Actual Rating: DNF
Recommend: Probably not
Review:

Oh baby, I wish I could have loved you, because you're cover is oh so pretty. Alas, after struggling for over a month, not caring one itty-bitty-bit about any of the characters, and barely making it to 100 pages, I couldn't convince myself to finish this book and had to DNF.
Honestly, I appreciate that the book features some strong women and LGBTQ relationships, along with an interesting idea, but it was just...boring. I don't know. I wasn't amazed by anything and the formatting gets me since we know how some things happen already.
However, I did rate Furyborn 3 stars, so going into this one I knew there was a chance I would not love it. Very rarely do I not like the first book and pick up the sequel, and end up loving it.
Truly, this book wasn't for me. It took me over a month of struggling to barely make it to 100 pages, and still, I didn't care about anything going on or anyone.

I requested this copy not realizing it’s the second in a series...but I was able to read and very thoroughly, enjoy this story! I really, really liked this book enough to go and add the first to my to be read pile. Thanks for the chance to read such an amazing book!

Furyborn was such a good book and the sequel did not disappoint. Kingsbane had everything: drama, intrigue, fantasy and romance and I can't wait to see how the series continues.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this sequel. The first in the series was strong, and while usually the second books in a series feels like the furthering of dark plots, Kingsbane was as rich or even richer in character depth than the first. I was looking for next book's publication date before I even finished this one. The characters are real and living in my head and I really want to know what happens next.

This book broke me in the best way. I loved FURYBORN, but KINGSBANE is more sophisticated, action packed, and the story/magic gets deeper. What a phenomenal second book. As a reader, the ending had me screaming with fury. As a writer, I was in awe of Claire Legrand's brilliance.

After receiving the shocking news that she is the sun queen, Eliana struggles with her identity and knowing what to do next. Simon obviously wants her to ascend into her role as a powerful queen. Remy is also very encouraging, until he learns about Eliana’s role in his mother’s death.

Rielle is very immature in this book. She hasn’t a care for anyone but Audric and Lu, and let’s Lu direct her every move. She doesn’t think about the consequences of her actions, and prefers to go ahead and do them and apologize later. Rielle is drunk on her power.

What I liked: Simon

What I disliked: I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. Ludivine really annoyed me and Rielle just wasn’t the same character. I lost a lot of respect for her as a character. The fight against the angels could’ve had so much potential, but it left me wanting. When someone found out Lu was an angel, they let her live because the supposed Sun Queen said to. Eliana didn’t trust anyone except for a wraith. This just caused her to go behind everyone’s backs while she should be working with them. All in all, it was somewhat painful to get through this book.

Eliana and Rielle are both stubborn and hate asking for help. While this is human nature, they often take needless risk, resulting in danger for themselves and others.

I couldn't WAIT to get my hands on Kingsbane after devouring the first book in the series, Furyborn. Kingsbane picks up right where the Furyborn left off and once again brings us into Eliana and Rielle's heavily intertwined worlds, a millennia apart.

While the first book was wonderful; it was heavily focused on the worldbuilding and setting up our characters for what was to come in the series, and by the time we got to the end, things were only just getting started in bigger ways. Kingsbane takes all that was built previously and starts Eliana and Rielle's journey to the end where they will ultimately come face to face with their salvation or destruction.

Kingsbane takes many twists and turns and gives us interesting characters that we love...and sometimes love to hate.

If you've read and enjoyed Book #1 in the series, Kingsbane will be a must-read for you.

This book was just not for me. I NEED likeable, relatable characters, and I couldn’t find any. In the first book, I also had that problem, but the world was new and shiny and interesting. The world is still captivating, but the storyline is slow, the characters are horrible (or just meh) people, and they constantly make terrible decisions.

Also, I would classify this as Adult or at least New Adult: there are too many steamy scenes for it to be YA.

I’m disappointed it wasn’t for me, but I’m sure this book will find its way into the hands of people who will love it.

*DNF at 40% (I really tried!!)

***Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review***

Furyborn was one of my favorite reads of 2018. I fell in love with the characters, the world, and the intricate magic system. However, I did not enjoy Kingsbane as much as Furyborn. It pains me to give this book 3 stars, but I have to give it an honest rating. I won’t say much about the plot of this book as it would lead to spoilers. All you need to know is that it picks up right where Furyborn left off, and we still have chapters from both Rielle and Eliana’s point of view. We also get a better understanding of the angels and why Corien is so hell-bent on revenge.

