Furyborn (The Empirium Trilogy)

Rielle Dardenne is hiding a secret from her kingdom and her loved ones. However, when her beloved best friend, Audric is ambushed, Rielle is willing to risk everything to protect him. Rielle is exposed to be one of the prophesied queens; but she must prove that she is the queen of light and not the queen of blood. Rielle must perform seven elemental magic trials and if she fails, things will take a turn for the worse.

Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. She is a bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, who is trying to survive. When her mother suddenly vanishes and Eliana must join forces with the rebels to find her mother. At the side of the rebels, she realizes evil and how terrible the Empire treats its citizens. How is Eliana and Rielle related as their story intersect? Will Eliana be able to save the rebels from the Undying Empire?

I found the novel to be an interesting and thrilling read. It was fun to read about two strong female leads. However, I found it hard to like Eliana. She act like she was invisible but she was consistently overtaken by Invictius and general from Red Crown. I didn't like that she tried using her sex appeal to get out of a situation instead of trying to formulate a plan. While, Rielle to rely on her internal strength and convictions instead of using her sex appeal. I can't read to read the next installment of this book.

**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

I heard so much buzz around this book in the book world, and it was definitely one of the most anticipated books for me this year. I found the plot extremely unique and this book was so ridiculously action packed. It kept me hooked from the first page to the last. The last 25% of the book or so was a bit heavy on the romance, but I felt it worked for the whole story. There were a few very steamy scenes, but they were done in a way that I wasn’t left uncomfortable.There was also a bit of swearing, but nothing too much, in my opinion.

I loved both of our main characters, Rielle and Eliana were such kick ass female characters. I will say they both had qualities that I loved, and a lot I wasn’t a fan of, but isn’t that the way some of the best characters are! The side character worked out well and served (some major) purposes.

I felt like having alternating chapters (which took place thousands of years later) was gonna to be this books biggest downfall. I thought I was going to be confused and it would be hard to follow. Luckily the way it was written made it very easy to follow between each of the alternations. The way everything meshed together just blew my mind. I didn’t see any of it coming, to say I loved it is a major understatement. If you are looking for an action packed fantasy with some romance this one will definitely be for you as well!

This was an intriguing story told in alternating points of view. Instead of having two sections in the book, the book goes back and forward in time to tell the story of Rielle and Eliana. I liked Eliana immediately, the jury is still out for Rielle. The other characters in the Eliana chapters were likeable, specially Simon, Hob, Zahra, and Remy.. I found the Eliana chapters much more engaging than the Rielle chapters.
Not much in terms of world building so I had a hard time imagining the environs and where places were relative to each other. Didn't really understand the prophecy of the Blood Queen and the Sun Queen aside from they have the power to control the seven elements. There are explanations in the end but wish they had found their way in the story-telling also.
There were some holes in the story that I hope will be explained in the next book.
Four stars because I liked the story but found the alternating storylines to be a little off putting, especially since I had a really hard time getting into the Rielle storyline and wished that I could skip them to read the Eliana storyline. But at the same time it was an interesting change to having two sections to the story. Wished the author will intertwine the story at some point to show some parallels between Rielle and Eliana so that having to alternating chapters would make sense.
Will definitely read the next book in the series.
Disclaimer: Received this book for free for NetGalley.

TW: violence, explicit sex scenes

I had to think about what I wanted to rate this book. For most of it, it felt like a 4.5 star, right until the end, when it dropped dramatically to 3.5 star because there are some things I will not compromise on in ratings, and this had one of them. But we'll start with the positive and go from there.

This book has definitely gotten a lot of hype this year, and a good chunk of it is well deserved. Split between two POVs, that of Rielle and that of Eliana, it switches after each chapter, following their separate arcs. I've seen people complain that Rielle is very Mary-Sueish because she can control all seven elements, as told by the prophecy, but I actually kind of liked her. Once she learns to let go of all the restraints on her power, once she embraces it, she does some really nifty things with it. That, and she knows exactly what she wants. She wants to be the Sun Queen, beloved by her people, protector of her country. Meanwhile, there's Eliana a thousand years later, the Dread of Orline, somewhat superhuman and with an empty space carved out where her heart should be, because that's what survival takes. I liked her as well, constantly confronted with the humanity and regret she's worked hard to tamp down in order to protect her little family.

The supporting cast, I thought, was equally delightful. I loved the closeness between Rielle, Audric, and Ludivine, and even though I've seen folks complaining about Audric being a bland love interest, I liked him A LOT. He may be a little underdeveloped, but god, I prefer a kind secondary character who's a little underdeveloped to a developed character who's also a total jerk 98% of the time (no, the 2% of the time spent being not a jerk doesn't redeem him). Bad boys are out, love interests who genuinely treat the MC like the sun and moon and stars are in.

And the supporting cast on Eliana's side? Ohhhhh, I loved Remy, that sweet little kid, that poor thing, dragged into all this. He's so cute, and I just want him to survive the series and have a good life. Princess Navi? Equally good, and I want to see her return in full force. Zahra? A neat concept, and I hope she sticks around and gets more development (plus I have a theory or two about her). Harkan? I want answers, because at least this kid was trying to be a good person, even if Eliana didn't make it easy. Simon? The one exception, for reasons I'll get into in a minute because they make me furious lmao. He's dirt, I don't like him, I probably won't ever like him much, you probably can't change my mind.

Plotwise, I think it could have been a little stronger. Rielle's side was the weaker, focusing on a series of trials without particularly intricate subplots. You also know from the prologue exactly where her story ends up (it's in those first ten-odd pages or so), which works in some books, and doesn't work in others. I haven't decided if the prologue helps or hurts Rielle's story yet, but it is interesting in terms of what you get to piece together as the rest of the story develops. Eliana's story, though, is uncertain and wild and fast-paced, with plenty of danger at every turn that even the Dread of Orline can't possibly face alone. Her stakes, since we don't know where her story will lead, seem much more ominous and real, and her desire to put her family first, especially Remy, really spoke to me as the oldest of three.

Oh, and as a note, both Rielle and Eliana are bi! I'm a little disappointed it's only a little in passing mention, but that doesn't make them any less bi. Also, I'm holding out for a ship I like (and Naviel is a good ship name whoops there I said it).

But here comes the thing I don't like. The thing I hated. The big fat spoiler (BIG APOLOGIES IT'S A SPOILER I'M SORRY). I can't really not mention this because it's genuinely frustrating to me. I hate it. I hate it so much.

In the last bit of the book, it's implied that Eliana and Simon are going to get romantic about it. The thing is, Simon is 8 years older than her, was literally there when she was born, and I can't tell if he zipped from 1000 years ago to present day, or had to live out those 1000 years, but either way, there's an age difference, a power difference that I already don't like, PLUS he spends, like, half the novel skipping around the truth or lying or being rude and crude and BAD BOYS ARE OUT UNTIL THEY LEARN TO NOT BE JERKS DURING DEVELOPMENT OF ROMANTIC SUBPLOTS.

Simon is easily my least favorite character, and I wish he had died during this book because I don't like him one bit. He's also the reason for that full star drop because teenage MCs falling in love with adult men who reciprocate despite all manner of uncomfortable and frankly creepy inequalities between them is my least favorite thing in the entire world, and I HATE IT.

ANYWAYS, BIG FAT SPOILER OVER, CARRY ON.

So on the whole, I loved the concept, I liked the POV characters, I'm hoping for the survival of the side characters. I'm a little disappointed that some of the plot felt a little weak, or that it should have been slightly more resolved within the first book and it's being saved for the rest of the trilogy. I hate the ending, though, because it makes me eighty-two kinds of uncomfortable, especially since this is YA.

All in all, I think I'll be looking for an ARC or a library copy of the sequel when it comes out. I'm invested in the story, interested in seeing how it pans out, but given those final scenes that I hated, I don't think I'll be spending my own money on it until that's done away with, if it's done away with at all instead of encouraged.

I absolutely love strong female characters and this book delivers two of them! There is so much to say and love about this book. The dual timelines was for me, a hit, a spectacular way to deliver this story, and make a major impact to the characters. I loved how we got to see Queen Rielle first and I was immediately intrigued by her. What made her the way she was and why did we get to see someone who is severely hated at her most vulnerable!? This made a huge difference in the way I read the rest of the book and probably why Eliana made me feel frustration beyond words. I could hardly understand the way she viewed the world and her motivations in the things she did it acted. I think we will get a more personable side of her later but as of right now it is very difficult to immerse yourself into her story. There is also a lot of information missing about explanations and reasons behind the queens place in the world and how Rielle achieve so much power. There's just a lot of missing factors that might get cleared up in the next book but as of right now I'm currently driving myself insane with all the possibilities. Overall, I liked how driven the story was and how it kept me firmly planted in that world. The characters were endearing and each had their own struggles and unique qualities that made the story could alive. It was truly highly imaginative and emotionally charged.

This is supposed to be the first book in a trilogy but to be blunt, it really seems like two books.

The first "book" is told from the end and then switches to the beginning of the challenges that made Rielle into the Sun Queen. It isn't unusually for fiction to start at the end these days and I feel like I could have gotten into this part of "Furyborn" if only I hadn't see the ending right away. I struggled to feel empathy with Rielle. The events around her are huge and I never felt as connected because I knew how things were going to end up.

The second is the story of Eliana, the daughter of Rielle who has no idea of her heritage. I felt empathy for Eliana even though she is hardly a totally positive character or a role model. The emotions she has, the choices she makes, they felt real to me and I wanted to see what new choices she made as her story went on.

The biggest problem for me was the every other chapter nature of the layout. Just as I was getting into Eliana's next adventure, I was jerked back into the past and to Rielle's challenges. I really wanted them to each have their own book or at least this book split in half without the back and forth.

Furyborn is the story of two strong young women. Rielle who also has the power over fire which she is training to control and Eliana, whose story takes place 1000 years later, Eliana is a bounty hunter who has the ability to quickly heal from most injury, a secret she fights fiercely to keep hidden.
The way the story begins made it difficult to me to initially get into the story, It felt like I was starting a book in a series already started, like I should have been familiar with the characters and the situation. The story is told from the point of view of either Rielle or Eliana in alternating chapters. Apparently, thousands of years ago the angels were cast out and sealed behind "the gate" for what was supposed to be eternity but some have been escaping. It has been prophesied that a Sun Queen will come to lead the final battle and that there would also be a second queen the Blood Queen.
For just a little bit I kept trying to figure out how these two characters were going to tie together until there was an "A-HA" moment when a name is mentioned and then everything fell into place and it really started to work for me. I ended up really loving the story line which was wonderfully descriptive and extremely original. I understand why I kept seeing such rave reviews! I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

"Some say the Queen was frightened in the last moments. But I'd like to think that she was angry."

Holy Crap. How can you go wrong with an opening like that?
So I know this hasn't even been released yet but i need the next ones in the series. If you love angels, magic, queens, true love (or is it?) assassians, family, what else could you ask for? I loved that each chapter was a different character, and I can't wait to see how they tie in the next book with what she becomes (became?). It had hints of Hunger Games, Throne of Glass but so its own story. You want more high fantasy, you found it here. Please tell me that there are at least 2 more books! I can't wait to read more and immerse myself in their worlds.

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 his character just became lame cardboard. His change was a huge let down because he was one of my favourite characters in the first half. I don't know what happened to him...

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

After getting my hands on Furyborn by Claire Legrand (an advanced reader copy courtesy of NetGalley), I’m officially declaring 2018 as a “girl power” year.
Granted, there is an abundance of books with strong female leads, but I think lately authors have been taking it to a whole new level.
The story centers on two heroines, Rielle and Eliana, separated by hundreds of years. They are both strong, intelligent, talented. To a certain degree, they are both victims- one mistreated by the people in her life, the other by the order of things in her era. Both do what it takes to survive.
I truly enjoyed following their adventures, though Eliana held my interest a little bit more. While Rielle’s story is more focused on her own challenges and a very few people, Eliana has to come out of her “trust circle” in order to achieve her goals. There are so many great characters in this book, and it just happened most of them share story with Eliana (I think that’s why I liked it more).
But prepare yourself for a long journey, guys. Not only the page count is high, the book is so descriptive and covers two different times, it seems even longer. While strong, elaborate writing is definitely a good sign, sometimes it can be overwhelming and weight the story down. Do I regret reading this book? Absolutely not! Do I wish my brain didn’t keep wandering off in some parts of the book which made it seem like forever before I turned the last page? Definitely.
But I can say with 100% assurance that I will be reading the next book in the series to see how this story ends.

I wasn't sure if this book could live up to the hype but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the dual perspectives, and even though I had a guess at what connected them the book did a good job of keeping me on my toes. I would say I was pretty engrossed in the individual stories, and I actually found that the perspectives switching every chapter kept me more interested in the book.

As for characters I found Rielle the more compelling of the 2 main characters due to the fact that there was more intrigue surrounding her character and development, as well as the fact that I just enjoyed her relationships with the other side characters in her timeline more (especially her love interest).

I ended up find Elliana to be pretty unlikable (read: kind of a bitch). She kept doing the dumbest things, treated those around her pretty badly, and I found she didn't really develop out of these things in this book (hopefully she will in the second one). I also didn't really like her love interest (the second one I guess), but I did enjoy the other side characters around her.

I'm looking forward to continuing the trilogy as there were definitely some questions left unanswered that I want answers to, but I'm sad that I'll have to wait a whole year (??) for the next book.

*Please note I received an ARC copy through BookishFirst*

*Review originally posted on lysskreads.wordpress.com

Let me just say right now, Furyborn was fantastic. When I was accepted to review this book through Netgalley, I was beyond excited. I’d heard a lot of good things about this book from other reviewers and could not wait to get my hands on it. I blew through this story.. it was impossible to put down.

The prologue of this book assured me that I was in for a wild ride. In such a small portion of the book, you experience a whole range of emotion, brutality, blood, and you’re pulled into the mystery of who the Blood Queen is and what lead her here.

Rielle and Eliana are the MCs of this story, in different time periods, who are connected in more ways than we could imagine. Rielle was a very relatable character, and while I knew what lay ahead of her, I was rooting for her throughout the entire book. Eliana was less favorable, but I was still anxious to see what she did next.

Furyborn was action-packed and sooo much better than I expected it to be. It kept me guessing, kept my attention, and kept my heart. In the span of one book, you find out that just one moment can change everything, one moment can change you. You never really know how you’ll react to a situation until you’re faced with it, and when it’s something you never imagined to happen.. what then?

The characters were wonderfully written, the world-building was so refreshing, and the story had me enraptured from the first sentence.

Read Furyborn. The synopsis made it sound interesting enough to pick up, but the story had me pre-ordering the book, looking up the author, and frustrated because I need the next book. I NEED IT.

I think I’ve said this before, but there was a time last year where I was burned out on the same old YA fantasy story. I wanted something new, something fresh, something exciting. I didn’t it know it then, but what I wanted was this story.

Rielle and Eliana are badass. There is no other word for them. Rielle, a close friend of the royal family of Celdaria, must stand by while the love of her life Audric marries their best friend Ludivine. But that doesn’t stop Rielle from saving Audric’s life, and in the process, outing herself as one of the two possible queens of a prophecy. Rielle has to pass a series of tests to prove that she is the Sun Queen, the good queen, and not the Blood Queen, the one that will bring death and destruction. As she goes forward in these tests, she is aided by her friends and a voice which only she can hear, a voice of a creature named Corien, a creature that could be her downfall.

Eliana is a trained assassin who works for her kingdom, all so she can keep her family clothed and fed. She must shut down her heart in order to fulfill her duties, and that makes Eliana, in simple terms, one tough cookie. When her mother is kidnapped – one among many – Eliana sets out to get her back, making a pact with the dangerous Wolf, an elusive figure with his own seedy reputation. Eliana and her younger brother Remy must quickly figure out who to trust and who to fight if they ever want to see their mother again.

