I loved this book! I can’t wait for the next in the series. It was fast paced but good world building, without large info dumps which can be tedious. I liked that the romance wasn’t the focus and that the two female characters were both strong in their own unique ways.

Unfortunately, Furyborn was not the book for me. I had a very hard time identifying with the two main protagonists and felt that the writing was just not engaging to me. I do, however, appreciate the advance copy and hope that others will enjoy this book more than I did!

An enjoyable fantasy story, not without a few hitches, but this one will have me going back for the sequel—as yet, still Untitled.

From the beginning, through several sets of introductions to characters, plots, and settings, the novel felt confusing and busy. An easy case of too many characters and too quick a rotation through their points-of-view. Here, in the first act (assuming the three-act structure) the novel dips quite often into the skimmable realm and the characters, at various times, feel fairly standard and stock with predictable voices.

Rielle—heroine number one—brings intrigue, power, and mystery to the table and is an easy character to like and care about. Her relationships with her friends and her mentor all feel very authentic and Legrand avoids many tropes often found in this kind of fantasy structure. There are no "mean girls," no overlording villainous court figure, and no unnecessary wavering of character and spirit. No one is hung up on all the decisions. Everyone seems to know his or her own mind, for the most part, and they play their roles accordingly.

Immediately, I liked Simon's POV, but was disappointed to find that he never takes over the narration again. Simon, a character not even mentioned in the book's summary, plays a pivotal role throughout the story, but he's never really given enough attention beyond that opening. The novel would've been improved if we didn't follow Eliana and instead got the benefit of Simon. He has more of an internal struggle with which we can identify (failure, anyone?) and seeing Eliana through his eyes would've smoothed out some of those rough edges Eliana brings.

Getting to know Eliana was a little more difficult. While I really liked that she is apparently interested in both sexes (how often is there a true main character who is bisexual?), I was disappointed from that angle that it wasn't explored more—but there are more novels to come, so we shall see. There are a pair of husbands who were tertiary characters, but who leveled out the diversity nicely in that area. Anytime a same-sex couple can be portrayed as ordinary and even introduced with all the nonchalance of it being no big deal, I'm in. But that's not my main issue with this character....

To me, Eliana seems like a faux-badass. Like she’s a badass until real badasses are present and then her badassery is diminished to something lesser and common. I don't know...just the lack of oomph from her character despite what I was told as we began her story. The Dread/Eliana was often caught unawares and she seemed to be thrown off her game quite often. Regardless, she felt more written than the other characters, and less real because of it.

Act two picks up the pace and really holds this story together. My interest level increased tremendously and I was ready for the story to break wide open. Once the trials began for Rielle, everything about this book improved markedly. Legrand really shines here with her ability to properly write both a fight action sequence and a magical obstacle course of sorts (for lack of a better term). Neither was overwritten or improperly paced—instead we had the necessary pull for wanting to continue reading. Skimmable pages—gone.

Unfortunately, we lost a bit of that engaging facet once we were in the third and final act of the story. Uneven delivery, pacing, characterization, and plot development leads to more questions than are necessary for a finale—even with the understanding that its part of a larger story to be concluded through later installments. The triangle between Ludivine, Rielle, and Audric felt grounded in the triangle created by the characters Scarlett O’Hara, Ashley Wilkes, and Melanie Hamilton for a while—it did eventually out itself properly and shake off any phoniness.

Eliana feels utterly laden with weaponry. And all those weapons all seem to be named with rather atypical names for swords, daggers, knives, and such. The weapon-pack-mule, coupled with an odd and sudden change in her dealings with Simon—which seems nearly out of character for her, or a rushed character evolution, she began to feel very forced and wrongly shaped. It was as though there was far more going on in the author's head than what appears in print.

However, the overall story is still intriguing and there were many questions from the ending that remain unanswered. Questions for which I do want answers. I hope there is improvement in the sequel that will bolster the need for a continuing series. Good beginnings.

This is the story of two Queens, The Queen of Light and the Queen of Blood. The Queen of Light is prophesied to bring peace and protection to Celdaria. The Queen of Blood will bring death and destruction. Rielle is a gifted child who lost her mother in a fire created out of Rielle's anger. No one knew the portend that this event would bring 13 years later. Eliana lives a lifetime away in a future that is filled with no light. Magical gifts are gone. There is only the Imperial Army and the mysterious disappearance of women in the night. What is the connection between the two? Angels. Angels seek to return to this world. They want to dominate it with the power of the Queen of Blood. She holds the key to destroying the Gate which has kept them at bay for more than a thousand years. Eliana is an unlikely hero. She is a cutthroat assassin. She makes her living by doing the Empire's bidding. Unknowingly, if the Empire knew who she was, she would be their greatest weapon.

