I enjoyed reading Furyborn overall. It's a "highly anticipated" YA fantasy series, and while it didn't break the genre, like I hoped it would, it was a fun read.

At 512 pages, I got through the book surprisingly fast, especially the first third and the last third. If I had casually picked up this book at the bookstore and sampled the prologue, however, I might not have picked up the book at all. Unlike some other reviewers, I found the prologue to be confusing, and Simon to be annoying, and if I hadn't gotten this from NetGalley, I might have put the book down. I'm glad I continued, however. The story picks up quickly, and I liked Rielle and Eliana (mostly).

It's funny though—I also actually went into the story thinking it was adult fantasy, for some reason, but quickly realized it was YA based on the writing, which was clean, fast-paced, much better than a lot of YA fantasy I've read lately. I might not have picked this up if I knew it was YA; I'm a bit burned out by YA fantasy right now. But there were still aspects of the story that felt more adult to me. That being said, I think I should warn younger readers that there is a sex scene later on in the book that I know not all people might want to read. It felt a bit like ACOTAR to me, which I didn't entirely mind, but others might not like it, so take that as your warning.

The whole of the story was engaging; I wanted to know what was going to happen, and I kept turning the page. Every other chapter switches from Rielle in the past to Eliana in the future, and while this may be confusing or jolting for some, I enjoyed the change in POV. It kept the story moving—for the most part—and allowed me to take a break from each of the characters so that neither of them ever became too infuriating. Rielle and Eliana felt a bit like Aelin and Celaena (from the Throne of Glass series), respectively, with Rielle being a queen with elemental powers and Eliana being an assassin. Sadly, there were times when their clichéd traits (i.e., Special Snowflake Syndrome, and "I'm such a badass assassin, really! Really!") outshone their unique ones (i.e., Rielle's and Eliana's connection, which I won't spoil here), and I found myself rolling my eyes.

The middle of the story dragged at times too. I just wanted Rielle and Eliana to do something, anything about the thorny situations they had gotten themselves into. I also wanted more world building. It was good overall, but I wanted more. I wanted to learn more about Rielle and Eliana's connection. I wanted to learn more about this great battle in the past with the angels. And I wanted to learn more about the religious-magical system, which ruled Rielle's world. Instead we were given an exposé of Rielle's trials—seven in all, one for each element—and a long telling of Eliana's escape. This is fine, overall—the story is about Rielle and Eliana, after all—but at times I wanted something else.

I guess I'll get more. This is a trilogy. I'd love to read more about the past, like the ancient past and the angels, before even Rielle. I guess we'll see what comes next! This book didn't really end on a cliffhanger, but things weren't resolved either. So I look forward to reading more about Rielle and Eliana soon.

I had heard so much about this book and was so happy to have my wish granted on Netgalley! This type of fantasy is right up my alley and I was excited to see if it lived up to the hype. I'm going to be honest in this review - this book was great in many ways and fell flat for me in others. The synopsis does a good job of explaining the basis of the book but my biggest question was how was it going to differ from other fantasies like it, and hopefully this review will help those of you with the same question!

The story is told following two different women worlds apart. Rielle grew up in the royal court and is best friends (and has a secret crush) on the Crown Prince. She also has the secret of having a multitude of powers when the rest of the world is gifted with one, if any, and learns that she has a greater part to play. Eliana is living a different life years later as a killer for the tyrannical Emperor, before having to go rogue to protect her family.

I personally found Eliana's story much more interesting than Rielle's. I think this is because of the prologue, which lays out the characters and relationships from the very first pages. The magic is really interesting - the lore takes a really interesting twists on angels, especially in a fantasy/medieval sense, and is done pretty well. I think the prologue does a good job of throwing the reader into the action and conflict right away, and showing that this will be a no holds barred type of adventure. That being said, knowing Rielle's fate made me disinterested in her parts of the story, whereas Eliana's was much more of a mystery. She seemed more complex to me, and her destiny was so up in the air that I wanted to know what was going to happen next, not only to her but to those she loves.

The story isn't incredibly unique, in my opinion, but the writing makes up for a fairly predictable plot. I wanted to see how it was all going to unfold and how all the pieces that we are shown throughout will fit together (if at all) by the end. Fans of Throne of Glass and Red Queen will like Rielle and Eliana for being strong female characters that often give in to their flaws. While I skimmed through a lot of Rielle's parts, I was still engaged with the story as a whole, and can't wait for the next installment (like, REALLY can't wait).

