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.

This book starts off well then slows down a bit but then it just gets better! I enjoyed both character perspectives, Rielle and Eliana, and I love that they were from different time periods. The story did get a bit confusing at times because even though there are 1000 years in between the two characters it doesn't seem like the world has changed very much. I'm also still confused about the angels. Still, even with these issues I was blown away by this book. I appreciated that there is an actual sex scene in the book. YA books are usually super vague on that topic.

I love the cover and I've looked up pictures of the finished copy because I was hoping the final would have gold foil accents. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they do.

This book was HYPED up. Like I don't think I saw as much advertising or just energy put into a book being publicized in a long time- so props to the author's PR team. So you guys better bet that I was was shook when I got this book through netgalley for an honest review. I definitely was honored and very excited to read it.

In Furyborn we follow two women, Rielle and Eliana, in a tale that weaves through time. Apparently a long time ago angels ravaged the land, and Seven Saints got them on lock and shut them all behind the "Gate", however as this happened one of the Angels made a prophecy that one day two queens will emerge, The Blood Queen and The Sun Queen, and one will wreck havoc and free the angels and one will save them all. Rielle and Eliana are obviously the implicated queen duo. The story about how they find out, what they do, and how they are connected unfolds as you read it.

I was pretty split about this book. On one hand the premise is awesome and the idea of two stories happening centuries apart was cool, but on the other hand the main characters were not all that likeable and I dont know if the story was as cohesive as I would have enjoyed.

Lets talk about the characters first:
- Rielle: She came across as an all-powerful snowflake that was kind of a brat but I did feel for her. The relationship that she had with her father was obviously what defined her behavior but like come on, you could be a little less annoying
-Eliana: Cue the bad ass assassin with a fiery attitude and a secret past she knows nothing about.
- Audric: Probs my favorite character, but I am a sucker for a good boy with a loyal streak and sense of honor/duty. *swoon* Unfortunately he's dead so.... (not a spoiler I promise)
- Simon/Wolf: He seems like he has an interesting backstory and I want to know so much more about it. Why is he called the WOLF? Did I miss that? I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING. Hopefully it will be addressed in the future books.

I think that book has an interesting premise. Even though I wasn't really invested in the main two characters, I enjoyed the story enough to want to read through the trilogy and learn more about the history, about the Angels, and about the magic in general. Also it ended with a lot of questions unanswered, so I will definitely be picking up the next book to find out what the heck is going on.

3.5 stars

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Book 1 of a trilogy. Fantasy. Alternating chapters between Rielle and Eliane, young women living a thousand years apart. Each soon to be Queen. Their powers define them.
War, power struggles and oppression.
So much killing. So much violence. Thousands of innocents, the poor and weak, their families, friends and even the horses. Much to graphic and senseless for me. And very, very long.

Rielle has numerous powers and must prove her abilities with trial after trial. I keep thinking Hunger Games. Eliane is running for her life with her brother trying to find her mother, constantly fighting for survival. Both must prove to themselves their worth.
Not a cliffhanger but not the end of the stories either.

If you like fantasy a la Game of Thrones, with power struggles, under-handed devious game playing and a plethora of death, this might be for you. Many people are loving this fantasy world.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Furyborn is a fantasy that follows the stories of two girls who live 1,000 years apart: Rielle, a girl with enormous power that she must keep secret, and Eliana, an assassin for an evil empire who puts aside her feels to keep her family safe. Throughout the story, we go back and forth, finally finding out how their two stories are connected at the end of the book, though it still ends on a cliffhanger, at least for Eliana's storyline (we find out what happens to Rielle in the shockingly dramatic opening scene).

There's almost non-stop action in Furyborn, so it's a really quick read and great for those who enjoy plot-based books. If you're looking for character-driven stories, this is probably not for you; though the main characters are fleshed out to an extent, the secondary characters are never fully formed and are used mostly to advance the plot. This is the first book in a series, though, so more character development may come later.

