5 out of 5? Try 10 out of 5. This. Was. So. Damn. Good.

I'd heard a lot about this book, and when I was granted a wish by the publisher I was over the moon! This book did not disappoint at all, and any faults it does have are forgiven so very quickly. As far as fantasy goes, this one is lush, epic, ingenious and utterly gorgeous.

Featuring two strong and kick-ass women as heroines, with a dash of time travel and a whole lot of magic, Legrand has created a story that delivers in romance, action, mystery and sheer fantasy. Even the element of angels was a neat twist. I couldn't tell which MC I loved most, but Legrand is a master-class at suspense and kept me reading through each chapter with a near desperation to find out what happened to either girl. Likewise, the way just enough is revealed in the beginning leaves me with such high levels of curiosity and a burning need to read more of this series! And a round of applause for the secondary characters being just as wonderful. Usually there's just that one that you can't stand, and that was never the case here.

The world-building is spot on too. Some fantasies I've noticed pile so much on at once with little grace or explanation that you find yourself lost throughout the book. Not the case here. The world, the history, the magic, the religions---all of it was easy to understand and stow away in my head.

I have to admit that the book's big plot twist I figured out pretty quickly myself, but it's not in a way that's predictable or ruins the story. If anything, it heightens the magic of the book. As for the minor twists, I was in love. (In case you haven't figured it out yet, this book could literally do no wrong for me.)

As I mentioned, there are a few negatives to it, but the book as a whole is so good that I got over them pretty quick. One was the pace slowed down a bit too much at around the 75% mark, but the ending made up for it. Two, there is a sex scene that is just awko-taco. And I don't mean awkward in a this-is-their-first-time-let's-figure-it-out-together way, but in the way it was written. I found it be a strangely written section with peculiar word choice and description.

Nevertheless, this is a solid start to what I know is going to be a fantastic series. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy, and I definitely can't wait to read more. Thanks SOURCEBOOKS Fire!

An elaborate high fantasy novel, narrated by our two heroines, located in similar lands a thousand years apart.

As per usual, I was sucked in by a badass cover and intriguing premise, only this time it paid off! I read this book (a 512 page book) in a day. A DAY! I hardly ever (meaning, very very very rarely) do that! I was so enthralled by this story and its characters that I honestly could not put it down, even when it meant being exhausted for work the next day. Totally. Worth it.

I’m being 100% candid with you when I say that I think this book is going to be one of the next top fantasy YA books. It’s got action, romance, magic, TIME TRAVEL, well fleshed out characters, and a really interesting premise. It’s original without being all “But I’m not like other YA books”, wah. There’s really something here for everyone in this book and I think anyone who has any inkling for fantasy or just...badass books in general, should pick this up when it comes out.

The premise does a very good job of giving you an idea of what this book is about, but it still leaves enough to the imagination that there will be points in the book where you will gasp in shock. And laugh because the author did an excellent job of incoorporating some humor to lighten it up every now and again.

Our two main protags are Rielle (the past) and Elianna (the future) and they’re obvious the Blood queen and the Sun queen, respectively, in our story. We start off the book knowing Rielle is the blood queen and end knowing that Elianna is the sun queen so...no spoilers, I promise.

Rielle is this sheltered...I don’t want to say meek, but let’s say...hrm, she’s been beaten down. She’s got this awesomesauce power that no one else has (yeah, yeah, trope-y tropiness going on here) but she’s taught by her dad and the ministers of her faith to tamper it down because it’s weird, the yokel locals might not like it, and this awesomesauce power caused a horrifying accident when Rielle was little. Secretly, she’s a badass magician who just wants some Princely loving and to be allowed to live her life like any other normal chick. Simple enough.

BUT OH NO! She shows off her awesomesauce power and as predicted, the yokel locals and ministers freak the heck out! In order to prove that she’s not some rando magician willing to murder everybody, they decide to put her through a 7 week trial where she proves to everyone that she’s loyal and devot in using her powers only for good. Rielle, who has never even been encouraged to use her powers let alone really learn about them in depth (like every other magic wielder in the country) is totally gung ho for it! Thus, shenanigans ensue!

