I kind of got a Scorpio Races kind of vibe at the beginning with a horse race and all the excitement. There was a lot going on in this book with the two different timelines. One chapter you are following Eliana as she tries to save her mother, the next chapter you are in the world of Queen Rielle who is battling to save her people. Sometimes this kind of switching point of views can get really confusing and bog the story down for me.

This was a long read, that had many twist and turns in the story. I wish it was two different books told about the same story, but other than that (Which is personal preference) It was a good read.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This was a satisfying fantasy book. There was excellent world-building, the characters were great, and the author expertly weaved the story. The one thing I didn't like about it was that sometimes it seemed like it was trying to be too epic. Even so, I really enjoyed it and will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

The problem with receiving an ARC is that when the story latches onto your being it is impossibly difficult to have patience for book two. I will not include spoilers. However, I will tell you that I am simultaneously relieved and thrilled to have a new world, a fantastical adventure, and characters that even after 500+ pages I am still desperate to know more about.

Loved this unique fantasy! Can't wait to get a final copy and read it again. This was a page turner and was action packed from the beginning. Loved it and can't wait for the sequel.

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.

The stories in this book take place thousands of years apart, so it's important to keep track of whose story you are reading. Unfortunately, I didn't find this story to be a compelling read. I was very lost at the beginning of the story; later world-building filled in some of my gaps, but not enough for me to stay invested. The story itself can be very confusing at times, particularly with the use of the term "angel" for the supernatural god/king/being that appears near the beginning.

There is a reader for this book, but it isn't me, and it isn't my patrons, either.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: fantasy violence
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Read-Alikes: One Thousand Nights, Seraphina,

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.

🗡 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.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Closer to 3.5 stars, but rounding up because I had so much fun reading this. I've been in a bit of a reading slump as of late, and I think it's safe to say this book dragged me out of that hole. Right from the beginning, that beautiful and exciting prologue, I was hooked. While I didn't enjoy Rielle's story line as much as I did Eliana's, they were both incredibly well-written characters for whom I formed an attachment immediately. What makes a good book for me, especially a fantasy book, is great world-building and believable characters, and for the most part, both were present in this novel. There were a few things that stopped me from completely loving this book, but those teeter into spoiler territory, so I won't get too into it. Mainly, what gave me pause was a rushed ending, a bit of a lack-luster "big" reveal, and one character who, to me, seemed bland; like he was nothing more than an empty love interest. All in all, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one. It's going to be a long and arduous wait.

Oh where do I even start? I LOVED this book. I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review and to say I was excited would be an understatement! I wanted to read this book from the second I saw its cover.

I enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in less than 24 hours. I just couldn’t put it down. It was everything I love in a fantasy novel – world-building, character development, magic, evil, heroes, love…

The story is set with two timelines and two main characters, Rielle and Eliana, which I first thought would be confusing but the author did a wonderful job developing both stories and intertwining them perfectly. Rielle’s story is set a thousand years before Eliana’s in a time where magic exists throughout the kingdom. There is a prophecy that there will be two queens that will have the ability to control all 7 kinds of elemental magic. One will be the Sun Queen that will save the kingdom from an evil that is destined to come and the other will be the queen that will destroy them all.

In Rielle’s story, she must decide how she will use her power and ultimately, which of these prophesied queens she is. In Eliana’s story, magic has been wiped from the kingdom and the story of a Sun Queen is just that – a story. She lives in a world where she must fight and kill to survive and provide for her family. This fighting takes her on a journey where she discovers that some stories aren’t just fairy tales they are history retold.

I highly recommend this book and CANNOT wait for the next novel. I’m hooked and a new fan of this author!

Initial thoughts: I haven't loved a fantasy book as much as I've loved Furyborn in a while!! AH, so many FEELS, and so much EPIC-NESS!! Rielle and Eliana are INCREDIBLE characters, and the intricacy of this world and story is so extremely thought-out and PERFECT. The small elements of foreshadowing are detailed and I want to reread this again already!