I’m going to be honest: the link between the two women is pretty immediately known, although the rest of their backstories is not. I think I figured out who they were within the first couple of chapters, but that didn’t stop me from devouring this book. It’s not about who Eliana is, or her connection to anyone, but the journey these two young women must go on before they can understand themselves. There might also be some sexiness during their journey, and that’s just something that they’re going to have to deal with.

And, oh, boy, do these women deal with it.

Since we’re talking about sexiness for a moment: the honesty in the book is refreshing. Rielle and Eliana have lovers, and the sex scenes are kind of explicit, and as weird as it sounds, it was nice to read. I’ve never been one for the fading out sex scenes, or the ones where it ends with a coy smile and a wink. We know what’s going to happen next, and if the scene gives us more insight in the relationship between the two characters, then go for it. Audric and Rielle are hot, and by the end, I knew I needed more than just a chaste kiss or two between them. Eliana believes she has no heart, but that doesn’t stop her from falling into bed with her hot assassin friend Harkan. She’s honest with what they are about, and neither of them are expecting more.

It’s fresh and new and that’s terribly sad to think about.

These women are fighting for their lives against crazed men who have nothing better to do with their lives than put women through trials and tribulations. Rielle has a legitimate excuse to kill every man around her, and Eliana doesn’t wait for the excuse. I mean, sign me up, right? These two are amazing, and it only makes sense that there’s going to be a hundred books about both of them. Oh? No? Well, I guess I’ll have to live with three.

This book took me a little bit to get into but I am so glad that I did. The tale of mother and daughter 100s of years apart is awesome. The struggle with overwhelming power and humanity is telling and wonderful. Once you think how one feels you learn that it's not that way.

This story takes you through a magical world with 7 elements and angels. An unknown prophet and an emperor that reminds you of Darth Vader, complete with the army that seems to not think for themselves. A killer who tries to hide the pain from her kills. Trying to stay cold, for if she feels one way she fears the gates will open and she will be flooded and lost.

Just wonderful. It takes a moment to get into each story as this is a book that tells two tales in one. It is awesome. There are moments you will love and hate both of the main characters and that's ok. That's how it's supposed to be. I have to say there were a few things at the end that I didn't see coming at all and that was refreshing as it's tiring to nearly always guess what is coming next.

When this book comes out, it's a must-read. I think you will enjoy it. I must ask how long until the next one comes out?

Furyborn is a book about two women, a millennia apart, who both have incredible destinies. They are very alike and different from each other and we follow as they try to survive in a world that is getting increasingly dangerous.

First of all, it took me a long while to start or finish his book because I got really hung up on the differing p.o.v in the differing time frames. The book doesn’t do a great job in terms of exposition right away. It took a about half way through this book to actually get a hang of going back and forth and what that means for the worlds.

What this book did do well was establishing the type of main characters we are following. I really grew supper attached to these characters in their own ways. If you know anything about me, it’s that I love good characters and I feel like this book gave me that.

I really liked the way that the stories of the two leads intersected in round-about ways in their own separate times. It made the book feel more cohesive and really brought together the world that they live in.

I also was very interested in the world once it was established. However, it was constantly reminding me of other book I’d read with similar worlds which was distracting. While, I really liked this book on it’s own. I was constantly thinking about how similar it was to other fantasy YA worlds.I still really enjoyed this book and definitely think that it’s worth a read.

When I saw this book on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. The description grabbed me & it sounded like a book that I would fall in love with. Once I finally found time to read the book it grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, I wound out of time to physically read the book so I ended up buying the audiobook. When I first listened to the narrator's voice I was hesitant but by the end I loved it. Fiona Hardingham (Narrator)just added a little bit more to the story. I was so glad that I switched to audiobook that I think it added a half star to my rating.

My rating would be a 4.5 but since I cannot do a half star I'm going to round up to 5. The plot was fascinating and I loved all of the characters that I read. This book was jam packed with action, swoon worthy heroes, and some really powerful women. I loved that Rielle & Eliana had their flaws and I loved that we got to know them on a fundemental level. It was fun to see the growth in them.

All in all, I really liked this story. I probably wouldn't consider it young adult though. I think it belongs in the adult fantasy section.

SPOILERS ABOUND PPL --The prologue is excellent, but the rest of book is a drag. I was quite surprised by the sexual content within, a lot more graphic than I would expect and along with language used here and there I would suggest this for the older crowd only.

I mainly got interested in this book since I heard it would have bisexual representation. Both main characters are ambiguous and leans toward being morally gray. But, I just couldn’t connect with any of these characters. Elianna reminds me of Celaena Sardothian/Aelin from the 'Throne of Glass series. I didn't really care for Rielle's story. I didn't really care for her and Audric's romance or life. There is a really weird love triangle between Rielle, Audric, and Corien. Isn't he literally A VOICE IN HER HEAD?? How is she attracted to a voice in her head?? Though I did like that the angels are the bad guys in this one. I would definitely recommend this one to any high fantasy lovers. If you like ToG, you will probably love this one.

Okay, so one of the descriptions on the product page lists this as feminist fantasy. I mean...okay. We have women being strong and kicking butt, but there wasn't anything about it that struck me as any different from any of the other kickass women in fantasy.

You have an epic tale of two queens. It takes a long time for the stories to finally meld together.

I found Rielle's story to be far more fascinating and cohesive than Eliana's. I liked both women, but Rielle kicked butt!

The world building needed just a bit of work. You've got 1,000 years between these women, but the only thing that seemed to differ in their worlds was the addition of guns and pants for women. 1,000 years should show differences in everything - culture, language, social strata...just everything. The thing is, it all felt like the same time period.

Much of the storytelling is truly epic. Some of the scenes - especially Rielle's - are extremely cinematic. As you read, you can just see Rielle going through her trials and they're truly awesome.

I'm in for book 2.

Little nitpicks aside, I enjoyed this read. It was surprisingly fast for such a big book and I really did lose myself in our characters.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. I want to mention immediately that this book felt more NA (New Adult) than YA, the characters range from 16 to 20, there is a lot of violence, and sexual tension. I'm not saying that as a criticism either, I was actually hesitant to read this book because I wasn't interested in reading a YA book at the moment.
Furyborn is fast paced and action packed, I throughly enjoyed it. The story alternates between the Blood Queen Rielle and possible Sun Queen Eliana. Both characters are misunderstood kickass women. Each narration is unique and so action packed that it was often frustrating switching to the next character. I probably prefer Eliana but its honestly a toss up because the author, Claire Legrand, does an excellent job making you fall in love with these flawed, strong characters. From the very beginning this book grabs you and doesn't let you go.
The one thing that bothered me about this book was the amount of detail. This is the first book so the author is, understandably, trying to set the world/setting but it was a little overwhelming. It took a while but I got the gist of things a third of the way through and I think the second book will be an easier read.
Overall this was an excellent book and I eagerly the second book!
*ARC generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Review written by Sabrina Forney.

Thank you, Claire, for writing this epic fantasy of headstrong, powerful women.

Furyborn’s chapters alternate between two points of view that, although they are separated by a thousand years, both face institutionalized corruption as they fight to survive to protect their secrets and those they love.

Rielle has spent her life in the royal court hiding that she can control all seven elemental powers, while being trained in secret. Eliana, a bounty hunter one thousand years later, has resigned herself to a life of violence to support her injured mother and younger brother in a generation where magic has disappeared. I love the magical world-building where the elements have become a form of religion with influence on the monarchy and I look forward to learning more about the individual elements and delving more into their history and their involvement with the angels, as well as its downfall, in books two and three.

For the first few chapters, it is a little jarring to go from one to the other. Once you have adjusted and are absorbed by the two storylines, the switch just makes it even more difficult to put the book down. You can’t just read one more chapter, you must read two to find out what happens next.
The characters in this book are primarily morally gray, especially the two main protagonists. You will love them, but also often disagree with their choices as they fight their way through a series of threatening situations. This was an overall great read and I look forward to continuing the series.

I think I’ve said this before, but there was a time last year where I was burned out on the same old YA fantasy story. I wanted something new, something fresh, something exciting. I didn’t it know it then, but what I wanted was this story.

Rielle and Eliana are badass. There is no other word for them. Rielle, a close friend of the royal family of Celdaria, must stand by while the love of her life Audric marries their best friend Ludivine. But that doesn’t stop Rielle from saving Audric’s life, and in the process, outing herself as one of the two possible queens of a prophecy. Rielle has to pass a series of tests to prove that she is the Sun Queen, the good queen, and not the Blood Queen, the one that will bring death and destruction. As she goes forward in these tests, she is aided by her friends and a voice which only she can hear, a voice of a creature named Corien, a creature that could be her downfall.

Eliana is a trained assassin who works for her kingdom, all so she can keep her family clothed and fed. She must shut down her heart in order to fulfill her duties, and that makes Eliana, in simple terms, one tough cookie. When her mother is kidnapped – one among many – Eliana sets out to get her back, making a pact with the dangerous Wolf, an elusive figure with his own seedy reputation. Eliana and her younger brother Remy must quickly figure out who to trust and who to fight if they ever want to see their mother again.

I’m going to be honest: the link between the two women is pretty immediately known, although the rest of their backstories is not. I think I figured out who they were within the first couple of chapters, but that didn’t stop me from devouring this book. It’s not about who Eliana is, or her connection to anyone, but the journey these two young women must go on before they can understand themselves. There might also be some sexiness during their journey, and that’s just something that they’re going to have to deal with.

And, oh, boy, do these women deal with it.

Since we’re talking about sexiness for a moment: the honesty in the book is refreshing. Rielle and Eliana have lovers, and the sex scenes are kind of explicit, and as weird as it sounds, it was nice to read. I’ve never been one for the fading out sex scenes, or the ones where it ends with a coy smile and a wink. We know what’s going to happen next, and if the scene gives us more insight in the relationship between the two characters, then go for it. Audric and Rielle are hot, and by the end, I knew I needed more than just a chaste kiss or two between them. Eliana believes she has no heart, but that doesn’t stop her from falling into bed with her hot assassin friend Harkan. She’s honest with what they are about, and neither of them are expecting more.

It’s fresh and new and that’s terribly sad to think about.

These women are fighting for their lives against crazed men who have nothing better to do with their lives than put women through trials and tribulations. Rielle has a legitimate excuse to kill every man around her, and Eliana doesn’t wait for the excuse. I mean, sign me up, right? These two are amazing, and it only makes sense that there’s going to be a hundred books about both of them. Oh? No? Well, I guess I’ll have to live with three.

This book took me a little bit to get into but I am so glad that I did. The tale of mother and daughter 100s of years apart is awesome. The struggle with overwhelming power and humanity is telling and wonderful. Once you think how one feels you learn that it's not that way.

This story takes you through a magical world with 7 elements and angels. An unknown prophet and an emperor that reminds you of Darth Vader, complete with the army that seems to not think for themselves. A killer who tries to hide the pain from her kills. Trying to stay cold, for if she feels one way she fears the gates will open and she will be flooded and lost.

Just wonderful. It takes a moment to get into each story as this is a book that tells two tales in one. It is awesome. There are moments you will love and hate both of the main characters and that's ok. That's how it's supposed to be. I have to say there were a few things at the end that I didn't see coming at all and that was refreshing as it's tiring to nearly always guess what is coming next.

When this book comes out, it's a must-read. I think you will enjoy it. I must ask how long until the next one comes out?

Furyborn is a book about two women, a millennia apart, who both have incredible destinies. They are very alike and different from each other and we follow as they try to survive in a world that is getting increasingly dangerous.

First of all, it took me a long while to start or finish his book because I got really hung up on the differing p.o.v in the differing time frames. The book doesn’t do a great job in terms of exposition right away. It took a about half way through this book to actually get a hang of going back and forth and what that means for the worlds.

What this book did do well was establishing the type of main characters we are following. I really grew supper attached to these characters in their own ways. If you know anything about me, it’s that I love good characters and I feel like this book gave me that.

I really liked the way that the stories of the two leads intersected in round-about ways in their own separate times. It made the book feel more cohesive and really brought together the world that they live in.

I also was very interested in the world once it was established. However, it was constantly reminding me of other book I’d read with similar worlds which was distracting. While, I really liked this book on it’s own. I was constantly thinking about how similar it was to other fantasy YA worlds.I still really enjoyed this book and definitely think that it’s worth a read.

When I saw this book on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. The description grabbed me & it sounded like a book that I would fall in love with. Once I finally found time to read the book it grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, I wound out of time to physically read the book so I ended up buying the audiobook. When I first listened to the narrator's voice I was hesitant but by the end I loved it. Fiona Hardingham (Narrator)just added a little bit more to the story. I was so glad that I switched to audiobook that I think it added a half star to my rating.

My rating would be a 4.5 but since I cannot do a half star I'm going to round up to 5. The plot was fascinating and I loved all of the characters that I read. This book was jam packed with action, swoon worthy heroes, and some really powerful women. I loved that Rielle & Eliana had their flaws and I loved that we got to know them on a fundemental level. It was fun to see the growth in them.

All in all, I really liked this story. I probably wouldn't consider it young adult though. I think it belongs in the adult fantasy section.

SPOILERS ABOUND PPL --The prologue is excellent, but the rest of book is a drag. I was quite surprised by the sexual content within, a lot more graphic than I would expect and along with language used here and there I would suggest this for the older crowd only.

I mainly got interested in this book since I heard it would have bisexual representation. Both main characters are ambiguous and leans toward being morally gray. But, I just couldn’t connect with any of these characters. Elianna reminds me of Celaena Sardothian/Aelin from the 'Throne of Glass series. I didn't really care for Rielle's story. I didn't really care for her and Audric's romance or life. There is a really weird love triangle between Rielle, Audric, and Corien. Isn't he literally A VOICE IN HER HEAD?? How is she attracted to a voice in her head?? Though I did like that the angels are the bad guys in this one. I would definitely recommend this one to any high fantasy lovers. If you like ToG, you will probably love this one.

Okay, so one of the descriptions on the product page lists this as feminist fantasy. I mean...okay. We have women being strong and kicking butt, but there wasn't anything about it that struck me as any different from any of the other kickass women in fantasy.

You have an epic tale of two queens. It takes a long time for the stories to finally meld together.

I found Rielle's story to be far more fascinating and cohesive than Eliana's. I liked both women, but Rielle kicked butt!

The world building needed just a bit of work. You've got 1,000 years between these women, but the only thing that seemed to differ in their worlds was the addition of guns and pants for women. 1,000 years should show differences in everything - culture, language, social strata...just everything. The thing is, it all felt like the same time period.

Much of the storytelling is truly epic. Some of the scenes - especially Rielle's - are extremely cinematic. As you read, you can just see Rielle going through her trials and they're truly awesome.

I'm in for book 2.

Little nitpicks aside, I enjoyed this read. It was surprisingly fast for such a big book and I really did lose myself in our characters.

FURYBORN is a door stopper kickoff to a new YA fantasy trilogy. Books structured with one character in the past and one in the present normally don’t appeal to me, but here I liked the initial descriptions for both Rielle and Eliana. I’m on a big royalty kick lately, so I was especially excited for Rielle’s chapters.

The prologue/beginning was the best part of FURYBORN for me, but in a way, also the worst part. The prologue captured my interest. I instantly wanted to know more about Rielle, her powers, her world, the angels, etc. But the prologue spoils Rielle’s fate. I already knew she would pass the trials, so I didn’t care too much about how she passed them or her feelings for Audric.

I was so bored reading FURYBORN. If I’m going to slog my way through a 500 page book, I do not want to be bored! The book was rushrushrush action yet it didn’t feel like a lot happened. Looking back, I just don’t care about the story or the characters.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. I want to mention immediately that this book felt more NA (New Adult) than YA, the characters range from 16 to 20, there is a lot of violence, and sexual tension. I'm not saying that as a criticism either, I was actually hesitant to read this book because I wasn't interested in reading a YA book at the moment.
Furyborn is fast paced and action packed, I throughly enjoyed it. The story alternates between the Blood Queen Rielle and possible Sun Queen Eliana. Both characters are misunderstood kickass women. Each narration is unique and so action packed that it was often frustrating switching to the next character. I probably prefer Eliana but its honestly a toss up because the author, Claire Legrand, does an excellent job making you fall in love with these flawed, strong characters. From the very beginning this book grabs you and doesn't let you go.
The one thing that bothered me about this book was the amount of detail. This is the first book so the author is, understandably, trying to set the world/setting but it was a little overwhelming. It took a while but I got the gist of things a third of the way through and I think the second book will be an easier read.
Overall this was an excellent book and I eagerly the second book!
*ARC generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Review written by Sabrina Forney.