The story has a great balance of mystery, action, and romance, and the movement between the past and the present, or Rielle's narrative and Eliana's, work nicely with one another without being too dependent. Overall, I recommend this book for anyone that reads the synopsis and thinks it may interest them and enjoys fantasies like Throne of Glass and Red Queen.

Another YA must read for fantasy lovers! Claire Legrand is a master of cliffhangers - Every. Single. Chapter. of the alternating stories of Rielle and Eliana!! A lot happens in this first book but you know there is still a lot more to come as Rielle & Eliana's stories start to converge and the missing pieces are revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Furyborn is the first book in Claire Legrand’s Empirium Trilogy – a young adult fantasy series that is more of an additive to the genre than a real treat in itself. I fear the market is more or less saturated at the moment, and nothing revolutionary is on the horizon. I feel like I’m waiting for the next big thing. And even if there is a great new series in the making – this, unfortunately, isn’t it.

Hailed as a must-read of 2018, Furyborn indeed offers an intriguing premise. In Celdaria, one of the nations of Avitas, where magical powers are executed and harnessed through different elements and the all-encompassing empirium, young Rielle is destined for greatness. According to an ancient prophecy, there will come a time when two Queens, a Queen of Blood, and a Queen of Light, will emerge to fight against the retaking of the world by an army of hostile angels. One Queen, however, will doom the world and pave the way for the angels’ invasion. The other, the Sun Queen will be the world’s savior. When the royal court and its church discover that Rielle can command all 7 elements, the question is: will she be the Blood or the Sun Queen? Fast forward 1000 years and meet Eliana, the Dread of Orline. Another young woman who uses her power as a mercenary of the Empire. It’s her job to catch and/or kill anyone that defies the mighty emperor. In her world, all magic is dead, a circumstance brought about by the infamous Blood Queen. When she meets the mysterious rebel leader Simon, she has to decide which side she is on. Will she continue to save her own skin or engage in the fight against the evil Empire?

Is this book a must-read? I’d say no. It certainly has its moments. There is lots of action, strong female protagonists, romance, and the promise of greater things to come. Moreover, Legrand takes time to slowly introduce us to this world. Even though the world-building is not exemplary, it is undoubtedly well done. The author also provided a table of magical powers and their associated symbols, patron saints, and colours, along with a detailed map of Avitas. Her heroines offer possibilities of identification for young women, and the mysterious and handsome male love-interests add some spice to this blend of new ideas and old tropes. These elements certainly make for an entertaining reading experience many readers will enjoy.

On the other hand, the alternating points of view (jumping between Eliana and Rielle and thus 1000 years in the storyline) had the effect that I never really got into this book. Just when I thought I had finally understood this world and their characters, I got thrown either into the past or the future so rapidly that I stopped caring about the character’s development. Also, Rielle has to undergo seven trials set by the church to prove she truly is the Sun Queen. However, this plot device soon gets boring. Some gaps in Eliana’s storyline and wild jumping between scenes impeded a coherent plot here as well. Another aspect I’d criticize is that I personally found it sexually quite explicit for a teenage read. There is also some swearing involved that didn’t bother me in itself, but that seemed out of character. Would lovely, royal Rielle living in this medieval fantasy world really call her potential murderer a “little shit?” I found this oddly disturbing. For Eliana’s, who makes grown men cower in fear, it is fitting, but for Rielle, it just seems inappropriate. On account of these aspects, I would say Furyborn is overall an okay read, but definitely not a must.

At the beginning of the book, I was quite optimistic that it would turn out to be the next big thing and it strongly reminded me of Leigh Bardugo’s writing. However, upon further reading, it turned out to pale in comparison to Bardugo’s intricate world-building, and talent for a fast-paced plot that leaves room for character development, and characters you can’t help but fall for. Instead, Furyborn is a hodgepodge of genres and styles, and the convoluted plot only takes up some pace towards the end, which makes up a little for the stumbling from chapter to chapter that characterizes the first three quarters of the book. In sum, I feel somewhat meh about this book. Usually, I like throwing in some lines that I found intriguing or moving, but this review has to do without them because there is simply nothing memorable to be found in Furyborn. My verdict: an entertaining novel for older teenage girls, but for me, it was too much of the same old same old wrapped in a slightly incongruous story arc.

(Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with this free galley in exchange for an honest review.)

I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by Furyborn. Weeks after I've finished reading it, I still think about it when considering what to read next. The writing is incredible, the characters had me at hello, the world-building is masterful. I haven't been so impressed with a YA fantasy book since Seraphina! I highly recommend Furyborn to all my YA reader friends and even to those who love fantasy but don't usually read YA.

