The pacing of Furborn was odd.  Each chapter trades back and forth between Rielle and Eliana, in two different millennia's.  There are two specific reasons I think this formula of swapping between them worked.  First, the prologue set up both women's stories perfectly.  Throughout the whole book, whether I was reading about Rielle or Eliana, I never forgot the importance of the first scene.  It left a major impact.

The other reason I think the POV chapter swaps worked was because of Rielle and Eliana's personal journey's.  When I was in love with one of the stories, I was frustrated with the other.  And as the story progressed, my feelings for both rotated.  That set up caused me to spend a lot of time thinking about Furyborn.

I did find both Rielle and Eliana too sexually driven.  Rielle spent far too much time aching for Audric.  Eliana was bad too, but Rielle was worse. Too much time was spent on sex for a Fantasy series.

I also think the plot had a bit too much going on.  There were kidnappings, and wraiths, and angels, and zombie thingies... So much it almost made my head spin.  Additionally, too much time was spent her beauty.  I felt like her costumes for the trials were pulled right out of Hunger Games.  It was all just too much.

Even though Furyborn wasn't perfect, I'm hooked on this story.  I will be reading all three books.  I'm hopeful each book will be better and better.

**Full Review posted live on 5/14.

I first heard about Furyborn while watching a book haul on Youtube, and once I heard what it was about, I knew that I had to read it immediately. Once I got a copy, I immediately started reading, and I must say, the first chapter was so captivating that I knew this was going to be a great novel. However, I had some issues with reading this book, and although I really am interested in the story, I couldn't give it more than 3 stars because of those issues.

What I Didn't Like:
1. The long, excessive narratives: As I said, I really like the story that this novel tells, but I just found the narratives to be quite boring. I often found myself skimming the pages until conversations would come up because the book is a long one. I still want to read the next book, but I just hope that the 2nd book would be more concise so it would be less boring.

2. The main characters: The main characters were both insufferable, although I must say I grew to like Eliana more towards the end of the novel. I couldn't say the same thing for Rielle though. She's so arrogant and prideful, and sometimes I just want to shake her awake because dude, can you see the situation you are in? Do you think this is the time to boast around your skills just because you have them? Gosh! And with Eliana, at first I couldn't get a grip on her personality because she switches from one decision to another completely opposite decision, without thinking of how it will affect others, and within a few pages. She was confusing as heck, and it was hard to keep up with her.

3. The alternating POVs: I really, really hated the way in which the chapters ended. I feel like it just takes me out of the story, instead of deepen my interest in it. The chapters cut the POV right as I was getting interested, and because of that I kind of forgot my interest after the next chapter. It was also confusing at first, because it was hard to keep up with what was going on. I kind of wished that this was two separate books instead of one.

4. It was confusing despite the number of pages: Speaking of confusion, this book was confusing as heck! So many things happened, and yet I have no answers. I just read a 500-page novel, and I only have the tiniest clue about what this really is about. Although this book did a good job in setting the tone for the following novels, I just felt like there were still far too many questions left unanswered. (view spoiler)

What I Liked:
1. The side characters: I really enjoyed the characters of Remy and Ludivine. They add a nice element to the story, and the innocence coming from them both is really just something else. I always like it whenever they appear in the story. Sometimes I like Audric and Navi as well, although other times I just want to knock Audric in the head because he can be so clueless at times.

2. The story: Although I complain about how slow the plot moves, I really am interested and invested in how the story will go. I'm genuinely interested because it seems like such a unique story. Even though I did not love this one, I see myself still continuing on with the series because I just feel the potential. I mean, angels are bad in this novel, and there are prophecies, kingdoms to save, and so many secrets yet to uncover. I honestly can't wait for the next book!

3. The gripping start: Honestly, the first chapter was what really drew me in. I loved how action-packed and ominous it was. It's what got me excited for this book, and it's also what's still hooking me to the series, even though I didn't love it. If we're basing it on Rielle's chapters, the first one was actually in the future, after everything has already happened. Honestly, I'm more interested in the after of that first chapter than the before, so I just want to find out more about what happened.

