This was my first book from Claire Legrand and I must say, I am not disappointed. Furyborn is inntricately plotted, well written, fantasy that will keep your attention from begging to end. This is a series that is definitely worth investing time on!

At first when reading this book I was confused with many aspects of the world, the characters, the plot, and other parts. As I read further it began to make sense and the pieces started coming together. It took until about the half way point in the book before I was able to pin point what the major plot of the novel was.

The best way to describe this story arc is, nothing happens, something happens, major something, something, another thing, major something, the end. The whole book really took place in the later half of the novel. In finishing the novel I don’t remember much of what happened at the beginning because it did not effect the rest of the plot in the way one might believe.

For a first novel in a new series at lot is not explained. I do not want to mention anything specific but know going into this, some if not many things are not going to make any sense and will have no explanation in the book. I hope that the explanations are to come later on in the series.

Over all I am giving this book 3.75 out of 5 stars. I do wish to continue the series as it comes out.

From the summary, I had high hopes for Claire Legrand and her new novel.
But we'll get to that.....

First and foremost, thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Secondly, I was so pumped for this book!! So excited and giddy~ The description sounded amazing and I was excited to read something being marketed as a 'Bi' positive book.

This story follows two characters that have a time difference of... 1000 years.
We have Rielle Dardenne, who risked quite a bit for love, which I respect fully cuz he was about to get owned hard. Then we have Eliana Ferracora who is living in a rough world with nothing but tales of the great Rielle.

Furyborn hits mid ground for me.



Let me start with what I loved~ I ADORED the premise, the suspenseful intrigue, and holy moly that prologue. The Prologue was SO GOOD. I was hooked after reading it, insinuating angelic wars and corrupt government. It had my favorites all over it.

And then we hit Chapter One.

I was slightly irked by the time jumps but at first I was game. Then Chapter Two time jumps again and we do that every other chapter. I'm not saying the stories there weren't interesting. HOWEVER, when reflecting back to the prologue - I wasn't involved. I knew what happened with Rielle (I mean the prologue deals with her....) and Eliana's story was less than gripping.

I felt Eliana was almost faking it to make it? However, when you're introduced to her, she's supposed to already be this awesome bad-@$$ woman. It was a little off putting. Rielle was shown more as possibly cruel in the beginning but then she's super self absorbed.

I had also heard this may be a "Bi' positive book. Buuuuut these are foot notes (if at all).....and I would say mainly for Rielle's character as Eliana's mentions women, but I wouldn't say in away way signaling she's bi... more of sex is used for her role.



I powered through the book. It was hard, the pacing is not excellent, but I don't think it was bad. The world here is ripe for development. A lot is left hanging for me. The magic system especially!! Claire Legrand has so much to work with here and I truly hope she builds on it. I wouldn't say the book was terrible but it didn't wow me.

Overall, the world here could be so much more developed. I'm not sure if Claire Legrand is saving that for book two tho? I will probably wait to see how reviews sound for book two before reading it.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Character Development: 2 Stars
Dialogue: 3 Stars
Writing: 3 Stars
I recommend this to anyone that likes YA fantasy and doesn't mind a slow build. It will get you there, it just takes a bit longer than most.

Happy Reading!!

~Ash

Rielle Dardenne has hidden her powers since childhood. She is unusual as most people have only one power and need a focus to use it while Rielle doesn’t. She grows up playing with her best friends who are Princ Audric and Lu (her nickname). When Rielle saves Prince Audric by using her powers, she is to be tested by the king to see if she is to be the fabled Sun Queen or Blood Queen. When Rielle has a baby girl, she has the baby taken by a trusted friend who travels with the baby 1,000 years in the future. Her name is Eliana Ferracora. She has become famous as the asasin for the “undying empire.” She does this work to keep her family safe. He doesn’t know that her family - parents and brother Remy. When she comes home after a job, she finds her mother has been taken like so many other women. She decides to join the rebels to get help to find her mother. Will she find her mother? There is much more to this story but I don’t wish to spoil the story for you.