While the story and magic system in this story are not direct copies of any particular book I've read, it did seem like an amalgam of a lot of different popular YA books or series and I kept being reminded of other works while reading. It was entertaining, but nothing felt really new or unique about it (though for readers new to the genre, this won't be an issue).

There is one explicit sex scene (cringey, but not Sarah J. Maas levels of cringey), so this is best for older teens.

A world torn apart by a rekindled ancient war. Two powerful young women separated by centuries and foretold in prophesies.
A magical adult high fantasy (mostly suitable for and marketed as YA) told in alternating perspectives of two separate timelines and their ultimate convergence.

Strong, well developed protagonists; fully fleshed cast of supporting characters; and well developed worldbuilding that has room to grow in subsequent story arc.

I kind of thought that the problems I had with this book might be "just me". Then I read some other reviews from people who felt similarly, so now maybe it's not just me? Anyway, my deal was this: I found the story interesting, but I also found it quite cumbersome. I feel like it was very well written, and I think that a ton of thought went into building this story. As it jumps from past to present, and between two main characters' points of view, there's a lot happening.

And for me, this is also kind of the problem. See, while I was impressed by the story, I was also wholly overwhelmed. It was kind of hard work, and when I read, I want to be entertained and not feeling like I had to keep a damn spreadsheet just to know what was going on. It was very slow going for me, which in part was because it is a longer book. But it wasn't just the length, it was just very taxing to read. Trying to keep all the characters in two timelines straight, the magical elements, the world building, there was a lot to take in.

I also don't know if it was a great decision to start the way it did. The prologue tells the reader what the fate of one of the characters is from the start, and it made the stakes feel a little lower for me. I did enjoy the characters, though I don't know that I enjoyed them quite enough to make up for the slowness/difficulty.

Will I Read the Next Book? I'm torn. On one hand... I don't want to. But on the other, I am a little curious? Let's leave it as a "perhaps, let's wait and see".

Bottom Line: The story has a lot of appealing elements, but I was too overwhelmed (and a little bored) most of the time to be fully immersed.

It took me a while to get into "Furyborn" by Claire Legrand, but once I did I liked it. I think I'm a definite outlier with this opinion, but it almost started too fast--there was so much going on and I didn't feel like I'd had enough time to get to know the characters and care about what happened to them. I also read the beginning so slowly that I forgot/missed major details until later that would have helped the story make more sense. That's my own fault.
Once Rielle and Audric started getting together and once Simon found Eliana, I started to feel invested in the story. It improved from there.
I kind of wish they would have cut out or really condensed Rielle's trials--those we're repetitive and boring for me. I would have rather spent more time progressing her narrative.
The sex scene between her and Audric is one of the best I have ever read. It was realistic without being gross and a good example for young teens of how things should be between two consenting people who love each other, while still being super heart-pounding. I loved it.
I definitely still have a lot of questions and don't feel as grounded in the world and how it works as I would like to be. But I am curious to see what happens next, for sure.

Unfortunately I was not able to finish reading this book. The plot looks interesting and I look forward to reading it when I have the time. I am sorry that I was unable to complete this ARC.

FURYBORN had an incredible premise/plot and yet... the book was just "okay". I was initially going to write out what I liked and what I didn't like, but when I tried I found I couldn't come up with a Like list :/ I didn't necessarily NOT enjoy the book, but finding things I genuinely liked about it is hard.

I preferred Rielle over Eliana, but only a little bit. Rielle, or at least Simon's version of Rielle, is completely different from the prologue to the actual story which is two years previous, and the idea of seeing how she got from one place to the other excited me. Unfortunately, we still don't really know by the end of the novel but I'm sure I do actually know. You know what I mean? I can make a logical guess and it'll probably be right. Which is kind of boring, yeah?

Eliana was... not enjoyable at all and it was annoying. I have no problem with unlikable main characters - what I have a problem with is when the writing tries to make you like the unlikable character but the character herself keeps waffling. And waffling can be fine! If you're a bounty hunter that gets people/families killed I can understand being, you know, cold, and only sometimes letting your "feelings" get felt. But even when Eliana felt them and you could see a moment where she was actually being fleshed out as a human being/real developed character.. it was pulled away and you were left with a weird taste in your mouth. I only started to like Eliana when she goes back for Wolf and then the book basically ended, so.