Thank you, Claire, for writing this epic fantasy of headstrong, powerful women.

Furyborn’s chapters alternate between two points of view that, although they are separated by a thousand years, both face institutionalized corruption as they fight to survive to protect their secrets and those they love.

Rielle has spent her life in the royal court hiding that she can control all seven elemental powers, while being trained in secret. Eliana, a bounty hunter one thousand years later, has resigned herself to a life of violence to support her injured mother and younger brother in a generation where magic has disappeared. I love the magical world-building where the elements have become a form of religion with influence on the monarchy and I look forward to learning more about the individual elements and delving more into their history and their involvement with the angels, as well as its downfall, in books two and three.

For the first few chapters, it is a little jarring to go from one to the other. Once you have adjusted and are absorbed by the two storylines, the switch just makes it even more difficult to put the book down. You can’t just read one more chapter, you must read two to find out what happens next.
The characters in this book are primarily morally gray, especially the two main protagonists. You will love them, but also often disagree with their choices as they fight their way through a series of threatening situations. This was an overall great read and I look forward to continuing the series.

Furyborn was fantastic!! I love a good story with strong female characters and this book did not disappoint!

Inside is a story about Rielle and Eliana. Told hundreds of years apart. One is the Sun Queen while the other is the Blood Queen but which is which is for you to read and find out. Their stories are sad. They’re heroic. They’re intense and suspenseful. They’re intriguing.

I did not want to put this book down it was just that good. I would be lying if I said it was without flaws. It wasn’t. At first I couldn’t get into it. I was confused and I couldn’t connect to the characters because of the huge time difference but that didn’t last long. Once I understood who was who and what time they were in it became addicting. I was consumed by it. I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters and the lives they were leading.

Furyborn is unique. It’s filled with fantasy, suspense, magic, love and the perfect amount of angst. I love it so much and I can’t wait, absolutely can not wait, until book 2!!!

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Book 1 of a trilogy. Fantasy. Alternating chapters between Rielle and Eliane, young women living a thousand years apart. Each soon to be Queen. Their powers define them.
War, power struggles and oppression.
So much killing. So much violence. Thousands of innocents, the poor and weak, their families, friends and even the horses. Much to graphic and senseless for me. And very, very long.

Rielle has numerous powers and must prove her abilities with trial after trial. I keep thinking Hunger Games. Eliane is running for her life with her brother trying to find her mother, constantly fighting for survival. Both must prove to themselves their worth.
Not a cliffhanger but not the end of the stories either.

If you like fantasy a la Game of Thrones, with power struggles, under-handed devious game playing and a plethora of death, this might be for you. Many people are loving this fantasy world.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

This is an adult or new adult high fantasy story, which is based on a prophesy about the rise of Sun Queen and a Blood Queen. The Sun Queen is prophesied to save the kingdom, and the Blood Queen to destroy it.

The prologue was amazing and set the tone for the entire book. The prologue begins with Queen Rielle giving birth and sending her baby to safety via a small boy named Simon. She does this after the death of her husband, to protect her child from an angel named Corien.

The book then shifts to two years previous to these events. We follow Rielle’s journey prior to becoming a Queen. She is forced by her father to hide her magic, as magic is uncommon, especially possessing more than one type of magic, and Rielle possesses all seven kinds of elemental magic.
Rielle uses her magic to save the life of her friend, the prince. Once it is known that she possesses magic, she must endure Trials to test her magic and to prove she is the Sun Queen and not the Blood Queen.

We also follow Eliana, whose story takes place a thousand years in the future. Elaina is known as the Dread of Orline, a bounty hunter. She hunts rebels for the Empire in order to keep her family alive and safe. But women are disappearing, and no one knows why, or even seems to care. Until Eliana’s mother disappears. Then Elaina begins to search for her mother and the other missing women. She teams up with the captain of a rebel group who promises to help her find her mother.

This book is action packed and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I struggled a bit in the beginning keeping track of which storyline I was following, but that didn’t last long. The story is told in alternating perspectives between the two women. Each woman has her “squad”, and I loved all of the side characters. They were all well fleshed out and I would read a book based on each of them. I can’t wait to see where the story continues.

Furyborn reads a lot like Throne of Glass and its peers, with lots of action, a massive cast, and definite anti-heroines. Yes, two of them. It's this large cast and the 1100 year jump in time each chapter (with POV change) that made the first third of the book confusing. By the time I finally figured out what was going on and who was who, things were changing so fast that the people and events just blurred.

I can't explain without getting into some spoilers, but there were also a bunch of things that were just... too dark given the current political climate. Perhaps when this trilogy is over and there's a promise of resolution, I would react better to the book?

As it stands right now, I'm giving the book a "fine" review as it's nothing I'm going to rave about to my friends but also isn't poorly written. It will most likely appeal to a variety of fantasy readers, just not me.

Review: Furyborn: The Empirium Trilogy (Book 1) by Claire LeGrand
ISBN: 978-1-4926-5662-3

I *just* finished the book and I am already looking forward to the next one. I have many questions about what is to come, and how things will transpire.

This was the first book I've read by this author, and wasn't sure what to expect. I can easily say I was pleasantly surprised. The storyline is well thought out and conceived, splendidly written and entertaining. The characters have depth and the kingdoms that Ms. LeGrand designed - as well as their beliefs, mythologies and more - show how much work and energy went in to creating such an enjoyable tale. Her creativity shows in the colorful, detailed descriptions, as well as the flow and energy that is felt while reading this tale of fantasy. Anyone who enjoys this genre will surely be delighted by reading this book.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an *honest* review. I would like to thank both the author and the publisher for this wonderful opportunity. I look forward to reading more from this particular author!

The fantastical story of two women separated by generations who contain within themselves the power to manipulate the elements.
Figures of legendary powers who will either save or destroy their world.
The plot alternates chapter by chapter from Reille Dardenne to Eliana Ferracora, separated by a thousand years, having in common the legends of the prophesied queens of light and blood.
Reille hides from herself the truth about her powers until she must let them blast forward to save her best friend Audric.
Eliana too hides in plain sight with her brother Remy Ferracora (a rather extraordinary young boy) and mother.
Eliana or Dread, who carries the knife, Arabeth, is an assassin who is thrust into a further world of fear and darkness when girls and young women start disappearing. What she discovers is shocking, insane and monstrous.
Certainly a world full of darkness and despair that draws you in.

A NetGalley ARC

It took me a while to get into "Furyborn" by Claire Legrand, but once I did I liked it. I think I'm a definite outlier with this opinion, but it almost started too fast--there was so much going on and I didn't feel like I'd had enough time to get to know the characters and care about what happened to them. I also read the beginning so slowly that I forgot/missed major details until later that would have helped the story make more sense. That's my own fault.
Once Rielle and Audric started getting together and once Simon found Eliana, I started to feel invested in the story. It improved from there.
I kind of wish they would have cut out or really condensed Rielle's trials--those we're repetitive and boring for me. I would have rather spent more time progressing her narrative.
The sex scene between her and Audric is one of the best I have ever read. It was realistic without being gross and a good example for young teens of how things should be between two consenting people who love each other, while still being super heart-pounding. I loved it.
I definitely still have a lot of questions and don't feel as grounded in the world and how it works as I would like to be. But I am curious to see what happens next, for sure.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.

OH MY WORD. I can't believe I have to wait so long for Book 2. I LOVED this book. Lemme break it down for you now:
-fantastic, deep, and wonderful heroines. This will get me literally. every. single. time. And I love them both. I want to marry them, and cuddle them, and be their best friend (even though it's a totally dangerous job that would get me killed -but they're worth it!)
-the world building is so amazingly rich. Not only do we get to see how the magic works, but there's also deeper layers within.
-masterful plot. I mean truly. Not only in the dual perspective narratives and the different times, but also the sheer scope of the series.

-AND a million other small details: like the maps, and the quotes at the beginning of the chapters, and all those other touches that make a book ABOVE and BEYOND.

First of all, let me help future readers out for a minute; there's a section at the end of the book dedicated to giving you a little 4-1-1 on the world our characters live in in Furyborn. Check this out first and save yourself some confusion upfront.

Having said that, yes, the beginning is a bit confusing. The prologue was a trip to be sure. Legrand picks your mind up and drops you into her world with little regard to the fall. Fortunately, it's a short fall into said world; you get caught up to speed at about 30 pages in, give or take...if you chose to disregard my pro tip at the beginning of this review that is....(I took the time to include that gem; don't waste it!) I was quickly able to grasp the majority of the concepts and magic system and buckle down for the story ahead. Just shy of 80 pages in, I was hooked and unable to focus on anything else. Even work. Like at all. ...It wasn't until after I had finished the book that I realized there were over 500 pages to this book that I just consumed in about seven days. Managing to inhale a book of 500+ pages in seven days is a big deal for me...

Alright a few warnings for the unaware readers out there; sex, murder, violence, animal cruelty, immorality, promiscuity, and fbombs abound...

This book has a GOOD premise. I really liked how it was structured in combination with the gap of time between the two women and their stories. With each chapter alternating between the view points of Rielle in her time and Eliana a 1000 years later, it made me anxious to find out how they tied in together. I really liked this. It made me want to read more and more until I understood how they were connected. I also liked how long it took for that connection to be revealed.

The plot was... initially, just okay, but improved a bit over the course of the book. I enjoyed the plot of Rielle's part of the story, it flowed well and for the most part didn't make me cringe...the plot, not her character...I'll get to that in a minute. Eliana's though....action, fighting, escape, recoup, and repeat for way too many times before we get to the crux of the story - the final battle, if you will. I do enjoy a plight of action and survival, but this one was overwrought. I feel like Legrand really could have cut out at least a few of these set-ups and scenes and still accomplished the same thing. I like the direction the plot is going...now that we're going there a bit more decisively...there are a few caveats that I'm leaving out at the moment, though. There were some obvious directions the plot was going to go and will probably go, but anymore I've come to find that some cliches are just part of the gig.

I liked both Rielle and Eliana. They've got their flaws, for sure, but I did enjoy reading about them. Eliana more so than Rielle. Rielle...well she needs a little less focus on how powerful she is and more focus on being in control of not only her powers, but her non-powered-human-self too. That chick is all over the place. The more I read from her point of view the more I found myself disturbed by her character.Eliana. My biggest complaint about her character is that she seems indecisive about who she is. Is she reeeaaally the cold-hearted, cruel "Dread of Orline" or is she fooling herself and everyone else around her?? Either be the badarse bounty hunter you're made out to be or be the ashamed, angsty girl you crumble into when alone for more than five minutes. Pick one.I also enjoyed Simon's character, he was probably my favorite for most of the book. He kinda got on my nerves in the last action scene and subsequent ending to the book though...some how the strong, mysterious character he'd been throughout the book began unraveling as Eliana came to know more about...well everything. By the end of the book it seemed like we were left with this almost creepily devoted man with a penchant for codependency. The peripheral characters were okay but they definitely could have used some more depth. I'd spend more time introducing them than talking about them so I'm not going to waste my time or yours.

The inter-character relationships could use some improvement. I liked Eliana and Simon's relationship but I had a hard time connecting with Harkan, Rozen, and even Remy who are all "important" in Eliana's life. On the other side of our time gap...I was wholly unimpressed by the character relationships with Rielle....Yeah, I'm sitting here trying to pick through my brain to come up with something about them, but the main parts about Rielle's chapters that I remember are about power and the Sun Queen Trials. How sad.

The writing was good in that I didn't feel like I was reading, which is always a good sign for me and almost always indicative of a speedy read. However, there were some gag-inducing-what-the-eff-provoking, abominable lines that were off-putting.

In short, I liked it but I didn't love it. The premise and the writing are the saving graces of this book and ultimately what held my interest the most. It was a quick read despite the towering number of pages - probably due to the writing. It's got some things I didn't like and some things I hope improve with the next book in the series. ...Which I'm fairly certain I'll be picking up.

Ok so one thing to say is this book definitely keeps you turning pages! I really enjoyed Reilles point of view and her world. It's sad to know how it ends up from reading the Prologue but it is interesting to see exactly how she gets to that point. Elliana on the other hand is just awful. She's so unlikeable as a main character and constantly seems to get herself into situations that seem unlikely when you carry around a title such as "The Dread". I do wish there had been some explanation for her powers and a little more backstory on the angels. Like where did they originally come from? Why were they all locked up if some are good and some are bad? Why hadn't anyone realized the gate was breaking down? What's so awful about the marques they were being hunted? Hopefully all these questions will be explained in the next book and we'll be get more explanation to everything that's going on in Ellianas world.

I’ve started to really dive into the fantasy YA genre, and Furyborn was a solid fit. The premise was fascinating to me, one queen tasked to seven trials, and one a tough bounty hunter. Which queen will save the world and which queen will destroy it?

I very much wanted to know more about how the two characters fit together, a thousand years apart. Between the two, I much preferred Rielle, she was a more likeable and sympathetic character. Unfortunately, the opening of the book shows her as more of a monster, so that knowledge hangs over her throughout the book. Eliana seems to be the character we should be rooting for, but even with a lovable brother, her constant threats to everyone she encounters make her hard to like.

The novel started off slowly for me, but about halfway through I started to care more for all of the characters, and there are many to keep track of. I thought I would mind each chapter flipping back and forth between characters more than I actually did, although I was much more interested in the Rielle chapters. My biggest issue is that I felt like too much of the book was given away at the beginning. I’m hoping the next book can really take us somewhere unexpected.

Part one of a trilogy, I will definitely continue reading the series. I received an ARC for my honest review.

I've always said that I've never really been a big fan of fantasy, although I tend to enjoy it when it's mixed with a little bit of Sci-Fi. For that reason, I've only picked up a couple YA fantasy books by choice. After winning an ARC of Furyborn from BookishFirst.com (THANK YOU!), I picked up the book and started reading...

And after reading and reading and reading, and then finally realizing what time it was, and that I had to go to work the next day, (I read a little bit more and) I *then* went to bed. As soon as I got home from work the next day, I picked it up again, and I was officially hooked. So from this point on, I'm going to give Fantasy a chance before I immediately write it off.

This book tells the story of two queens, and, without spoilers, it's hard to say how they relate to each other in any way. The chapters alternate between the two main characters' storylines, and somehow it seemed that each chapter would end with a minor cliffhanger. I'd hate that a chapter ended, only to be stoked to get back to the other main story. It's a bizarre feeling, but one that lends itself very well to a long book such as Furyborn.

The characters were compelling, and while you want to dislike them due to how they're portrayed, a felt a fondness for both main characters throughout the entire book. While this is marketed as a Young Adult book, I feel that any adult could read this and enjoy it. Both main characters are 18, but both characters have to act older than their age for different reasons. While I prefer the YA genre, I don't think this necessarily *has* to be marketed as YA. It holds it own as a strong piece of literature and definitely crosses genres, in my opinion.

The book ended at a great point, wrapping up both stories nicely, while also providing for a sequel. (This is a trilogy, after all...) I'll definitely be picking up the next installment of the book, and I'm actually a little bummed at how long I'll have to wait... ;)

????.5

I absolutely loved this book! I had heard very mixed views previously but I absolutely adored it, the world building, the narrative, all of it. This is kind of like Throne of Glass meets The Fallen meets Song of Blood and Stone. You know what it means when you have to use three different series to try and cover everything in a book? It means it’s a new and original idea and you’re grasping at straws trying to adequately explain it.