This is a story about lies, love, death and magic. Truth is hidden away from loved ones. It is believed this is to protect them but of course it only leads to pain and suffering for all involved. The story shares the rise of Rielle to her place as the Queen of Light as she becomes the Queen of Blood. Eliana meanwhile discovers her birthright. She is all that stands between the Emperor and the people of the land.

Negative part first: I wanted to love this book; I read this book twice, but for some reason, I do not like it. I couldn't care enough about either main character and what they were experiencing. Now for the positive: There are some very beautifully written lines in the book. There is also a considerable amount of world building achieved, both in the ancient and the modern perspectives. I also enjoyed the different plot twists, from a writer's perspective rather than a reader's. Overall, I can see why some like this book, and I admit that I will probably pick up the next installment at some point. Yet, I am not anxiously waiting. I would recommend this book to reads who enjoy fantasy YA lit, and I hope they are able to bridge the disconnect that seemed to keep me from loving this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an engrossing read! I couldn't put it down and am anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Take all the most incredibly creative ingredients from other fantasy novels: shades of HP (tournament, dementors, trio of friends, prophecies), Hunger Games trilogy (tournament costumes), Game of Thrones series (army of the dead, flying creatures), Shadow and Bone trilogy (different magical skills for cliques of people), Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy (angels for antagonists). And now mix it all together with Claire Legrand's natural affinity for gorgeous writing, a creative and beautifully drawn fantasy world, a gripping plot, and complex and deeply developed characters, and here is a new hit fantasy series. This book is wicked good; its characters invaded my nighttime dreams, made me stay up waaaay too late at night, and made me voraciously hungry for the second book.

One of the best YA I've read in ages. Extremely compelling and unputdownable. The "surprises" in the book aren't surprising at all, but it doesn't seem like they're meant to be particularly shocking, so it's fine. Opening the book with the end of Rielle's story is an interesting choice and one that works really well here, so we frame her story as a tragic hero, who cannot escape her fate, which is interesting and unusual in YA.

Eliana Ferracora is a bounty hunter working for the Undying Empire, doing despicable things in order to secure the survival of her family. When her mother disappears and the very empire she’s working for turns against her, Eliana leaves on a harrowing journey with her younger brother Remy, joining the rebels Eliana has worked so hard to capture and thwart. Remy tells stories of angels and magic, which Eliana dismisses as no more than a fairytale, but the history she makes light of is more real than she thinks… A thousand years earlier, Rielle Dardenne risks everything when assassins ambush her best friend, and everyone comes to know what Rielle has worked so hard to keep secret: that she has the magical powers that show her to be one of the prophesied Queens of legend. To prove that she is the Sun Queen and not the Blood Queen, Rielle undergoes trials that showcase her magical ability. If the kingdom believes her to be the Blood Queen, she will be executed, but the trials are such that they might kill her anyway. Rielle and Eliana’s story intersects in ways that will determine the fate of their world, and each other.

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The world building in Furyborn is excellent, from the politics of each setting to the stark realities of war. The magic and religion was most interesting to me, and Legrand does a fair job there, although I certainly wished that there was more covered in this book. Such are the perils of reading the first book in a series, though! Legrand’s prose is descriptive and immersive, making the reader feel as of they are truly part of the story, and they can easily imagine all of the various characters and settings.

The characters are fully developed and compelling, all with their own motives, fears, desires and flaws. I have to admit that at times I found both of the protagonists a bit trying, but as the reader that’s easy to do, since we have the luxury of perspective and not having to go through what the characters do. What matters is that I can understand why Eliana or Rielle might act a certain way or do something in particular, and even though I may not agree with it or even may find it morally reprehensible, it is a rare gift in a writer to make me understand and empathize even though I know something to be wrong in the grand scheme of things.

I also super loved that there were LGBT+ characters represented in the book, from the main character to side characters. Media representation of marginalized communities is definitely something that I feel strongly about, and I was really pleased to see this handled well here. There was no homophobia or biphobia which was definitely refreshing - a male character having a husband, or a female character hooking up in the past with another woman who made her black out, is just a fact of the world, not something remarkable, which in and of itself is remarkable. Well done, Legrand.

Something that was a little disorienting was that while this book is being marketed as young adult, it does include a fairly explicit sex scene as well as numerous instances of profanity, which is…unusual. At least, in regard to the YA genre as far as the books I’ve read. I’m far from a prude but it just seemed at odds with the rest of the book and the marketing.

Overall the book was compelling and a fun fantasy read. I look forward to seeing the future installments in the series to see how everything plays out!

This book was absolutely amazing. The characters were well thought out, the story flowed wonderfully. Definitely highly recommend!! The world building was exceptional as well.

This book reminded me a little of Red Queen (literally there's a group in the book called Red Crown) and a little bit of H.P. in Goblet of Fire. Except Rielle has more spunk and fight in her and the people cheering her on have a debatable amount of reliability (I'm looking at you, Corien). Seriously though, love the girl power in this one.

