I did not finish this one. It just wasn't my cup of anything really. It was just too much and really slow. I did not really connect to either protagonists. 1 star for me.

This book just killed me in the comfort of my own home. my feelings are owed so many apologies because I have been emotionally compromised by Holly Black and I just want to lie on the floor and not think for a month or two. This is the kind of book you read and you're filled to the brim with glee at the author’s wording and characterization and imagination and ingenuity, so much that your eyes start skipping lines because you’re so impatient for what happens next and you have to force yourself to read every word. Sometimes, you even have to re-read passages because you've missed actual events while you were too busy anticipating and predicting. Oftentimes, you have to stop reading completely because the words are so good and you're so full of excitement and love that you need to expend some of that energy, otherwise you'll just spontaneously combust!

It’s that feeling of finally finding something that is all-encompassing enough to hold your full attention and something inside of you just awakens and I love it!!

So what is this book about?

We follows two character Rielle and Eliana who I loved sooo much! They were my pancakes to my breakfast. Rielle has a secret power and has been hiding away most of her life until she is suddenly discovered and then we have Eliana will stop at nothing to protect those she love. These characters are so complex and their motives make you root for them the entire time. Now this story does take two paths, two stories that intertwine and link together and this made the plotline incredibly fast paced and page turning.

So basically what I'm trying to day is that I need that sequel....

The first two chapters of this book was quite confusing but after that, it becomes quite entertaining. A bit slow at first then it picks up the pace on both Rielle's and Eliana's chapters halfway through the book. Though each chapter alternates POVs between Rielle and Eliana, the story easily picks up where the last POV chapter leaves off so basically, you can read this book three ways: read all of Rielle's chapters first then Eliana's chapters or Eliana's chapters first then Rielle's chapters or read it from cover to cover with the alternating POV chapters like I did. Either way, you'll be able to easily follow the storyline.

Classified as a YA Fantasy book, I think this book should be reclassified as New Adult (NA) Fantasy because there was one romantic scene that was quite graphic and I don't think it is appropriate for young adults even though Rielle & Eliana are somewhat aged at around 18 years old, they both act and read a lot older like maybe 21 years old and the readers who might be picking up this book may not be mature enough for the mentioned romantic scene. I will have to reserve judgment on its merits as a fantasy book because so far, being the first book in a trilogy, it has only two fantasy elements in it: magic and violence. It did touch on Rielle's challenge or seven magical trials and on Eliana's quest but only a little bit. So I'm hoping that the other fantasy elements will come out and grow as the books progress.

Love all the characters in this book especially Rielle, Eliana and Remy and the plot is quite interesting and I can't wait to get my hands on book two.

Furyborn is that kind of novel that manages to capture the reader from the start. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I was hooked from page one and I just couldn’t put this book down. Claire Legrand wrote an incredibly compelling story with Furyborn and the first chapter alone was a bold and action-packed introduction into a tale that continued to amaze me with every new page I read.

"And what hope, she wanted to ask, can they possibly find in a killer such as me?"

As far as the story goes I want to emphasise how much the concept alone intrigued me: prophecies? Trials? Elemental magic? That sounds like my kind of book! I’m a huge Avatar: the last Airbender fan, so if a book features elemental magic I don’t have to hear anything else to want to read it. But Furyborn has a lot more to offer; it’s a very unique story set in a world ruled by magic and fear and it was very interesting to get to know it. But this is also a very dark book. It’s supposed to be YA, but in my opinion it could easily be an adult fantasy novel. Topics such as war, death, loss and violence are main aspects of the story and are often described in detail; rape is another subject and even though it’s not as graphically depicted as the other topics, I still think that you should be aware of this, going into the book.

One of my favourite parts about Furyborn were the characters, especially how they interacted with each other, their friendships and relationships. I really liked Rielle, one of the protagonists, and her relationship with her two best friends, Ludivine and Audric. Ludivine is probably my favourite character in the whole book and I’m just so, so excited to see what’s going to happen next with those three. I also liked Eliana, the other protagonist; I liked how important her family was to her, because I think that’s something that gets often left behind in YA novels.

“We all have darkness inside us, Rielle,” he said, his voice rough. “That is what it means to be human.”

Both of our protagonists, Rielle as well as Eliana, have a dark side to themselves, which fits the whole atmosphere of Furyborn; I think there might be something along the lines of anti-heroine in the future for one or both of them, so if that’s something you enjoy in a book, you should definitely pick this one up! Also, both Rielle and Eliana are bi!!! It should be said that the focus isn’t on their sexuality, but it is explicitly stated that they both feel attracted to men and women, so yeah. That’s pretty cool!

