I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley and a psychical 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!

I think for me this book fell into the "was way too hyped and my expectations were too high" category. FURYBORN is not a bad novel, my interest was kept throughout the entire thing, and I really enjoyed the dual-POV/dual time period type of narrative. But at the end of the day, I wasn't invested in any of the characters and I had no strong feelings about the book when I finished.

As much as I normally hate books that have a dual POV it worked here!

Characters: 5 – I loved all the characters.  Rielle and Eliana are both wonderfully flawed and real, and while they are completely different I love them both!  Though my favorite character was by far Remy, and I do think that the supporting characters in Eliana's story was better.  

Plot: 4 –  I really enjoyed the plot, and I felt like the balance between the stories was very good, as one story was slowing down, the other was picking up.  There are some chunks of Rielle's story that are missing, which I assume will be picked up in the next book.  

Writing: 4 - As I said the dual POV worked for me.  I think it helped that the stories took place in two completely different settings with two completely different casts of characters. 

Originality: 3 – A prophesied Queen is not exactly new.  While there are original elements, the overarching premise has been done.  

Predictability: 4 – So I don't know if the big reveal was meant to be a big reveal, because I had this figured out from pretty much the get go, but there was one twist in Rielle's story that I was pretty blown away by.  

Romance: 4 –  So this would have been a 5, but for the fact that there was one romance toward the end of the book while completely expected, I thought the execution was a bit off.  

World Building: 4 – My only complaint is that the world building sort of started more in the middle and the end of the book, so I had a lot of questions in the beginning. I still don't think that my questions were all answered, but I am satisfied for now.

I tried so very hard to like this book. The shifting chapters really detracted from the novel and made it impossible for me to become attached to either character. Now, there are some good things about FuryBorn: We get two badass heroines that can show that women are strong, too. You get a character who is loyal to her family at all costs. I just think overall the novel would have flowed better with a Part 1 and a Part 2 for each character.

A book that lives up to all the hype. While i feel like the theme had been done 100 times before this author put a unique spin on it ...Enjoyable read - thank you.

Furyborn is set in a vivid fantasy world, where two formidable women pursue different paths in different time periods. The reader wonders why these two stories are 1000 years apart, but they must be related in some way -- and that mystery is part of the reason this tale is so compelling.

Reille is in love with the crown prince, who is betrothed to Reille's best friend. When Reille reveals powerful abilities to save the prince, it is suspected that she is the Sun Queen, who legend says can save the world. She must withstand seven deadly tests, one for each of the elements, in order to prove her identity.

A thousand years later, Eliana is a bounty hunter. Her family survives only because of her murderous acts. But when her mother disappears, along with many other women from the city, everything changes. As she rebels against the empire, she hooks up with an untrustworthy revolutionary captain who promises to help her find her mother. But his intentions prove otherwise. He wants to show Eliana the secrets of this evil world and show her how her abilities may be the key to creating change.

The leaps in both time and point-of-view are unsettling at first, but events urge the reader forward as these powerful women meet each obstacle and begin to discover the secrets that bind them together.

Given what we learn at the end, I wonder how these stories can be 1000 years apart, but I guess more will be revealed in future installments of The Empirium Trilogy.

The suspense builds at the end of each chapter, and then you are in the other women's world! It's frustrating but effective. Incorporating powerful magical feats, Furyborn will leave you wanting more. Teens who enjoy epic fantasy will be enthralled. Can't wait to recommend Furyborn.

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.

Furyborn is the most delicious puzzle, a book where the picture is clear from very early on and becomes clearer still as all the pieces slide into place. And YET you hope against hope that the picture on the box is not what the puzzle pieces will reveal. You know what happens (to one of the characters anyway) and you still root for a different outcome all the same. You still gasp when Things Are Revealed and suffer over the what you know is coming still.
I found myself racing back and forth between the alternating chapters, wanting to get to the next part in each girl's story, torn between who I which part I wanted to read more of each time, I tried to pick a favorite (I think Rielle won out a tiny bit), but I came to admire the fierce power and fire in both of these young women. Oh and the guys aren't too shabby either.