I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
Furyborn follows two different women who live centuries apart. One of those is Rielle Dardenne, who, when assassins ambush her best friend, reveals her ability to perform all of the seven kinds of elemental magic. In this world, the only people who should have these abilities are the prophecised Sun Queen and Blood Queen, one with the power to save the world and one to destroy it. So, to prove to the world that she is the Sun Queen, she has to endure seven trial, each one focused on one particular element.
Then, after several years, we follow Eliana Ferracora, an assassin who works for the Undying Empire that conquered her kingdom. All of that to keep her family alive. When her mother, along with countless other women in her city disappear without a trace, she has no choice to join the rebel group that she herself has hunted down to keep her family alive.
I didn't know anything about this book, I just knew that everybody was getting amazing reviews and that the cover was beautiful, because of those very reasons I requested it on NetGalley. The book already starts with an amazing prologue, and it justs gets better from there on.
Most of the time, it's very hard to get fantasy books because the world and/or the magic system is very complicated, but, with this one, I never had a difficult time trying to figure out what was happening, I still have several questions about the world, but, I'm pretty sure they are going to be resolved in the next books. And I also didn't have to keep turning to the map, which is what happens in most cases when I'm reading high fantasy.
It's incredibly hard not spoiling this one because it was so many amazing plot twists, I would really recommend for everyone to get into the book without knowing much because then, your experience reading it will be even more amazing. If you didn't realize it yet, I really loved Furyborn, I just felt the ending was a little bit rushed, but nevertheless, I would recommend it to anyone who loves YA fantasy.

Is it me or were there were a few elements from Daughter or Smoke and Bone in here? I can’t put my finger on what else this reminded me of, but it felt like a combination of a few other series that I’ve read. I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t know how I feel about this story in general.

Despite my middle of the road rating, I’ll probably continue with the series. If only because this one just felt like the setup and I want to see if it pays off down the line. Very little was actually resolved and what was revealed wasn’t altogether surprising (a lot of it is pretty easily guessed). I’m hoping there’s less buildup and more action going forward.

The jumping back and forth every chapter was irritating. I don’t mind two perspectives but it felt like it breaks up the momentum to have it so frequently. I also wish we could have skimmed down Reille’s story a bit, I found all the trials kind of boring, I just wanted to speed things up and get to the point. I wanted the conclusion of her story, at least, so that it felt like we got somewhere.

This book is love at first sight. LOOK AT THAT COVER! It is all fantasy & medieval brilliance & swords! When I saw it, I knew absolutely nothing about it, except that I needed to read it. Imagine how happy I was to get an ARC! How though, do the contents fare under scrutiny?

The book is glorious … as epic fantasy should be. Rielle & Eliana, are two women, separated by centuries but united by the prophecies surrounding the Sun Queen & the Blood Queen. One is a source of light and goodness, the other of death and destruction.

Rielle was my favorite. A young, impetuous woman who has the ability to use magic in all 7 elemental forms. Veneration of the elemental magic is tied so strongly into the world’s political and religious systems that her extraordinary abilities put her at odds with each. She has uncommon talent which leads others to fear her.

Centuries later, Eliana is a streetwise bounty hunter with formidable skills. She finds herself investigating the mysterious disappearance of women and girls from her city. The criminals are taking poor and disadvantaged females, knowing that no one will put up a fuss when they go missing. Eliana, can be hard to like. She has nearly impenetrable walls up around her heart but it’s obvious that there is more to her than meets the eye.

The author does an excellent job of balancing the story between the two main POV characters. It is no small feat to keep two divergent stories going, at different time periods and still maintain a good pace and momentum. Ms. Legrand is a skilled writer who handles the challenge well. The story flows, and the reader is pushed along like a white water rafter without a paddle. Who are these women? Are THEY the Sun/Blood Queen? What will be their fate?

The opening prologue of the book is explosive and the rest of the book lived up to its promise. I know that this is the first book in the series, so I will be following the author’s social media closely so I can be sure not to miss the next installment. Looking forward to seeing more from Rielle and Eliana.

Song for this book: Kolnidur by Jonsi

Furyborn is about two badass women who can either save or doom their world. The author did a good job introducing us to amazing sets of characters and to a new world that needed to be explored.