The first chapter really sucks you in. I've started to like fantasies less and less over the years but this one was fantastic. It's told from two points of view, Rielle and Eliana. I enjoyed Rielle's viewpoint more and found myself very sympathetic with her, despite the fact that she's supposed to be the "bad" one. I'm thinking future books will be more revealing. I felt like about half way though the book I caught on to twist referenced in the first chapter.. Now I need more info about how that happened! I went back and reread the first chapter and felt like that really enhanced my understanding of the book. I need more!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2249289766?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Since I didn't finish reading the book, I don't feel I can give an informed review, so I won't leave one on Amazon or B&N.

Wow, what a fantastic read! This book gives action-packed a new meaning! Every chapter ended on a cliff hanger, keeping the plot at an insane pace :) Needless to say, the pages kept turning late into the night because I HAD to find out what happened! I loved the dual perspectives, and the relationship between the two female leads! I found each story to be very compelling, though I found Rielle's story to be a little more unique which I really enjoyed! Both women have aspects of hero and anti-hero, which made for deep and intriguing characters, and I am super curious to see where the story goes next! I also LOVED that each story took place in a different timeline -- it's something I've never seen before, and I loved how the myths/lore from each period played off one another.

One thing I can't decide is if I liked the use of the prologue or not -- I've heard the prologue is the last chapter in the entire series, but you get it first, obviously. On the one hand, that opening immediately dragged me into the story, far faster than I think any of the early chapters would have. On the other hand, the book lacked an element of surprise because so many of the twists/turns were foreshadowed in the prologue, so there was no real shock or ah-ha moments, which made some of the later reveals seems a little anti-climactic. IDK, tough call! The prologue scene is AWESOME though, so whether it came first or last, I was sucked in!

I can definitely see why this is getting tons of hype! Great story, great characters! Fans of YA fantasy will definitely love it!

**Two quick things to note, just because I was surprised.
1) I had heard a lot of hype before this came out about one of the leads being bisexual. Maybe it plays a larger role later in the series, but if that is what you want in a book, I didn't really see it. There's one sentence about 75% of the way through hinting at that, but for the most part, at the end of this book I had a definite sense that the two romantic interests were both male.
2) This is labeled YA, but it's definitely more NA. There's at least one explicit sex scene, another that gets close, and a very sexual tone throughout that leans a little more mature than the average YA read. Some people like that, some people don't, either way I think it's good to know going in.

I think I’m going to rate this 4/5 or 4.25/5

I did really enjoy this book and the concept of the Angels which was very fascinating. Most of the character were excellent and enjoyable while some of them were horrible to read. I always find anything to do with angels such an interesting story. This did remind me of Deadmen Walking by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

I think most high fantasy lovers will enjoy this book. It’s full of deceit, lies, war, magic, friendship, family and the chosen one trope.

The book is split into two different timelines from two different points of view. The two POVs are from Rielle and Eliana, Rielles chapters are set in the past while Elianas are set sometime after. I’m not a huge fan of the two timelines however it is extremely important for the story so I’ll deal with it.

The book really started of slow and slightly boring to me it wasn’t until the 30% mark that it started to pick up for me. The first chapter started the book off with a bang but then it petered out and picked back up which made it hard for me to get into the book. However once I was into the story it was great!

I really didn’t like Rielle or Audric and reading Rielle’s chapters I must have rolled my eyes a thousand times. Audric is absolutely blinded by his feelings which leads him to be an extremely irritating character. Rielle is just a giant prat and speaks to The King and her elders like she’s gods gift to mankind and has zero respect. It really bugged me when Rielle had an audience with the king and Audric was there because they would speak to the king like he was just a regular guy which made the king seem like a giant push over. Either way couldn’t stand the Rielle chapters. The part of her chapters I did enjoy were the Corien parts. He might be a new favourite villain!

However I did really enjoy Eliana’s chapters she is a badass woman who does what she needs to to survive. She does make some incredibly stupid decisions but I’ve come to expect that in any YA fantasy.

Oh Simon, Simon, Simon. He is by far my favourite character and I can’t wait to see more of him in the next book. But kinda choked about the end chapter and his interaction with Eliana, why would you do that to us Claire WHY!?

I am looking forward to the next book!

TWO QUEENS, one blessed and one wicked. TWO POVS, one of the past and one of the present. TWO KINGDOMS, one fallen and the other a pit of hell. TWO SCRUMPTIOUS BOYS, one is a prince and one is a wolf. Are you in?

"We live in a world where good kings die and those foolish enough to hope for something better are killed where they stand."

Mark my words, y'all: this series will go down in book history as one of the most epic YA fantasy series of all time.