The pacing of Furborn was odd.  Each chapter trades back and forth between Rielle and Eliana, in two different millennia's.  There are two specific reasons I think this formula of swapping between them worked.  First, the prologue set up both women's stories perfectly.  Throughout the whole book, whether I was reading about Rielle or Eliana, I never forgot the importance of the first scene.  It left a major impact.

The other reason I think the POV chapter swaps worked was because of Rielle and Eliana's personal journey's.  When I was in love with one of the stories, I was frustrated with the other.  And as the story progressed, my feelings for both rotated.  That set up caused me to spend a lot of time thinking about Furyborn.

I did find both Rielle and Eliana too sexually driven.  Rielle spent far too much time aching for Audric.  Eliana was bad too, but Rielle was worse. Too much time was spent on sex for a Fantasy series.

I also think the plot had a bit too much going on.  There were kidnappings, and wraiths, and angels, and zombie thingies... So much it almost made my head spin.  Additionally, too much time was spent her beauty.  I felt like her costumes for the trials were pulled right out of Hunger Games.  It was all just too much.

Even though Furyborn wasn't perfect, I'm hooked on this story.  I will be reading all three books.  I'm hopeful each book will be better and better.

**Full Review posted live on 5/14.

This book was absolutely fantastic. The world is so complex and brilliant. The characters are flawed and real in so many ways. The magical system is beyond spectacular and suspenseful. You need to read this astonishing and bewitching tale.

I first heard about Furyborn while watching a book haul on Youtube, and once I heard what it was about, I knew that I had to read it immediately. Once I got a copy, I immediately started reading, and I must say, the first chapter was so captivating that I knew this was going to be a great novel. However, I had some issues with reading this book, and although I really am interested in the story, I couldn't give it more than 3 stars because of those issues.

What I Didn't Like:
1. The long, excessive narratives: As I said, I really like the story that this novel tells, but I just found the narratives to be quite boring. I often found myself skimming the pages until conversations would come up because the book is a long one. I still want to read the next book, but I just hope that the 2nd book would be more concise so it would be less boring.

2. The main characters: The main characters were both insufferable, although I must say I grew to like Eliana more towards the end of the novel. I couldn't say the same thing for Rielle though. She's so arrogant and prideful, and sometimes I just want to shake her awake because dude, can you see the situation you are in? Do you think this is the time to boast around your skills just because you have them? Gosh! And with Eliana, at first I couldn't get a grip on her personality because she switches from one decision to another completely opposite decision, without thinking of how it will affect others, and within a few pages. She was confusing as heck, and it was hard to keep up with her.

3. The alternating POVs: I really, really hated the way in which the chapters ended. I feel like it just takes me out of the story, instead of deepen my interest in it. The chapters cut the POV right as I was getting interested, and because of that I kind of forgot my interest after the next chapter. It was also confusing at first, because it was hard to keep up with what was going on. I kind of wished that this was two separate books instead of one.

4. It was confusing despite the number of pages: Speaking of confusion, this book was confusing as heck! So many things happened, and yet I have no answers. I just read a 500-page novel, and I only have the tiniest clue about what this really is about. Although this book did a good job in setting the tone for the following novels, I just felt like there were still far too many questions left unanswered. (view spoiler)

What I Liked:
1. The side characters: I really enjoyed the characters of Remy and Ludivine. They add a nice element to the story, and the innocence coming from them both is really just something else. I always like it whenever they appear in the story. Sometimes I like Audric and Navi as well, although other times I just want to knock Audric in the head because he can be so clueless at times.

2. The story: Although I complain about how slow the plot moves, I really am interested and invested in how the story will go. I'm genuinely interested because it seems like such a unique story. Even though I did not love this one, I see myself still continuing on with the series because I just feel the potential. I mean, angels are bad in this novel, and there are prophecies, kingdoms to save, and so many secrets yet to uncover. I honestly can't wait for the next book!

3. The gripping start: Honestly, the first chapter was what really drew me in. I loved how action-packed and ominous it was. It's what got me excited for this book, and it's also what's still hooking me to the series, even though I didn't love it. If we're basing it on Rielle's chapters, the first one was actually in the future, after everything has already happened. Honestly, I'm more interested in the after of that first chapter than the before, so I just want to find out more about what happened.