The story is told from the varying perspectives of two awesome, powerful and strong heroines, each fully rounded with fears, flaws and wit and both were great. The varying perspectives also take place in different time periods that would ordinarily confuse me because YA Fantasy novels never seem to strike the balance right but this was more in the way of how Scott Lynch writes his Gentleman Bastard Sequence, each is relevant to the other but makes intriguing and exciting narratives alone too. At the end of every chapter I was itching to continue with that narrative and see what happened but just a few lines into the other and that had me hooked too, it was most conflicting – but in a good way.

I don’t think the two stories separately would have been as interesting but together they were spectacular.

As you probably know I try to be balanced in my reviews so in the spirit if being fair my only issues were Ludivine’s dialogue and the propensity of the majority of the lead characters to try and fix all their problems with sex. Like everything, trauma, adversity, war, depression, guilt – when confronted with anything it felt like Rielle and Eliana’s first port of call to fix it was to get their leg over with whoever they were with. Luckily the men and women in their lives knew them well enough to make them actually face their problems but this response doesn’t alter even at the end and I think it would have been good character development for it to have stopped at the 75% mark.

What was my problem with Ludivine’s dialogue? She’s a question-talker. What’s a question-talker? Well, it’s someone who makes every point by first posing a question to themselves and them answering themselves, often in trains of three. Do I have a problem with this? Yes, because it’s freaking annoying!

It’s something writers usually use to make you find a character annoying, but we were supposed to like Ludivine but every time she spoke I was just like please, shut up.

That aside, this was such a great read and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

This book was amazing. It was phenomenal. I had high hopes going into this book and boy did it not disappoint. It was long and action-packed and I loved it.

If you aren't aware, this book alternates perspectives every chapter. The first perspective is from Rielle in Celdaria and the second is from Eliana, a thousand years later in Orline. I've definitely grown over the years and have started liking multiple-POV books more than I used to and this one was amazing. I always felt connected to the characters and I know that these ones will stay with me for a long time.

Things I Like About This Book:
-morally ambiguous characters
-the complex side characters that aren't there just to further the mains
-the magic and lore
-Simon and Audric (be still my beating heart)
-the fact that there were cliffhangers almost every chapter
-EVERYTHING!

Things I Didn't Like About This Book:
-the fact that there wasn't more for me to read immediately?
-nothing

This book was simply phenomenal. I loved every second of reading it and I never wanted it to end. I swear, the last 150 pages or so were such a fast read for me. I didn't even have time to comprehend that I was near the end before it was over.

Each chapter alternated perspectives so it felt like a cliffhanger at the end of each and I loved that so much. It was a long and action-packed book, but because of my connection to the characters and the cliffhangers that I wanted to know the resolution of, I never felt overwhelmed or bored while reading.

These characters were all flawed in their own ways. I can't wait for book two so that I can see how they all continue living because I just want them all to succeed, even if I know that's probably not possible.

The magic and lore in this book was just so fun to read. Yes, it was complex, but I felt like I was never confused or in the dark. I'm not going to spoil anything so I'll leave this section by saying this aspect of the book was amazing.

All in all, I loved this book. I can't wait for the next one, which Claire just finished writing a few days/weeks ago. I highly recommend this book and you should definitely read it!

I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, through Netgalley.

3.5 stars. I'd seen a lot of hype about Furyborn, and I was excited to start it; I'm typically a ya sci-fi fantasy fan. And while this book does have engaging characters and a lot of action, I found myself choosing other activities over reading it. At times I found myself confused by the myriad of characters and settings, but instead of doing a little research to set it straight in my mind, I just kept reading, not overly concerned about the details. Maybe I read this at the wrong time, when life was too hectic to give it the attention it deserved. But it is well-written, and I did love the characters. I just wished it had been more focused on the characters and less on the storyline. If that makes sense.

Set in a fantasy world, told from the perspective of two women living hundreds of years apart, this new YA book is an exciting addition to the genre.  Rielle has been hiding her powers for years, but when her prince, and best friend, is attacked she is forced to demonstrate the magic that is deep within her.  Once discovered, she is crowned the Sun Queen, but only she knows what her power really means.  Eliana lives hundreds of years in the future in the same land that only knows magic through old stories.  Her ability to rapidly heal is not normal, though, and many want to abuse her skills as a ruthless assassin.  Both of these women are interesting but what I am most impressed with this book, is the inventive world building and the ways in which it is all tied together.  I really look forward to reading the rest of this series.  I received a complimentary ARC of this book through the Bookish First program in exchange for an honest review. 

This adventure, with a little romance, focused on two young women, hundreds of years apart was a bit confusing at first. BUT, after you get the rhythm of the writing figured out and characters straight it pulls you in. I had to finish it! Through knowing their sadness, anger, love, loss and friendship you develop an understanding of the heroines of this book. As you read, you learn along with the two main characters who they really are and what has been said they will be. You get an inside look at what makes these two do what they do and an understanding of who they are on the inside. Two young women who try to keep control of their emotions and have to face the consequences of their actions, and their aftermath. Their own guilt is worse than anything that people do to them and the internal fight to do what is right. The book left you hanging, with some questions answered, but many more left to be discovered in what could only be an up in coming new book series. Only thing else to say, if this is written for Young Adult/Teen, there is a little more "between the sheets" action than most clean teen fiction, but nothing too descriptive or offensive.

One of the things that drives me crazy about epic fantasy is when the world building feels unnatural. Furyborn has an interesting premise. From that first line, it invites you into the story but immediately starts bombarding with information. So much so that it felt like, “oh by the way” after every new detail, almost like an afterthought. We live in a kingdom, the queen is evil, she murdered her husband, angels and humans are walking a thin red line of friendship, human and angel hybrids are killed for their magic, oh, angels can talk in your head, there’s a prophecy, we must escape before the wicked queen or angels uncover our secret…all within 3 pages. Normally, all of this is good and well, but the way it was presented was overwhelming and confusing. It felt like being slammed in several directions at once. Granted, the scene itself is supposed to be suspenseful and full of anxiety, but I can’t help but wonder if some of these things could have been explained after the fact. Cue a queen giving birth, a doctor and son with a secret, and angel threatening the child, people escaping by following threads in the sky. That’s it, no explanation-it might have kept the mystery up and the reader wanting the know more.

There’s also the fact that angels can talk in the character’s head at any given moment. Because we already hear internal dialogue, random people suddenly appearing takes some adjustment.

The transition from that introductory chapter into 2 years earlier is rough. It takes a good few pages to realize what is going on and from that point on, it swings into two POVs and in different times.

The characters were interesting and complex. The girl who was supposed to be a villain, (I always love a good villain), was by far my favorite. The journey from who she was and who she became was full of hard choices and self-discovery, causing the reader to question the nature of evil and whether it is learned or inherent.

This is absolutely upper YA with lots of sexual activity and sex positivity. There is subtle bisexual relationships, really just a mention. Romance is heavy and sometimes….supernatural?

Furyborn had a strong world-building as the author made it clear what the magical system was like. The premise and/or idea had been intriguing. The beginning (first few pages) had been my favorite. I was invested in the novel because there clearly was a threat and I wanted to know why.

It seemed like this book's intense: Two queens battle (one of light and one of blood) that will either bring destruction or salvation. The author immediately hooks the reader in the story because of unanswered questions: who will win and what will be the aftermath of this battle?

The author's writing was beautiful and it drew me in the story. I liked how it didn't have an abundance of descriptive words. Overall, before going into this novel, I immediately thought I was going to enjoy this one.

WOW!!! That’s how you start a book! This story took off like a rocket and pulled me in at hyper speed.

As the ancient prophecy foretold, Furyborn tells the tale the Sun Queen and the Blood Queen; one will bring down the gates preventing sinister angels from destroying all of mankind and the other will save them all.
This saga features two main characters, over 1,000 years apart, each struggling to control their own immense power of elemental magic which could save or destroy the world. I equally relished and anguished over alternating character voices from chapter to chapter as their stories unfolded.
This book features strong woman characters in an intense and dangerous world brimming with magic, war, intrigue, dark villainy, prophecy and romance.
It was a wild ride. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to its continuation eagerly.

Rate: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Recommend: Probably not
Review:
Ehh...that pretty much sums up my feelings for this book. While the characters were interesting and the story had potential, I think the format should have been different. While both female MCs had their pros and cons, ultimately I didn't care much about either one.
One I didn't care about because we already know what happens to her and how her actions affected the world. The other I didn't care about because I didn't learn enough about her to care.
While I think this series and it's plot has a lot of potential, ultimately I think the formatting is what killed my love for it.
As of right now, I don't think I will be reading the sequel, but when that time comes that might change.

I was so hooked on this. The whole premise is that there are two girls, one in the past, one 1000 years in the future, and they're clearly entwined somehow (okay, they're obviously related, crazy obviously) but we get to watch their stories play out and find out their fates. What I thought was great was how I totally was engrossed in one girl and loved her and her spunk, while the other one I could not care less about, and then had my opinions flip flop as I'm reading. And I know that's what was supposed to happen, but it's always fun when you realize it was written that way to sway your emotions, and I just love that about writers, because I surely could never accomplish such a thing, and Legrand did a great job. I'm really excited for book #2!

Thank you to the publisher for approving me on Netgalley and gifting me a paperback through the Bookish First program. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by this.

I was not immediately pulled into the story. There is a lot going on and it is a long book so I gave it about 15% until I was hooked. I was jarred by the changing timelines. However, once I got into a flow with it, it worked for me.

My favorite character by far is Simon from Eliana’s chapters. I found Eliana’s chapters a bit more relatable as I struggled visualizing Rielle’s elemental magic. That said, there were things I liked in both timelines and points of view and it kept me reading. I expect to read the 2nd at least to see if it flows better for me.

I would mark this as upper YA or NA.

This book begins with an action scene set two years ahead of Queen Rielle’s trials and majority of the book. The scene doesn’t quite make sense when you first read it, but the pieces come together as the plot progresses. Nevertheless, Furyborn hooked me in from the beginning and all the way through to the end.

I loved the world that Claire Legrand created and I loved these complex characters just a tiny bit more. After the action-packed prologue, the story goes back two years and starts off from Rielle Dardenne’s point of view. Audric and Rielle secretly participate in a race where assassins’ ambush Audric and Rielle exposes her abilities in order to save him. Thus, she is thrust into seven weeks of seven trials, to prove that she has control over her magic in the seven elements and that she will loyally serve the crown as the sun queen instead of reign destruction as the blood queen. As a side note, I kept thinking of Rielle as the Avatar from Avatar: The Last Airbender and laughing to myself throughout this book.

Rielle is such a resilient character and I loved reading the chapters from her point of view. She believes wholeheartedly that she is a good person and that she is the prophesized Sun Queen, but some of her actions contradict these statements. At times I felt that she was a little too influenced by the people around her and a little naive at times as well. She seemed like she just wanted to please everyone, but did not really think about what made her happy. However this was understandable given her upbringing. Then with Audric, I just felt pain whenever I read about him, because he is just a beacon of light (ha) and doesn’t deserve the pain and choices that he will have to make.

Onto Eliana Ferracora, whose story takes place a good thousand years later. In Eliana’s world, Rielle’s story is nothing more than a fairytale. She is known as the Dread of Orline and murders people for the Empire in order to care for her family. However, when her mother gets abducted, she has to work with the rebels that she has hunted her whole life in order to find her. Along the way, the secrets of her life come to light and set her on a path that she could not have foreseen. As another aside, Eliana reminded me vaguely of Deadpool from the Marvel Universe. You’ll see why.

Eliana has a tough outer shell, because that is what she needs to do for her line of work, but underneath she is just a girl that cares fiercely for her loved ones. She seems cocky and cold, but it’s all a front. As the story progresses, we see the ice melt around her heart and watch as her act of being a “bad girl” who does not care for others slips away. I loved Eliana as well, even though she made plenty of mistakes that had serious repercussions, she always did what she felt she had to do.

I loved her eight year old, little brother Remy so much more though. He is my favorite character in this series so far even though he is not one of the main characters. As seen throughout the book, he is intelligent for his age, but his innocence has not been ruined. For example, he tells stories of the “Old World” (Rielle’s world), but changes the endings so that they’re happy endings.

I could go on and on about how much I love this book, but it is so hard to without giving away major spoilers. This book was a whirlwind of plot twists and pain, but the good kind. Overall, it was a wonderful read and I don’t know how I’ll cope with waiting for the next installment in the Empirium Trilogy. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

With its dual storylines and cliffhanger chapter endings, Furyborn kept me reading way longer than intended every time I sat down with it.

I couldn't get over the tension Legrand was able to keep in Rielle's story when the reader already knows the end to her arc (we're given a glimpse into the end of her story in the prologue). But the tension between Rielle and the king/the church regarding her powers and the romantic tension with Audric was intense throughout the whole book. Rielle's relationships with Lu and Corien are also absolutely wonderful to watch unfold.

I also squealed about the characters in Eliana's storyline. I loved Eliana's relationship with her brother - they're so cute; I love how they each protect the other in their own specific way. I loved every interaction between Eliana and the Wolf. Every time it was an Eliana chapter, I found myself hoping for more of their banter. Navi had wonderful chemistry with everyone in her timeline. And the wraith? Oh man, I can't wait for more of her quips in book two.

All the hype you're seeing online? It's well deserved. I think Furyborn is going to be a hit.

some books are harder to write about than others, not because you don't have much to say, but because you don't want to give away too much about the plot. furyborn is not like other books i've read before. the structure and concept are surprising and different.

the dual pov and timelines are not what you'd expect, and the story takes you on twisty paths that keep you guessing and make you hungry for more. this is a story about two girls, two queens, and the power they wield that affects the whole world around them. and the at times devastating consequences to that power. and it's a good thing that there are three books meant to be in this series.

**furyborn will publish on may 22, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgally/sourcebooks fire.

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

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free, all thoughts are my own.

This book jumps from Rielle’s perspective to Eliana’s perspective and back again, bridging a gap of 1,000 years as it goes. As each chapter switches from one character to the next there is always something, a little hook that keeps you on the line and interested and excited to come back to the story. Usually when I read books from multiple perspectives I quickly grow bored of one perspective in favor of the other and find myself slogging through the unwanted story but in this book I found both stories so enthralling that I didn’t feel like it was a slog. There is a point in this book where, I must admit, it starts to slow down a little bit but not too far after that it picks right back up, to say this book is action packed would be an understatement. While I did very much enjoy this book I am knocking it down a star because I feel like there could have been a little more character building and a little more world building, right now it feels like we know basics of both but I would like to know more. Another reason is the bi rep in this book, when Eliana mentions being with a girl in the past it piqued my interest and got me excited that there was going to be some bi rep in this fantasy but I got to the end of the book never hearing mention of this again, so in reality it was just a tease. This is only the first book in a series though, so I have my fingers crossed for more in the sequels because I will defiantly keep reading this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free ARC of this book. I’m so excited to have gotten a sneak-peek!

4.5/5*

I…do not give 5 star reviews. I just don’t. A book has to completely knock my socks off to get 5 stars out of me. This book…was amazing. I really just couldn’t put it down! The dual POV was a little disconcerting, and created many mini-cliffhangers, but overall that was more good than bad – it kept a nice tension on the plot.

There are just…so many things I want to say about this book, but I can’t, because spoilers. I will say the characters are some of the most compelling I’ve read recently, and there’s a HECK of a surprise towards the end!

If you read this book, come squeal at me!

Do you ever wonder how an author could have an entire fantasy world tucked away in the crevices of her mind? Well, Claire Legrand has definitely created a complex magical world with demons, monsters, angels, and humans. Furyborn is the making of an intricate story where there are two queens, Rielle the Blood Queen, and Eliana the Sun Queen. Both women are connected yet their lives span over a thousand years. Furyborn tells the story of both of them in alternating chapters as they learn of their powers, past, and their potential to save and destroy the people they love. I liked how the chapters are short and full of action and adventure causing me to move quickly through the 500 page book. Of course the ending hints to more of these two captivating woman to come, and I am definitely looking forward to reading them.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy.