Overall, this book is a unique story that I truly am interested in, but I just couldn't rate it higher because the plot was moving too slow for me, it was confusing at times, and I felt like there are still so many questions left unanswered. That said, I still can't wait for the second book because I just want to find out more about this world!

DNF'd at 42%.

I wanted to like this book. I love murderous angels, and I loved the concept of 2 women across 1000 years being intertwined! Unfortunately, it just didn't grab me for a few reasons:

1. The writing didn't grab me like I wanted it to. Given my relationship with YA Fantasy at the moment, I pushed through. Angels! Murderous angels!! She killed the king and MURDEROUS ANGELS!

2. I am all for sex-positive, sexually active women characters. I am not all for characters that are borderline obsessed with sex. Eliana literally meets a dude who is one of the only ones who can kill her, and her instinct is to push out her boobs and flirt? Rielle lusts after her bestie who is engaged to her other bestie while also constantly flirting with a dude (who I assume is twice her age as he's been training her since she was 5?) But mostly, Eliana defaults to sex mode as a way to....distract? fight? I don't know.

3. RIELLE STARTS HEARING A MALE VOICE IN HER HEAD AND HER FIRST INSTINCT IS TO BE TURNED ON. Sorry, but I frequently wondered growing up as the point where the line of "voices in my head" and "what is my mind" crossed and if I was insane.

4. This book takes place in an alternate universe or thousands of years ago....and the use of the term "girlfriend" was too jarring for me.

5. Rielle's story becomes focused on these 7 trials she needs to complete. It's in the summary. But given that chapter 1/the prologue is in the future, there is no suspense?

6. Most of the characters in Eliana's time period I had to stop and think who they were because they just weren't developed enough for me to care.

I tried. If this hadn't been a Netgalley book, I would have put it down around 100 pages, which seems respectable. And I am sincerely bummed I didn't like this book.

"The Gate will Fall.
The Angels will return and bring ruin to the world.
You will know this time by the rise of two human Queens - one of blood, and one of light.
One with the power to save the world.
One with the power to destroy it.
Two Queens will rise.
They will carry the power of the Seven.
They will carry your fate in their hands.
Two Queens will rise"

Furyborn is an age-old story of the classic good vs. evil laced with magic and romance. Furyborn follows two storylines, Rielle and Eliana, millennia apart. The blessed Sun Queen will be a protector, the wicked Blood Queen will bring destruction to the world. Their stories are told in short, alternating chapters.

Rielle Dardenne has hidden her magical powers all of her life. She is able to control all seven elements, including earth, wind, fire and water. After her magical powers are discovered, Rielle is forced to complete seven trials to demonstrate her control or lose her life.

Eliana Ferracora, in order to survive and care for her brother Remy, is a fearless bounty hunter for the Empire. Known as the "Dread of Ornline", Eliana's captured rebels are routinely executed.

The book has all of the essentials that makes a good fairy tale. There are castles and kings, a prince who loves the heroine, angels and marques (half angel, half human), magic and love.
Although touted as YA, I am a 69 year old grandmother who enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend the Furyborn for all ages and look forward to reading the sequels.
I received a galley from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review


<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/33210595-peggy-geiger">View all my reviews</a>

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting the request in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this but at the same time didn’t. I found the world building to be well done but at the same time certain aspects of this novel just didn’t sit well with me and the action didn’t seem to have any breathing room. I would have liked it but it messed up the pacing I feel. Wanted to like it but felt it was disjointed.

3.5 Stars-ish

I really enjoyed Eliana's POV and trying to figure out how all the people played into the story. Rielle, in all honesty I didn't start enjoying her side of the story until the trials were over. There were parts I really enjoyed, parts I could have done without, parts that I am still a little confused about, it wasn't a page turner and at times I did feel it was boring but I finished it and because of my sick need to not leave a story untold, I will probably read the next in the series.....

I am going to be that guy. You know the one? The guy that just can't get through a book that is proving to be very popular. I am not sure what it is, I've been trying for months to get through this book and never manage more than a couple of pages at a time. At this point, I think it is time to throw in the towel.

