Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Y'all... Y'ALL..... This book was incredible. Such a fresh, new fantasy story that I highly recommend if you, like me, LOVE fantasy novels. I will say that although this is toted as YA, it is borderline NA as there is some on page sex, but! I absolutely LOVED it. It was over 500 pages and I finished it in about 3 hours of total reading time because it hooked me right away. It was pretty much perfect.

I loved the intensity of this one. It never really slowed down: From the initial scene to the final page you were completely captivated. I did find the beginning scenes to be a little confusing. I thought Eliana's chapters at the beginning were better written and could be understood easier than Rielle's. But it definitely got easier to read Rielle's after the first 10%. The description of the elemental magic in those first chapters was a little difficult to follow and comprehend, but the trials made it easier.

I absolutely LOVED the magic system and the intricate details to it that Legrand put in. I think it was really well done and explained, but there is still so much more to see in the future novels! Especially since the opening scene took place two years after where the book started for Rielle so we have a lot of catching up to do. I wasn't confused at all by the time differences but it was really linear and didn't jump around too much so that was helpful.

I will say though that there is some obviousness to the story itself. You can immediately guess a lot of the plot points but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of them. I liked seeing how the two stories wove together and think there is a lot of room to continue that in the future. I was surprised by some elements which was nice to have considering I felt as though I had a lot of it figured out. But there are still some shocking moments in there even if you can guess about some things.

One thing I absolutely LOVED about this one was that Eliana was bisexual but it wasn't like a Plot Point. She offhandedly mentions that she has slept with guys and girls and I was astonished and amazed and so in love. Even though the majority of the focus was on men in her life, it was nice to see that there was more to her than that. I would like to see a relationship between her and Navi in book two but that might just be wishful thinking on my part.

Overall: The beginning was a little confusing but once I got into the rhythm of it I couldn’t put it down. It’s over 500 pages but doesn’t feel like it at all. It never slows down - it grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go even after you’ve read the final page. This is what is needed in the fantasy genre right now.

OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. This book. So far my 2018 read list, though only two books deep, has thoroughly impressed me. BUT THIS ONE ESPECIALLY!!!!!!!!!! For those of you who’ve read even just a few of my other reviews, you know that I generally like to add my favorite quotes from the book. Sometimes I find that even in a book with AMAZING writing, I will become so caught up in the story that I get to the end only to realize that I have highlighted nothing. That was the case here and it bummed me out super hard…guess I’ll just have to re-read it again soon to come up with some. 

The basis for this story is a prophecy that has been told about a coming Blood Queen and Sun Queen. We learn right away in a crazy prologue that one of the main characters, Rielle, is the Blood Queen while her daughter will be the Sun Queen. You don’t see this super often in books but starting the book off knowing that Rielle’s fate was going to be along with still having 100 different questions about how things went to shit so fast had me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. So yes, like I said, we find out right away what role each has/will play and we also see the young princess being taken away to a safe place by a young boy named Simon while Rielle dies in her attempt to buy them enough time to escape *end scene*.

The rest of the book is told from the perspectives of Rielle, pre-Blood Queen and of her daughter Eliana (who we find out actually was thrown into the future a few hundred years during her jump with Simon as a baby). After an ambush on the prince, Rielle exposes the immense power that she and her father have tried to keep hidden the first half of her life and is then required to go through a series of trials to prove she is in control and could fit the role of Sun Queen as the prophecy has predicted (see I told you it’s interesting knowing ahead of time that that WON’T be how things play out…). Hundreds of years after the fact we follow her daughter, Eliana, who is basically a hired assassin for the Empire and knows nothing of her royal heritage. She may or may not eventually join up with some rebels and she may or may not end up finding a certain time traveling man again.

I don’t want to spoil anything else, just know that the book is chock-full of adventure, gruesome death, a dash of romance in both times, AND A LOT OF MAGIC AND SUSPENSE. I personally enjoyed reading about Eliana’s journey more because I was interested to see why the world ended up becoming how it was between her mother’s death and the present. I also wasn’t a huge fan of just how powerful Rielle was and the attitude that ensued because of that power. Though I was a HUGE fan of the forbidden romance between Rielle and a certain prince. Yum. I need to know how he dies though (not a spoiler, in the prologue). There also a great cast of supporting characters, LOVED Remy and Lu and basically everyone else that was introduced. Hated the villain with a passion, though I’ve seen some people liken him the Darkling—he seemed way slimier than that to me, *shrugs*.