Overall, this book is a unique story that I truly am interested in, but I just couldn't rate it higher because the plot was moving too slow for me, it was confusing at times, and I felt like there are still so many questions left unanswered. That said, I still can't wait for the second book because I just want to find out more about this world!

DNF'd at 42%.

I wanted to like this book. I love murderous angels, and I loved the concept of 2 women across 1000 years being intertwined! Unfortunately, it just didn't grab me for a few reasons:

1. The writing didn't grab me like I wanted it to. Given my relationship with YA Fantasy at the moment, I pushed through. Angels! Murderous angels!! She killed the king and MURDEROUS ANGELS!

2. I am all for sex-positive, sexually active women characters. I am not all for characters that are borderline obsessed with sex. Eliana literally meets a dude who is one of the only ones who can kill her, and her instinct is to push out her boobs and flirt? Rielle lusts after her bestie who is engaged to her other bestie while also constantly flirting with a dude (who I assume is twice her age as he's been training her since she was 5?) But mostly, Eliana defaults to sex mode as a way to....distract? fight? I don't know.

3. RIELLE STARTS HEARING A MALE VOICE IN HER HEAD AND HER FIRST INSTINCT IS TO BE TURNED ON. Sorry, but I frequently wondered growing up as the point where the line of "voices in my head" and "what is my mind" crossed and if I was insane.

4. This book takes place in an alternate universe or thousands of years ago....and the use of the term "girlfriend" was too jarring for me.

5. Rielle's story becomes focused on these 7 trials she needs to complete. It's in the summary. But given that chapter 1/the prologue is in the future, there is no suspense?

6. Most of the characters in Eliana's time period I had to stop and think who they were because they just weren't developed enough for me to care.

I tried. If this hadn't been a Netgalley book, I would have put it down around 100 pages, which seems respectable. And I am sincerely bummed I didn't like this book.

"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"

Furyborn is an age-old story of the classic good vs. evil laced with magic and romance. Furyborn follows two storylines, Rielle and Eliana, millennia apart. The blessed Sun Queen will be a protector, the wicked Blood Queen will bring destruction to the world. Their stories are told in short, alternating chapters.

Rielle Dardenne has hidden her magical powers all of her life. She is able to control all seven elements, including earth, wind, fire and water. After her magical powers are discovered, Rielle is forced to complete seven trials to demonstrate her control or lose her life.

Eliana Ferracora, in order to survive and care for her brother Remy, is a fearless bounty hunter for the Empire. Known as the "Dread of Ornline", Eliana's captured rebels are routinely executed.

The book has all of the essentials that makes a good fairy tale. There are castles and kings, a prince who loves the heroine, angels and marques (half angel, half human), magic and love.
Although touted as YA, I am a 69 year old grandmother who enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend the Furyborn for all ages and look forward to reading the sequels.
I received a galley from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review


<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/33210595-peggy-geiger">View all my reviews</a>

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting the request in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this but at the same time didn’t. I found the world building to be well done but at the same time certain aspects of this novel just didn’t sit well with me and the action didn’t seem to have any breathing room. I would have liked it but it messed up the pacing I feel. Wanted to like it but felt it was disjointed.

Furyborn follows two main characters and is a dual perspective book with each perspective 1,000 years apart. Both of these women are intensely powerful in their own ways. It is foretold that there will be two queens. The Sun Queen that possess light and the Blood Queen that possesses destruction and carnage. Starting off we first meet Rielle Dardenne who after having to shove down her powers for all of her life has no choice but to finally reveal her powers in a life or death situation. However, once the kingdom sees that Rielle has these earth shaking powers they need to test if she is the Sun Queen or worse the Blood Queen. 1,000 years later we meet Eliana Ferracora. Eliana is a bounty hunter and is one of the best in her kingdom. When her mother is taken, Eliana joins up with her enemy to try and find her mother and on top of that solve why women are being taken in the kingdom randomly. Both Rielle and Eliana are fighting for their lives and even though centuries separate them connections still bloom between their lives.