The story has a great premise and the writing is very much above average but the delivery of jumping back and forth between two timelines didn't work for me. Every time we changed which time frame we were in it took me out of the story while I tried to get my bearings back for one character or another and remember what they were up to a chapter or two ago I lost interest. I didn't want to keep reading and getting ripped out of one story and shoved back into another every time the chapter number changed. While it may be perfectly fine for many readers, it definitely did not work for me and I lost interest very, very quickly.

Unfortunately, I am going to have to list this one as a DNF and that actually makes me quite sad. I wanted so badly to love this book. If you are the type of person that doesn't mind jumping around between completely different stories with entirely different characters in different times every chapter then this would probably be a magnificent book.

Furyborn is outside of my normal genre because I don't naturally gravitate towards fantasy novels. This one? It was good. I enjoyed the "connection over time" piece of the story line, thought the characters were well written, strong females without being over the top. I think Claire Legrand has huge potential to make a big impact with Furyborn so I want to get the word out about it and get it into the hands of readers. Excellent.

4 1/2 stars. Overall I really enjoyed this book. The plot wasn't the most original but I liked how the story developed and the characters were quite fun. I felt like the story had this wonderful build up and then just kind of ended abruptly. I didn't get that satisfied feeling like I do with some books that leave me hanging. I'll definitely have to read the sequel when it comes out.

The two main female protagonists were very interesting characters. They were complex, conflicted, and were both morally ambiguous, which I'm always a fan of. I wanted more about the villain Corien. I felt like we didn't get enough of him in this story, hopefully more in the next!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC! I would recommend!

I absolutely loved Furyborn! Refreshingly mature and with two strong, young women leading the novel Furyborn had absolutely enraptured me. Two women, Two destines - Eliana and Rielle. )And both with their own demons). I couldn't help but to root for both. Furyborn challenges the two women to fight their own battles and survive. Rielle's darkness grows as she is manipulated and loses those she loves, and as she learns not to apologize for her actions. On the other hand, Eliana is forced to start questioning the choices she has made to protect those that she loves while also fighting the darkness within her and struggles to accept her destiny. Flashbacks give us the story of Rielle while Eliana battles in the present, at times confusing, but overall exciting and tension-building throughout out the book. I absolutely loved how dark and fierce this book was! Can't wait for the next one...

An engaging Feminist fantasy with a unique story tine. I liked Rielle's story more than Eliana's, probably because I found Eliana really hard to like at first. I liked the way that the author wove together the parts of both women's stories. This title will have great appeal to both teens and adults. Looking forward the the next book in the series.

My fantasy readers will love this. I'm buying multiple copies for my library and promoting with signs and read alikes.

3.5

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really solid YA fantasy book, but the ending went in a much different direction than I was expecting.

I was frustrated by some of the decisions that the characters made. The book never explained why they suddenly changed their mind about things. I found some elements and characters were introduced to advance the plot and then were never brought up again and things weren't resolved. There was a meaningful death pretty early on and one of the protagonists was upset briefly and then it wasn't mentioned except like once or twice randomly.

I found the sex scenes and one of the romantic pairings to be unnecessary to the plot.

I would have preferred to read this as a physical copy so that I could go back and check certain things with the timeline.

I found myself thinking about this book when I wasn't able to read it, which shows how invested I was in the story. The ending surprised me and I'm not sure I'm going to like the direction the story will go in, but I'm intrigued enough to carry on with book 2 whenever it's released.

This was the most hyped YA title this year (or at least one of them) and with all that hype, there are bound to be some disappointments. I normally don't like super hyped books, but in the last year, I've been enjoying them more, so I was pretty excited about this one. Sadly, I didn't love it at much as I had hoped. It seems to be one of those books you either love or hate, yet here I"m in the middle. While it had some things going for it, interesting plot, captivating style, impressive characters, yet it wasn't enough, and I found this story to be lacking. It felt less like a YA fantasy, and more like a NA romance at times, and others it was just a confused mess.

Two women. 1000s of years between them. One thing in common.

Rielle and Eliana live centuries apart, but they do have one thing in common: the ability to control all elements. Typically, folk can control just one, but Rielle and Eliana could boast mastery of them all – that is, if Eliana was aware she had powers. Rielle’s powers manifested at a young age and led to a great tragedy that her family did everything they could to cover up. However, once Rielle’s magical prowess comes to light, she finds herself at the mercy of the king and his magical trials to determine whether or not she’d use her power for good, or evil. Eliana, on the other hand, is pretty transparently evil. She’s an assassin for the crown in a kill-or-be-killed world. When an atypical assignment sees her switching sides to help the rebels, she ends up on the run. Both women find themselves caught up in a centuries long war, and they are the key to its outcome.