What an imagination, this author has! The story is addictive in that I didn’t want to stop reading it. It has two women heroes who stand on their own feet even when put in unbelievable situations that are so deadly, it’s heart-stopping. There are mythical beings, adventure and action that I wondered how she thought of, but m glad she did. The chapters alternate between the two women which at times I wanted to say wait - I need more of the chapter I just finished! I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

Okay, so I'm going to look at this from two perspectives. First I want to look at this book as a librarian, and then as a reader.
First as a librarian: I could easily see many of the kids at my school loving this book. I can particularly picture some of my 6-10th grade girls adoring it. It has everything they like, strong heroines, magic powers and dreamy (and evil) boys. And therein lies the the problem. While I can easily see these girls loving this book, I'm not sure how comfortable I would feel recommending it to anyone below 10th grade, as there are several rather explicit sex scenes. I know that many of books that my students read and watch contain such scenes but I never feel fully comfortable recommending them.
That being said, since I know that many students would enjoy it, I will be recommending that it be purchased, but also that it be marked as KS4+ (9th grade and up only).
Second as a reader: I both liked and disliked this book. It was a fairly engrossing read, so I wasn't to tempted to put it aside in favor of another book. However, I did feel that the book was rather disjointed. The two parallel plotlines did not weave together particularly well, and at times it felt like two different books instead of one book. There were some intriguing plot points touched on in both stories, but I felt like very little of it was truly fleshed out. Still, it piqued my interest enough that I'll definitely pick up the next book when it comes out.

Furyborn portrays an interesting fantasy world. The book has two strong female protagonists, years apart from each other. Their stores are told intercalated, each chapter focuses on either Rielle or Eliana. While I think the whole fantastic world created by the author is fascinating, and the trials Rielle faces are particularly interesting, I struggled a little bit in the middle of the book. But I managed to finish it, and would be interested in reading more stories in the same fantasy world. At the end of the book, there are some cheat sheets that help understand better the Gods, trials, and a little bit more of the universe portrayed in the book. They are so helpful, I wish I knew those were there before I started reading the book!

The one question that kept spinning around in my mind as I read Furyborn is “why should I care?” I didn’t like the characters, the story almost put me to sleep, the stakes were never high enough to get my blood pumping, and the sex scenes made me laugh (not in a good way). I dislike giving one star but there was literally nothing I enjoyed about this book.

It's just too long, poorly-paced and oh so very boring. I feel like the author tried to channel Throne of Glass, which is also too long, poorly-paced and occasionally boring, but it still manages to somehow keep me interested. I need to break my notes down into points to try to make sense of them.

➽ Two perspectives. 1,000 years apart.
I'm not sure if I found it jarring and confusing because the book jumped quickly from one perspective to the next, not allowing me enough time to connect with either Rielle or Eliana, or if I found it jarring and confusing because these two different perspectives were 1,000 years apart, though the voices remained virtually identical and very little had seemed to change in that millennium.

If you compare it to our world, 1,000 years ago our world looked a little something like Game of Thrones but with disappointingly fewer dragons - how could so little have changed in that time frame in the novel? I sometimes couldn't even remember whose chapter I was on.

➽ A little less action, a little more conversation. Please.
Okay, that's decidedly less catchy. But I feel like this is a book of mindless action scene after mindless action scene. It lacked all the other things that give a story some substance-- complex characterization and relationships, world-building, compelling plot. It is 500+ pages of almost constant action and it draaaagggs. If I don't care about the characters or story, I'm just not going to care about the action.

➽ Bland characters.
You know what’s worse than a Mary Sue heroine? TWO Mary Sue heroines. Rielle is deliberately made to sound oh so baaaddd and uber-powerful but I just found her uninteresting. I think the author wanted her to be some kind of complex anti-heroine but instead she just rubbed me the wrong way with her all-powerful super specialness.

Eliana is pretty much the same. Super special cardboard cutout badass who is known as "the Dread of Orline.”

➽ What is the plot exactly?
I found it confusing to follow at times. I know what happened, but I really struggled to get a sense of what I should be concerned about, want to know, or root for, as I read. Rielle's chapters offered very little tension to me, even though I usually enjoy books with magical trials. Perhaps it was because she was so special that it never occurred to me that she might fail.

And Eliana's chapters were full of a lot of action but, again, I found it so dry and unexciting. It all felt like yet another forgettable YA fantasy bogged down by a bland romance and mindless action scenes.

➽ Romance, sex and bi rep(?)
It's just weird, honestly. Sex-positivity is great, the normalizing of masturbation is great, but these characters often act like sex is the most important thing in their world. I felt like all Rielle cared about was banging Audric the bland. I also don’t feel like it always was sex-positive, especially as Eliana seems to use sex as a form of manipulation.

The sex scenes themselves are pretty nauseating and overwritten, with the earth shaking and mist rising (no, seriously) à la Sarah J. Maas.

