furyborn will be available tomorrow in bookstores across the globe, so remember to get your copy! If you are a hardcore fantasy reader like me or someone looking to pick up a fantastic book, then you need Furyborn in your life!

A solid step out of reality, Furyborn is a triumph for portrayals of females as powerful beings. Rielle and Eliana were strong, compelling characters with interesting stories to tell - both essentially about coming into their own and OWNING who they are. That's a valuable theme worth exploring.

What I wish had been different was the length of the book. It felt bogged down and was kind of tough to get through. Although it could easily be that I was just not 100% invested into the idea of a long book when I started reading Furyborn.

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!