What I Liked:

The world
The magic system
The side characters--Audric is by far my favorite character. He’s underrated in the book community. He deserves ALL of the love.
Eliana--In Furyborn, I found myself wanting more chapters from Rielle’s perspective instead of Eliana. This time around I felt the exact opposite. In fact, I fell in love with Eliana in this book. Claire Legrand is an amazing author and this is proof of that. She helped me connect with a character I initially didn’t care for!
The ending--fantastic cliffhanger

What Can be Improved:

The pacing--the pacing was pretty slow for most of the book. The story didn’t really pick up and maintain capturing my attention until the last 30%-40% of the book. Otherwise, i went through periods where I couldn’t put the book down and moments when I struggled to continue reading.

Overall:

Despite my issues with this book, I definitely recommend Kingsbane to everyone who read Furyborn. I cannot wait for the next book! I know it’s going to be AMAZING and heart-wrenching. Claire Legrand is going to break my heart, but she told me she would from page one of Furyborn.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
I'm not going to lie, I was like a kid at Christmas when Kingsbane showed up on my Kindle! The Empirium series has totally taken me by surprise and I'm completely impressed by the story Claire Legrand has woven. The second book in the series has picked up where Furyborn left off. War is coming... The Emperor is coming!

We continue to follow the life and events of two women, connected by some circumstances. Only one can be the Sun Queen while the other the Blood Queen. By this book we know who is who, but we don't know WHY or HOW they choose their paths. Wonder no more...

Did I mention this is such a difficult review to write? I refuse to spoil anything, but I will say I am emotionally invested in all of these characters – the good, the bad, the ugly. Every single one of them have worked their way into my head. I am exhilarated yet anxious to find out what happens. Even though I know the general ending, I need to see how everything plays out. What exactly is victory? Who can possibly say they won?

BRING ON BOOK 3!

If you've seen my review for Furyborn, you may know that this series started out a little on the iffy side for me.

I wasn't blown away by the characters and the writing style as I had hoped with all the hype surrounding this world. And I don't think this sequel redeemed those thoughts.

I still really enjoyed the plot and all the fantastic world building. The magic and creatures were really fun to explore through such a twisted plot. 

There is a cliffhanger ending that sets up Book 3 rather nicely, and it would be fun to see how this series will end. 

When it comes to the characters, I wouldn't say that I was as confused and stranded as I felt in the first book. We get to dive deeper into the two, strong female characters, but I just wish there was a way to distinguish their voices a smudge more. 

Compared to Furyborn, there is also ALOT of steamier scenes, so if you love romance, you will go crazy with Kingsbane. 

I gave this one 3 out of 5 stars. It took me only a day to get through, but I had to push myself a few times to keep going. Overall, I think this series is more on the meh side for me. It still has great storytelling elements, but with all the ups-and-downs I felt, I just wasn't blown away.

The second in the series does not disappoint. While the book is longer it does not feel too long. Instead you find yourself wanting more by the end.
The author does a great job of bringing the two worlds of the queens together in such a way that you feel the histories are cohesive. It also brings in more anger, romance, and cliffhangers than one knows what to do with.

I had a hard time with the rating for this book and it's even harder knowing that so many people gave this five stars. There were a lot of things I liked. I loved the setting and the world building. I loved the two characters. I know some people didn't like them, but I kind of loved both of them. Eliana is doing her best and Rielle was struggling with her power and Corien's grip on her. I also loved the concept of power corrupting people and the fact that there were times I wasn't sure who the Sun Queen was even supposed to be or who the Blood Queen was supposed to be. Another reviewer mentioned that this was not a black and white issue and I completely agree. I think there were good and bad aspects in both queens and that made for a richer story. I also LOVED the twists. Seriously, I could not put it down during the last quarter part of the book. There was so much action and betrayal and SO MANY SECRETS! I also loved the backstory of the humans vs the angels. Really, I can see why the angels were pissed at the humans.

So why did I have a hard time rating this one? Because for a large part of the book, I was just bored. It was a bit too long and I struggled to stay engaged. I also thought there were just too many sex scenes. Don't get me wrong, I love Rielle and Audric as a couple, but did we really need a blow by blow account every time they had mind blowing sex? Eh, probably not. If not for the exciting last bit of the book and the incredible twists, I probably would have given it three stars. But that cliffhanger definitely makes me want to read the next one.

As a huge fan of Furyborn, the first book in this series, I was very excited to start this book and had such high hopes for it. Unfortunately, the wonderful spark that was ignited in Furyborn was almost extinguished by this book. By about 30% I was ready to put this on the DNF pile, but I kept reading. Finally, finally, at about 80% things started to pick up and I got the book I wanted. But, 80% of a 600 page book is a long way to go.