The only warning I will give is that there is no major blow up at the end of this book so don’t be expecting one—which I was fine with. As I said, the entire book was so fast paced and intense, I was glad that the ending more or less was a gradual set up for more bat-shit craziness to ensue in the next book. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

🗡 FuryBorn by Claire Legrand ⚔️ It’s the first book in The Empirium Trilogy. This one is definitely a page turner. The story builds up in each chapter ending in a mini cliff hanger. While the narration changing back and forth between the two main characters, Rielle and Eliana doesn’t ruin the story at all because both of them are equally gripping.
One chapter tells the story of the past and one about the present day. Makes you fit the pieces together while reading it.
The story revolves around a prophecy about the Blood and the Sun Queen. Everyone in their kingdom has the power to possess one element but Rielle can control them all. After accidentally exposing her powers. The court makes her go through 7 trials. One for each element she has the power over to determine if she’s the Sun Queen, their saviour or the blood queen who’ll destroy them all. 🥀🌹Fans of Sarah J Maas are going to love this one!🥀🌹 I loved the Middle Eastern names used in it 😁 and thank you @netgalley for ARC. It’s going to hit the shelves on May 22nd! (Will repost then) Don’t know how long I’ll have to wait for the second book😕

Two queens will rise--one of blood and one of light. The former will have the power to destroy the world, and the latter will save it. Rielle and Eliana are the two fabled queens, both showing incredible skills as they come to realise they are connected through this prophecy, even though they are a thousand years apart.

Rielle is discovered to have immense power and is forced to undergo seven dangerous trials to prove her status as the Sun Queen--the one with the power to save the world.

A thousand years later, Eliana is the whispered Dread of her city, serving the emperor and crushing rebels faithfully. However, Eliana is forced to join the rebels and discover the truth about herself.

Told in alternating narratives, Furyborn is an exciting and fun new series that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is plenty of non-stop action and twists to have you finishing this book swiftly. The rest of the series can't come soon enough.

"Some say the Queen was frightened in her last moments but I like to think she was angry."

This story has some epic parts. Like truly film worthy, action packed, beautiful parts...and then big parts of nothing. I know these parts were essential to the story but I felt like I was speed reading to get to the good parts. I kept telling myself, just keep reading it will get good. Then it would be so good. So very good I wanted to cry. Then back to long boring blocks of time. I know I'm a minority when it comes to this. I know how much other's loved the whole thing but for me it needed more balance. The big epic parts are worth reading and suffering though the not so epic parts. I also realized after I finished the book that all of these parts were important for world building so I'm mad at myself for not liking it more. It's everything I love, yet I found it lacking and that hurts.

I mean that prologue. I don't think I've ever read such a great prologue in my life. I've attached the link below. Read it. You're welcome.

https://www.bustle.com/p/claire-legrands-furyborn-is-the-epic-story-of-a-magic-wielding-queen-a-ruthless-bounty-hunter-cover-reveal-excerpt-7379046

All things considered I loved reading about Eliana and Rielle. I especially loved Simon. Oh, Simon. I loved him so much. From the start. From the time he is introduced until the end of the book. #TeamSimon

Both Queens slayed and I loved them so much. Also, I have a theory about power, it corrupts everyone. That's why it should be shared. I once asked my students if they had the super power of invisibility or flying which they would choose and what they would do with it. Every single child used the power for evil. They stole and trespassed. I know these are third graders and not fully aware of what their actions meant but still it was scary. If you were the Avatar with no guidance, or worse, evil guidance, what would you become?

"The Gate will fall. The angels will return and bring ruin to the world. You will know this time by the rise of two human Queens, - One of blood, and one of light. One with the power to save the world. One with the power to destroy it. Two Queens will rise. They will carry the power of the Seven. They will carry your fate in their hands. Two Queens will rise."

A prophesy can be misinterpreted and even with time changed completely. I really liked all the intrigue and fighting. It was also very sexy. You'll know what I mean when you read it.

This book was unique and phenomenal and I absolutely loved it! Furyborn follows the lives of Rielle and Eliana. These two women live thousands of years apart but their stories are so intertwined it was exciting to read. The story flips back and forth between the two and is entertaining and suspenseful, and the cast of characters are so endearing and well done. I loved how everything came together in the end and cannot wait for more!