And finally, the writing. Claire Legrand had the perfect voice for a book such as this one. I read Furyborn in two or three days and it has more than 500 pages, but it was so captivating that I just wanted to read on and on. It’s not often that I find myself unable to put a book down, that I stay up until late into the night, just to keep reading. But I had this while reading Furyborn. Another thing I adored were the different timelines and POVs! I’m not always a fan of changing POVs, but it was very well done in this book.

"Fighting to save friends and allies was one thing. But fighting for the world was not a task she appreciated having dropped in her lap."

If you’re looking for a captivating story that features a lot of dark themes and is very action-packed, Furyborn is the book for you. I can promise you, it won’t be easy to put this one down! I’m really looking forward to see how Rielle’s and Eliana’s stories are going to continue and I can’t wait to read the next installment in the Empirium trilogy.

SOME SPOILERS!!!! I'm not even sure where to begin on this one. The description of this book sounded original and exciting, but in delivery it was convoluted and confusing with unlikeable characters that were completely unrelatable. I did not connect to anyone and actually strongly disliked the two main characters the story centers on, Rielle and Eliana. The magical aspects were interesting with elemental powers but too much was left out to get really excited about how everything worked. I felt like the author relied on the readers' knowledge of magic from a basic fantasy genre standpoint so didn't get too focused on explaining how certain things like casters even worked. And yet, the author decided to throw creatures referred to as angels into the mix that were in no way related to what most people would think of as angels - it would have been much better to have come up with an entirely original race of magical beings than to use angels and then describe them as something completely foreign. I did finish this to the conclusion and was thankful when it was over. I should also mention that there are some highly graphic sex scenes in this that are completely inappropriate for a young adult classification so be advised. All in all, this book fell flat.

This book is perfect for fans of Kristen Cashore and Leigh Bardugo. I loved the duel perspectives of our two female leads Rielle and Eliana. I found this book fresh and enjoyable and would definantly recomend.

Furyborn is the first novel in a new YA trilogy. The story is a dual perspective told by two very different women. The world building and the explanation of abilities is great and the author does a great job at describing the world being built. Although the two main characters a different, the reader will discover that they have a few things in common. My full review will be posted on my website www.bookofcons.com closer to release date.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a little slow in beginning and was hard to stay with. Book was just not my style

This is the very long first installment of a trilogy about heroines with more magical powers than they know what to do with. The chapters alternate between the stories of Rielle and Eliana, both dealing with struggles to manage their power against forces of evil. For my taste, in spite of the maps included, the book took much too long to make sense of the kingdoms, the political structure, the relationships, and the connections between stories. I found myself skipping impatiently over the opening quotes of each chapter, and I became more focused on Eliana's story. It wasn't a deal-breaker that I didn't like the main characters, since often that makes a book more interesting. It was just that it all took too long and was unnecessarily complicated, and I finally didn't really care about what happened to either Rielle or Eliana.

Furyborn is the first book in the Empiruim Trilogy. It follows the story of 2 different women and flips back and forth between their stories. A prophecy from long ago talked about the rise of 2 queens, who both will be able to control the 7 elements. One is the blood queen, who will bring destruction to the land. One is the Sun Queen, who will save the world. I really loved this story. It was not hard to follow which chapter belonged to who, as they are labeled. For myself, I think I would have preferred to have the 2 different stories be split into a part one and a part two. I'm looking forward to the next book and didn't want this book to end. I feel like we are just beginning. It does not end on a cliffhanger, but it doesn't wrap up the storylines. Now we wait.

If I could give half stars, this would be a 3.5. A cut above your average YA fantasy, but it doesn't quite break new ground.
Where this book succeeds -
The two leads, Rielle and Eliana, are complex characters, and it's interesting to compare them with one another. There's Rielle, daughter of nobility and raised in privilege , who goes to great lengths to appear poised and perfect while hiding a growing darkness within. Eliana, knife-for-hire and assassin, has decided that she is a monster, and denies that there is any kind of possible compassion or goodness within her. Yet both enjoy a bit of theatricality - Rielle with her costumes, and Eliana with her moniker and reputation. They're nice foils for one another, and I like how their journeys parallel.
I really enjoyed the world building thus far, and am very interested to learn more. It was a nice touch to start each chapter with a bit of lore, and I would love to learn more about the Saints and the era they lived in.
Where this book falters -
Though many of the side characters were fun, they did not have much depth. Especially Rielle's love interest, Audric. He's dull as hell, and despite their long history described on the page, their attraction felt very skin-deep and shallow.
Lastly, it felt like there was a lot of sex for a YA book. One scene in particular felt very drawn out and borderline silly, and took me out of the book entirely.
Most criminally, for as powerful as Rielle and Eliana are written to be, they both are carried through a lot of each of their stories. They're both such tough, cool ladies - I really want to see them take charge and be the directors of their own adventures!
This book will be enjoyed by fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard. I will be reading the sequel!