Furyborn captivated me from the prologue. This book I do admit was very morbid at times to the point that I thought I was reading Game of Thrones. I love Game of Thrones however so I was happily okay with this. Claire manages to keep you entranced throughout each chapter and then hang you off of her cliff hangers as she switches perspectives. It made me keep reading and forget what time it was and where I was.

Both of these characters were very similar however in personality. I love a badass character, however I found myself trying to remember who’s world I was in and what character was talking.

The plot in this book I found really interesting and really enjoyed the years apart perspectives even though I usually find myself shying away from that. Legrand manages to keep you hooked and itching to find out what is going to happen and had me gasping out loud at points. Legrand is a queen at plot twists

There was one point in the book that bothered me and it is one of the reasons that brings this book down from a five stars to a four. Other than getting confused at times on which character is which, there was one point at which one character grabs another and when one of them says to let go the other says no and then proceeds to say he’s making her not move because he can. I thought this was a bit problematic and left a bad taste in my mouth. You can show that another character is stronger than the other in other ways in my opinion.

All in all I really enjoyed Furyborn by Claire Legrand. I am looking forward to the remaining books in this trilogy. I flew through the pages and fell in love with Rielle. I recommend this book if you enjoy books with strong females and cool sensational powers.

3.5 Stars-ish

I really enjoyed Eliana's POV and trying to figure out how all the people played into the story. Rielle, in all honesty I didn't start enjoying her side of the story until the trials were over. There were parts I really enjoyed, parts I could have done without, parts that I am still a little confused about, it wasn't a page turner and at times I did feel it was boring but I finished it and because of my sick need to not leave a story untold, I will probably read the next in the series.....

I am going to be that guy. You know the one? The guy that just can't get through a book that is proving to be very popular. I am not sure what it is, I've been trying for months to get through this book and never manage more than a couple of pages at a time. At this point, I think it is time to throw in the towel.

The story has a great premise and the writing is very much above average but the delivery of jumping back and forth between two timelines didn't work for me. Every time we changed which time frame we were in it took me out of the story while I tried to get my bearings back for one character or another and remember what they were up to a chapter or two ago I lost interest. I didn't want to keep reading and getting ripped out of one story and shoved back into another every time the chapter number changed. While it may be perfectly fine for many readers, it definitely did not work for me and I lost interest very, very quickly.

Unfortunately, I am going to have to list this one as a DNF and that actually makes me quite sad. I wanted so badly to love this book. If you are the type of person that doesn't mind jumping around between completely different stories with entirely different characters in different times every chapter then this would probably be a magnificent book.

Furyborn is outside of my normal genre because I don't naturally gravitate towards fantasy novels. This one? It was good. I enjoyed the "connection over time" piece of the story line, thought the characters were well written, strong females without being over the top. I think Claire Legrand has huge potential to make a big impact with Furyborn so I want to get the word out about it and get it into the hands of readers. Excellent.

4 1/2 stars. Overall I really enjoyed this book. The plot wasn't the most original but I liked how the story developed and the characters were quite fun. I felt like the story had this wonderful build up and then just kind of ended abruptly. I didn't get that satisfied feeling like I do with some books that leave me hanging. I'll definitely have to read the sequel when it comes out.

The two main female protagonists were very interesting characters. They were complex, conflicted, and were both morally ambiguous, which I'm always a fan of. I wanted more about the villain Corien. I felt like we didn't get enough of him in this story, hopefully more in the next!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC! I would recommend!

I absolutely loved Furyborn! Refreshingly mature and with two strong, young women leading the novel Furyborn had absolutely enraptured me. Two women, Two destines - Eliana and Rielle. )And both with their own demons). I couldn't help but to root for both. Furyborn challenges the two women to fight their own battles and survive. Rielle's darkness grows as she is manipulated and loses those she loves, and as she learns not to apologize for her actions. On the other hand, Eliana is forced to start questioning the choices she has made to protect those that she loves while also fighting the darkness within her and struggles to accept her destiny. Flashbacks give us the story of Rielle while Eliana battles in the present, at times confusing, but overall exciting and tension-building throughout out the book. I absolutely loved how dark and fierce this book was! Can't wait for the next one...