This ended up being a pretty fun read! The book starts off with a bang as we witness Rielle’s (probable) death. I really liked that storytelling device, as we now know where Rielle ends up but get to find out how she got there. Rielle’s story was definitely my favorite of the two – she’s a flawed but interesting character, there were magic trials involved, and there’s a Guinevere/Lancelot/Arthur style romantic dilemma (gender swapped). Romance in YA can be very hit or miss for me (let alone a love triangle), but I really liked this one. But my favorite part was probably the magic trials, we got to witness all of them (many times in books there’s a montage of sorts) and they were creative and sounded horrible but were ultimately really fun to read.

Eliana, unfortunately, was not quite as fun to read. She’s a really unlikable, one-dimensional character who is only looking out for herself and her brother. She consistently makes the worst decisions without talking to anyone about them. She lets people she ostensibly “loves” die with few qualms. Developments at the end (one of which you’ll see coming) make me think that she might be a bit more tolerable in the next book, but I definitely found myself racing through her chapters to spend more time with Rielle.
Normally, I’m not one for angels unless they are evil (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) or silly (Good Omens). I am happy to report that while there are angels in this book, they definitely (mostly) fit in the evil category, so I really enjoyed the rich, if not wholly original, worldbuilding. There’s also actual cursing in this book, which is something I think we need more of in YA – teenagers curse, y’all. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the book is sex-positive! There is a masturbation scene featuring a woman which is super rare in general fiction, regardless of the age.

Furyborn is a pretty inventive YA fantasy with solid worldbuilding that makes good use of a semi-rarely used plot device. I think older teens, especially fans of Sarah J. Maas, will really like it! I know I enjoyed it. 3 stars.

The story was a great read from beginning to end. It started off a bit darker than I expected but the end was worth the wait.

After Queen Rielle betrayed her country, killed her husband and let murderous angels invade, she gives birth. Fearing for her daughter's life she entrusts her daughter of a young boy, Simon. A thousand years later, the world is still feeling the affects of her actions, although she's and the angels are considered more of a myth than fact. Eliana works as a bounty hunter, finding rebels against the empire that has risen and conquered the world since the death of Rielle, "The Blood Queen".

If you're somewhat involved in the Young Adult Fantasy community, you've probably heard of this book. Source Fire has done an amazing job of promotion through galley sites and places like GoodReads. It already has rave reviews and that always makes me excited to get my hands on it. This was one of those amazing situations I'm still getting used to as a reviewer where a book has been highly anticipated but I was still able to get an advanced copy so I can share my thoughts with all of you first. Of course, highly anticipated and promoted books always make me slightly nervous as well, fearing they're overhyped, but I can say with absolute confidence that this was not the case here.

The world created in Furyborn does in some way rely in traditional fantasy tropes. There is elemental magic and gods and prophecies, but I found Legrand's world unique and refreshing. The use of the magic and the angel creatures were the most fascinating to me. The ability to jump about a thousand years in time is also an interesting element of the world building in this book. I enjoyed seeing how the events of the past affected the events of the future for our characters.

Initially, I wasn't sure how I felt about the time jumping element as a story-telling technique however. I was always struggle to connect to one part of the story when a book is split into two. Inevitably, I end up caring about one section more than the other and wanting to skip through the one I don't care quite so much about. Plus, I was concerned about going backwards into Rielle's story about knowing so much about her from the opening of the book. I worried about the lack of suspense in regards to her storyline. However, the author does a great job of intertwining the two story-lines while making them unique and her focus in Rielle's backstory is more in piecing together the story of how she became who she was than her actual fate, which ended up being fascinating.

The best part of this book, without question, was the characters. Each one, from our two protagonists to the antagonistic angels, was complicated and compelling. Our leading ladies, Reille and Eliana really stole my heart. They were both simultaneously flawed and lovable. There were times I wanted to smack them and times I wanted to fall down on the floor crying with them. I felt the same way about secondary characters like Tal and Simon. They were fully fleshed out and real people in the course of this story and I can't wait to see how many of their stories continue in the series.