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars

One of the most satisfying things in the world is when you get approved for a book you are dying to read. I was ecstatic to get approved. I have heard nothing but good things about this book.

The story revolves around two women, Rielle and Eliana whose stories intertwine even though they are separated by time. The story is told from both women and we slowly get to see how their stories intersect. There is magic, love, and war which let’s face it are the best makings of a book.

I will admit, it took me sometime to finish this book. But it was the fact that there were so many characters I became overwhelmed for a time. I just needed to adjust and when I finally did become engrossed I had a difficult time putting it down. I have already pre-ordered the book and May cannot come soon enough.

I genuinely loved this book and I think those who are fans of YA/NA fantasy books would love it too. The waiting for the next one is going to be pure torture.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand is something I wasn’t prepared for. It’s one of those books that surprises you while you read it and long after it’s finished you have to go back through, sit, think, digest, and do it all over again. The cover is fabulous and the description certainly is enough to make you want to read Furyborn, but even both of those combined doesn’t prepare you for how incredible Furyborn is.

Furyborn was of epic proportions. Easily one of the best fantasies I’ve read ever. I don’t care if it’s labeled as YA (a genre I love). If you love fantasy, sweeping, lush, intense fantasies, do yourself a favor a pick this one up. I don’t think I could ever write a review good enough to praise the work. Maybe my expectations were not high going in? I don’t know. I just remember reading the blurb, looking at the cover, and I had some expectations, such as I figured it would be good, but I had no idea it would be one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read. I really could go on and on about that … it was such a pleasant surprise.

Onto the novel. The blurb does an excellent job of setting up the premise of the book. You have the idea of the Sun Queen (savior) and then the Blood Queen (death). Just reading the first few pages you can see things are going to be intense and full of twists, turns and misconceptions. I loved Queen Rielle. I got her. I felt for her. I can easily see where she was good, good and good, and even when things got bad, you reflect back to those first few pages and see what she was doing was good. Even though things were clearly out of her control, the author did an incredible job of making the reader see this internal conflict consuming Rielle. I just felt for her in so many ways, even more so than with Eliana. Probably because we got to spend more time with the development of Queen Rielle and how she came to be. I’m not trying to slight Eliana, she was just a tough character all the way around. I mean you meet her and she is essentially an assassin without feeling. What more needs said about Eliana and how she feels than that? But Rielle had lots of feelings and she showed them but with Eliana … it takes pretty much the length of the novel to see any good in her.

I don’t want to spoil much. I was curious how the time lines and the lives of 2 girls centuries apart would mean anything to each other, but you get it, boy do you get it towards the end. And it’s not disappointing. The only disappointment was when the book ended. It’s my understanding that this is the first in a trilogy so it makes sense for Furyborn to end where it does and leave so much of the story untold, but I wanted more. There so much backstory I wanted. The angels and humans … how did the angels get to be SOOOO bad? The half-bloods … I want to know more about them. The wraiths … I want more. I just want more and more and more! It’s going to be a long and difficult wait for the sequel. I can’t wait to see the development of Eliana. And Simon … loved him! Also, I loved the little blurbs at the beginning of each chapter … a snippet of history … it just made everything seem all that more real.

Hands down, Furyborn by Claire Legrand will not disappoint hungry readers of sweeping fantasy. One. Of. The. Best. Books. EVER.

Holy Cow! What fantastic start to a new trilogy. Legrand weaves an intricate tale of two incredibly smart and dangerous women, Rielle Dardenne and Eliana Ferracora, separated by both time and circumstance. Furyborn tells the story of Rielle, the daughter of a Lord, graced with incredible power and a lack of self control. And as a sort of foil, Eliana, equally as dangerous, but much more calculating, and gritty. Both characters are fierce, faulted and interesting. I simply devoured this book, I can't wait to see where Ms. Legrand takes this wonderful tale.

This is epic and ambitious and bloody. There's a lot of stuff to play with, and the story has fun with it. In Rielle's narrative, we have a magical kingdom and an unavoidable tragedy unfolding; in Eliana's, we have a broken world, where Rielle and magic and the old world are merely myth, and an anti-heroine reluctantly accepting she must do more in this war than just survive. In both, we have two heroines rising to meet their destiny and power in very different ways. Individually, they're standard chosen one narratives. Entwined together, with the knowledge of how one queen created the world of another, of how truth became myth, of their very different roles in the prophecy, it becomes much more compelling.