I don't know about you, but I was eager to read this for the bi rep. I've even heard this being touted as a "bi fantasy" which, having read the book, is a huge stretch. I'm gonna be honest and say I actually missed it the first time and had to go skimming back through the book to find it. The bi rep in this book is like two casual mentions of the MCs having been with women sexually. That's it. Great.

➽ To conclude...
I was mostly just bored. I think the book has a great premise, but that is by far the best thing about it. There was so much talk of angel wars and fantasy politics and deadly trials, but all that got lost somewhere under everything I didn’t give a crap about.

I really enjoyed Furyborn and although it is most certainly a YA fantasy, it also has some elements of science fiction as well. I feel like I have read quite a few YA fantasy books lately that revolve around magic, but I did like this story and moves along at a pretty fast pace, blending the above mentioned genres. There are two different stories going on throughout the book focusing on two different main characters, Rielle and Eiana, yet the stories take place a thousand years apart.

I really enjoyed the prologue (no spoilers) that explains a few things about the duel story line right from the beginning. The book definitely starts out filled with action and the plot moves like that throughout the book. I have to say, there were a few story lines and things that happened that seemed a bit familiar, actually quite familiar, from one of my favorite series. But every reader can decide what they think about that on their own. Overall, it is a certainly a fast-paced and action packed YA fantasy. The author did a good job with the world building and overall I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the sequel.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for sending me an ARC of this book.

This is a solid fantasy title. The combination of realism and fantasy aspects is well combined. I'm excited for the next installment.

This has now made me a fan of Claire Legrand. For life. I love a bad ass heroine. Or two. I love a good healthy dose of fantasy mixed in. This has all of that. This has everything. I was blown away! 5/5

Furyborn is actually worth the hype! The writing is lush, the characters developed and the plot engaging and fast paced!

Unfortunately this will be a DNF. I find the writing choppy and hard to follow and can't really get into the too-abrupt beginning. I liked the premise and the cover, but this book is sadly is not for me.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I like to think that I'm able to find a book somewhat good, even if the general consensus is terrible. I have very few DNFs and less-than-3 starred reads. Furyborn is an unfortunate addition to the list. It was difficult to consume after the first chapter and it almost became a DNF from that point. But I tried, I really did. I am giving it two stars for the beautiful cover, the prologue, and the chapter heads.

I really wanted to love this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018. But I really struggled to make it to the finish line. To be honest, I was running right past the hurdles in desperation to finish. If I had to describe it in three words: bulky, boring, bland - you get the gist.

It started out strong. Incredibly gripping. It was well-paced, suspenseful, so full of hope for the rest of the story. But by the end of it, the entire plot was predictable. You find out what Simon can do, who comes next, etc, etc, etc. And you just know.

The rest felt like I was eating a block of paper and my mouth and brain absolutely could not, would not digest it. Probably because you're kinda not meant to eat paper. There were a lot of unnecessary scenes and paragraphs throughout. Rielle's chapters were vaguely interesting to begin with, but it all became painfully repetitive. I liked her POV better than Eliana's, though. Eliana was too trope-y and her personality did not win me over. Mostly because she kinda didn't have one. I liked her spunk at the start, however, so I'll give her that. But that was it. She was meant to be this badass but I found her ridiculous.
Don't even get me started on the romance in this book. Please don't.

The world building was basically non-existent. Most of it is all surface information that didn't have any information to add substance it it. I had no idea why the angels were a thing, for one. The magic: where and what and how even? Just so, so many things. So many things.

Time-consuming and hugely disappointing, this is definitely not one of my favourite reads of 2018. I managed to make it through the whole book, just barely, so I'll give myself a pat on the back for perseverance. It's generally just a very difficult book to consume. It definitely had potential and I am disappointed that it didn't reach any of it. Oh well.

DNF. I have overdosed on fantasy fiction and after 30% , I gave up. Couldn’t get invested in the characters or the story.

Mesmerizing. Profound. Epic.
ISBN: 978-1492656623

THE STORY

Two women, separated by centuries, each trapped in an unhappy life by who they are and how they were born. Both struggling to hide themselves, both yearning to be free.

THE READ

Furyborn has two completely separate (and yet ultimately intertwined) storylines, and both are incredibly fast-paced. Each plot has its own kick-ass heroine and tons of action, which is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. I could… not… put… it… down.

I sat with this book for a long time after I finished it. Riveting. Like… riveting. The prolog basically shows you where one of the two storylines is heading, and yet that one was still my favorite of the two. How is that even possible??? I knew the ending up front and I still couldn’t stop reading it! That just blew me away.