The world building is fantastic! The magic, kingdoms, adventures, and the prophecy element are wonderfully blended into the story. Also, there are friendships, forbidden love, and deceptions included. The two alternating POV's of the two main characters, with different timelines, weave the story uniquely. The prologue definitely sparked my attention because I am a sucker for a really good backstory. There isn't a dull moment in the plot. Every chapter's ending will leave you to crave for more. This is one of the books that you cannot put down because your curiosity about what will happen next is just too much. I like how there is still a mystery lingering on even some of the secrets and revelations are slowly unfolding as the story goes on.

The characters are all great. There is even a gay couple! Eliana is a courageous, beautiful assassin-for-hire who will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety and comfort of the one she loves. As brave and confident as she is, she cannot shake out the feeling that there is something different about her. On the other hand, Rielle is an elegant, powerful woman who hides her abilities because of her dark past. I like how the two women often times have battles within themselves lest their action will lead to a bad end or for the greater good. Also, I am very intrigued by the main antagonist. I just really love charming and cunning villains.

Overall, Furyborn is an enjoyable, fast-paced, action-packed adventure full of magic. It is definitely one of YA fantasy books you need to watch out for.

I give it 5 stars!

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for approving my request to read an advance ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is another fantasy series that I believe will become a huge hit, like Red Queen and the Throne of Glass series. It feels a lot like both with the 2 female leads. I'm intrigued to see where this series goes. Sidenote- Eliana is awesome. A hand for hire that feels a lot like Celaena from Throne of Glass? Yes please!

I loved how different this book was. It combined the darkness of Three Dark Crowns and Half Bad! Definitely an amazing read and I loved the two different timelines that converge.

First, thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

With that said... Wow. Furyborn grabs you from the prologue and sets you up to be both in awe and have your heart ripped into pieces the entire ride. It was like seeing a train derailing and being completely unable to stop it. The story starts in one of the worst moments in the characters lives, then are transported back in time so you can grow love them being fully aware tragedy is going to strike. However, this first installment only provides one piece on the timeline that leads to the events of the prologue. I can only imagine how many more twists and turns we are in for before knowing the full story.

The first few chapters after the prologue did take some time to completely hook me. Part of that is my life with a toddler not allowing for extended time immersed in fantasy lands and part was the alternating narrative. On occasion I would have to flip back to Rielle or Eliana's last chapter to remind myself of what was going on and who someone was, but eventually my experience shifted to every chapter feeling like a cliffhanger, begging you to read on. The pace is heart-stopping and the last half of the book left me breathless.

The world of Furyborn is epic and massive. You have ancient elemental magic, religion, court politics, war, prophecy and cruel trials. The story is intricate, especially with the connections between the two timelines, but it works really well here. It was interesting to see the ways Rielle and Eliana stories parallel and diverge from one another. I truly felt for Rielle who really, at the end of the day, just wanted to feel loved. Eliana took a little longer to grow on me. She reminded me a bit of Celaena (Throne of Glass) but more frustrating since she seemed to make every poor or selfish decision she could in the name of protecting her family and avoiding her inner daemons. Both women are absolute forces to be reckoned with and I enjoyed their development.

Overall, Furyborn was an intriguing, breathtaking, heart wrenching, brutal, and a touch comical start to a trilogy. I could not put it down, especially the last half. A day later, I am still mesmerized and not ready to leave that world yet (when is the next one out!?).  Furyborn is absolutely worth pre-ordering now if you are a fan of YA fantasy.

Recommended for: Fans of epic YA fantasy, magic, dual story lines, angels

You guys, what can I say about Furyborn? It might be dangerous to get me writing about this book because it was amazing. I was SO intrigued by the premise and after figuring out who was who - I was hooked. Rielle is everything. She is SO real and doesn't make excuses for her power or her feelings. She's strong, but she also has some powerful emotions that make her different from the typical YA heroine. Rielle has darkness in her life, and inside her which I felt like makes her so relatable. People aren't perfect. People have anger inside of them, and sometimes it just feels good to feel angry. Rielle is beautiful. This story is amazing, and I'm straight up obsessed. Can the next book come out already?

As my first book of 2018, I could not be more pleased with this story. FURYBORN is the first fantasy novel I have read in 5+ years, but I am so glad that I did! I was captivated by the original and unique storylines and was equally invested in both Rielle and Eliana's stories. Just as something dramatic was happening in one story, it would switch to the other, but the pace never let up. Each chapter was just as riveting as the next and I could not put this book down. I really liked that the language was not overly flowery or fantasy sounding. The names were easy to pronounce, the world was believable and interesting, and there was just the right amount of action, romance, and adventure. I was thoroughly pleased with this book and am so glad my 'wish' was granted so that I could read it. I have already pre-ordered a copy and plan to continue reading this series. 5 stars!