The story is carried on the strength of the lore and the main characters. I didn't really care for any of the side characters, because their lives revolve around the main characters, and I never get a sense of their lives or purpose outside of them. Rielle's world has the stronger set of characters and sense of setting, but it's also the more straightforward story. Eliana has a bigger, more mysterious world, but it's rendered with less care. Simon's characterization jumps around, and even Eliana's change of hearts (or lack thereof) are too conveniently timed for plot purposes (I like the concept of Eliana more than written Eliana sometimes). I far prefer Rielle's romantic entanglements to Eliana's. And I figured out the "plot twist" very early on, but it doesn't ruin reading the story at all.

Despite any flaws, I like what the story's trying to achieve. I love the grand scale of it, I love how integral the main characters are in shaping the world, I love that it dives headlong into crazy lore from the start. The ferocity of the characters keeps me invested; they burst with it. They bleed for their victories; they earn their stories. And I'm very interested in what comes next.

4 stars for Furyborn!

Over the years, I have found that books with Angels as protagonists or antagonists can be so cheesy. So I was worried when I first picked up Furyborn but the magic system and the dual queens peaked my interest. I was not disappointed.

Told from the perspectives of mother and daughter, Furyborn weaves the story of the birth of the two Queens - The Queen of Blood and The Sun Queen. They will be the most powerful magic wielders and will have the power to destroy the world and save it. Not bad right? The beginning reveals much of the prophesy and also grabs your attention and doesn't let go. I know only one other book with such a dramatic beginning and that is Red Sister.

I particularly enjoyed Rielle's storyline because it showed the depth of the conflict within her. It redeems her from our initial introduction to the evil queen. Her daughter shares the same strong spirit, beauty and internal conflict.

Furyborn lost a star for me because I didn't find the magic system all that original or developed. Also there are some gaps in the history of the world that still need to be answered. For example, what happened after Rielle destroyed Celdaria? Clearly Corien clearly survived. Also the Saints hold a huge part in building the original wall but we don't know much more about them than they are revered.

Nevertheless, I found this book to be very enjoyable me - full of action and mystery. Also the romantic portions were predictable but I found them sweet. And not the I-got-a-cavity sweetness that most people hate.

Overall, great debut and I look forward to the next two books in the trilogy.

I loved this book so much. I was engrossed from start to finish. I often get bored or lost in dual timelines, or find myself craving to get back to one or the other, but I loved both characters' stories so much. I just finished reading this, and still feel a little loopy-happy from it (and so sad to have to wait for the rest of the series), but I will write a more cohesive review that will be published closer to the release date!

DNF
I love fantasies and strong female characters which pulled me to ask for this title. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The first chapter was quite intriguing and grabbed my attention immediately. I was swept up in the chaos and magic that seemed to be swirling around the characters. Just after the beginning of the second chapter, though, I started to lose interest.
The main characters of Rielle and Eliana are strong females with headstrong attitudes and enough badassery to fill multiple books. The trouble is that I didn’t feel that I connected to either one. They were each stuck up in their own ways and this made them off putting rather than someone to root for. The secondary characters were a little more interesting to me, but did not participate enough or shine enough to hold my interest.
The writing was slightly long winded, but did do a decent job of creating a world around our characters. The back story of this land and the “angels” that seem to have proceeded it is very vague and needed a more thorough look. The magic itself, not just that of the Queens, is glossed over quickly and left muddled to the imagination. The story line was slow and, although it was nice to see both girls’ stories simultaneously, was often confusing as it did not flow well.
I did not finish this novel. I left off at about 65%. At this point I had lost all interest in the characters and wherever they were heading. Two things I found that turned me off about the novel is that neither “heroine” allowed for her faults. Both were almost always confident (perhaps after a brief doubt) which did not allow for them to grow. The other, and much smaller pet peeve, was Eliana naming all her knives. This was enormously confusing during a fight scene and seemed utterly useless when is seemed as if names were being thrown out constantly with no faces to go with them. One weapon with a name would have sufficed. Five to ten is a bit much. This may be a great read for others, but was not my type of fantasy.

Wow. The world building and characters will devour you and leave you breathless. This is a book that will make you feel breathless as it propels you further and further until suddenly you've turned the last page.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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