Amazing all around book. With great female characters with both good and bad attributes. These are real characters with real problems and if you throw in magic it just complicates everything. Would greatly recommend for all to read.

Really well done world building around a pair of distinctive and intriguing female heroines. (Though I will admit to the fact that I loved Rielle and only liked Elainia.) I'm really looking forward to seeing where this series goes next, as Legrand has laid out some captivating breadcrumbs regarding its internal history and mythology that I find very fascinating.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced review copy of this book.

Normally I try to review my ARC copies closer to the release date, but I couldn't wait with this one. It's very good. It's about two women, Rielle and Eliana, who exist years apart but their stories start to relate in interesting ways. It's also about a prophecy: two queens will rise, one of blood and one of sun. I really liked how Legrand characterized each of these characters. They each were individual, complicated people, with interesting, complicated people around them.

My main complaint about the book is that it took me a little while to get into it. You're definitely thrown into the action, and it took me a while to get my bearings. Initially I also didn't read much of what the book was about, so the switch in narrators was also really confusing for me. By the end, I wasn't able to put it down, and it was a book I was reading on my phone, which normally I only read during my work lunch breaks.

I was so sad to see that I had missed receiving an arc of Furyborn in the November 'Ladies that Slay' Fairyloot box, but then I was granted an ARC off of Netgalley and all of my sadness was forgotten because I finally had the book in my hands! I didn't read too much about it before starting because I wanted to be surprised, and I think I have discovered one of my new favorite fantasy novels of all time!

Legrand does a fantastic job of weaving two stories together in Furyborn--Rielle's story and Eliana's story. Though the two take place in different time periods, they are connected in multiple ways which are revealed as the story goes on. Each chapter switches back and forth from Rielle to Eliana, which some people might find annoying, but I was so invested in both story lines that I didn't mind it at all. It seemed to me, even though the book is over 500 pages, that it is very fast paces and almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more. There were multiple times throughout Furyborn that I found myself completely caught up in the story, completely oblivious to the outside world. I managed to finish it in one sitting during an 11 hour plane ride, and I could barely notice the crying baby just three rows ahead of me. I thought that the plot itself was brilliant. Rielle is a lady who has grown up in court hiding her powers over pretty much every element from everyone else, until her best friend, the price, is in danger. After revealing her power, the people are frightened, and she has to prove to them that she is the good queen, the Sun Queen, who has come to help the world. She's put through a series of trials to prove herself, and in the midst of the difficult physical challenges, she's going through several things in her personal life--like how to deal with this voice which has appeared in her head and her feelings for the crown prince who just happens to be engaged to one of her other best friends. That's pretty much all I can say about Rielle's story without spoiling it. Now, Eliana's story reminded me somewhat of Celaena/Aelin from the Throne of Glass series. She's a bounty hunter working for the government, but after her mom gets captured by a mysterious group who's been kidnapping women and a group of deadly assassins try to recruit her--her life gets turned upside down. Oh, and she also has these powers she can't explain. I really can't say too much about her story because then I really would be spoiling it, but I think I liked her story slightly more than Rielle's because I found it less cliche.

Aside from her wonderful storytelling abilities, Legrand also possesses the ability to create an abundance of characters you just can't help but care for. The two main characters, Rielle and Eliana, are both bad ass women. There's a constant juxtaposition between the two, and by switching perspectives each chapter, the reader gets to see how they both react to somewhat similar situations. Rielle has been forced to hide her powers her entire life in fear of what might happen to her if someone was to find out, while Eliana is the famed 'Dread of Orline,' a famed assassin who's just trying to survive and keep her loved ones safe. I found myself enjoying both characters for several different reasons, and I enjoyed both of their characters immensely. Aside from the main characters, Legrand includes a plethora of side characters people are sure to love. My personal favorite is Simon, also known as The Wolf, because he is the perfect companion for Eliana, and, I'm not going to lie, they are one of my new favorite ships. In Rielle's story, she has two best friends, Ludavine and Audric. I adored Ludavine because I could see a lot of my best friend in her, and Audric was so sweet and truly cared for Rielle. Now, let's talk about the big, bad Corien. I loved him. I thought the way Legrand introduced him as a voice inside Rielle's head was wonderful, and he definitely gave me some Darkling vibes which was just the cherry on top. I can't go into too much detail on the characters in fear of spoiling something for y'all, but just know that each and every one of them is fantastic in their own way.