With each trial, we see more and more of who Rielle truly is shine to the surface. It was so great to really see the growth of her character and cheer her on as more of her badassery emerged. I know the ‘chosen one’ trope is there with her and it makes you want to roll your eyes that she has this ‘power that no one has’ but I really enjoyed Rielle as a character. She is fiercely loyal to her friends, absolutely dedicated in wanting to prove this loyaltly, a 100% fighter to her very marrow, and yet she’s vulnerable. We get to see this vulnerability throughout her interactions with her father (who has never shown anything more than barely checked disdain) and it just made me want to reach into the book, hug her, give her some cake, and tell her it would be alright.

The next POV is from Elianna who is this smarmy, smartass, egotistical assassin who is literally snapping necks and cashing checks. She was taught from a very young age by her mother how to kill folks in order to put food on the table. I was very pleasantly surprised at the fact that the author made her mother an amputee because I had never encountered that in a novel. She’s a side character so I don’t want to say it’s rep (?) but hey, I was surprised. And then pissed off with what happened to her character later on. I won’t go into it because it’s major spoilers for the book, but...yeah. Back to Elianna.

Elianna is annoying at first. Think Celaena Sardothien from the ToG series or Mia Corvere from Nevernight and that’s pretty much Elianna. She’s got amazing fight skills, she’s stealthy, she’s sexy, and she knows it. Oh, and she’s like Wolverine because she can heal from anything. She is indestructible! But she has no idea why. But, of course, she’s got an ooey gooey inside to her. She portrays this mask of hardness in order to hide the ooey gooeyness because killing folks is how she supports her family, it’s how she’s going to get them out, and if she doesn’t do it, then they’ll starve. She is the breadwinner for her family and her devoutness to her family really sold me with her character.

Her POV follows her going from hunting down this known rebel and being ordered to kill him to basically lusting after him and joining his rebel cause. It’s all a ruse at first and then, of course, as the story progresses, Elianna’s ooey gooeyness comes to the surface, one of the rebel leaders (Wolf and Elianna’s man) and a princess in disguise (no, not Jasmine) basically submerge her in what is actually the real world and help her come to terms with the fact that she’s been part of the problem instead of the solution.

Rather than rehash the book, I’m going to leave it there because going any further would spoil it and I don’t want to do that because it is so good and you must read it! There’s diversity of characters but it’s never made into a big deal. It’s always thrown in like ‘Yeah, I like chicks.’ or ‘Yeah, my name is Bob and this is my husband.’ Women are in high positions of power. There’s a king in Rielle’s time frame but he isn’t the kingly type that puts down women. I mean, the entire religion in the book is focused on two queens. None of the women hate on each other over a man. There’s actually some really good positive female interaction through the entire book. I dig it a lot.

The writing itself is astounding. The author did such a good job painting a picture of not only one world but two different worlds and still making them weave together that I didn’t feel like I was reading two entirely different books. That is difficult as hell, but it was pulled off so beautifully. The characters are well written and even though they could be considered trope-y because of what I mentioned before, they have enough flaws and different characteristics to really set them apart. Not to mention there is significant growth throughout the book! I can only imagine what happens throughout the rest of the series. Not to mention, the side characters are awesome! Our sidekicks, if you will, are just as fleshed out as our mains and were so much fun to read! I loved them just as much as I loved the two mains. Heck, there were some characters that only appeared in the book for a chapter or two and I fell in love!

Oh, before I forget, this is a pretty explicit sex scene in the book. It was...weird. I mean, I’ve read SJM so I’m used to explicit sex scenes in YA but this one just felt...unnecessary. It could have faded to black and I would have been fine with it. I mean, I used to write NSYNC smut back in the day, I’m fine with smut, but this was just...weird. I honestly have no other word to describe it. Well, wait, no, I lied, maybe bad. Bad would be a good word for it because it made me feel awkward and I didn’t appreciate the fact that the author perpetuated the idea that a girls first time is supposed to be painful. Nah, son, it’s not...not unless you have something physically wrong with you or you’re not properly lubricated. Otherwise, the first time just feels weird and awkward and then should move on to amazing. Not painful. But whatever, let’s keep that stereotype ball rolling, eh?

So...if you like assassins, magic, diversity that’s in there without needing a huge neon sign pointing to it, badassery, and just an all around amazing fantasy novel, then this is the book for you!

There’s honestly so much that happens in this book that I have to kind of summarize in this review, so bear with me if you’re willing to stick with an in-depth review. (There may be slight spoilers, but just enough to give readers an idea of really what’s going, because there’s just SO MUCH to it.) I’ll try to organize it as best as I can!