Furyborn is the first book in the Empirium series by Clair Legrand. This book is a beautifully written, addicting and gut-wrenching fantasy novel. You'll fall in love with this world and this characters almost instantly. There are a number of mature elements, such as sex, drinking and some brutal murders, so I recommend this book for older YA audiences. I can not wait to see where this series goes next!

My gosh where to even begin. Legrand weaves a stunning tale full of dark magic and twists and turns! And I loved every moment of it! The plot was juicy, the characters swoon worthy, and the world building a perfect amount of description without being boring! Let’s dig into things.

The premise of this book is what drew me in. A blood queen and a sun queen, but who is who? And they fight angels? Yes. Please. They will each have seven powers and mastery over the elements. Fire, Water, Air, Sun, Shadow, Earth, Metal. Told from two points of view, I find it interesting we begin at the end of Rielle’s story. It almost makes it more intense that way because you have no idea how she got to the mental state she was in. So each time you read her point of view, you technically already know what happens to her. Now, Eliana’s story takes place 1000 years after Rielle’s and we start at the beginning with hers. But there is a ton of mysteries going on around her and in her blood that the reader doesn’t know about until three quarters of the way in. I never really liked Rielle, I thought she was way too proud and kind of stupid to not trust in her closest allies and friends. I’m not sure that you are supposed to like her though. But Eliana, I loved. She was a total B.A. but deep down had shame and guilt for the things she had done. She had depth and personality that Rielle didn’t have. I’d also like to mention my two favorite side characters, Navi and Zhara! I want their backstories!

Now, there was only one tiny complaint I had. Some of the writing was a little repetitive. For example, the phrase, “cheeks flamed” was used a lot. I feel as though the author could have come up with something else for feeling embarrassed. There were a few other phrases that were used repeatedly so that’s why I knocked a half star.

My take away: I thought this was really well done. It kept my attention, and I even dreamed about it. I know that’s a good read when that happens! I highly recommend to any one who likes a kick a** heroine taking names and kicking butt.

(Link will go live 5/4/18)

I'm pretty sure "Furyborn" wins the competition for most hyped book this spring. Everywhere I look there are lists including it as most looked forward to, rave reviews, or options to get your hands on it early. So props to the marketing team for getting this one out there. However, as has become a bit of a habit for me with much-hyped books, I had some mixed feelings on this one. Mixed though! I did enjoy this more than "The Cruel Prince" which was my last big letdown from the hype machine.

Most of the things I enjoyed in this story were also directly tied to aspects that I did not. Unlike other books, the problems I had with this story weren't connected as much to the actual characterizations we're given or the overall story. Both were mostly strong. But there are writing choices throughout the story that frankly sabotaged the good efforts made elsewhere.

For example, to start out. Both Rielle and Eliana are strong enough characters on their own. They live in very different worlds, and while some of their struggles are similar (trying to find their place in the world & hiding/fighting against perceptions that might set others against them and those they love), they are distinct in their own right. They each have a unique voice, always an important element in shared POV books. I personally found myself a bit more drawn to Eliana. Her story has a bit more mystery (for reasons we'll discuss later), and as a character, I enjoyed her more morally grey worldview. However, I didn't dislike Rielle either.

The other side of this coin, though, is the fact that both of these characters feel cut off at the knees by the alternating POVs. It's not even a complicated problem: each POV is simply too short. The reader is being constantly bounced back and forth between each girl's story, that one can never really settle into either character or plotline. This results in me kind of just not caring, when all is said and done. Readers need a chance to settle into a character, to really come into their world and understand their motivations and challenges. But when we're constantly bounced back and forth between two very different stories every few pages, there is never a chance to really get that moment where you become invested. It was a fine read, but it was just that, a read. I never felt like I was really in this world. I was always just reading about it.