And, that is my main problem with this book: it is just way too long. The same things seemed to keep happening: a lot of fighting, complaining, running from place to place and gratuitous sex We get it. After awhile it just gets boring. Shorten the book.

Another problem I have is the age level for which this book is targeted. On the back cover it is recommended for ages 14+. There were so many more sexual scenes than I’m used to finding in YA books and they were much more graphic than usual. They would have been mild in an adult novel but surprising here. The same might be said for the violence and torture.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was on the fence about continuing this series after my lukewarm reception of Furyborn, but I’m glad I did. While I still wasn’t crazy about it, I liked Kingsbane more than I liked the first book. The characters continued to grow, and I loved finding out more of Rielle’s history and how it contributed to Eliana’s future. Where Rielle was my favorite character in Furyborn, it actually switched to Eliana for this one, and I found myself looking forward to her sections more. The switching perspectives continued to move the plot and intrigue along nicely, but for some reason, each switch was more jarring to me and took a second to adjust in each chapter. I do wish we could have a bit more knowledge about the magic systems and the angels because it still wasn’t 100% clear for me. If you can get past that though, the plot was exciting in both timelines and I really loved watching them weave together. The ending was totally unexpected and had my jaw on the floor. I was riled up after finishing for sure. I am now too invested in the plot to not be along for the ride, and I anxiously await the conclusion in book three. I really do think that if the magic and the angels were fleshed out better, this series would knock it out of the park, but until that ferocious ending, it was a fairly average read.

Kingsbane is an intricate, complex story set in a detailed world. It demands a lot from the reader but is equally rewarding. It is emotionally involving and often devastating. There is some ambiguity and uncertainty with both the “good” guys and the “bad” guys being capable of great brutality and deception. Even at the end of this second book I’m not completely sure that I know which side is good and which is evil.

From the very first chapter of book one in this series, Furyborn, we know that Rielle is going to turn evil and destroy the world. Seeing her as a fairly innocent teen it was hard to imagine how this was possible. Through the first book we began to see glimmers of the mad queen but this comes to a head in Kingsbane. Piece by piece we witness her descent into evil and madness and by the time she throws in completely with the angels it makes perfect sense for her character. Her arrogance and megalomania grow in line with her power and by the time she goes full on mad queen it is no surprise. I even felt a little bit sad for her as everyone she cares about turns their back on her due to her inability to control her great power and anger which leads her to horrific behaviour. Her eventual “snapping” is completely understandable. Awful and disappointing but understandable.

Similar to in Furyborn the perspective shifts with each chapter, mostly between Rielle and Eliana, who are separated by 1000 years. While I didn’t find this confusing at all in book one I was ill while reading much of Kingsbane and I found it difficult to follow and keep the two story lines straight, especially after they begin to cross over . Once I was recovered it was not a problem. This was a case of “it’s me not you” and I don’t think that this is an issue with the book itself but be aware that this is two complex stories in one and you need to be on your mental game.

The end of Kingsbane is a serious cliff-hanger for both story lines. Eliana’s story had a particularly cruel end and it will be excruciating to wait for the next book. I think I know what happened to cause this huge, terrible ending and I don’t know if it can be redeemed or reversed but I’m sure hoping it can! This whole time travel aspect has blown my mind and apparently the “butterfly effect” is seriously powerful. I’m hoping it can be harnessed for good in the next book. It’s going to be a long, painful wait!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

In this sequel, we get to see Eliana come into her power while Rielle goes into a downward spiral as people start to fear her. I enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences between the two characters personality as they are both morally grey in their own way. Their gradual development felt very authentic and made me love them even more. Theres some pretty steamy scenes with one of them being queer. We get more queer on page in this sequel which made me very happy. I loved all the different friendships and relationships. Theres some amazing romance with many complexe layers. We also get a chapter from many of the side characters point of view letting us see whats happening in their part of the world. I really appreciated getting a glimpse inside their minds ans getting to know them a little bit better.

Elianas relationship with her brother Remy hit me in the feels. Her best friend Harkan was such a sweet cinnamon, but I wish he hadn't made a certain decision in this book. I understand why it was done, but it felt a little out of character for him. I enjoyed seeing Eliana and Navis friendship develop further as well as seeing her new relationship with Jessamine blossoming. What really stood out to me though was the slow burn romance between Eliana and Simon. Simon is so broken I couldnt help but feel for him. As for Rielle, I thought her relationship with Prince Audric and Ludivine was amazing. I really loved the dynamic between the three of them. I also enjoyed the interactions between Rielle and the villain Corien. They're all so complex and multilayered.