PLOT & WRITING

There is no argument that Legrand is an exceptional writer. Her prose flows from beginning to end, and it was so easy to continue reading despite my initial disinterest in the book. With constant fast action and witty dialogue, readers will have no trouble keeping up with the story. But then comes my issue, which is that for all the action in the first half of the book, I felt like the storyline was going nowhere. It was easy to predict the background from the action-packed prologue, and from there I just felt very disinterested about the characters. It wasn’t until the second half – when the story actually started going somewhere – did I become more engaged in the book. The atmosphere is fierce, a bit dark, and wholly intense. The writing has an excellent balance of dramatic flare and emotional connections.

The story begins with the end of the Sun Queen Rielle, who is regarded as the Blood Queen in centuries to come. After the prologue, we get the alternating, third person limited POV’s of Rielle in the past and a girl named Eliana who lives ~1,000 years into the future. At the beginning of each chapter is an epigraph that tells some important background information if one pays close enough attention. Rielle has spent all her life hiding her special powers of controlling all seven elements of magic, which is unheard of except for in prophecies. When she attempts to save the Crown Prince Audric from an assassination, her powers are revealed and she starts the trials to see whether she is the Sun Queen or the Blood Queen. Rielle’s POV essentially serves two points: 1) give readers a glimpse of really cool elemental magic and 2) set a backdrop to the story that is happening. Each chapter (whether Rielle’s or Eliana’s) is packed with action and sexual desires and emotions.

"To be sought after instead of hidden away, to protect her country instead of living in fear that she was capable of nothing but hurting people, to be loved instead of hated…
Tears stung her eyes.
I will be loved."

At Eliana’s time of the period, the Empire has taken control of the lands. Angels are a legend of the past, and are seen as the antagonists of the story (although it’s not as clear cut as that.) Magical powers are a legend of the past as well, especially since the Emperor controls everything. Not all is lost, as the Red Crown is a rebel group fighting against the mysterious Undying Emperor. Eliana is seen as a touch girl who hunts for the rebels in order to support her family: her mother, partner, and little brother. But when her mother disappears suddenly, she reluctantly makes a deal with the captain of the rebel group, the Wolf (his name is Simon), to join his side and figure out what happened to her mother. The majority of the story is basically a build-up to the sequel. There’s always action happening, but it’s a slow ascent into figuring out what’s going on in the elaborate world that Legrand paints.

WORLD

The plot is actually really organized, and that extends to the world as well. It’s very easy for readers to follow the past and future timelines, as well as connecting the dots to figure out what’s happening. The map is complex enough to create a multi-dimensional world, but not too complex that readers get confused and have to reread sections.

Additionally, I’m quite happy about the many POC’s that are featured in the book, as well as the fact that pretty much none of the important pairs are homosexual. There are skin descriptions across the spectrum. Eliana takes lovers that are men and women, and Rielle also fantasizes about her close friends, whatever gender. There’s an important gay couple in the rebel group. Everything is added neatly and smoothly into the story. I love it when fantasies do that.

CHARACTERS AND RELATIONSHIPS

I think Legrand did a great job on characters. However, I wasn’t a fan of Rielle’s POV (which is interesting, because it’s the other way around in some reviews.) Readers already know the end of Rielle’s story in the prologue, and I found myself sighing when we came to her chapters. There’s no denying that she’s very well-written though, flawed and on the path of becoming almost an anti-heroine. Rielle’s powers come with high costs as it’s made people close to her die, or come close to it. Despite this, she always revels in her elemental magic – much more powerful than anyone in the kingdom. She has a forbidden romance with the Crown Prince Audric, as he is betrothed to his cousin and her best friend. When a voice inside her head starts messing with her, she finds herself torn between the light of Audric and the dark path that the cajoling voice offers. I didn’t really care about her romance, as two potential love interests offer two futures that could decide the fate of the kingdom. This trope grows tiring the more I read it, and the fact that I know what happens at the end due to the prologue kind of takes the intrigue and turmoil away from it.

"‘Sometimes your goodness shines so brightly that I want to devour you. Maybe if I have enough of you, that light you shine will stave off the wickedness that lives inside me.’"