Speaking about the ending - how BORING. Nothing? No cliffhanger to get people excited for the second one? It just felt so abruptly over that I actually rolled my eyes.

OH. Also. Speaking of rolling my eyes - what on EARTH were those sex scenes? I was reading on my phone at the gym and physically had to hold on to the bike because I was rolling my eyes so hard. Mist rising? Tremors shaking the bathing room? Oh please. I understand that it was needed (I GUESS.) to show how Rielle's power can affect her surroundings (although didn't we already know that re: her house being on fire when she was 5???).. but did it have to be so comical? Boring ol' Audric made her make the walls tremble? Again I say: oh please.

Okay I finally thought of some highlights: Remy, Wolf, Zahra, Navi. The end. When your supporting cast are more likable/digestible than your TWO main characters, you've got a problem.

Also why were the magic trials so boring??? They were MAGIC TRIALS!!! I shouldn't have been bored.

Anyway. Will I read the second one? Probably. But it's not a book I'm going to be lusting after.

Ready for your next addictive YA fantasy obsession? Furyborn has alternating perspectives set a thousand years apart. One queen must face seven elemental magic trials and one is a bounty hunter. Somewhere along the line, their storylines connect, but it's the journey getting there that I really enjoyed. The world-building is outstanding. The characters are complex and fascinating. If you're looking for the next big YA fantasy series, be sure to check out Furyborn today.

"'We are all of us dark creatures,' Navi said, 'but if we linger in those shadows, we'll be lost. Instead we must seek the light when we can, and that's just what your doing.'"

Claire Legrand has created an epic and boundless world with her first book in the Empirium series. I found the juxtaposition and parallels between Eliana and Rielle characters to be fascinating, though I will say that I was drawn more to Eliana's story than Rielle's. I loved the dynamics between Eliana and Simon, and I am interested in seeing where Legrand will take these two characters in her next book. I do think the characters in Rielle's stories fell a bit more flat for me, and I found myself forgetting who some of the side characters were. However, Rielle's own inner conflict and struggles were amazingly portrayed.

This was a great Fantasy read, and I would recommend Furyborn for teens and adults 16/17+. There were a few situation that I felt could be considered inappropriate for younger teens.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this, and I can't wait to see what happens next. It follows two different perspectives, which typically is not my favorite but I liked how it was done here. Because the perspectives aren't the two love interests alternating back and forth and they are in different time periods, you get two distinct storylines that aren't muddled by their feelings for each other. I do think that it slowed the pacing down a bit though, just as I was getting invested in one character’s story we would switch and I would lose interest in what was going on in the other timeline. I think had we stayed with one character a little longer it would have kept the flow of the story going. The prologue sucks you in, and you think the characters are completely unrelated, but as things unfold we learn that they are very much connected.
We follow Rielle, who has since she was 5 has been hiding her abilities to control the elements. Some people can control one element but she can control all 7. Her father has had her hide her ability and train to control it after an accident when she was a child. When she is exposed, she is put through excruciating trials to see if she is the prophesied Sun Queen, come to save the kingdom from the angels when the gate trapping them finally falls. Angels in this world are evil creatures, and they were defeated by Seven Saints at one time, trapping them behind a gate. The prophecy foretells that the gate will fall and the angels will return, and that two queens will rise, one of blood and one of light. The Blood Queen will destroy the world and the Sun Queen will save it. Rielle undergoes the trials thinking that she is the Sun Queen, as she can control all 7 elements and she wants nothing more than to protect her kingdom. She also wants her best friend Audric, whom she’s been in love with forever. He of course is the Crown Prince of the kingdom and engaged to her other best friend Ludivine. Rielle and Audric’s romance is fairly predictable, and at times over the top. Ludivine is always there to support Rielle, and I really loved her as a side character. As Rielle undergoes the trials, she has some extra help, but I don’t want to spoil it. It’s a plot twist you have to read for yourself.
Eliana is an assassin working for the empire and rooting out the rebel faction the Red Crown. She’s noticed that women around town keep mysteriously disappearing, but she doesn’t let it stop her work rooting out members of the Red Crown until her mother becomes one of the women that is taken. When Simon, also known as the Wolf and high ranking member of the Red Crown, tracks Eliana down and proposes that she help him on a mission in exchange for his help finding her mother. Eliana hesitantly accepts his offer in exchange for protection for her mother and young brother Remy. As her story unfolds we learn that she has some secret powers of her own, and while her meeting with Simon may have seemed convenient for both of them, we learn that he has known her since the day she was born. He knows her true identity and that she is more than just an assassin. There is a hint of a romance between the two of them.