WHAT AN EXCELLENT BOOK!

It is an amazing story told in a fantasy world where magic and secret powers exist. It is told at two points in time, spaced 1,000 years apart. The story starts at the end of the first story, and then goes back to the beginning. The second story is related somehow to the first, but it takes time to understand how.

This story includes Kings and Queens, good guys and bad guys, good angels and bad angels, the empire and the resistance, strange powers, prophecies and trials, love, and then some.

I loved the characters, I loved the stories, and the only problem that I have with it, is that I will have to wait for Book #2!

If you like a good, engrossing yarn, then this is the book for you!

To express first and foremost a thank you to Netgalley whose advanced reader copy I completed yesterday on kindle. In Furyborn written by Claire Legrand, introduces its reader to the world of Celdaria, and in this world, are there angels, beings of magic and those who have the capacity to save or destroy the world they know and love. A prophecy is decreed throughout the land that two queens will rise: the Sun Queen, who will save the world, and the Blood Queen, who will destroy it. The story is told around two young women named Rielle Dardenne, and Eliana Ferracora. As we follow Rielle we see her journey in forging towards her destiny and accept her role as Queen of Celdaria. When Eliana is introduced a thousand years has passed and Rielles’ experience has been turned into a fairy tale. Unexpected events occur where Elliana’s mother is taken, and Elliana is on a quest to find her. The story then progresses to include their journey in this land, and the choices made to become the Queen they were meant to be. The novels first 80 pages for me were hard to get through as I felt there was not a lot of mythology and world-building as I would have liked. Something I enjoyed was the characterization of its lead characters. As the chapters progressed so did these characters. Slowly the story was brought together and the characters full and embodied individuals. I enjoyed this book and gave it three out of five stars. I am looking forward to its sequel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

**I received a copy from BookishFirst for my honest review**
This was such a great read. I have to be in the mood for this genre but let me tell you, it sucked me right in and left me wanting more. After all the hype about it then seeing how long it was I was thinking, “Oh no, this will be mindless reading that makes no sense.” Not to worry, it was beautiful and haunting. Another thing I was worried about was that it is told from two different perspectives from two different time periods. That’s hard for an author to pull off in my humble experience. But this was done exceptionally well. The author has set up an amazing world where I can only imagine how great the next installment will be. I can’t wait to read it. This would make a great tv series!

This book is probably my FAVORITE book of 2018 thus far. These beautifully flawed, strong women are everything that I want to read in novels of any genre!

I loved the alternating perspectives from Eliana and Rielle / present and past, and how wonderfully their stories are so intertwined. All these characters live in shades of grey and I freaking love it!

Forbidden love, courtly drama, a Prince and a Wolf, two fierce women trying to figure themselves out and where they stand, magic and mystery, this book has it all. I was sucked in from the very beginning and I ended on the edge of my seat anxiously awaiting a sequel!

*I received an ARC of this book at no cost from Netgalley. This is my honest review*

Furyborn portrays an interesting fantasy world. The book has two strong female protagonists, years apart from each other. Their stores are told intercalated, each chapter focuses on either Rielle or Eliana. While I think the whole fantastic world created by the author is fascinating, and the trials Rielle faces are particularly interesting, I struggled a little bit in the middle of the book. But I managed to finish it, and would be interested in reading more stories in the same fantasy world. At the end of the book, there are some cheat sheets that help understand better the Gods, trials, and a little bit more of the universe portrayed in the book. They are so helpful, I wish I knew those were there before I started reading the book!

This is definitely one of my new favorites! *I received an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
With this book, I was very worried about how well the author would be able to write two stories at once, a thousand years apart, thinking that I would get to confused or only care about one storyline. Yet she did it wonderfully! The switches worked perfectly, and I was completely invested in both stories at once. I absolutely loved both Rielle and Eliana, they were both very different characters and I just can't wait to see more of them!
There were lots things I saw coming, but I didn't even mind because this story is so epic! I loved it! Well written, and excellent world building, this book is so good.

It has been so long since I picked up a fantasy book, a tome of 500 pages, and devoured it. Claire's worldbuilding is incredible - you can see that it took years to develop, but it never feels clunky or overwritten, just natural. Everything makes sense and adds such a richness - the old Saints, the seven different kinds of elemental magic, the history, the geography, all of it. Equally, the dual POVs were both paced perfectly and every bit as interesting as the other. I don't think I could pick a favourite out of Rielle and Eliana, and I'm really curious to see how they end up, especially given the content of the prologue! The romance was just right, too - not saccharine, not one dimensional, but with real risks and heartache and tension. I'm so invested in this story and these girls, girls who are damaged, girls who make questionable choices. I love how twisty and dark this story was, and I was left shocked at some parts - particularly the incident with Rielle's horse at the beginning of the book. That left me shook, and while it was hard to read, it was a daring choice by the author and handled really well. Again, the incident with the prisoners that Eliana had to leave behind to die, and the weight of those lives on her. These are not easy choices to make as an author, ways of needling the characters to get the most out of them, to see what they're made of. I'm so impressed by this book and by Claire's talent as a writer, and I cannot wait for the next one.

This is a unique story of two girls who have grown up with the whispers of a prophecy of a queen will that will rise with the power to save or destroy the world. The complexity in this story comes from the fact that the girls stories are told in tandem but they are thousand years apart. It was a unique way to tell the story. My main issue that i found as this is marketed as a teen story and i did feel the level of sexual intensity might be pushing it a bit for a teen novel. Not that it took much away from the story but i was not expecting the amount of description that i did read. The author does a fantastic job with the world building of this story and i am eager to read the following books.

This book starts off well then slows down a bit but then it just gets better! I enjoyed both character perspectives, Rielle and Eliana, and I love that they were from different time periods. The story did get a bit confusing at times because even though there are 1000 years in between the two characters it doesn't seem like the world has changed very much. I'm also still confused about the angels. Still, even with these issues I was blown away by this book. I appreciated that there is an actual sex scene in the book. YA books are usually super vague on that topic.

I love the cover and I've looked up pictures of the finished copy because I was hoping the final would have gold foil accents. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they do.

A unique, and captivating story about two women from different times, whose fate is entwined. Assassins, angels, royalty, time travel and magic, yes please!!
I cannot begin to say how amazing this story was. The characters were so much fun, and I couldn't wait to learn more about them. I adored how the story was in two different time eras, and I loved the since of irony knowing somethings the characters do not. The writing style is easy for readers to grasp on, and leaves you wanting more. At nearly 500 pages, this novel flew by.I could not read fast enough, I had to know what happened next. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dark fantasy, this is a must read!
Book two honestly cannot come soon enough, I need it now!

This was a fantastic story conveyed in a very impressive, unique parallel structure.

It took me a little while to break into Furyborn - the jumping perspectives and timelines were a bit disorienting at first and made it difficult to get connected to any of the characters. But once I did get my bearings, and got into the rhythm of Legrand's storytelling, I was NOT sorry I had stuck it out. - what a beginning!

For one thing, I wrote early on in my notes that this book was full of men who were probably going to be very bad for my health. And honestly? Accurate.

But despite my love for the boys - and one wicked boy in particular - at the heart of the dual narrative of Furyborn are the two heroines: Rielle and Eliana. And rightly so. In the telling their entwined stories is where Legrand's parallel structure really shines. I didn't even realize at first, as the novel moved back and forth between Rielle and Eliana, that the different sections were beginning to mirror each other. Struggle for struggle, lesson for lesson, loss for loss - and with building intensity as Furyborn barreled towards its conclusion.

Both Rielle and Eliana are beautifully developed characters with flaws and fears, and ultimately their shared story is about choice. They both have the potential for greatness and for great destruction and while Rielle's story is set by time (though we don't get the full picture in book 1) Eliana's story is actively occurring. It makes for a captivating dichotomy and raises a question that I think will be ongoing throughout the trilogy: Are our fates inevitable, or do we make them ourselves?

I'd been looking forward to this book for a while and I was definitely not disappointed! Legrand had me chuckling, crying, and holding my breath. Fabulous worldbuilding, captivating characters, dark, evocative, hopeful - this is definitely not a fantasy book to be missed.

“Then she rose to her feet, and told the first lie of her new life: ’I’m ready to begin.’”

Probably the best review I could ever give is, “when will the sequel be released?” And that is the question I have for you today!

This book was unexpectedly brilliant. I say unexpectedly because I didn’t know much about it - i.e. it was a total cover buy! Truth be told I had it on my tbr list for later this year until the reviews started coming in. Five star after five star review. That’s a lofty goal to live up to! And boy did it deliver!

Focusing on a mother-daughter duo, separated by an ‘Age,’ (the Furyborn equivalent of a 1,000 years), this is the story of the rise of a Sun Queen and the fall of the Blood Queen. There are mischievous villains, Hagrid-friendly beasts and fallen angels. Oh my! ?

There’s a lot going on here, but by far the best thing about this story are the villains - Corien and The Wolf (sizzle!), but also the (selfish) mother and the (zesty) daughter. The author has her work cut out for her - she wants you to see the sun through the blood and judge the character by their choices. It‘s easy to be fooled in that maze. Intrigue is hard to render in a script, but it’s there biting at the character’s heels until pretty soon, each person’s destiny is crystal clear.

In the supporting role, we have an imaginary guilded Gate - the barrier to our villains, the open door for future plot lines! Because everyone in this tale still has choices. No one is wholistically evil. They can all become more than they are fated to be. I can’t wait to see what’s next! Again I ask, “when’s the sequel!”

P.S. the print copy is gorgeous too - deckle edge, beautiful dust jacket, easy to read font!

A generous thank you to #netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest, fair review!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.5 stars

This was an interesting book, with complex characters and a clearly intricate world.

However, a lot of the world building was left murky to promote the mystery aspect of the story.

Also the rigid back and forth between viewpoints and timelines made it a bit difficult to immerse oneself in the story. It was a bit like reading 2 books a once, a chapter of one followed by a chapter of the other.

I am definitely curious to see where the author is going with this and will likely read the sequels.

Cautiously recommended to those who like intricate storylines and morally ambiguous "heroines."

I love this book way more than I ever thought I would. I am always antsy about fantasy books even though I love them. They either are absolutely amazing or absolutely terrible. The way it starts grips you from the beginning and you wonder who exactly is she? And then as it moves on you learn about a couple of girls each from different time periods that leads to the question of who is really the bad one here? I love the character development. There are so many details that are so important to the plot but you are able to follow without your brain turning to mush. I have fallen in love with every character from both sides. I cannot wait to read more and to continue on with this series. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this book.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration if I said that this book has literally garnered all the hype in the world. Almost anywhere you turn, no matter what social media site you're using, it seems as though everyone is talking about this book. At times, such hype can be alarming since it can lead to disappointment if something doesn't live up to your expectations. However, Furyborn is a book which definitely withstood the hype test in my eyes and is deserving of all the commotion it has been making.

First and foremost, I have to say that this was a very unique book to read. Not only was the premise and style inventive (I really love the world this story is taking place in), but the fashion of jumping between separate-but-connected timelines was refreshing. Such a unique style of story-telling is uncommon for my reading taste so it was strange at first but also very fun to jump into.

Furyborn's cast of characters were also very fun. For the first half of the book, I didn't particularly care for Eliana but I really liked Rielle. However, as the story continued and readers were given further perspective into character's backstories and characterization, I began to quickly warm up to Eliana. Then, by the end of the book, she was undoubtedly my favorite character! Though she has a long journey to take in terms of growth, she is a character whose character arc I immensely look forward to. I am likewise intrigued by Rielle and her character arc, especially since the various time frames this story is told through hints at multiple directions that have yet to be realized. I'm very interested in seeing how such paths come into play, and if they are as good/bad as the future makes them out to be.

Overall, I thought this was a great first book in the series. I look forward to reading the sequel!

I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The plot was there and could have been awesome, but really stumbled along the way.

The world building was sorely lacking and without much in the way of a back story it was very confusing at times.

The two main characters were also very lacking in, well, character. I just didn't like Rielle. She wasn't one of those characters you love to hate, she was just annoying and not likable. Eliana, I wanted to like but she was just, okay. Here is a woman who is known as "The Dread" because she is supposedly so tough, but loses more fights and battles than she wins.

All that being said, I don't think the book was terrible, just not great. I will most likely read the next one in the series when it comes out to see what happens and I'm really hoping some of the flaws get worked as I think it has a lot of potential.

"We all have darkness inside us, Rielle. That is what it means to be human."

What a wonderful book! Furyborn is told in two alternating perspectives; Rielle and Eliana. It took me a minute to understand time frame and I was forced to make assumptions about how the characters related to one another (though about halfway through it became quite obvious). In the opening chapter I had such distaste for Rielle's character but as I moved through the book, that feeling shifted to respect and admiration. Eliana on the other hand, I hated her character for most of the book. Well, maybe hatred is a bit strong, but I certainly didn't like her. Stubborn to the point of costing lives, full of denial for just about everything, and quick to judge and respond with malice. I'm looking forward to hearing how the story-line continues in the next book!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating 6: Had some good things going for it, but the author made a few writing choices that seemed to shoot the book in the foot.

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost for my honest review

Okay, I'll admit it. Going into this book I felt pretty sure I knew how it was going to play out -- this doesn't mean I was any less excited to see it play out, just that I felt like I knew one of the major plot points. Turns out, I didn't. Claire Legrand completely threw out the window a major plot point that I very incorrectly assumed would be apart of this book and threw me headfirst into something else entirely. This book starts out with one of the main characters', Rielle's, point of view. It starts two years from where her point of view actually begins following this weird sort of flashfoward, but I guess it's actually a flashback type of prologue. I still haven't figured out how to describe it since Rielle's point of view comes about a thousand years after Eliana's point of view. Okay now to what I assumed was going to be a major plot point -- who is the blood queen and who is the sun queen? I thought this was going to be a story where the reader is struggling along with the main characters to figure out who is who, but it's actually more of a mystery now that I think about it. You know from Eliana's point of view and the prologue WHAT has happened to Rielle -- you know the end point, but what the book is slowly unraveling is the HOW, the WHY behind the end point. Which in a way has captivated me more than the original plot point I assumed would be in this book. I can sometimes struggle with multiple point of views in a book -- I usually end up liking others way more than others, and struggle through some of the characters that I don't like as much. A problem that I didn't really have to deal with in this book. Rielle and Eliana are two completely different characters, with different problems and separate, distinctly different personalities. At times, so clearly different that I wondered how they would react if their situations were reversed. The pov switches left ample opportunities for slight cliffhangers at the end of one character's point of view -- which had me clamoring to keep reading. Overall, I feel like this book deftly switches between two very different girls in very different situations with flawless ease. After that ending, I am dying to see where these two strong females will end up next.

It had a kind of Game of Thrones feel to it as far as the times the book is set in. I love the bouncing back and forth between the two women and worlds. I am a fan of books like this that put women in power, especially when the whole world is up to them. The characters are very lovable and immerse you in their world, making you feel sympathy for them, understand their reasonings, and even see yourself in them at times. The writing in this book is certainly excellent, especially for its genre, and this book is sure to make a hit on the shelves.

This is book 1 in the new series Empirium. I never really got into the swing of this story. I would lay it down and a few days later I'd think I better try again to finish. I love the concept of parallel time lines and two women experimenting with their magical powers. Rielle and Eliana are the two heroines in this fantasy tale that is geared to teen readers. Maybe they can find something a little more substantial or likable about them. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Once upon a time I was absolutely pumped for my first ARC (advanced reader copy), and now I am absolutely devastated because the realization has set in that I will not have book two (of what is now one of my all-time favorite series) in my life until May 2019, at best.

I seriously could not add this book to my favorites self fast enough. I knew from that straight FIRE prologue that this book was a cut above the rest. Welcome to the world of Aritas and follow the stories of Rielle and Eliana, two strong and fearsome women simultaneously joined and separated by a thousand years of war and the legend of two prophesied queens whose coming will mark the war's bitter end.