I enjoyed Eliana’s chapters a lot more, although it took a very long time to get her up to speed on the main conflict of the book. Eliana is also flawed like Rielle, and she is very stubborn. She sacrifices a lot to support her family – even to the extent of killing people and masking her emotions. However, we see a gradual character development as her soft side comes out when she joins the rebel and slowly shifts in defending them rather than capturing them. She and Rielle are both very strong characters that go through an emotional journey in their narratives. I loved Eliana’s devotion and loyalty to her family, and especially her bond with her younger brother Remy, who is a dreamer and believes the old tales of Angels and Saints. She forges a friendship with fellow rebel Navi that is well-incorporated into the story. Her romance, on the other hand… Okay, so she has several love interests as well that have more potential than the other based on her circumstances. Towards the end though, Simon’s character does a complete 180 degree turn. He goes from barely tolerating her to almost devotion like a snap based on one event. It was jarring and could have been handled much better in my opinion: more gradual and justified. For some reason I just couldn’t get onboard with either perspective’s romances.

"‘We are all of us dark creatures,’ Navi said, ‘but if we linger in those shadows, we’ll be lost. Instead we must seek the light when we can, and that’s just what you’re doing. I see it happening.’
‘You believe too easily,’ Eliana muttered.
‘And you don’t believe enough.’
‘Belief doesn’t keep you alive.’
‘But, given time, it can win wars.’"

Speaking of romances, I enjoyed the healthy dialogue of sex and contraceptives in this book. Rielle’s POV is charged with the sexual tension of a young girl learning her desires, while Eliana is familiar with sexual acts because of her manipulation being a part of her job and surviving. Thumbs up for the author taking the straightforward route in this aspect of the book.

OVERALL FEELINGS

Furyborn would have impacted me more if the story moved along quicker. But I also think the slow pace works for this introductory book of a trilogy, forming a solid background of the story to come. It just made me very disinterested and impatient in the first half of the book. Also, the alternating POV’s did tend to make it drag. Oddly enough, it reminded me of Strange the Dreamer – perhaps not plotwise, but with the same veiled secrets, hidden powers, and tangled relationships thrown in with the hinted strength of magic, hope, and survival. Definitely a magnet for fantasy readers.

"‘In these dark times, not even the light of the Sun Queen is as powerful as the light waiting inside our deepest hearts, if we only have the courage to look for it.’"

Wow, that was a lot to get through! Thank you, if you stuck with me. To sum it up though: wonderful writing, awesome world-building, fun yet familiar magical elements, flawed and multidimensional characters and lots of action make up Furyborn. However, it acts as a very long background for the events to come as both reader and character figure out what’s going on in the grand scheme of things. I’m actually quite excited for the sequel and want to see how the story will progress. Fantasy readers should definitely give this one a try, and perhaps stick with it despite the lackluster first half. There’s a lot of detail and discussion in the story, as well as character growth, that make it an intriguing read.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Content Warning: abuse, animal death, violence, sexual content

Furyborn is a REALLY cool story with two different timelines that relate and intersect. The prologue shows you the outcome of Queen Rielle’s timeline, then chapter one takes you two years back to explain how events led up to that outcome. Then chapter two gives you Eliana’s point of view, which is a crazy 1,020 years later!

I particularly enjoyed Rielle’s timeline because it felt totally Star Wars-esque. It was like watching a Jedi be lured, manipulated, and tricked to the dark side. Particularly at the beginning, you can clearly see she’s a good person at heart. But an angel plays on her fears and insecurities to twist and confuse her.

I removed a star because the end of the book lost my love just a little bit. My biggest gripe was how much Simon (“the Wolf”) changed. He started out as a great character in Eliana’s timeline. He was a scary, mysterious, aloof assassin fighting with the rebellion. Totally “dark and dangerous”. But then at the end his character seemed to lose all that. His change was a huge let down because he was one of my favourite characters in the first half.

But that being said, I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series. I’m really excited to see how this war plays out!

Note that this book is more of an adult or new adult fantasy. There are a few risqué scenes! I actually really enjoyed the higher age range though. I think it was really appropriate for how big and intense this whole story is.

Long before the final cover was even released there was a lot of buzz surrounding Furyborn. I had heard of the author before but had read nothing by her so I was quite pleased when my wish was granted on Netgalley. Not that I had any idea on what it was really about it. But I think that is the best way to go into a book these days.