My mind is still buzzing with this book. Buzzing with the grand and breathtaking world Claire Legrand created.

Buzzing with the power, action, detail and subtle romance of the narrative.

Buzzing with the characters that, with in the first few chapters, I felt such strong feelings toward and a need to understand them that I canceled all my Saturday plans to sit in my jammies and read.

Legrand wrote that hell out of this gem of a Young Adult Fantasy novel. It undoubtedly will be amongst the best in its genre for 2018.

An End, and a Beginning

Furyborn is an original and well-constructed story of two powerful and independent young women (born Queens) centuries apart and deeply connected. One queen has the power to destroy the world and the other, to save it. This third person omniscient narrative (told by a narrator that is external to the story i.e. not a character) does something I love, the book begins with the story ending for one of the two Queens, an ending that captivates and haunts the reader the entire story.

"Since our war with the humans began, I have had only one dream. Every night, the fog surrounding it lifts, and I understand more of what I see: a woman, made of gold brighter than the sun. She stands in a river of blood, and light falls from the ends of her hair. Is she friend or foe? This my dreams have not made clear to me. But I know this: she will come. In this war, or the next-she will come."

-Lost writings of the angel Aryava (Furyborn)

Who, What, When, Where and Why

Rielle Dardenne lives with secrets that killed her mother, and distanced her from her now cold father and may mean creatures long imprisoned may now be returning to the human realm. She’s raised amongst royalty in a kingdom of people born with elemental magic (wind, fire, metal, etc.). She is wild, interesting, and powerful and may be one of the long prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials and faces certain death if she fails.

Eliana Ferracora is a talented bounty hunter, a notorious sword for hire who lives and works in the underbelly of the Undying Empire, ruled by a nameless and faceless tyrant a thousand years after the legend of Queen Rielle. Eliana seems invincible until her mother vanishes alongside countless other women and girls and she has to join the rebels she once hunted to find and save her from an unknown evil. Eliana unwittingly lands in the center of a war spanning across time.

Final and Random Thoughts

Stay Woke – This book has non-white people as central and minor characters. Is in a world with both really traditional notions of love and romance paired with main characters who are occasionally fluid in terms of sexual orientation and women who aren’t afraid of or apologetic about physical pleasure. But all these components are woven in simple and subtle ways. They are simply a part of the societal norms of the Furyborn world. Much respect to Claire Legrand for being one of the few storytellers in the Young/New Adult Fantasy genre who aren't boxed in.

Just say no to lead female tropes! You ever read those YA stories where the chicks with the most power keeps playing the weepy damsel in distress to feed the machismo of man-boys who aren’t worth her time, this isn’t one of those narratives. I’m tired of stories (especially those written by women) that make other women less than for the sake of a romantic sub-plot.

Just a dash of love. Thankfully this isn’t a book overwhelmed by superfluous sex scenes but the author excels at conveying the chemistry, tension, attraction and/or intimacy among characters in a balanced, believable and complimentary way.

This is a true series. The story is too big for one book. Sometimes I read series and feel like they barely had enough content and color for one book and there isn’t really any story left to tell and the writer is trying to take my coins by painfully stretching out the narrative like a bad soap opera. I can honestly say that this story could not be wrapped up well in one book.

I had a serious book hangover after reading Furyborn. It was such a great book! Loads of action and adventure, but also love; although, it was nice to read a book that wasn't heavily romance based. Rielle, having all 7 kinds of elemental magic, is an interesting character - of course you can't have a main character that isn't if you want to write a great book. She starts out with what seems the best of intentions, but is too easily influenced by an external force...I still have so many questions about what's going on, though!!
1000 years later...Enter Eliana, bounty huntress and all around badass. Her entire world is shaken to its core when she feels most invincible and sets her an a soul searching journey with her little brother across her kingdom. I think she may be my favourite....
Claire Legrand is super talented and I truly cannot wait to read the rest of the series....actually foaming at the mouth while I wait.. Exceeded all of my expectations and then shattered them to bits...