I absolutely adore both of our complex anti-heroes. Meet Rielle, lady to the court of Celdaria, best friend of the prince and secret harborer of tremendous power. When her power becomes known, Rielle must prove that her powers make her the long awaited Sun Queen, and not the long feared Blood Queen. Journey 1,000 years into the future with Eliana the dreaded assassin of Orline and faithful servant to the bloodthirsty Undying Empire. When her mother goes missing, Eliana is thrust into an alliance with the rebel Red Crown faction.

Their stories unfold in perfectly paced jumps between past and present that will leave you on the edge of your seat every time. At the end of each chapter I found myself counting ahead to see how many pages until the next narrator's section. I was constantly torn between speed reading to see what happens next and slowing my roll to make the book last. Good news is the ending isn't a heart-wrenching cliffhanger, but still leaves so many questions unanswered and will leave you dying to learn more.

The way good versus evil is described in Furyborn is done so well with serious Star Wars vibes. The way Legrand depicts human nature (both the good and the bad) is wonderful! Fans of the Grishaverse, The Queen of the Tearling, Graceling and The Hunger Games will absolutely adore this book.

The world is incredible and all the characters, from our leading ladies to our side folks, are fantastically written. The intro quotes for each chapter are hauntingly beautiful and truly enchanting. There's elemental magic, angels, war, time travel, prophecies, assassins, rebels, magical trials, royals, romance, betrayal, battles, magical creatures and so, so much more. I seriously can't think of a single reason not to read this book.

This is the next big YA fantasy series, I just know it. I cannot wait for everyone to read in May 2018! Looking forward to being a part of this fandom for years to come!

Time to commence the countdown to book two! Claire, what do I have to do to get book two early??? I am absolutely obsessed with Furyborn and you will be too.

I inhaled this book. It was consuming from the first sentence. If you are looking to be swept away into another time and dimension, Furyborn is for you. The two queens each have intertwining and complimentary story-lines and are tied together nicely. It is so hard to describe why I love these deeply flawed women, but I do! They each fight for who and what they love with a passion that is relate-able and real. Having such rich characters in a story set in the future and past of another dimension make following the rules of the different worlds easier. I am trying not to spoil anything with this review. I really appreciated the female centered protagonists as well as the LBGTQ characters who make the story work on many levels.Loved this book and can not wait for the next two!

I was provided with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is completely outside my “genre comfort zone,” as I almost never read fantasy, and I read series fantasy even less often. However I’ve heard a lot of hype surrounding this book, so I had high expectations for it to be amazing. While it didn’t necessarily “blow me out of the water,” I can definitely see why it’s shaping up to be the fantasy series of the year.

Two girls, living a thousand years apart, each carrying a destiny they do not understand. They’re inextricably linked, but we don’t know how yet. In a world prophesying a Blood Queen and a Sun Queen, who is who, and what does it all mean? I found Furyborn to be a good first book in a series, with ample world-building and character introductions, that leaves you with just enough questions to wait for more.

Furyborn starts off with a lot of action, and it never slows down. A lot happens in a short time, with each chapter alternating between the two girls--Eliana and Rielle. Rielle is battling through a series of tests, and Eliana is constantly on the move. Their stories are entirely different, which made it easy to keep track of who was who (which was helpful, considering we began with little knowledge of either person and learned more as the story unfolded). The story is constructed around a mystery: who are the two queens in the prophecy? While the truth of the queens’ identities isn’t revealed until near the end of this book, I would have appreciated more suspense. I actually didn’t find the reveal very surprising; the story could have been stronger with more mystery or elimination of the twist in the first place (as in, we could have found out up front, and the book would have unfolded in much the same way).

This book also had a lot of setup, as most first fantasy books do. There’s a lot to describe about the world and its rules. This is why I am not a fan of the genre. However, I can say that I understand the world these girls are in, which to me means the world building was done well. I also think Legrand has set herself up well enough that the next book in the series won’t need as much description to carry the plot forward.

Furyborn has a wide cast of characters, some of whom I enjoyed and some of whom I didn’t. In fact, I found the secondary characters to be some of my favorites in the story. Eliana’s brother and Rielle’s best friend are two such characters, whose presence strengthens the humanity of our two “queens.”

As for the main two, I liked how driven they were. I liked Eliana more than Rielle, but both girls have strong storylines that carry them forward. However, I did have a few things about them that I did not like. First, I thought their sexuality felt forced and a little out of place. I had heard that this book would have bi representation, and while it certainly has allusions to both girls being potentially bisexual, it’s never really fleshed out and ends up feeling very forced. I also have a few concerns that the bisexual characters in this book furthering the stereotype that people who identify as bisexual are always promiscuous. The focus on sex was somewhat jarring. I don’t have an issue with sex appearing in teen lit, but this seemed oddly out of place and (yes, again) forced. Perhaps these elements will be filled in more and differently in the future books, but right now I’m wondering what was the point.

I also didn’t like how few redeeming qualities the girls had. They have these tragic backstories which drive their individual actions forward, and so their darkness is part of their makeup. However, I think there is a difference between “badass” and “cruel” or “selfish.” When characters are so depraved, I find it hard to root for them. I was looking for a little more humanity in our main characters, but couldn’t find any.

Finally, I had issues with the female-ness of this story and how it actually seemed to be lacking in important areas. This book is being marketed as a female-power type book. However, despite our strong leading ladies, both girls end up being defined by “men.” Audric and Simon shape the identities of Rielle and Eliana as much as the girls do. And they are often central to each girl’s agency. So, this doesn’t quite feel like a victory for feminism...yet. Again, perhaps in the future books more direction will be given to the girls. But right now, I’ve yet to see it.

Finally, as it relates to the plot, I thought the girls’ ultimate character truths were less of a surprise than they were supposed to be.

The style of writing in Furyborn is well-suited to the genre. It’s easy to read without being overly simplified, and the terminology created to describe what’s unique about this world was elegant and appropriate. The third-person voice was also appropriate, particularly for switching between the two girls. It kept me reading and turning pages through to the end.

While I’ve had a few negative things to say, I think this book series has epic potential. I’m glad we’re getting more female representation in the fantasy genre. This series can be a favorite alongside others like it. I’d recommend it to the avid teen fantasy and adventure reader. And, like TV shows whose pilots are a little rocky, who hit their stride in Episodes 4-10, I don’t think we should give up on this story. Who knows, the future books may take the potential found in these pages and carry it to fruition.

Furyborn was just ok. Two point of views, 1000 years apart made me wonder why would this matter? It came together (kind of), but not enough for me to be super excited for the sequel. I think throughout the whole book, for me there was only one spark. And at the end I am still confused how these two characters are 1000 years apart. There is a ton of action in this book, but nothing that really left me on the edge of my seat, it felt soooo long for not that much going on. I also just think there was too much going on, if the author concentrated a little more on certain items (Angel War, trials, weird laboratories), I might have gotten more into the boo

Furyborn by Claire Legrand is the first book of the Empirium series. This one is supposed to be a young adult fantasy but I will start this review right off with a warning to potential readers that I was quite surprised but the sexual content within, a lot more graphic than I would expect for anything young adult and along with language used here and there I would definitely suggest this for the older crowd only.

The story within changes the point of view between Rielle Dardenne and Eliana Ferracora along different timelines as it goes back and forth. The world building in here is a bit lacking making the book confusing to follow at first with no clear explanation giving but just slowly following these two building their characters and those around them.

Rielle is one that has been kept away hiding the powers that she has but when it becomes known she possesses them she has to prove herself through difficult trials. There is a prophecy of a Sun Queen and Rielle needs to prove that she is the one that the prophecy foretold and she will be on the side of the kingdom and her people.

Eliana is one that has always followed orders and done what she needed in her world to survive. She’s fierce and determined with the ability to heal quickly that she’s never understood. When her mother vanishes Eliana finds herself teaming up with those she never expected to do whatever she can to find her.

When finished with this one I found it was one that while I didn’t necessarily dislike it I also didn’t fall in love. The characters actually seemed to switch personalities along the way so there were times I liked one and not the other but then found I felt the opposite. There were surprises a long the way and some interesting touches on some things that may be expanded on in the future but for now this one is a three star read for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley and a physical copy from Bookishfirst for an honest review.

This was a promising start to a trilogy with memorable characters and a seamless collaborated plot. Weaving two separate timelines together can not be an easy way to write a story but in this book it is done wonderfully. You get to know each main character jumping back and forth between their two stories and then you gradually get to see how they are intertwined. One of my favorite things about the world building was the little quotes we get before each chapter. The level of detail that went into those is astounding.

My only complaints were when the chapters left on a cliff hanger or a new revelation, I didn't want to switch to the other character; I wanted to find out what happened with the first. I also felt the stories lagged a bit at the end. Looking forward to book 2!

This is the first book in the Empirium trilogy and was a well done fantasy story. While I enjoyed the story and characters I didn’t really like how the story was formatted.

I struggle to designate this as YA because of same fairly explicit sex scenes; the characters do seem to be in the older teens, early 20's so maybe this is more of a new adult series.

This book alternates chapters between two different strong female characters. One is in the past and one is 1000 years in the future. Honestly this format didn't work very well for this book. While both stories are engaging on their own, there weren't enough common elements to switch back and forth between them. The constant switching between stories ends up being jarring and disrupts the flow of the story a lot.

The above format works well for a book like The Bone Witch. In the Bone Witch the present story impacts the story we hear from the past and ties things together nicely while slowly unveiling a mystery. This book doesn't do that and would have been much better if we had read Rielle's story first and then Eliana's story second...rather than jumping back and forth.

This story was engaging. I enjoyed the world-building and the characters. There's quite a bit of action here as well. I thought the costume descriptions before Rielle's trials was a bit hokey (it was very Hunger Games and makes it seem like Legrand is hoping movie rights will be picked up for this series).

I am unsure whether or not I will continue with the series. I really disliked the way the book switched between these two characters when the stories were fairly separate. If the next book is formatted this way I probably won't read it.

Overall this is a promising start to a new epic fantasy series featuring strong female characters. I really disliked the format of how each chapter switched between a different story/book and forced the reader to jump back and forth.

This book engaged me from the very beginning. Once I started I couldn't stop. Rielle and Eliana are connected by a prophecy. The story goes back and forth between the two weaving a tale that encompasses both of them together and apart. Tons of action. I want to read more about what Simon went through! Book ends wide open ready for the next one which I can't wait for. I received an ARC at no charge for which I voluntarily provided an honest review.

Set in the medieval times world where war seems to be the answer and magic powers, angels, and other dark forces exist, Furyborn by Claire Legrand is a fantasy romance about two fierce heroines and the connection they share!

The story jumps from the past and flashes into the present, a 1000 years apart. We quickly learn about Rielle Dardenne, she's learning how to hone her elemental powers after being held prisoner for so long by her father. She's a rather powerful magistra who can burn the world down with just her fury alone. Then we meet Eliana Ferracora, she's a lethal assassin for the Undying Empire until her mother mysteriously disappears without a trace and she joins the rebels in order to find her. As the story progresses we come across a lot of twists and turns that leave us railing and wanting more!

Claire's storytelling made me remember how much I love and miss YA fantasy/paranormal books. Its been a long time coming since I've been in a world as imaginative as the one this author has created. Claire Legrand not only wrote two strong and loveable females, but really likeable secondary characters who brought more depth to the story as well. Furyborn captivated me from the very first page and though it ends in a cliffhanger, I cannot wait to embark on this journey once more!

I really loved this book. I thought the duel POV and duel time lines was a such a engaging way to tell this story. I grew to enjoy both sides of this story. It is interesting story because you know the ending but seeing how you get there is fun ride. I loved both female leads and also how magic was represented in this story. I really loved the character of simon ( i love that name btw) and hope we get more backstory about him in the future books. I love how both stories tied together in the end. It was slow burn story but towards the end it was hard to put down. I will def be reading book two :)

Thank you Sourcebooks via Edelweiss for the arc. The story alternates chapters between then and now 1000 years later. I was so hooked in the first chapter that I could not believe the author went back to the beginning. I had to keep reading to find out how we got to where we did in chapter 1. Unfortunately not all was addressed by the end of the book which left me dying for the sequel. The chemistry between the female and male leads is fantastic. Forget how strong the females are. They of course kick ass. Highly recommend.

Superb read, well written with a great plot and characters. I was engrossed from start to finish, this book is so hard to put down! The cover got my attention first but this story is amazing and the world building is phenomenal. This adventure has romance, magic, drama and there are twists and turns. Can not wait to read the next book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.

A story crossing two lifetimes and centuries apart, Furyborn is a thoroughly engrossing read. Claire Legrand creates a world with a rich history that we see playing out simultaneously as the future unfolds. The twists lead you questioning everything you thought you knew to be true. A prophecy binds our two heroines across these centuries that they both struggle against. These two are at once very similar and yet completely different. They have different backgrounds because of how the history of one leads to the future of the other. Yet they are both fighting to protect the ones they love and try to bring about a better future than the one prophesied.
A good story for older teens and young adult types, not so much for the younger set. There is a lot of violence as the title might suggest, but it doesn't overwhelm the story. A very enjoyable read.

This is the impressive start of a new series. The story of two queens over a century apart, Reille and Eliana. They both have magical powers and don’t know how to use them, and they don’t know where they come from. There is a prophecy of two queens rising and the angels coming back. Everyone is afraid of that. This is a great world to enter into. I can’t wait for the next one!

Claire Legrand is a fantastic author, and she shows this again in this new fantasy novel. Though it took me a little while to get into this story, I really began to enjoy it soon enough! The main characters are forces of nature - headstrong, smart, fierce. Reading Rielle and Eliana's story was a great treat, and the plot had twists and turns that I never saw coming, like a roller coaster! I found it easy to connect with the characters, and the hints of romance in this book were quite welcome! I liked that Eliana stands on her own and doesn't need anyone to support her - she's independent and strong and an all-round great YA heroine. I cannot wait to read more of these amazing characters and this fascinating story.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me an ARC. I have been wondering what I will be able to read once the very wonderful Throne of Glass series is completed this Fall. This could be it. I really enjoyed the characters and story building. The books use of past and present is a device I enjoy, particularly when they end up intertwining. The female leads in both eras are very strong and resilient. A great start to what is sure to be an epic fantasy series. For anyone who is into Sarah Maas, this is a must read!

I fell in love with this book almost immediately. I of course loved Eliana but Rielle will always be my girl. The story line is very different than anything that’s out there right now and it is nice to read a fresh story. The world building was awesome too! There were plenty of parts in the book that I found myself gasping out loud after certain things would happen. I was truly envolved in all of these characters lives. I think the only bad thing I have to say about it is that the story seemed very fast paced. I felt like I was wanting so much more description. But on the other side of the coin of that it leaves a lot to your imagination which I really do like a lot. I’m ready for number two can I please know what to expect

Furyborn is the first book in the Empirium trilogy (I believe), and I found myself with mixed feelings about it.

Frankly, I did not find either of the main characters, Rielle and Eliana, all that likable, and most of the time their thoughts and actions annoyed or disgusted me. Probably the only investment I had in these two was hoping for any kind of improvement or development...SOMETHING to make me like them more.

On the other hand, I did enjoy the fantastical/magical/mythological aspects of Furyborn, and I kept turning the pages if only to see what happened next and how everything would (finally) be connected.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. ***

Despite my love of fantasy, it took me forever to get into this story. But, then again, I was never actually into it.

The POV shifts were frustrating, and despite the fact that it wouldn't have worked with the story, I wish that I'd been able to read it chronologically. I only really enjoyed the Rielle chapters when Audric was there, and Eliana was just annoying. And oddly entitled considering her upbringing, whereas Rielle the Lady wasn't. Which is sort of interesting. But I don't know.