First I would like to point out one thing that isn’t in the synopsis and I know that is a deal breaker for some of you. This book has angels. Angels always are a bit of a thing. There was a time where angel books were plentiful and a lot of people were put off by them. I do like how the angels were in this though I still have a lot of questions.

For the most part I do think the world building was done really well, despite still having questions. It was done in a way that I still got some answers along the way but also more questions. I wanted to read on to get an answer. I didn’t get frustrated. But I wondered. I wanted to know. In that way I think the author really pulled me in the story and I became absorbed when I had time to read a huge chunk of it in one go.

The book tells two stories, two ladies. As the synopsis says, they are a century apart but connected. The chapters switched between their third person point of views every chapter. While I did became absorbed by the book at some point, it was initially hard to get into because of the constant switching between the two characters. Their voices and stories are very different, that isn’t the problem. I just did not appreciate being jolted out of one story to be flung back into another as chapters often ended on cliffhangers. Even so, it did keep a good pace and action throughout the story so I do understand why they choose for this way.

Another small downside for me was that after the prologue I had much more interest in one of the ladies than the others. Rielle just captured my attention more because I am incredibly curious as to how she came to be as she was in the prologue. And I do not have an answer to that yet. Not entirely. Elianne is a more closed of character, defensive, guarded. While I understand why she is the way that she is I had a lot of trouble warming up to her because of it. Also her story just did not draw many questions and as such felt more to the back for me. Both ladies kick incredible ass though. And both have great developmental arcs.

I have to say that the side characters also were well developed. I have an especial warm spot for Remi. But also Navi, Harkan, Adrik and Simon are characters that I took a liking to. In that sense I was kind of disappointed with how the romance was developed with Elianne. I was more into Rielle’s romance again, despite the obvious triangle happening there.

I am incredibly interested in seeing where Claire Legrand is going to take this story and these characters. There is a lot of potential here for an epic new fantasy series.

This book blew me away and I am already eagerly anticipating the next installment!

Legrand has built a magnificent world during Rielle's time along with the menacing world of Eliana's. If the perspective switches between chapters didn't give the reader enough contrast between their times, the overall feeling of each period certainly does. With Rielle, her world is bright, golden, full of possibilities even with war on the horizon. She has her friends, one of which is the love of her life who we find out also becomes her victim. Her world is defined by secrecy and a distressing childhood but she appears to come into herself. Eliana, by contrast, had a fairly happy childhood and it was not until the Empire conquered her home that she had to become a monster, her idea of herself. She needed to do what was necessary to survive: become the most dreaded assassin working for people she hates. But her mother and brother are safe and cared for, that's all that matters.

Rielle and Eliana, have connected but also mirrored stories. From darkness to light, and light to darkness. Though Rielle's ending is bittersweet, and strange.

In a world of angels, magic, godsbeasts, and horrific monsters, Legrand has made an entire world that the reader can immerse themselves in while loving every second. Her characters hold dimension and their interactions feel natural, their dialogue real. Seeing Audric and Rielle together while knowing their end was heart breaking, my chest felt tight just knowing what was in store for them. Seeing Simon and Eliana finally come to some sort of understanding, realizing what they could to together made my heart soar. There is so much love in this book, so many types of love, which is truly what drew me in. I care about these characters more than I ever thought possible.

You've done good work, Claire Legrand and I can't wait to see what comes next.

There is so much to love in this book. Well-developed characters, interesting plot line, and plenty of twists and turns. The only thing wrong is that it had to end and I can't read the next book RIGHT NOW!!!!

First and foremost I need everyone stop what you’re doing and go preorder this book you can come back and read my review after.

The beauty of “Furyborn” lies with the interweaving of both past and present as we follow two young women, each tied to a prophecy that long for told of their reign, discover that what you most desire comes with a heavy price.

The shifting of each chapter is introduced with a collection of literature ranging from legends and rhyme to a soldier recounting a story of survival to show the differences between the two stories while also giving nods to a parallel journey both of our heroines (no spoilers but yes I am giving that name to them both) as they try to uncover which queen they will be, how they will handle the responsibility and the resulting consequences that comes with their choice and allegiances.