Pros:
• The telling of the story from the dual perspectives was done really well. I’m usually not a fan, but I liked how they were done. Typically dual perspectives are bogged down with the characters mooning over one another from the romance perspective, but we don’t get that here. I liked that they were 1000 years apart, but still tied together.
• I loved the mythology. I am a mythology junkie, whether it is a creation of the author or based on myths and legends of old. I really liked what Claire Legrand did here with the angel mythology and the different magical powers people can possess. I hope we learn more about it in the future, we got a little but I want to know more.
Cons
• The pacing was a bit slow for my taste. This book is pretty long; Goodreads says it’s over 500 pages. There is a ton of action, fighting, crazy magic trials, assassins, and evil angels for all intents and purposes I should have not been able to put this book down. I did not find that to be the case. I liked it, it’s really good, but I didn’t fly through it
• The ending. We start with the fall of Rielle, and then the book goes back and tells her story from the beginning but we never get back to the beginning. I assume we will get to that in the future books, but it is a pet peeve of mine when I don’t feel closure from a book. I was left without a sense of closure when I finished.
• This book feels confused with regards to the sex. Is it adult or YA? It is listed as YA, but I disagree. It felt YA up to a point then it switched and got pretty adult pretty fast. It is pretty violent so it gets a point for adult right there. The sex is pretty graphic and steamy, so this should not be a YA book. I don’t mind steamy, but a book should be one or the other, if you are a YA book keep the sex and mentions of sex vague and non-descript, if you are an adult book I feel like you can get away with more description.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Wow, what an awesome start to a great series. There were so many things to like about this book. Both Rielle and Eliana were freaking awesome. They were complete bad asses and they didn't make any apologies for who they were. Rielle had to deal with all the trials and they were super intense, but she had to do it to prove she was the Sun Queen. I loved Audric and their chemistry. And her friendship with Audric and Ludivine (I may be getting those spellings wrong) was great. There was a prologue in the book that kind of sort of gave a taste of how Rielle's story was going to turn out, so her story was really about telling the journey of how she got to the point. Knowing the ending did not interfere with my love of her story. And even though I knew what was going to happen, I still rooted for her and I loved her. And I am also dying to know whether there is more to that story that was told in the beginning.

Eliana was awesome too and I really, really liked the whole "will they or won't they" thing she had going on with Simon. The plot was so unique and there were a lot of twists at the end. Yes, one of the main things was actually a little predictable (not to spoil too much), but there were still plenty of surprises. There was so much world building here. The world the author created was fantastic and magical and also very, very dangerous.

Now, there were a few issues with it. First of all, the two POV's got confusing because they were 1000 years apart. So there were absolutely no connections between the two women and the characters and the things that were happening. Another commenter mentioned that it was almost like reading two different books and she was right. There were times when I got a little confused about what had happened and what hadn't when the POV's switched. That was odd. Towards the end of the book, the connection between the two women was revealed and that was the kind of predictable thing I mentioned. I also thought the book was a bit too long and it moved a little slow. It wasn't until I had passed the 30% mark that I found myself not wanting to put the book down because it was so good. But even with those issues, I still absolutely loved it and I can't wait until the next installment comes out!