This book was written from two POVs and the two protagonists live hundreds of years apart. Although the fantasy element means there are some crossover characters in the series. What is great about this is that the two protagonists' stories are in some ways intertwined, but the more modern setting doesn't Give away the outcome of the earlier.

The two characters are Rielle, and Eliana; a queen and a bounty hunter respectively. I liked that their stories were told simultaneously rather than from a flashback perspective as it meant we were able to get to know both characters equally.

I also liked that the stories me whilst both had action, were quite different in nature. Rielle's status meant her battle was for her, to prove to all that she is the Sun Queen; significant to all the empire. Eliana's was also significant to the empire, but was as part of a larger rebel group.

Initially, due to the jumping between characters it was easy to sometimes mix up who was telling what, but once you got into the storylines it was easy enough to distinguish.

I really enjoyed the fantasy element too; initially I was a little confused with what was going on, but the development was so great as the story went on it was like being transported between two whole new worlds. The idea itself is super original and the descriptions were perfect in allowing the reader to develop a picture in their mind's eye.

The balance between plot detail and action was perfect, keeping the reader engaged and attentive. In one story or another, there was always something happening! The two stories running in such different times, yet so similar in format - neither out-shadowed the other and the pace and plot were perfectly balanced. When the storylines begin to emerge, it is clear they are both destined for something more than they every imagined; as they fight in a cosmic war that has lasted a millennia.

Overall I'm awarding this book 4.5*/5. I'm so intrigued as to what happens next - I need the next book now! It had great character development of both primary and secondary characters, and not only that, but left enough mystery around them to continue unraveling their back stories continually. I really enjoyed the storyline of this book, as it was captivating and well paced.

DNF. I really looked forward to reading this one, but I just couldn't do it. The story wasn't that engaging to me and considering there are SO MANY YA books out there right now in this style (long, extensive in depth fantasy details), it really didn't feel like anything too different or special.

This story features two young women separated in time but related through a prophecy that will affect their entire world. It starts with a good girl (Rielle) wanting to prove herself by going against the rules and showing her magical powers while the other (Eliana) is a heartless killer. We see the good turning bad while the opposite happens for the killer.

Once you go over the format of one chapter-one girl, you get into it pretty easily and it is hard to put the book down.. I mostly wanted to read about Eliana and her change of heart, Rielle’s parts about her tests were kind of long and predictable. I would recommand this book to fantasy lovers.

Fast-paced and full-on fantasy I felt a bit mixed about. The style is young adult with it's overly emotive angsty slightly irritating characters, but I felt the content veered more on the adult side. Not a problem for most or me personally but some feel strongly about such things.

One of the characters reminded me of the main one from 'Throne of Glass' and not in a good way... I don't mind a nasty main character with no morals but only if they own it and don't moan about it and judge others weirdly. I preferred the other character Rielle but found her story slower as it bogged down in the middle with all her magic trials. Some of the secondary characters were well done and interesting, perhaps I would have preferred it if there'd been some point-of-view chapters from them, although that may have overcomplicated it more. I quite liked the mythology and scope of the world building, though it was a little confusing at times and could have been more developed.

Overall I liked it and plan to read the next one.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

This novel will publish May 22, 2018. It is a fantasy novel.

Angels are not to be trusted. They have been banished behind a great gate. The gate cannot hold; eventually they will escape. Legend has it that two queens will emerge--one of blood to destroy and one of light to save the people from the angels..

Rielle, Audric, and Ludivine have all grown up together, knowing that Audric and Ludivine will marry to bring families together and strengthen the kingdom. All of that is in the future. They happily enjoy each other’s company until everything changes in moments. Rielle has been closely watched by her father and her tutor, Tal, to keep her powers under control. If she loses control, she can destroy. The problem is that Rielle is a bit headstrong and would like more freedom. One fateful day, Rielle and Audric decide to masquerade as riders in a race. When spies infiltrate the race, Rielle’s powers are discovered. Is she the sun queen legend has foretold?

Eliana lives 1000 years after Queen Rielle. The legend has become merely stories by this time although some still believe, including Eliana’s brother, Remy, who collects the stories. Eliana kills to survive and hides any guilt--only Remy knows her secrets and suspects her guilt. When women begin to be taken in the night, Eliana determines to find what is happening with help from her best friend, Harkan. During her investigation, Eliana life changes when she joins the group she has worked against and discovers what’s truly going on.

As this is book one, the novel ends with a cliffhanger. I could not put this book down. The chapters alternate between Rielle and Eliana. Their lives are so different, but in both, the common people are in need of help from the strong. Good isn’t always light and evil isn’t always dark--nothing can be assumed to represent the stereotype, but I will say the evil ones are truly evil. Enjoy!