Guysssssssss I READ FURYBORN! I'd been eyeing it from the moment I read that synopsis and got lots of ARC envy (don't hate me, you know you feel it too) when I saw bloggers getting copies of this one in the mail. During one of my visits to NetGalley I pushed that little wishbone not really thinking that it would ever be granted...and then...one day weeks later I got an email AND I GOT APPROVED!!! It was the best surprise. I was so excited about it that I got the release date mixed up (I thought it was coming out in March, but really it's not 'till May), and so I read it over my Christmas break in December.

The opening scene is intense and way confusing but stick with it, because everything becomes clear fairly quickly, and it's CRAZY. That one scene was enough to drive me to keep reading and reading wanting to know why it happened.
Yes, there are time jumps. Rielle and Eliana live during two different time periods in the same world. Through Eliana's timeline, we're able to see the result of Rielle's story. But of course, we HAVE to know why and how Rielle's story panned out.
Both Rielle and Eliana are extremely fierce and strong characters. I also loved that the age of the characters is a little older than the typical YA. Both characters are around 19/20 throughout the course of their stories, so themes are more mature and dark, which I enjoyed and appreciated as an older YA reader myself.
This leads me to talk about the romance. Woo, did it just get hot in here? I can't describe these relationships as anything but sexy! There's also hints of bisexuality, talk of contraceptives, and other important, but less-talked-about topics in YA.
The magic is freaking AWESOME! And the action scenes are BADASS! Claire Legrand is incredibly detailed in writing both, particularly the magical aspects. I could fully visualize what was happening, and I'll say it again: it was CRAZY!
This is a looooooong book. Goodreads says the hardcover will be a whopping 512 pages. It did take me longer than usual to get through, but not because I wasn't invested in the story. There's just a LOT going on, and a lot to tell. And every page was worth it, might I add.
I'm writing this almost a week after finishing this book and I still can't form too many real thoughts about it to share with you?! That's how much I love it.
The world, the writing, the manipulation of time and pacing, and of course the characters (not just Rielle and Eliana -- the "side" characters are just as round, interesting, and integral to the story), made it impossible for me not to love this book!
I'm still kind of melting in a puddle of Furyborn right now.

Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy will love this book.

If you're on the fence about picking this one up I'll leave you with this: MAGIC. ROMANCE. QUEENS. INTERCONNECTED TIMELINES. MORE MAGIC. BADASSERY.

"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.

This book was some kind of high-fantasy lite book.

I understood that the author wanted to create a crazy world with a deep mythology, but I think she fell a bit short. I found myself very overwhelmed by the information being thrown at me up untilabout a third of the way through the book when I understood more about it.

The book is told from two perspectives, of Rielle and Eliana. However, with the multiple timelines it was hard to keep track of who is who. Not only did we have to read abouta new world with one new character, we had two timelines of two characters in what feels like two worlds. I think it could have been told a bit better.

Additionally, with two timelines you would expect them to converge or have parallels. Without spoiling too much, I think they are poorly linked. In some great dual timeline novels the characters in each timeline have parallel experiences, or if something big happens in one timeline, something similarly big happens in the other. In this book it is not so.

I think the two main characters were well written. They did feel like two distinct characters,
and they were definitely "strong females". I feel like the other characters suffered as a result.
No one else was really like interesting.. apart from Ludavine, who is also female. The female characters were probably the strongest, and the male ones were the weaker characters in this book.

It is a whopping 512 pages long, I think it definitely feels like it. Eventually the book becomes semi-interesting, but there is a slog to get there. Overall I found the concept interesting and I am interested in reading the next book, but I think the author could have done a lot better with the two timelines.

Full review on Goodreads.

Why do all the books I fall for have to be a trilogy!?!?

Years I'm going to have to wait now. Why!? Why do authors do this to me?!?!

That's all I have to say about this one. I finished it this morning and haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It was real--I swear it was. And now I feel bereft without anything more to read in continuing this story. The book gods are cruel.

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.

This is a case of me-not-you; there is fantastic writing here and a lot of promise overall. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to the right reader. Unfortunately it just does a number of things that I'm not into, such as time jump character switching, a catastrophic prologue before jumping back in time, and "evil" main characters. It's just not for me!

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.