There is something within this world that Legrand built that makes you want to dive deeper to untangle the web of mythology and history that is presented in the past sections as well as how the ripple across time has affected the modern world which is so profoundly different to wear the former is considered nothing more than a bedtime story. The entire structure of it balances out nuances of almost fairy tale like retellings with Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood and showing subtle allusions to almost a French Revolution type movement, while altogether being a completely well thought out and original high fantasy story with a villain that is unlike any I have read in a long time.

Furthermore, and I’m sure I’m not the only blogger or reader in general out there who feels this way, but I am beyond excited to both create and see what kind of edits the fans of this series will design because there is so much to play with and so much more to come with the remaining novels! This series has jumped up to my top 5 books and I can’t wait to see how it plays out!

**thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I loved this book! Rielle and Eliana were both such stron, yet flawed characters. I love Rielle and it’s heartbreaking to see what happens to her and the world because of Corien’s machinations. I can’t believe that Rielle would kill people she loves, so I can’t wait to read more to see how Rielle’s actions lead to Eliana’s world. Simon was also a well-developed and 3-dimensional character. I want to read more now.

Wow. Just wow.
The first couple of chapters had me confused. I had no idea what was happening, and the time shift threw me for a while. But slowly, things began to make sense. Eventually things fell into place and I was struck by the sheer genius of it all.
This book is amazing. I absolutely loved it!
Two girls, divided by 1000 years, and yet their stories are unequivocally intertwined.
Magic, love, betrayal, power, ACTION- this book has it all.
My only reservation about this book is that I'm not quite sure it's "YA"... Perhaps a New Adult categorization would be better? Are we still doing NA? Is that a thing, still?
In any case- I absolutely cannot wait for Book 2!!!

Loved it! While it's not perfect, it is a one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a while. Two strong female characters, truly imaginative world building, and an intricate plot kept me up reading long after I should have turned off the light for the night. I really don't want to have to wait a year to see what happens next! There are dual storylines, and jumping between them was a little confusing at first. But the story itself is pretty great - man vs angels, queens with magical powers who can either destroy or save the world, love, family, survival - it has it all. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this excellent read. 4.5 stars! Claire Legrand, you have a new fan!

OK, so I just finished reading this book last night. I was definitely disappointed that it was over. Thankfully, there are two books to go. The story centers on two different queens: the blood queen and the queen of light. I won’t say too much more other than the books is told from both of their perspectives. The book is a fun fantasy that had a really great pace. I found it hard to put it down at night and force myself t9 go to sleep. So, why did I give it four stars? I wish I could have given it 4.5 stars, but I went more conservative with 4. At first, I thought it was specifically targeting the YA market, but some of the language and sexual situations could find it a hard sale for some parents and schools. I’m personally offended by very little, but I’ve met enough Southern conservatives to know that any perceived “bad language” and sex can be problematic. I almost wish th author had just made both protagonists 18 and then some of those issues would have been less problematic.

It's easy to admit Furyborn has been amongst my favourite reads of 2017 and was a wonderful way to introduce myself to the work of Claire Legrand who's an author I've been meaning to sample for a long time now.

On every level Furyborn is pure unadulterated fantasy split into two time threads following two very different women with an unknown link, at the beginning as we learn how they are linked during the course of the book. The first is Rielle who is strong and powerful with a destiny she is fighting hard to achieve despite those against her and the second is Elianna, who lives a thousand years later than Rielle, in her aftermath, and is also a strong girl with a talent for escaping the fingers of death and for bringing in bounties, also with a huge destiny but one that she has no clue about. As the story flows though each of the different story threads we watch as the two girls are forced to face their varying fears and they strive to survive in two varying worlds under the sway of evil unimaginable.

I am very impressed with the treatment these two story lines have received from Legrand, she has a huge talent for words that leave an impression on the reader, her pacing is nigh on perfect and she keeps the excitement levels ramped up to the max which keeps the reader both engaged and entranced. The world building is beautiful and the world's mythos is a little confusing in the very beginning but everything does start making sense by the end of this first book and I am sure more will fall into place as the story continues in the future titles..

A great book and a great read from a very talented author, a solid recommendation for any fans of fantasy worlds.

When Saint katell sunspinner, saint nerida waterworker, saint grimvald metalmaster, saint tameryn shadowcaster, saint tokazi earthshaker, saint marzana firebrand, saint ghhovan windsingers kick all the angels behind the gate...