3.5 stars. I'm not going to critique this book too much, because it took me ages to read and honestly I wouldn't be able to properly do it justice because I read it so intermittently. I don't have very much experience with a fantasy story such as this that is quite complicated, so to me there seemed to be a TON of stuff going on. There were definitely some vibes I got throughout the book that reminded me of Game of Thrones but also of Camelot and King Arthur. I did like Rielle more than I liked Eliana though, and in the beginning I found myself dreading Eliana's chapters and would often read them quite quickly (another reason why I don't want to critique this too much - I skimmed quite a bit). The last 20% of this book is such a whirlwind, I would suggest that you read it all in one go because damn, what an ending. Because I skimmed it in attempts to finish the book, there were definitely a few things that surprised me because I hadn't really picked up on them early on. There are a lot of characters in both stories, so don't feel bad if you can't keep track of them all, as I found they eventually all became their own nearer the end. There's a handy little chart at the end that explains the different bits of elemental magic, and I do wish that it was at the beginning of the book so I could have referenced to it (I didn't even know it was there until I finished reading, and it would have been really handy - but maybe that's my own fault for not giving the book the once-over before starting it). I do really like the story lines though - especially Rielle's. I found myself a bit confused in the end because Rielle's and Eliana's story didn't quite line up, but I expect that will be resolved in a future book. For now it keeps me interested in how their stories will intersect (or more specifically, how Rielle's story will eventually turn into that first chapter). About halfway through the book I think I realised that I didn't really want to continue this series, as much as I do find the premise and characters really interesting. But now, after how it ended and the various twists and turns in the latter half, I think I will probably reread this again before any sequels come out to get a better grip and understanding of the story. Although if the sequels have covers that look anything like the cover for this book, I may not even be able to resist it whether I decide to read it or not.

Meh.

I believe a big problem with this book was my expectations: two women, divided by centuries. Th centuries could be years from the way the book is written: the world building is very scarce, and aside from the stray mention of things like guns and, very briefly, genetics, these two stories could have been taking place at almost the same time. There were really no differences to tell them apart.

Also, while the characters themselves are interesting, I believed they relied to heavily on men. The second character, Eliana, I felt was constantly fainting or passing out or being drugged and needing rescue. Her obsession with Simon, especially towards the end with her need to save him, even though he was a god awful character, actually made me angry. Rielle had two characters, Audric and Corien, vying for her attention, and it was just like....AGH! Just do something that doesn’t involve them!!!

The romances in this book were just so-so, and the side characters were all so one-dimensional that a reveal about a character towards the end of the book just made me shrug. This book is also very cluttered, with a lot of sub plots, and I feel like some of the characters (especially Simon), withhold information without any reason, just to create...tension maybe? It feels false. Eliana spends a lot of the book being held captive by Simon, and there’s a lot of unnecessary escapes/deaths/plot detours that could have been stopped if a character had just said something. It felt like a book, they were only withholding information because this was a book and they needed to so they could make a word count or something.

Also the prologue is incredibly off-putting, so obviously placed their as a way to get some exposition out of the way, and it is VERY poorly done. It also reveals something major about how the two characters are connected. I mean, it’s not really a surprise, this all feels done before to me, and it’s just distracting later on when, again, people unnecessarily withhold information.

The writing reminded me a smidge of The Queen of the Tearling, though with far less depth. This book flirts with edginess, with a lot of talk of sex and the occasional use of the “f word” but never really forms an identity. Is it YA? Is it New Adult?? Who knows, I don’t.

Maybe people coming into this book with different expectations will feel differently, but I just thought it was meh. I will give it credit, there are some interesting concepts in this book, hints of world building and character development, but they are so unfulfilling it’s sad.

I received a digital copy through NetGalley for review.

And wow, am I glad I got to read this one.
Two women, utterly connected, separated by time and deeds. Both cloaked in lives taken and blood spilled.

"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."
"A Queen made of blood, and a Queen made of light."
"Which one are you?"

Rielle is head strong, with a desire to push back against the rules that govern her life. Having to hide herself in plain sight. Lying to everyone around her, keeping the lid and control on her immense secret. She exposes everything to save someone she loves.
Eliana lives in an occupied land, doing the only thing she's good at, acting as bounty hunter and assassin to an empire she despises. At the expense of her own soul, to keep her family safe. Dreading the day that the lives she steals from others finally overtakes her, and the cage of the empire snaps shut around her, claiming her forever.

Claire Legrand's Furyborn brings a masterfully crafted, well thought out world to life.
This one has something for everyone, I really enjoyed the weight of these lives she has crafted, one which we know how it ends, but not how she became, the Queen of Blood. And the other just coming to the realization that everything she knows - she's about to leave behind forever. And she must live up to and untwist the horrors of the past, to become a Queen made of light.