We get to know the world a lot better as the main characters travel to different places. I really liked the information we got about the past and the Saints war against the Angels. The plot twists and that ending blew my freaking mind. Im usually pretty good at predicting how things will go down, but this one threw me for a loop. I also loved the dual time line and how they end up intersecting. It was interesting to see how similar the queens journeys were despite them having opposite destinies. My main issue with this book was how it felt longer than it needed to be. There were some scenes and descriptions that didnt feel necessary to me. It made the pace a bit slower than Furyborn, but that sometimes happens with sequels. I still think it did a good job of setting up the story for an explosive and gripping final book.

I had some problems with the first book in this trilogy. But, as the book was so well-received, to a certain extent I know these were a lot of personal preferences, mainly having to do with the decision to include a prologue that, I felt, gave away a bit too much of the story, if read carefully. So, with that in mind, when I received an ARC in the mail from the publisher, I decided to give it a go. And, while I still struggled with aspects of the story, I also enjoyed it more than the first.

Rielle and Eliana both are thought to be the Sun Queen, though Eliana does have the dark history of her mother, Rielle’s, decent into darkness to back up her claim. But so far these titles and prophesies have brought nothing but danger and challenges, one after another. Eliana must bear the heavy load of her mother’s legacy, worrying constantly that she will follow in her footsteps, fearing her own powers. And Rielle, centuries earlier, must walk a tight line between protecting her kingdom and spying on the angels who threaten them, all while becoming increasingly intrigued by one of them, the mysterious Corien.

Having the world and writing set-up (alternating POVs from the past and the future) already established definitely helped me enjoy this book more than the first. If I worked very hard, I could even try and put the initial prologue out of my head and enjoy the story as it is. I’m particularly intrigued by the ongoing mystery of which Queen is really the Sun Queen and which is the one who turns to evil. While it feels fairly established as Rielle, I’m still on the look-out for a trick up this author’s sleeve in the eleventh hour.

As far as characters go, I still have enjoyed Eliana’s story more than Rielle’s. Part of this might have something to do with the timing of my read of this book. Frankly, I’m a bit exhausted by the “power hungry queens” in fantasy stories right now (I think the reason why is probably pretty obvious). This is definitely not the book’s fault. But timing aside, I do think that Rielle’s decision making and thirst for power made her a bit less appealing for me. At my heart, I always will prefer to the straight-forward hero character over an anti-hero. I also wasn’t a fan of the strange love triangle that was being built up between Rielle, Corien and Audric. I didn’t feel like there was enough established to really justify Rielle’s interest in Corien.

I do very much enjoy the general writing style and world-building of these books. The story feels expansive and epic, and the writing effortlessly flows between witting dialogue and engrossing descriptions of action and setting. If only the characters who populated it all were a bit better. The book is pretty long, however, and I do think some editing could have been in order to tidying it all up.

I also had some questions about the marketing of this book as YA. There are some pretty intense scenes in this book, particularly in the romance plot line between Corien and Rielle. This is by no means coming from a “the children aren’t ready for this!!” place, but more a general question about fantasy fiction and current marketing practices. It almost feels like a lot of good fantasy works are being relegated to YA regardless of that being the appropriate place for them simply because YA fantasy is booming. And look, I love that so many fantasy titles are coming out in YA. But I’m also starting to feel like there is an equal and growing lack of fantasy coming out in adult fiction for the very same reason.

I would place good money on the fact that several titles are pitched to publishers as adult fantasy fiction and then are sent back with the note “Great! But let’s make the protagonists teenagers so we can market it to YA, since that’s where this stuff sells!” It’s too bad, because a lot of adults want to read good fantasy fiction (again, look at the recent epic fantasy TV show that just concluded. Clearly, there is an adult interest in these types of stories). And books like this read as if they could just as easily, and perhaps more appropriately, be marketed as adult fantasy. Teenagers can pick up an adult fantasy novel just as easily as an adult can pick up a YA fantasy title. So maybe we can try giving each their due based on the story itself, and not marketing tactics. A girl can dream.

Having the characters and world set up in the first book, overall I felt as if I could sink more fully into this read and enjoy it. I still had some struggles, but some of that can be laid at the feet of the timing of my read more than any real flaw on the book’s part. Fans of the first book are sure to love this one, and those who may have had middling feelings might want to check it out as well, as I do think everything was strengthened, if not perfected, in this sequel.

Rating 7: An overall improvement on the first book!

Oh I love this series! I love hearing both mainstorylines and the character development was perfect! The addition of other characters POV was great too! Bring on the next!

I am absolutely loving this series so far. Two queens many years apart. One has the power to destory everything. One has the power to save everything. But who is who? That my friends you have to read to find out. I 100% recommend this series to everyone.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts ans opinions are 100% my own.