Two queens separated by a thousand years but connected by Corien who will use one to get back to the other he loves.  One queen wants to save her world the other destroy it.  When the prophets start talking everything just might change and turn this war, but which way?

I feel I missed a lot having missed the second book, but I liked the first book Furyborn so much I took a chance I could catch up.  That was hard and made it difficult to stay focused on this the third book.  That is on me, so I will not make that the books fault.  This was a very exciting and action packed book with more twists and turns than a spaghetti noodle.  It is well written with great characters, the book alternates between the two queens and time periods.  It is a good series and I hope to get book two someday than reread this book and give it everything it deserves.

This review will appear on my blog Oct 13th.

This was a great finale to the series.  Fans of the series thus far, will not be disappointed.  They may not get the ending that they hoped for, but Legrand still delivers a beautifully written story that will stay with you for years.

The much anticipated final book in the trilogy does not disappoint. It is beautifully crafted, written in multiple POV and each character is enjoyable. Readers of this trilogy won't be disappointed by this thrilling and sorrowful conclusion.

I decided to DNF at 148 pages because I just didn't care about what was happening. I was so confused about what was going on with Rielle and Eliana. There's a lot of mind-bending magic going on, but it made it hard to follow as I couldn't tell what was bizarre choice and what was magic. If the effect striven for was confusion, it was certainly achieved.

And then the Simon plot strand? It made no sense - he's now on the Emperor's side? I remember being confused about it in KINGSBANE, and the prologue in LIGHTBRINGER was clearly supposed to explain it. However, that only made me all the more confused about it. It seems to contradicts all his characterisation, motivations, and actions of the past few books

On the plus side, though, the pacing is quite good - doesn't read like a long slog. It's so much more readable than KINGSBANE, which just felt endlessly long.

I definitely owe Raincoast Books my soul for this ARC, but they can't have it because Claire Legrand already took it and broke it into a million pieces. Anyone who knows me well is aware that The Empirium Trilogy is my all-time favourite fantasy series. I was scared of how this would come together, but please know that Legrand hit it out of the park. This story is magnificent and has been beautifully crafted from beginning to end. 

This picks up almost right after that devastating cliffhanger. *Kingsbane's spoilers ahead, so skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to know.* Rielle has fully embraced her title as Blood Queen and has run off with the avenging angel, Corien. Pregnant and shunned, she is beyond saving now, and unstoppable with her ever growing powers. Meanwhile, Audric is grieving the loss of his new wife and his home to the hands of a usurper cousin. One thousand years into the future, Eliana has been captured and is on her way to the ruthless Emperor Corien—yes, the very same. She does not know what he has planned for her, but she is utterly alone in the world now. And Simon is ... well, f**k, it's been over a year and I'm still not over that betrayal. I chose not to re-read the second book because I wanted to dive straight in. I was delighted to find that aside from a few royals, I remembered who everyone was—or at least was reminded well—and knew what had happened.

Half of the magic of this incredible series is within the incredible characters that carry it. Rielle's story arc is what I so desperately needed from Daenerys Targaryen. Legrand has made her descent into power and madness so deliciously perfect. It is so effortless and natural to follow this character as she loses herself to her unspeakable powers and is bolstered by the wrong, manipulative people. Eliana on the other hand is struggling to keep her magic tamped down, thwarting her enemies in the only way she can. She is so strong and brave that I can have nothing but serious respect for this girl. She didn't ask to be who she is, but she handles it so beautifully. This was the first time we properly saw Corien in both timelines, and it was such a conundrum on my feelings. In one timeline he is unhinged with obsession and grief, and in the other he is so charming and cruel that I am at a loss as to why I pity him sometimes. As with Kingsbane, we are treated to new POVs such as Tan, Simon, Audric, Jessamyn, Navi and more. I would have like more Rielle and Eliana chapters, but in hindsight I don't think there's more the author could have done. Best of all, we finally meet the elusive Prophet who has pulled so many strings in Eliana's timeline, and I was reeling from the reveal. It was 110% not what I was expecting at all. 

So much happens in this book, but it never feels crammed in or rushed. Every scene is there with a purpose and drives the plot forward towards that ending we've all known was coming from the very beginning of the series. There is an underlying sense of dread as we work through Rielle and Audric's timeline, how her power grows and pushes the boundaries of the Empirium, leaving us to believe she cannot be saved. The way the story unfolds to the point of Rielle and Corien attacking the city with an angelic host and eventually that final battle between husband and wife is devastating and so believable. On Eliana's side, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that when it comes to one of the major plot points in the book, it is something I never once considered. And looking back at the series as a whole, it is so obvious. But it never clicked until Corien planted the seed in my head with a single sentence, and then my entire outlook on Eliana's timeline changed. And with it came a different sense of dread mixed with excitement.

The ending itself is truly perfect. I had terrible high expectations, and I could not have asked for a better ending. It is absolutely bittersweet. I'm happy, but I'm suffering, and I wouldn't want it any other way. And dare I say that there might even be the potential for a spin off? It isn't needed, but there's definitely a few crumbs left to follow elsewhere in this world. 

I am in awe. This series has been one of the most consistent, well-crafted, emotional and overall thrilling series I have read in so very long. I recommend it to nearly everyone I know for a very good reason. It is epic fantasy on a scale akin to Game of Thrones that welcomes me body, heart and soul. These women run this story and they run this world. They are heroes and villains and both all at once, and I will forever be grateful to Legrand for sharing this beautiful story with the world.

The sweeping conclusion to a trilogy that was compelling and complex from the start. I love that each of the heroes and heroines of this story were deeply flawed and yet still relatable and redeemable. The time travel elements were well thought out and constructed and the pacing was right on. It kept me reading and reading and reading until the satisfying end.