LE PLOT:

Alrighty, let's start you off with the official synopsis. No, no, I am not being a lazy reviewer you muggles - I am actually doing you a favour. This book isn't meant to be thoroughly researched before diving in--even though that is a very logical thing to do--but you will thank me in the end if you take my advice. Here, I'll even copy and paste the synopsis below for your convenience, cuz I am such a good friend:

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

LE MCs:

Rielle Dardenne: A prophesied queen whose heart aches for her forbidden lover.

Crown Prince: His happiness comes at a high price. How much is he willing to pay?

Corien: A dark, mysterious angel. And guess what? You're going to read this book now. You know how I know this? Cuz imma force you to. Muaha.

A thousand years later...

Eliana Ferracora: AKA "Dread of Orline". She is a bounty hunter for an evil emperer and she kills rebellious citizens in order to financially support her family, mainly her brother.

The Wolf: A rebel captain that is *Damian's voice from Mean Girls* full of secrets.

"Dread," he murmured ... "is only a feeling, easily squashed. But wolves, my dear, bare teeth."

Valentine: Cuz every story needs a douche *cough* I mean bad guy.

LE ATTENTION:

There are a few other important details that I feel I should mention to you all. This is a racially and sexually diverse book -- woohoo! There are scenes of masturbation, sex, killing and the use of profanity. And one more thing, even though this is categorized as YA, I personally feel like this book leans more towards new adult.

As far as the writing style, it definitely had lyrical vibes at times. I was also never once confused by the dual POVs or the jumping back and forth from past to present. I think these factors are what made this such an amazing book because you get two stories in one! Reading the first installment to a fantasy series can be a bit daunting: lots of world-building, character introductions - lots of information that we have to absorb and process. However, Legrand did an exceptional job of juggling all of this for us readers.

LE THOUGHTS:

A part of me hopes that Claire Legrand will George R.R. Martin the crap out of this series because I want more than just three books! I know what you're thinking, "EEEK, Brittney. Georgieee boy's series has taken over 10 years to complete, that would be painful for us readers." Well, this is true. But I honestly think this series will be even more memorable and more enthralling if she "drags" it out if yah know what I mean. Also, how cool would it be to read this as YA, grow with these characters, and flow into an adult fantasy series. Epic, right? You know I'm right.

Overall, this is a book that I will never forget. One that I will take to my grave when the time comes. One that I will tuck into bed and kiss goodnight. It is also one that I will thank the Book Lord for bestowing upon us every day.

Thanks a million to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC. Quotes are subject to change upon publication.

PS. This book comes out on May 22, 2018 - ON MY BIRTHDAY. AND GUESS WHAT! This book is totes going to be my birthday present to myself.

Definitely can’t wait for the next book!!! Epic story telling! Such a great and amazing read!! Immediately put this on your TBR list!! It will be at the top of charts for YA Fantasy no doubt!

Claire Legrand has a hit with Furyborn, the first book in the Empirium trilogy. It hooked me in from the start and was a great read. Both protagonists, Rielle and Eliana, were strong, confident young women learning to navigate their unjust worlds and situations. Their realistic flaws only add to their character and draws the reader into their journeys.
I only had two small problems with the novel. First, I would have liked to seen the author add more background on the world of Avitas and the Empirium. Also, the climax and ending felt a bit flat. I expected more considering the buildup but the ending felt clipped.
I did enjoy this novels and would recommend this book to my older students. Some of the adult situations maybe too graphic for my younger students.
Thank you for the advanced copy.

Furyborn is my favorite book of 2018 so far. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review and here it is. I tough the story was a bit hard to get into at first, The world they describe is a little complicated and it is hard to get into the story with all the different characters ans also with the difference with the two main heroin’s stories : Eliana and Rielle. But once you get used to it…. my god is that story good! I loved but Eliana and Rielle and i cannot decide wich one i prefered...If you love fantasy, legends, romance, action, you will love Furyborn.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I just don't think I'm a huge lover of Fantasy. I saw a lot of hype and decided to give it a try. I'm not sad I read it, but I wasn't really impressed either. It took me a while to read it because it took me a long time to actually get into it and become invested, and even then I wasn't super invested. I was more determined to finish it than anything.

This book definitely lived up to its hype. Even at over 500 pages it was so easy to read. I just kept wanting to read another chapter. A lot of this book reminds me of my favorite series Throne of Glass as well as many other fantasy novels.
I really loved Rielle's POV and story better but the way she connected the two in the end was great. I have never read a book in which the main character is at first revealed to be seen in a villainous way. I love how she shows the struggle Rielle went through and starts to unfold the story of how we got to that first scene.
I felt that the best part about Furyborn was the descriptions of the 7 "trials" and fighting. It was amazing.
I also feel that the love situation is very unique and adds some stress relief from the suspense of the rest of the novel.
Very strong character connections, suspenseful plot, dreamy love interests, and a struggle to save the world, what else could you want? :)
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