I did appreciate the clever sharing of information, like with things we know will happen to Rielle and company. It was like working with a prophecy of sorts. But that gimmick was also overdone in places. For example: I couldn't be anxious with Rielle, or care, when it was confirmed by Eliana that [redacted]. Stop taking away my right to speculate.

Another note on the frustrating POV shifts: I would finish the chapter, get to the inevitable cliff hanger, and (sometimes) want to continue that perspective. But I'd be dumped into the other timeline and by the time it switched back, I'd have stopped caring about the present circumstances. Or the past/future circumstances. Or whatever. This was worse than most other books with multiple POVs, because at least normally the characters are in the same general area. Or have spoken. Or will guaranteed at least glance at each other out of the corner of their eye. Or maybe they're at least in the same time period. Maybe.

By page 80 I was already done with the narrative, but I forged ahead another 60 pages because I was under the delusion that it would get better. A third the way through the novel, we were. Still. Painstakingly. Setting up. The story.

I was amused by Simon, even though he's every other love-hate-not-entirely-heroic-love-interest-who-knows-what's-going-on. The characterization overall really wasn't that bad. There's potential there. But I still don't care about them.

I read the last two chapters to sort of figure out if I was really truly going to DNF it, and I just don't see how I'm missing out. This book was very hard to get into, so hard that I apparently felt the need to mention it twelve times, and I just couldn't take it any more. No element was compelling enough to keep me...compelled. Maybe something came along later in the book that refuted my gripes, but I just don't care to find out.

This was so freaking good.

In the beginning it's confusing and I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but if you keep pushing through, it makes up for the bumpy start.

You need to fasten your seatbelts for this one, you guys.

When is the second one coming out? I need it right now.

An intriguing idea for a fantasy. It took a while to get used to the switches back and forth in time, but once I got into it I liked it. It was interesting to read, trying to guess at what turned Rielle into what we saw at the start, and how the two storylines would intersect. Enjoyable fantasy.

***Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy***

FURYBORN is an ambitious book that mostly succeeds. With its beautiful cover and intriguing, action packed start, I was immediately drawn into the epic story. Readers looking for a sizable fantasy trilogy with two female heroes, will no doubt enjoy the 500 pages that make up the first book in the Empirium saga.

FURYBORN works as a dense introduction to future books. Because such a wealth of information is presented, scenes are often too short to be fully immersive and character development is left on the wayside in an effort to keep the plot careening forward. This issue is highlighted by an over reliance on short chapters that end on cliffhangers.

While I greatly enjoyed that FURYBORN is written from the POV of two women, their voices are too similar--snarky and overconfident. They are both strong, capable women, but I would have liked to see more development and difference between the two.

Readers that enjoy romance with their fantasy may be pleased with the intensity of emotion and time spent focused on the relationships in the novel. There's also a lot to unpack plot-wise, especially since the narrative jumps back and forth 1,000 years. So readers looking for a puzzle to put together will no doubt be intrigued by what the Empirium Trilogy offers up in this first introduction.

This was an action-packed debut novel about two girls living centuries apart. There was a lot going on at once, but it wasn't too hard to follow after the first few chapters that set up the universe. While the second half was more entertaining, I still had a hard time connecting with the characters in the first half of the book for that to have made a big difference. I think a lot of Rielle and Eliana's choices made it hard for me to connect with them. I never felt like they were being fully genuine, and that affected the way I felt about the things happening to them.

This book is AMAZING. There are no words for how much i loved it. The writing is so well done. The story flows, pulls you in and keeps you intrigued throughout. Excellent character development. I didn't want it to end!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of “Furyborn” by Claire Legrand. This story has characters you connect with immediately. There are new ideas in this book that I haven't read about in the magical literary world. I'm very excited to find more connections between Rielle and Eliana and learn more about the angels..

31/2 stars actually. This YA fantasy is two stories set a thousand years apart. One story is about Rielle, who saves her friend and exposes her abilities, maybe showing she may be one of a pair of prophesied queens. One queen is of light, the other, of blood.

The other tale concerns Eliana, a bounty hunter for the Undying Empire. She does this for her mother and brother, but suddenly, her mother vanishes. She joins the rebels and learns terrible things about the Undying Emperor who she works for.

The book would have been better if they'd written two different books for each character. The formatting of the back and forth of each character’s story made it confusing and irritating. Also, both female heroines behavior irritated me. I didn't like them that much.

I hope the next book's format will be better thought out.

I devoured this book and am giving it one of my highly selective 5-star ratings. The plot is original and I fell in love with the characters. It is exactly the type of YA fantasy my heart has yearned for. I wavered on whose storyline was my favorite: Rielle or Eliana. Both had deep flaws which had me alternating between rooting for them and wondering what in the hell they were thinking! I desperately wish the entire trilogoy was published so I could keep reading!!!!

“This is what I was made for. The thought arose as naturally as breathing. She flexed her fingers, felt power gathering hot in her palms. No, not hot - vital. Her power was not an intangible thing, a trick of the mind. It was the power of the world itself, and all that lived inside it.”

I’ve had an unfortunate trend happen with my reading lately. For quite a few of my recent reads, the farther I get into a story the more my interest wanes and unfortunately the same thing happened to me while I was reading Furyborn. Furyborn follows the story of two women, Rielle and Eliana, whose stories span centuries. One is destined to become the Sun Queen, a savior and protector, the other the Blood Queen who is destined to bring ruination and destruction. We follow both ladies as they uncover more about themselves and the magic in their world.

Things I Liked
I like when fantasy stories (or any stories really) have little quotes or journal-style entries at the beginning of chapters. I personally love them and I feel like they add to the world and characters. I like getting exposition here because it unfolds as needed and doesn’t take actual story time away to infodump.

The premise of the book is fantastic - it promises elemental powers (which are my fave!), dangerous foes, and 2 storylines following compelling women centuries apart. All of this sounds fantastic and would have made a really amazing story.

The prologue was everything I wanted from the story - action, stakes, intensity. But, unfortunately for me, it wasn’t sustained.

Things I Didn’t Like
I feel like there was absolutely no worldbuilding at all. The magic and powers aren’t established and that was so disappointing because elemental magic is my favorite. There’s a handy little chart in the back of the book that gives more info about each house of magic, but I would have loved to see it built into the story instead of a note in the back of the book. There was also nothing established about the angels, the Gate, or the previous angelic war. I had no idea why the people of Rielle’s time hated the angels, just that they were bad and should be feared. In Eliana’s timeline we’re introduced to a completely different country, with it’s own history that’s glossed over. I just wanted more.

I loved the idea of having 2 leading ladies each fulfilling a role in a prophecy - one being the savior and the other the destroyer. I was expecting to follow 2 morally grey complex character, each showcasing lightness and darkness, and discovering along the way which role each girl filled - or was forced into. But that’s not what happened. We know pretty immediately who’s the sun queen and who’s the blood queen, so all the tension and moral greyness I was looking for wasn’t there. Rielle and Eliana, both started out interesting for me, but I just got more annoyed by them as I read. They made questionable decisions and didn’t feel as fleshed-out as they could have been.

While I loved the prologue, I do feel like it created an unbalanced interest in the story for me. I was immediately hooked into Rielle’s chapters and the cliffhanger ending kept me reading in the beginning. But her trials quickly became repetitive and the action less thrilling. But I still found the characters in that timeline to be interesting. Oppositely, in Eliana’s chapters, I found the majority of the characters to be annoying but her quest kept the plot from being stagnant. The two timelines didn’t lift each other up, but pulled my focus in two different directions - one for character and the other for plot.

So, yeah this was a bit of a disappointment overall especially because I wanted to love this so much. It was even one of the books on my 5 star TBR prediciton, but that didn’t really happen. The premise, while amazing, ultimately left me divided over who I wanted to spend my time with and left me wanting more from the world at large. Furyborn has all the potential to be a stunning fantasy story, but I found that the potential was not translated to the final product.

I received a copy of the book from SourcebooksFire in exchange for an honest review.

This book is fantastic.

It features two strong, no nonsense heroines who aren't afraid to go after what they want. Both Rielle and Eliana are so vibrant and distinct, and I seriously love them both. The structure of the book is also unique, following two different but connected timelines, and the magic system is beautifully fleshed out. Claire's writing is also super strong and beautiful, and the plot had me reading well into the night.

I can't wait for book 2!

The book took a few chapters to get into, but once you're invested you're in- I loved the dual narratives and the eventual twists were really worth the investment. LOVED the fantasy world and the magic, and the action sequences left me breathless and excited for more. Wish there was more on the angels, but of course that will come soon- some big plot points left unexplained, but that's sequel bait. Loved it!!

To start off I would like to say that while this is categorized as a Young Adult I feel that it would be more appropriate for older teens (10th grade and up) due to the sex scenes. I was excited to read this book after just the first chapter, grabbed my attention and I was ready for more. After I grasped that each chapter was going to bounce back and forth I easily fell into understanding just how much time had passed and the points of view I could expect next. One thing I loved is at the beginning of each chapter is a bit of text from the world of Aritas relating to the era you are about to read for that chapter and also giving more lore to the story. It really helped me realized just how much time has passed between the characters to see the dates of the small bits of text at the start of each chapter. However, I felt there could have been more explained in the way of world building with the cultural changes and technology along the way. I did find myself more enamored with Rielle’s story rather than Eliana. I felt that Rielle’s story was more flushed out and believable than to Eliana’s story and romance, and enjoyed the moral tests that went along with her magical trials. While the first half of the book was a slow burner, the last half I felt was a wildfire. I will give Claire Legrand this, she really knows how to leave a chapter on a cliffhanger. While I wished there was more time taken on some world-building and character development on Eliana’s part I found the story was great (but I did guess a few plot points) and cannot wait to see what happens next and that maybe book two in the Empirium Trilogy will give more details into the world of Aritas and more character development so I can really be immersed in the story world. Overall, I would recommend this for readers of the fantasy genre as the story overall was an interesting concept with the magic system and a refreshing new take on angels.

I would have really liked this story had it not been for some weird gender/romance issues with both the main female characters. I don't think it's slow at all at the beginning, as some reviewers have said, and the plot is entirely engrossing and fascinating. A very unique story for both characters, and I like how strong the female characters are. However, I've read a lot of YA and I've never read one that had such lusty characters. Neither one of the two main females could make up their mind who they wanted. Multiple men, women...Seemingly everyone they came into contact with was a potential mate. It was rather disturbing, since I am not into "free love." This is what kept me from really enjoying this book.

I don't want to say this was a disappointment because I am still interested in the characters and story enough to read the next book and see what happens. But it was one that I had to force myself to read sometimes. I don't normally like multiple pov but I did enjoy both. Especially since each would end with me wishing I could read more from each character. The magic and world is unique to me and something I haven't really seen before. I had a lot of positives for this book but I overall was just kind of "meh" about this story. Again I will continue the series because I'm intrigued to see where is goes next and answer some questions I have. But not as fantastic as I was hoping for.

Furyborn done! Loved it! Two queens destined to save the world or destroy it. One of blood, one of light... gripping action, amazing worldbuilding, and rich fantastical elements. Gives you a good dose steamy romance, without overshadowing the kick ass feminism. Confusing and struggling at first, but gets to page-turner mode by around page 150. Strictly high school and YA level.

3.5 stars - This new adult fantasy was action-packed and entertaining, but left me with mixed feelings.

When the book began, I found myself constantly comparing many elements to other well-loved fantasy books. As the story began to develop I realized it truly is just some of the best fantasy components compiled into one story.

In terms of the characters, they were (for the most part) well rounded and morally gray which helped them feel super authentic. The two main characters blended together at times and I completely understand why the author chose to write them that way. However, I didn't like constantly switching between their POV's due to the different time eras they each lived in. I often found myself struggling to keep track of all the political figures that were constantly brought up in each time period which was frustrating.

After the first quarter of this book, it held my interest enough to want to know how it ended. There were several twists woven in at different points in the story and while they weren't surprising, they were still entertaining. Unfortunately, the ending was a complete let down. I spent 512 pages wanting to learn what events changed certain character's ethics and wasn't rewarded with any solid answer.

Even though Furyborn wasn't the biggest hit with me, this series will definitely be popular with others. I've actually already recommended this to my husband who reads much less critically than me. I'll continue to read this series as it's released but I just hope the author gives us more answers sooner rather than later.

This is book one of a proposed trilogy. It details the paths of Rielle and Eliana in alternating chapters. While I realize that is a popular construction currently, I didn't feel it quite worked here. It made the plot feel choppy for me.

There is an awful lot happening in this book: time weaving, magic, angels, trials, quests, lots of royalty, gowns of many colors....Pretty much every trope in the fantasy grab bag. It has a satisfying if moderately cliff hanger ending. When I hit the last page I felt as though I had gotten all of this universe I ever wanted. No books #2 and #3 for me. I liked the strong female characters but disliked the queen aspects quite a bit. There is a fair amount of romance in both plot lines.

I could have shaved about 100 pages off by eliminating the gown descriptions. Overall it was a bit too florid and ornate for me in style. It's not a bad read but some parts felt very familiar as in Hunger Games and Three Dark Crowns. I can't go over 3 stars for a book that's one and done for me from a series.

The book definitely grabs you from the first chapter. I thought I was hooked, but then I read chapter two. I don't feel I'm spoiling anything by saying this since it happened within the first chapter, but there is just something wrong when the author kills off the main character in the book in the first chapter. I thought the second chapter where she goes back only two years to just be a quirk, but no, it goes on and on. Knowing the main character will die in the end left me without any investment in the book. It was difficult to pick up after that, and any other time after.

This fantastic, fast-paced fantasy will leave readers waiting on the edge of their seats for a sequel. Both of the strong, smart female protagonists are well-rounded and the story is intriguing. Read this book if you are a fan of books by Joe Shine, Marie Lu, or Cinda Williams Chima. It will not disappoint.

I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was hard for me to read because I didn't care about Rielle and everytime it went back to her story I didn't really want to read the book. I understand there was a reason for the going back and forth between Eilana and Rielle but I really wished the book was just about Eilana and her time. I did enjoy the story with Eilana. I will be interested to see what happens now in Eilana's time. I know that this series will get better with the next book.

*Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this for my honest review*

**I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review.**

This was just a so-so read for me. I had a lot of trouble getting invested in the story and often found myself bored. But I also really liked both of the main characters (though Eliana is my favorite!) and thought the story had an unique premise.

I think part of the problem for me was the alternating POVs. This is something I normally love, but in this case I think it was a disservice as neither storyline felt fully fleshed out (despite the hefty page count). I never really felt like I knew what was going on. Also, as soon as I was becoming engrossed in the action of one character, we’d switch gears, which I think contributed to my feelings of boredom while reading.

Eliana was by far my favorite of the two main characters. I enjoyed how conflicted she was about killing innocent people for the sake of her family (even if she was overly angsty at times). I loved her relationship with her brother. I did NOT love her and Simon’s romance—sorry, but there was no chemistry there. And towards the end I feel like he’s idolizing her too much for this to be a normal relationship (or as normal as it can be under the circumstances).

Rielle’s storyline was just fine for me. I didn’t really get the attraction to Corien, and Audric is bland oatmeal. I was more interested in her and Tal’s relationship, but he’s very much in the background (maybe in the sequel we’ll get more out of that?). I loved early Rielle who was stealing horses and secretly entering races. I was bored as soon as the trials were underway. They were pretty repetitive and, I don’t know why, but I had a hard time picturing them vividly. I think it goes back to the world not being super fleshed out.

Lastly, the smallest of small pet peeves, I really hate long descriptions of fashion. When Rielle is about to be a badass, the last thing I care about is what beautiful outfit she’s wearing that day. Just give the girl some pants and be done with it!

Overall, this isn’t a book I’m going to enthusiastically press on my friends and family...but I might stick around for the sequel?

I wanted to enjoy this book, I really did. Though I personally did not enjoy it, I know that others probably will.