I... liked it. The jury is definitely out on this book, between those who loved it and those who hated it, but I fall pretty squarely in the middle.

First of all, though, totally not a bi fantasy. Yes, at least one of the main characters was bi, but when you think of a bi fantasy, you think of a main character falling in love with a woman as a main plot point. Huntress and Ash by Malinda Lo are lesbian fantasies. Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst is a bi? lesbian? fantasy. This was just a fantasy where it was okay to be gay. That's a good thing, but it is also false advertising to call it a bi fantasy.

That said, though, it was enjoyable. The world building was excellent, the plot was engaging, I had to put the book down a time or two because I was frustrated with the choices the characters were making, which is always a sign that I'm invested. I'll certainly read the sequels.

One small frustration, though - and I'm sure this is intentional - the book is arranged in two separate storylines - alternating chapters - but starts with a scene that ties the two storylines together. The ending of the book felt abrupt to me because it never got back to actually explaining all the events that led up to the original scene. But given it is intended to be a trilogy, I expect this will be rectified in future volumes.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who like high fantasy.

While I'm not really sure I cared about the whole angel aspect of the story, or the jumping from one persons story to the other in different time periods, I still really liked the book. I can't wait to see what the next one brings.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book NOW! Don't wait! Rielle needs to pass her seven trials to show that she can control her abilities. I liked the 2 different points of view from the 2 characters separated by thousand years. It can be a bit confusing but it is an amazing read!

I love love love this novel. I was slightly concerned by the sheer size of it. But the author takes such care with world,character building that I finished this rather quickly. And now I'm sad that I did. All in all a fantastic joyride of a novel.

A beautifully written story cooked with adventure, love, tragedy, and wonder. I loved every moment and can't wait to read what's next!

Loved it! Great story, great characters...my library will definitely be getting a copy. The students are going to be waiting in line for it.

This story has all the elements of a great YA fantasy novel, a prince, a wolf, magic and two queens who are BADASS! There is love, sex, romance and friendship and I loved it!

Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo will love this addition to the YA fantasy scene --- FURYBORN takes what is well-loved about the genre -- the political intrigue, the rag-tag crew, the righteous mission and impending chaos -- and mixes it with modern elements of feminism, and dark and deliberate sensuality in a way that seems flawless and endlessly fun.
FURYBORN is a tale told between thousands of years. It is a tale of two women, both strong-willed and decisive women with their own agency. Claire Legrand begins FURYBORN in blood and chaos: Blood Queen Rielle gives birth to her daughter just in time to hide her away from Corien, a danger to both her and the world as she knows it. As the story continues, the chapter switch from Rielle and her journey to becoming the much-feared Blood Queen, and that of another strong woman, Eliana. Eliana is known as the “Dread of Orline”, and makes her living as a high-ranking bounty hunter for the Emperor. Switching between the past and the present, Legrand is masterful in creating a pace that keeps the viewer tied to both women’s stories, even as they begin to intertwine. Aside from the never-ending suspense and chaos of both women’s worlds, there is also quite a bit of desire and wanting, and the relationships both Rielle and Eliana form with others throughout the book are interesting and unique. For those looking for LGBTQIA+ representation, you will find it in both Rielle and Eliana, who make their bisexuality a point of much of their romantic endeavors. More than that, Rielle and Eliana are more than their sexuality -- a much appreciated perspective in the world of YA fantasy. As a pansexual, the casual way in which sexuality is handled throughout FURYBORN made for a more interesting and inclusive story -- I never felt like it was added for representation alone, or explained away in a nice and neat bow. It is complicated and I loved and appreciated that.
Overall, FURYBORN is a read-alike for any reader that has loved Celaena Sardothien’s early exploits as an assassin in the Throne of Glass series, as well as the legion of those that have loved the Darkling throughout the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. There is a definite dark desire between Queen Rielle and her angel companion, Corien, that is worth reading the book alone. For those looking for fantasy full of decisive female agency, look no further than FURYBORN. I cannot wait for the next book!

Let me start by saying that I love the cover of this book. Whoever handles the cover art for Sourcebooks Fire always knows what they're doing.

Furyborn starts off strong and I was hooked on the prologue, dying to find out what happened next. I mean a queen who is hated by her people for killing her husband giving birth to her child then the healer that's helping her is possessed by an evil angel dude and jumps off the balcony to his death? The queen giving her newborn to the healer's son so he can take her to safety just before she's killed in a showdown with the evil angel dude? The possibility that the child and newborn won't make it to safety? Tell me more!