In conclusion, I give Furyborn by Claire Legrand five out of five stars for being a refreshing, new fantasy novel everyone is sure to love. I already can't wait to read the second novel, and the first isn't even out yet! I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fantasy lover, as well as anyone who is looking to get into fantasy. I can't wait for everyone to read it--I'm bursting at the seams to discuss it with someone!

“The Gate will fall,” the King recited. “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 a young adult fantasy novel told from alternating points of view, following two young women separated by time yet connected by a mysterious prophecy. Set in the realm of Avitas, the book takes place during a tenuous peace after the defeat and imprisonment of the angels behind the Gate.
“If you ever sent me into battle,” [Rielle] said, “I would go gladly, and I would burn our enemies to ashes. But I would not do it for you, or because of the prophecy. I would do it because this is my home too. And if you tried to keep me near for your love of me, you would fail.”

Beginning with a prologue that is one of the best I have read in recent memory, Furyborn introduces us to one of the main characters, Rielle Dardenne, a powerful magic user and queen who controls all seven types of elemental magic. After finding out the end of her story in the prologue, the book flashes back to her rise to power and the start of her tragic romance with the future king Audric. Through a series of trials to test her control and skill at mastering the elements, Rielle’s ego and temper give the reader a glimpse of how she arrives at her fate from the prologue. The prologue also reveals her connection to another woman living more than 1,000 years later and how both women will play a role in the centuries-old battle between angels and humans.

“I have always imagined a monster dwelling inside of me instead of a heart. And that’s why it was so easy to kill, to hunt.”

The second protagonist is ruthless bounty hunter and assassin Eliana Ferracora. Her character is selfish, rash, and aggressive and any warmth seen in her is only revealed through her relationship with her younger brother Remy. Remy is a particular favorite character of mine, a lover of the folktales and stories of their culture and someone who pushes back on Eliana’s decisions while still showing her unconditional love. Eliana serves the evil empire, ferreting out rebels and those who would conspire against the corrupt government. Every harsh decision she makes is meant to protect and provide for her family. When several women, including her mother, begin mysteriously disappearing from the city, Eliana teams up with a mysterious rebel leader known as the Wolf and a foreign princess disguised as a courtesan for assistance recovering her abducted mother. Eliana’s chapters were some of my favorites, though her character growth occurs at a snail’s pace and her decisions are frequently infuriating.

If you require that all your main characters be extremely likeable or relatable, then I would suggest proceeding with caution. But if you really enjoy morally gray, conflicted characters who show a whole range of painfully human emotions and reactions, then I believe you will be pleased with the main characters of this book. In fact, the connections between both narratives were some of my favorite parts of the books. Despite their different times and circumstances, the protagonists Rielle and Eliana struggle with their power and their egos in eerily similar parallels.

The cliffhanger endings of most chapters plus quick pacing and frequent action makes this book quite a fast read for a novel of more than 500 pages. I read it as part of a large buddy read with other reviewers on a set schedule and found it difficult to stop at our agreed upon place each night. In fact, one of my critiques of the novel is to say that the world building and explanation of the magic system in the novel suffers some because of the action-heavy focus. Additionally, the dark tone and themes in the book make it read more adult than young adult, and readers would be advised of potentially triggering/more mature content such as violence, abuse, animal cruelty, gore, murder, torture, sexual themes, and enslavement.

Overall, I found Furyborn a really enjoyable and unique read and a good break from a lot of the formulaic, trope-filled young adult fantasy I have read lately. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy as author Claire Legrand continues exploring this world, further explaining the magic system and history of the war with the angels in the future books. There is still so much growth for the characters to undergo and many questions yet to be answered.

The quotes in the above review were taken from an eARC and are subject to change before final publication. I received this advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

How I'd Describe This Book to a Friend
Furyborn is a time traveling, high fantasy, girl power! novel with a heaping bowl full of romance as a side dish. The prologue on this book is amazing, by the way, and if it were published on its own as a short story I'd have demanded a book to go with it ... which makes me wonder where, exactly, things went off the rails here. Let's dissect it a bit and see, shall we? The prologue promises drama, introduces us in media res to some very interesting characters, and gives us a sneak peek of this whole concept of angel wars. Angel wars, now this I can sink my teeth into. In high school, I wrote an embarrassing number of short stories from the perspective of these guardian angels who adopted at-risk kids and I think one of them married his charge once she was of age and I don't .... know. Anyway, suffice it to say, part of my head really enjoys Cool Angel Stories. Unfortunately, after the prologue we don't get much of that at all.