I personally felt as if I was reading something that had been done better before and was perpetually confused throughout the entire book.

anyway, i said what i said before my review was deleted. deleting my review doesn't make it any less true. the author Tries Too Hard to make this work, its a mess. the writing is inconsistent, just as bad as twilight and fifty shades of grey. the main characters are Annoying, even more so than bella swan cullen and anstasia steele grey. the story and worldlbuilding sounds ripped off from a friend of mine and other books (specifically asoiaf and lotr) and the author Tries Too Hard to make it sound original. its very Bland with Bland White main characters. diversity? what diversity? all of this is very White Feminism and it turned me off.

I am only one chapter in and I’m already hooked!

Definitely an original concept
The characters have made a strong enterence to the story.
Left me at the edge of my seat before I even got to the first chapter.
An exciting adventure that I don’t want to put down!!

I’ll update more the further I get!

An epic start to an exquisite and captivating fantasy series, Furyborn is everything I had hoped it to be and more.

An epic start to an exquisite and captivating fantasy series, Furyborn is everything I had hoped it to be and more.  A note before the actual text of the ARC tells readers that they hope this book will change our lives.  I thought that was a tall order, and that actually made me a bit apprehensive about ​starting the book.  However, after a few chapters, I was hooked.

Almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger.  Which was amazing to read, but also frustrating.  Amazing because the plot and writing were captivating and I desperately wanted to keep reading each chapter to get through each of the girl's stories to find out what happened next.  Frustrating because when I was trying to look for a place to stop, it was almost impossible.  Plus, most of the chapters are decently short, making the "Just one more chapter" lie I was telling myself even easier to accept.

I loved both of the main characters, Rielle and Eliana.  I thought it would be hard to connect to Rielle, because the preface is set before her point of view chapters, and reveals some not so pleasant details about her life two years after her point of view.  However, I was immediately drawn in to her voice, and yearned to understand what had affected her so deeply as to cause the outcome that is shown in the preface.  (Can you tell I'm trying to make this review as spoiler free as possible?).  Rielle's best friends, Audric and Ludivine, were absolutely lovely as well.  The friendship between Rielle and Ludivine was so supportive and loving, and Rielle and Audric...well.  Let's just say I totally approve.  Audric reads as such a pure human.  So pure, at times he is oblivious, which is frustrating as a reader, because I know he's intelligent, but he can be so blind to the realities of what is going on around him.

Eliana and Rielle are total opposites.  While both of their hearts are in the right place, and both want to prevent their loved ones, they go about it in different ways.  Eliana is a killer, and makes no effort to hide that fact.  She's ruthless and focused on survival in the colonized world of the Empire.  Her world is nowhere near as peaceful as Rielle's starts out as.  Still, she, like Rielle, is an incredibly dynamic character.  She makes awful decisions, but I still found myself rooting for her at every turn.  You don't have to respect the decisions of a character, but their intentions are important and are what makes them a likable character, which is the case with Eliana.  Her loyalty to her mother and her younger brother, Remy, is admirable, and everything she does is to help ensure the survival of her family.  Don't even get me started on her best friend and lover, Harkan.  If you read the book, you'll see what I mean.  I absolutely adore him.

In a fantastical age where so much of society has gone to ruin, the normalization of same-sex relationships prevails.  Eliana has slept with both men and women for information, and other same-sex couples are not questioned at all, as it should be.  Unfortunately, this is something that our own "real" society has yet to accomplish.

An interesting aspect of the story is the angels.  In most of the fantasy serieses that I have read, angels are good, not bad, such as in Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters novels.  Some of the ideas of the story reminded me of Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series, but Furyborn clearly stands on its own.

Overall, I fell in love with Rielle and Eliana, and I would absolutely love to see these books turned into a film franchise.  I can't believe that I have to wait a year to read the sequel!

My wife reads many historical fantasy novels and authors. We have met quite a few of them at signings and national events. I am merely her official “photographer and book obtainer”, so I really don’t know anything about what I have ordered and she has read. I have had to build extra shelves in our home to accommodate the vast library she has acquired and read. One shelf is about to break from the many hard backs she has stacked on it. I foresee our den being compared to Lord Grantham’s Library eventually. Rolling Ladders and high back chairs with a butler just through the next door.
She only reads books from her favorite authors and favorites from her reading group at work. So, if I have composed a review for a book on the store like this one, I can assure you she has read it and enjoyed it and heavily discussed it with her group of co-workers.
Consider this a recommendation by my wife for an excellent and enjoyable read.

I really wanted to love this book and I just didn't love it. Fantasy isn't my favorite genre but I've been really trying to give books a chance in this genre. This book had way too much going on. It felt like I was reading two books at once. It took too long for the story to take off. The story was boggled down with overly descriptive descriptions with ornate flowery prose. The story just didn't work for me. I didn't like the fact that I had to force myself to get through the book. One thing that I can say that the author did extremely well was her world building. I could actually mentally visualize the world that she built. I also didn't like the ending.

There’s been a lot of talk of Furyborn being the book of the year, so of course I’ve heard about it and was naturally tempted to give it a try. Furyborn is the first in the Empirium trilogy, which is a young adult fantasy series. I’ll be honest with you though, the real thing that caught my attention? It was totally the cover. The cover is so pretty that it wiped away any doubt I had about reading this book (I know, I’m such a sucker for nice covers. I can’t help it).
Furyborn is one of those books that you pick it up, feeling a bit curious, only to have the first chapter/prologue be this huge and immersive event. Obviously you need to keep reading to know more, if nothing else than to sate your curiosity. The first scene does start at the conclusion of one character’s plot, so it is a bit of a spoiler (personally I was okay with that; sometimes I’d rather know how things are going to end up for a character).
While some would disagree, I actually felt like things dropped off a bit, after that first moment. Once past the action I couldn’t ignore the fact that I didn’t know any of these characters, and it took me a really long time to start caring about all of them (not going to lie here, pretty sure most of my favorite characters are all secondary characters, and I’m totally okay with that).
Furyborn is the tale of two queens; one with the ability to destroy and one with the ability to create and repair. That description is a bit vague, but it’s all we have to go on for quite some time, so you get pretty used to it after a while.
Rielle is the character’s whose ending we get to see in the beginning, while Elaina lives her life a thousand years later. The chapters switch back and forth between the two, and while they think in strikingly similar manners I didn’t have any trouble keeping the two plots distinct (the different timeline and supporting cast helped quite a bit here).
I’m sure that everyone will have a different queen they liked best, assuming they found themselves attached to either (I’ve seen a decent amount of people hating both characters, so I can’t ignore this fact). I personally found the world that Elaina’s story was set in more interesting, but her personality was too abrasive. Therefore I was fonder of Rielle, even knowing what I did about her and her future.
I want to say it wasn’t until about the halfway mark in this book that I found myself getting really hooked (I actually kept taking breaks in it, since I wasn’t feeling connected to either main character). If you find yourself struggling with it I’d suggest giving it until at least this point before you call quits.
I’m very curious about the world and magical systems that were introduced here, and I think that’s why I ended up liking this novel as much as I did. I’m a sucker for series with unique takes on magic and world building. I feel like there was a lot of teasing going on – lots of magic shown but not explained, and little bits of the world revealed here and there. I would have loved to see more of both, but that may have been intentional. After all, it pretty much guaranteed that I’m going to follow up with the rest of the series.
It was only after I finished Furyborn that I heard it described as a bi fantasy. For the sake of honesty I have to tell you that I found these points to be pretty subtle and not well defined. Most of the information dropped was either done hastily or hinted at. It’s not what I personally would consider a bi fantasy, especially considering it was all relatively minor. I actually almost missed the revelation (Spoiler warning) that Elaina may be bi (I say may here because she uses sex as a weapon, so it is difficult to tell at times if she’s attracted to someone or using them). Rielle expresses curiosity towards her sexuality, but really she’s too obsessed with Audric for that to really go anywhere.
While I wouldn’t say that this novel ends on a cliffhanger (the plot is left open but the current peril was wrapped up) it does end somewhat abruptly. I think it was the storytelling style that made it feel that way; both characters really only got half a book to start their story, so there’s still quite a bit left for them to say.
All in all I’m really happy I continued to read this book, instead of giving up on it. I know there are some divided opinions on this book (it seems like most people have either loved it or hated it, with very little room in between). I’m a bit more on the fence, having enjoyed it but not gone over the moon for it. I still don’t find myself especially attached to either queen (though like I said I do have a favorite out of the two) but I am very much curious to see what happens next.

I've been seeing this book everywhere and been hearing nothing but praise, so I admit I bought it with a mix of curiosity and social media peer pressure. And I am so glad that I caved. FURYBORN earns every good word thrown its way, and then some. It exceeds the hype and is without question one of the best YA Fantasy novels of the year. It's going down as one of my favourite books of all time. Right from the first page, it's an epic adventure that hardly ever slows and keeps you clamouring for the next chapter. I didn't want to stop reading for any reason. The world is complex and unique, the magic is fearsome, the fights are brutal, and the characters are varied and complicated. I wasn't sure how the two timelines would intersect, but they nonetheless do in a glorious fashion. I honestly can't say which storyline I loved more, but all I can say is that I'm dying for the next book. I have so many questions, so much love for these new characters, and am hyper-eager to reenter this world again and see where these two young women end up. Honestly, believe the hype. This is a book for EVERYONE, no matter what you like to read. You'll never read anything else like it, and once you started, you won't be able to stop.

Furyborn was fantastic!! I love a good story with strong female characters and this book did not disappoint!

Inside is a story about Rielle and Eliana. Told hundreds of years apart. One is the Sun Queen while the other is the Blood Queen but which is which is for you to read and find out. Their stories are sad. They’re heroic. They’re intense and suspenseful. They’re intriguing.

I did not want to put this book down it was just that good. I would be lying if I said it was without flaws. It wasn’t. At first I couldn’t get into it. I was confused and I couldn’t connect to the characters because of the huge time difference but that didn’t last long. Once I understood who was who and what time they were in it became addicting. I was consumed by it. I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters and the lives they were leading.

Furyborn is unique. It’s filled with fantasy, suspense, magic, love and the perfect amount of angst. I love it so much and I can’t wait, absolutely can not wait, until book 2!!!

????.5

I absolutely loved this book! I had heard very mixed views previously but I absolutely adored it, the world building, the narrative, all of it. This is kind of like Throne of Glass meets The Fallen meets Song of Blood and Stone. You know what it means when you have to use three different series to try and cover everything in a book? It means it’s a new and original idea and you’re grasping at straws trying to adequately explain it.

The story is told from the varying perspectives of two awesome, powerful and strong heroines, each fully rounded with fears, flaws and wit and both were great. The varying perspectives also take place in different time periods that would ordinarily confuse me because YA Fantasy novels never seem to strike the balance right but this was more in the way of how Scott Lynch writes his Gentleman Bastard Sequence, each is relevant to the other but makes intriguing and exciting narratives alone too. At the end of every chapter I was itching to continue with that narrative and see what happened but just a few lines into the other and that had me hooked too, it was most conflicting – but in a good way.

I don’t think the two stories separately would have been as interesting but together they were spectacular.

As you probably know I try to be balanced in my reviews so in the spirit if being fair my only issues were Ludivine’s dialogue and the propensity of the majority of the lead characters to try and fix all their problems with sex. Like everything, trauma, adversity, war, depression, guilt – when confronted with anything it felt like Rielle and Eliana’s first port of call to fix it was to get their leg over with whoever they were with. Luckily the men and women in their lives knew them well enough to make them actually face their problems but this response doesn’t alter even at the end and I think it would have been good character development for it to have stopped at the 75% mark.

What was my problem with Ludivine’s dialogue? She’s a question-talker. What’s a question-talker? Well, it’s someone who makes every point by first posing a question to themselves and them answering themselves, often in trains of three. Do I have a problem with this? Yes, because it’s freaking annoying!

It’s something writers usually use to make you find a character annoying, but we were supposed to like Ludivine but every time she spoke I was just like please, shut up.

That aside, this was such a great read and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

I love this book way more than I ever thought I would. I am always antsy about fantasy books even though I love them. They either are absolutely amazing or absolutely terrible. The way it starts grips you from the beginning and you wonder who exactly is she? And then as it moves on you learn about a couple of girls each from different time periods that leads to the question of who is really the bad one here? I love the character development. There are so many details that are so important to the plot but you are able to follow without your brain turning to mush. I have fallen in love with every character from both sides. I cannot wait to read more and to continue on with this series. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this book.

From the first sentence I was captivated by the start of this book. The premise of this story is so interesting compared to other fantasy novels that I have read. Angels, elemental magic, royalty....this book is the start of another epic fantasy series! The author does an excellent job of character development and this book is action packed from the beginning. The part angel/human characters reminded me a little of the City of Bones series and also with a hint of Game of Thrones too. Fantasy usually isn’t one of my favorite genres, but this one pulled me right in and I couldn’t stop reading. There has been lots of hype surrounding this book and I will say I believe this book will live up to it!

This fantastic, fast-paced fantasy will leave readers waiting on the edge of their seats for a sequel. Both of the strong, smart female protagonists are well-rounded and the story is intriguing. Read this book if you are a fan of books by Joe Shine, Marie Lu, or Cinda Williams Chima. It will not disappoint.

I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was hard for me to read because I didn't care about Rielle and everytime it went back to her story I didn't really want to read the book. I understand there was a reason for the going back and forth between Eilana and Rielle but I really wished the book was just about Eilana and her time. I did enjoy the story with Eilana. I will be interested to see what happens now in Eilana's time. I know that this series will get better with the next book.

*Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this for my honest review*

**I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review.**

This was just a so-so read for me. I had a lot of trouble getting invested in the story and often found myself bored. But I also really liked both of the main characters (though Eliana is my favorite!) and thought the story had an unique premise.

I think part of the problem for me was the alternating POVs. This is something I normally love, but in this case I think it was a disservice as neither storyline felt fully fleshed out (despite the hefty page count). I never really felt like I knew what was going on. Also, as soon as I was becoming engrossed in the action of one character, we’d switch gears, which I think contributed to my feelings of boredom while reading.

Eliana was by far my favorite of the two main characters. I enjoyed how conflicted she was about killing innocent people for the sake of her family (even if she was overly angsty at times). I loved her relationship with her brother. I did NOT love her and Simon’s romance—sorry, but there was no chemistry there. And towards the end I feel like he’s idolizing her too much for this to be a normal relationship (or as normal as it can be under the circumstances).

Rielle’s storyline was just fine for me. I didn’t really get the attraction to Corien, and Audric is bland oatmeal. I was more interested in her and Tal’s relationship, but he’s very much in the background (maybe in the sequel we’ll get more out of that?). I loved early Rielle who was stealing horses and secretly entering races. I was bored as soon as the trials were underway. They were pretty repetitive and, I don’t know why, but I had a hard time picturing them vividly. I think it goes back to the world not being super fleshed out.

Lastly, the smallest of small pet peeves, I really hate long descriptions of fashion. When Rielle is about to be a badass, the last thing I care about is what beautiful outfit she’s wearing that day. Just give the girl some pants and be done with it!

Overall, this isn’t a book I’m going to enthusiastically press on my friends and family...but I might stick around for the sequel?

I wanted to enjoy this book, I really did. Though I personally did not enjoy it, I know that others probably will.

I personally felt as if I was reading something that had been done better before and was perpetually confused throughout the entire book.

anyway, i said what i said before my review was deleted. deleting my review doesn't make it any less true. the author Tries Too Hard to make this work, its a mess. the writing is inconsistent, just as bad as twilight and fifty shades of grey. the main characters are Annoying, even more so than bella swan cullen and anstasia steele grey. the story and worldlbuilding sounds ripped off from a friend of mine and other books (specifically asoiaf and lotr) and the author Tries Too Hard to make it sound original. its very Bland with Bland White main characters. diversity? what diversity? all of this is very White Feminism and it turned me off.

I am only one chapter in and I’m already hooked!

Definitely an original concept
The characters have made a strong enterence to the story.
Left me at the edge of my seat before I even got to the first chapter.
An exciting adventure that I don’t want to put down!!

I’ll update more the further I get!