I was so caught up in Rielle’s story that it didn’t matter what I already knew. I had to watch it unfold, and I hung on every new twist and turn. (For that matter, I’m still hanging on them. Furyborn is not a stand-alone by any stretch of the imagination. If you read it, you’ll need the next one, so be prepared for the wait.)

Eliana has a deeply engaging story of her own, and I love her relationship with her brother in particular. She’s strong, protective, practical, and a little bitter, thanks to the life she’s been saddled with. Both plot lines hold their own against each other, which is definitely saying something. I loved Eliana.

But I adored Rielle.

There’s a lot that remains to be revealed, and future books in the series promise to be just as exciting, just as full of action and mystery.

Bottom Line: A wild ride that definitely lives up to the hype. Mesmerizing, profound, epic!

– Erin’s pick.

This was a fascinating story idea of epic proportions. I would not say it had a plot twist as it was heavily forecast, but the premise was promising. Unfortunately, the steaminess and the sexual content of the book make it one that I can’t put on my classroom shelves nor can I recommend it to students generally. I’ll be able to recommend it to *certain students and with caveats, but that’s all. I’m sad, because it really is one I’d like to recommend otherwise.

4.5/5 Stars

Look! It's another highly anticipated title that actually lives up to the hype! I'm oh so pleased that my first ever Claire Legrand book delivered an epic fantasy with characters that leapt off the page and into my heart. Honestly Furyborn was such a fast-paced roller coaster of action and emotion and I was blown away by the depth of this world and the connection of characters.

Legrand drops the reader right into this vast, sweeping world of elemental magic, prophesied queens, and political intrigue without hesitation and it's not overwhelming in the slightest. The worldbuilding is fantastic; capturing two distinct time frames and bridging the gap between them. The magic itself is brilliantly visual and it would be excellent on screen. Plus I love books that begin chapters with in world snippets of history and found text. It always adds a little extra oomph to the story.

Leading the way in this character driven tale are Rielle Dardenne, a lady hiding powerful gifts from everyone especially those she cares for, and Eliana Ferracora, a bounty hunter for the Empire trying to protect her family. These two women grappled with some serious turmoil and I loved that they were able to express their emotions especially the anger. Supporting them were Audric; the soft prince of light, Simon; a brusque, grizzled mystery, Ludivine; a friend in all circumstances, and Remy; a storytelling brother.

I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed with Claire Legrand's writing chops after this. To take on such a behemoth of a series with so many inter-working parts, spanning millennia is no easy feat and so far she's pulled it off with style. This book is rich with detail as well as characters dripping with emotion and the pacing sucks the reader in right from the very beginning.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand was one heck of a start to a new fantasy series and I'm itching to fall deeper into this world. This book has truly got so much going for it in terms of character and plot and Rielle and Eliana's stories were incredibly compelling. While this may be a polarizing read for many, I highly recommend the fantasy lovers out there give this one a shot.

Fans of Sarah J. Mass’s A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES series will find much to love here—the love scenes do not fade to black. There are similarities to Leigh Bardugo’s SHADOW AND BONE as well. If you’re a fan of either of these series, you’ll enjoy FURYBORN.

Likability will challenge some readers—both leads have plenty of flaws, and neither are apologetic about it. Honestly, I found this refreshing. I’d rather follow a complex character who makes poor decisions and see if they end up redeeming themselves. Growth doesn’t happen without mistakes.

I did find the structure a bit frustrating at first—keeping track of both Eliana and Rielle’s storylines was difficult, so I read Rielle’s first, then Eliana’s. I found it much more satisfying, and was able to enjoy Eliana’s point-of-view much more than I had with alternating back and forth. Some will love this structure, others will hate it. I love multiple points of view, but the execution here was jarring at times.

I was very taken with how angels were handled in this novel—I look forward to seeing the mythology around them unfold.

Fallen angels and humans - great premise for a story full of intrigue, amazing powers and a unique look the complicated bonds of family and friends. With the story told from alternating viewpoints and time periods, the plot was very complex, and there were some mature thematic elements, so I would recommend the book for high school.. It took a couple of chapters to become fully involved and begin to understand what was going on, but the story is definitely worth the concentration needed to get into it!

Thank you for allowing us to review Furyborn by Claire Legrand. Unfortunately we did not select this title to be featured in our montly subscription and have gone with another choice for this month.