We have two main characters: Rielle and Eliana. They live hundreds of years apart, and are separated by time, but still united by a prophecy foretelling that there will be two queens, one ~blessed~ and one ~wicked~. There are also a whole host of other, supporting characters, half of whom wind up just being there for lovemaking, but we'll get to that.

Rielle is a BAMF, and for a long time she was the only character I was truly interested in. In the world she inhabits, there are seven types of magic one could possibly possess. Rielle, our darling female main character, has all seven. This is Very Bad, and she is often drugged and locked away by her family because they don't want her having a temper tantrum and exploding the whole town, etc. Anyway, Rielle eventually - through some vaguely climactic events - reveals her powers to everyone in her kingdom, and has to undergo seven trials to prove that she is the real blessed sun queen. So she goes through seven grueling, copypasta trials wherein she doubts her abilities, excels anyway, and moves on to the next one.

Wait, don't scroll up. Oh, did you already do that? Is it because you thought I was reviewing Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas? You wouldn't be the first. But no, this is its own thing.

Eliana is The Best, and is The Dread of Orline [where they live]. She is skilled with a sword, takes no shit or prisoners, and is allegedly bisexual but we see this brought up twice maybe, and only once is it implied anything has ever happened between her and a female. Eliana and Rielle are both the most thirsty women on the face of the planet, but since they live far, far apart in timelines, they can't ever be thirsty for each other. Also, at one point during some ~sexual escapades~, the ground shakes. This is not a metaphor. The ground literally. shakes.

Angel wars? Glossed over. Prophecy? Confusing. Characters? A parade of them tromp through, and we barely see half of them again. Eliana could - would, and probably has - seduce a literal boulder if it meant getting something she wanted. I can only see home girl do this so many times before it's like "Put your pants back on and just ask politely, girlfriend, I can't deal with you any more." Rielle ... if you find animal abuse triggering, don't read this book. That's all I can say that is not a spoiler.

Oh wait, did you scroll back up again a minute ago after you read about who Eliana is? Joke's on you! No, she's not Celaena from Throne of Glass - made you look - twice! - but she is damn sure close! I didn't like Throne of Glass either, and maybe that's why I have no love for Furyborn. It's just got such an interesting concept - angel wars, magic users, this whole dark undercurrent - and it's turned into a High Fantasy Sex Party.

The Bottom Line
If you like your high fantasy with fighting, morally grey characters and interesting backstories, this is not the book for you. If you, however, like your high fantasy with lots of (literally) earth-shaking sexual escapades, barely-there bisexual representation, a girl who has seven kinds of magic at her disposal but still manages to be repetitive, and a girl who names everything she owns and therefore has a softball team's worth of knives ... this is the book for you!

I loved Furyborn and I can't wait until the next installment in the series is published! Claire Legrand is an excellent storyteller and I predict that she will be the next big star in the fantasy world. Furyborn is such an interesting and original concept, I loved the magic, angels and connection across time of both of the queens. I also liked how Legrand alternated each chapter from the point of view of each queen and I really enjoyed discovering each queen and how their stories intertwine as their epic story unfolded. Legrand also does an excellent job of making each of her characters come alive and the world that they inhabit is well developed with rich detail. Readers who love epic fantasy with strong female characters will love this story, especially fans of Sarah J. Maas!

All in all, Furyborn is a beautiful, dark and seductive masterpiece that will haunt me for a while. There’s nothing more I can say except READ IT PEOPLE.

YES, everything I love about epic fantasy was here. The worldbuilding of elemental magic was incredibly well-done and Rielle's powers seemed all the more terrifying as a result when you saw what someone expert in just one stream of magic could do. Some great fun with the religious symbolism too: I spent a long time trying to work out the angels' agenda. Juxtaposing the two stories was clever as well: from the opening chapter, Rielle's fate seemed inevitable and all her hopes for being the Sun Queen, her love for the crown prince were all the more tragic. Similarly Eliana's true history seemed obvious to the reader, adding another dimension to her reflections on the history of the realm. Three-dimensional characters aplenty, with very few people feeling either truly good or evil. Can't wait to see where this story ends up going!