An angel who is the lover of Saint Katell gives a prophecy before dying.

"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. the will carry your fate in their hands.two queens will rise."



The story starts with Queen Rillee giving birth of her daughter and for protecting her from Corien an Angel who was able to sneak from the gate, handed her to Simon who is a marque and only marque have the ability to travel with speed and also with time.



Rielle Dardenne, Who is the daughter of lord commander Dardenne, has the ability to control al the seven elements unlike all the other elementals, even saints were not able to control all. Rielle burned her house in her childhood by an accident and killed her mother cause she was not able to control her magic.

Her father and grand magister Taliesin belounnon tried to hide her extraordinary power for years until one day assassins attacked her childhood friend and the prince of Celdaria Audric the Lightbringer (also her love interest, but Lady Ludivine who is also the friends of them, and cousin of Audric is engaged to the Prince), She lost all her control while saving him and exposed in front of everyone.

According to prophecy only two human queens possess this power, for proving She is Light Queen, Kingdom decides to take her trial for every element, If she will survive she will be declared as Light Queen.

Lady Rillee story is 1000+ years old then Eliana Ferracora, who is a bounty hunter working for Empire, known as Dread Of Orline, who is invincible, have the ability to heal herself quickly, who don't believe in tales of Queen Rille. Until one day she got an assignment to assist Valentine emperor assassin, to catch Wolf who is Red crown captain, the right hand of the prophet.

But Fidelia took her mother and she didn't have any other option to take help of wolf, One thing leads to another and she came to know that she is The last of house courverie, daughter of the Lightbringer, heir to the throne of saint katell, the true queen of the Celdaria.the furyborn child, Sun Queen daughter of the Queen Rillee

I am going to shut now otherwise I may be spoil something

What I like

I like to story development, throughout the story something interesting was happening which don't let you distracted. 
The whole word was beautiful with a rich history.
If talk about twists there weren't much or say surprising, many things I guessed and I was right
Two stories at the same time, I liked Rielle story better than Eliana, though Everyone said she is Blood queen, but what If she is not? Everyone assumes her Light Queen than in Eliana's time she was called as Blood Queen, What if the role will switch in 2nd book?
Who knows?.....I have this odd habit of guessing stories sometimes It also embarrassed me (Sorry If this one will turn wrong in 2nd book).

Ludivine was supporting and loving throughout the story, but I couldn't digest her character.

Two Queens, both are powerful, strong,  interesting.
And here I am declaring THE WOLF is my Favorite character, He is mysterious, strange and wonderful, I don't know I have this thing for side characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks fire for e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was an extremely fast read. Well written, great characters, great pacing, great everything! I am looking forward to book number 2. I would recommend to fans of Philip Pullman.

Woah, I love these kick ass female characters. If you love fantasy and strong female characters in a world that becomes consumed by a history of fear and tyranny, you will love this novel.

Unfortunately this book is not for me. Though most of the reviews here are quite favorable, I found it a bit of a drag. It felt flat, melodramatic and I could not connect to the characters. It's too bad because I really wanted to like this book.

This was so deliciously good. It has all the elements of YA fantasy, with just enough magic to make it exciting, and both of the main characters are likeable for entirely different reasons. I love how the story is split into two moments in time, rather than a series of events, and how these moments and the key characters from each of them manage to somehow come together. I won't say I didn't see it coming, largely because the ending is kind of at the beginning and for those of us who read a lot a plot twist has got to be something truly special for us to not sniff it out. But anyway, it was so good.

Before I go any further, let's just take note of how ridiculous that blurb is. It leaves literally nothing to the imagination - not to mention nothing for me to summarise any different. But essentially, this book is divided into two stories which gradually merge, has two main female leads with varying degrees of coolness (Rielle more so than Eliana because Rielle is some wickedly cruel complex character I just adore to read about), some part human/part angel stuff going on (perhaps akin to Shadowhunters?), magic, and some against the clock adventures to keep you hooked.

Whilst I really enjoyed it, sometimes the story became difficult to follow because it's constantly jumping 1000 or so years forwards and backwards. Equally, some of the excitement of not knowing what might happen is lost almost within the first chapter when you witness a key death, so it's no surprise when it comes to fruition! But you know what, I can forget about that because it was so much fun to read.

Definitely recommend it.

ARC provided free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.