But the story doesn't go that way. It's told in dual perspectives between Rielle (the future queen in the prologue) and Eliana - who is 1000 years in the future. It goes back to two years before the events of the prologue then jumps to Eliana's part of the story. Independently maybe I could have enjoyed Rielle and Eliana's respective stories. Maybe this series could have been made a generational saga or something where the first book was devoted to Rielle and the events leading up to the prologue and then the next book could pick up with Eliana - the child of Rielle who made it 1000 years into the future; but with their stories together this book lost me.

I liked the premise of Rielle and Eliana being badass female characters but their personalities missed the mark for me and I found them hard to like, although I liked Rielle slightly better than Eliana. Plus, for a YA their attention focused on sex a lot - which for me being nearly 26 didn't bother me but it should be labeled for older teens maybe?

Overall this is not a book for me. The story dragged at times and I found myself wondering why I was torturing myself trying to force myself to read it. 500 pages felt a lot more like 1000 by the time I was done.

I think Claire Legrand's Furyborn is going to be one of the biggest YA fantasy books of the summer. It's full of magic, strong-willed young women, and nearly impossible challenges for each of them to overcome. The two main characters are connected to each other (and no spoilers!), but each of them live over a thousand years apart. For me, the idea behind this series is exciting, but I found that the execution of it is a little overwhelming. Connecting two characters across a span of a thousand years brings together two completely different stories told in alternating chapters.

Legend has it that two queens will possess extraordinary power. The Blood Queen will bring catastrophe and destruction to her reign; the Sun Queen will bring light and and salvation to her reign. Rielle, the prophesied powerful queen of a thousand years ago, is merely a legend to the bounty hunter Eliana. However, Eliana knows that she possesses extraordinary powers and struggles to keep her powers a secret from everyone else.

The things I loved most about this and hope will be explored more in the future books are the magic system and the history of what happened between Rielle and Eliana. I thought the initial world-building of the magic system and country engaging; I just wanted more! Rielle and Eliana are fairly well-developed, though sometimes I felt that their voices sounded too similar and had to remember which chapter I was reading (but considering their connection, I shouldn't have been so thrown off by this!). The secondary characters really added to this story. I loved Simon and Ludivine the most, and loved the twists and connections they brought to the story.

Overall, this is an ambitious fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of Sarah J. Maas and Erika Johansen! I gave it four stars for the pacing and the scope, but it's almost a little too much. I think maybe this could have worked better if two books of the trilogy focused each Rielle and Eliana separately and the final book bringing their stories together, because this novel felt like a very long and divided set-up for the rest of the series.

This book has a lot to offer. A strong start where the reader is given preconceived notions about who the evil Queen Rielle is, only to have them quickly questioned as we are introduced to a younger Rielle, one who loves the man she will later kill, who is sweet, energetic, idealistic and naive and far from evil and we follow her story to find out how she got from the sweet girl to the evil Queen. Then we have Eliana, a girl who fights for the empire but joins up with the rebels for a dangerous mission and follow Eliana as she discovers what she is and the fact that magic truly isn't gone from the world.

I must say, I enjoyed Rielle's story much more than Eliana's. While I wanted to root for Eliana, I couldn't figure if she was a bad guy who was learning the error of her ways and reforming upon meeting the rebels, or maybe a good girl at heart who got trapped in a bad situation in order to help her family. Her backstory felt shaky, which made her actions, interactions, and relationships seem mildly contrived at times and I felt that the only thing I could be certain about her was that she would kill for her little brother. However, even with that negative, I did enjoy the story and look forward to the sequels

This book is by far one of the best releases of 2018. It took me awhile to get addicted to the book. I was fully addicted about 20% in the book. The dual perspectives/time periods is just amazing. The perspective of Rielle will reveal something about Elaina’s world and the other way around. It keeps the book super exciting and keeps you on your toes. Don’t even get me started on the romance. I love it!! Simon is amazing and I cannot wait to find out more about their relationship. It is just such a unique and different book. It still keeps the whole kingdom/kings and Queens YA readers love but the author puts her own spin on it. The whole religion is fascinating. I could keep going on and on about this book. I am typing all of this after the high of finishing it. Anyway, it is beyond amazing. It will be one of my favorites forever. I cannot wait for the next.

Furyborn grabbed me from the first page and kept me eagerly turning the pages. I loved the world build,omg and will definitely be following up with other books in the series. Thank you NetGalley for my arc copy

This book is magical- it's the perfect mix of high fantasy, epic tale, mythology and rom com/bff movie that definitely leaves you wanting more! I'm usually not a fan of books with alternating timelines, but this one was easy to follow and brilliantly wove in the mythology and cast. Highly recommend and cannot wait for books two and three.