This problem extends to the world-building. There's a lot that needs to happen on this front for a story that is going to try to present two very different worlds, thousands of years apart. The author essentially has to do twice the world-building to successfully pull it off. But, again, because of the quick switches between one character and the other, I never felt like I had a clear understanding of either of these worlds. There are angels in one? But the details are foggy. The other world has a empire that is set on taking over the world, but why and how? These details are all interesting on their own, but it ultimately felt like the author had bit off more than she could chew. Or, at the very least, more than could be reasonably fit in one novel that also has a lot of other things going on.

The action was fun. There is no denying that this book moves, and it was this that got me through some of the failings in my full connection to either character or the world itself. What's more, I enjoyed that the action was very different between each girl's storylines. Rielle's ongoing magical trials were exciting and fast-moving. Whereas Eliana's were caught up in politics and the violent nature of what the world has become under this ambitious empire. But, again, this same fast-moving action was also part of the reason the world-building and character development felt stunted. There simply weren't enough pages to fit in all of this action while also developing two fully-realized characters and two fully expanded worlds.

I did also have one major criticism of this book. I read a good article recently that questioned whether a prologue is ever necessary for a book. The author of the essay mentioned that very talented authors could pull them off (like J.K. Rowling and her prologue in the first Harry Potter book), but even then, did you need them? This book serves as a perfect example where, for me, the prologue actively damaged my perception of the story right off the bat. It's not long, but in even those few pages, the author managed to spoil almost every single reveal that was to come throughout the rest of the book. I already new the secrets that plagued some of our characters, thus making their confusion and ultimate surprise incredibly uninteresting to read about.

Further, I feel like this prologue was meant to inspire curiosity about how one character ended up where she did. But instead, I felt spoiled for her entire plot and thus her chapters held very little interest. There was no real threat behind any of the things she confronted because I knew where she ended up. If I hadn't already been losing interest in characters because of the quick jumps back and forth due to the POV switches, this prologue alone did enough to pretty much kill off my interest and curiosity in at least one of these two.

All of that said, there book is still a fairly strong outing in a new fantasy world. There isn't a lack of action or story, and the characters are interesting on their own. The problems I had were all down to stylistic choices (too short of chapters between switches, an uneven balance between action and world-building, and an unnecessary and ultimately harmful prologue). I'll probably still stick around to read the next books in the series, however.

Lush, intricate, and filled with elemental magic, Furyborn is a gorgeous and rich fantasy that spans millennia.

Alternating between the points of view of two central women: Rielle, the notorious Sun Queen, and Eliana, a current-day bounty hunter, the past and the present slowly merge into one fascinating and high-stakes tale. The entire premise is built around a prophecy that’s foretold within Rielle’s time -- “two queens will rise, one with the power to save the world, one with the power to destroy it”. As if that’s not fascinating enough, the prophecy is directly tied to the battle between humans and angels, the very same one that almost destroyed the world and killed thousands of humans in the process. The wall between the humans and angels has been built, but after so many centuries, the wall is failing and the angels would love nothing more than to finish what they started and gain control of everything.

With so many details and intricacies contained in both characters’ narratives, I had zero clue how, when, or why these two characters would come together, or even if their stories would connect in any concrete way. Through the course of the story, Legrand weaves in so many threads, and even when some of them seemed inconsequential, do not be fooled. Every detail, even the smallest of small, plays a part in this sweeping fantasy, and Legrand deftly and meticulously ties each and every one into a reveal that I certainly didn’t see coming. At all. But of course, don’t expect easy answers and clear-cut explanations, as I have a feeling that while certain things and relationships seem a little murky for the time being, future books in this trilogy will bring a little more clarity with each installment.

The pacing in Furyborn isn’t particularly speedy, and I’m certainly glad for that. As I stated before, this book is a very detail-oriented book and each and every detail, big and small, plays a part and had the pacing been quick, I’d have been lost for certain. Although that’s not to say the entire book is slow-going, as there’s quite a number of fights and trials, and certainly plenty of violence and backstabbing, which made my dark heart happy.

Bottom line — Furyborn is definitely going to be a series that makes it to my favorites shelf. With its super-interesting and magical storyline, strong female characters and equally strong friendships, a hint of romance and some positive bi representation, it’s a book that’s got a little something for every fantasy lover. I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment in this trilogy and seeing how the characters advance after such life-changing revelations.