I really loved the first two books in this trilogy, and while this third installment does eventually present a decent ending (though not the one I really would have wanted), it takes a very long time to get there and there are large segments of the book where nothing really happens.

The structure of the book remains mostly the same as the first two, with viewpoints mainly alternating between Rielle and Eliana, here with many detours to side characters as well. The problem arises because neither Rielle or Eliana is doing much of anything for like two thirds of the book; both characters are kind of in a holding pattern, which makes their sections repetitive. The ending was...ok? It leaves a lot of room for further story exploration, but it also kind of invalidates much of what came before in the trilogy (I'm trying really hard not to give too many spoilers). There are also some character progressions and decisions that I still don't really understand, despite having been given in text explanations.

My favorite thing about this entire trilogy is the parallels set up between Rielle and Eliana, and the fact that a lot of the decisions they make in how they embrace and use their power depends so much on how they are viewed and treated by those around them. Rielle's decisions are not exactly sympathetic, but they are understandable to a certain extent because of the background we've been given. I also liked Ludivine's storyline.

A lot of people will really love the ending. I did not love it. Part of it is probably me just trying to readjust expectations because the ending is something I never even considered, but a big part of it is also that I feel like the ending short changes a whole bunch of characters that we've spent a lot of time getting to know. Also, as other reviewers have mentioned, the first two thirds of the book drag. There's a lot of lead up to what actually does turn out to be a pretty action packed and dramatic final section, but the lead up is too much and doesn't really leave enough space for some of the final things. I also wish the various characters had gotten to spend more time together rather then mostly being isolated.

In the end I do recommend this trilogy, and I will be very excited if Legrand decides to continue the story, but I would caution that the final book doesn't necessarily hold up as well for me as the previous two.

I've read the first two books in the Empirium series and, well, even I was confused by timelines and character arcs.  So do not try if you haven't read the others.

Once my memory was jogged, the splitting of time between Rielle/Blood Queen and Eliana/Sun Queen and their battles with Corien became less confusing.  Unfortunately, things feel very similar for both of them, particularly with Corien's mind taking over theirs and not knowing who their allies are (or could be).  Everyone we've gotten to know in the previous books appears, for better or worse, and some alliances may surprise readers.  It was disappointing to get to the end and <spoiler>find something very like the ending of the Tearling series</spoiler>, however, and I wished the author had gone in a different direction.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

This review contains SPOILERS!!! Please continue at your own risk. 

I was so excited to nab an ARC, since I have been eagerly (desperately?) waiting to find out what happens at the end since I finished Kingsbane and was left with the utter heartstopping cliffhanger at the end of that novel.  Concluding any series is never easy, especially as complex a series as this one that involves not only a structured system of magic but also time travel (both handled quite well in the worldbuilding and story), and Legrand should be applauded the way she has finished this narrative. Her writing is beautifully clear and detailed, and continues the character development we saw in the first two novels to great effect.  Although there were times where I guessed the identity of certain characters or what could happen next, I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out if the characters I had come to love would be ok and if everything was going to work out for good in the end.

SPOILER WARNING!!!  SPOILER WARNING!!!  SPOILER WARNING!!!  SPOILER WARNING!!!  SPOILER WARNING!!!

I absolutely loved the reveal of the Prophet and how the final climactic battle between Corien's angelic forces and Ludivine's Red Crown came together.  Rielle's character arc seemed realistic to me as well; here was a woman, a girl really, with extraordinary power, whom almost everyone treated like she was dangerous, and who was almost never left alone with her own thoughts.  Corien is the classic manipulator - he really believes that what he is doing is for the best, but also regularly shuts Rielle away from the people who love and care about her in order to isolate, manipulate, and control her.  Rielle isn't just a passive victim though - she does go along with the power and realizes that, to some extent, she wants all of the power she has access to because she likes (on a certain level at least) to be feared/worshiped.  But what saves her in the end during this fight is love - the love of Ludivine, and the potential love of Eliana.  Rielle gets a chance to be alone with her thoughts, to realize what she has done, and what she will have to do to make things right.  She isn't necessarily sorry about what she has done, but she does want a better future for her love and her daughter.  I appreciated that the ending wasn't a showdown between Rielle and Audric or Rielle and Corien - it all came down to a choice, and a sacrifice.  

Many of the "good" characters in this novel are imperfect people, which I also appreciate.  No one is always a paragon, just as no one is always a totally evil villain.  Rielle and Corien are both relatable (even when doing horrible, horrible things), and Audric, Ludivine, and Eliana all make grave mistakes.  Simon especially walks a fine line between force for evil and force for good and his and Eliana's character arcs might be my favorite.  The fact that the novel ends with Rielle dying because she has taken too much of the Empirium into herself makes narrative sense, as does the fact that the Empirium will then go dormant for an unspecified length of time.  I do wish we got a glimpse of when it would re-awaken (and why), as well as more information about what happens to the individuals in Eliana's alternate future.  We see her and Remy (another favorite character with great development in this novel) vanish at the conclusion of the battle when Corien is destroyed, and we can assume that their terrible future never happens.  But what about Navi, and Remy, and Hob, and Patrik?  Do these characters ever exist?  I love the epilogue with Eliana and Audric, and where we get to see the budding friendship/romance/relationship between children Eliana and Simon, but I wish there was an acknowledgment of the future that never came to be.  

Overall, this was a fitting conclusion to the Empirium trilogy, well written, thoughtful, and with strong conclusions for each major character.  Here's hoping that sometime in the future maybe we get a prequel about the Angellic wars (fingers crossed) or another sequel about Eliana when she grows up!!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one completely. I did like the conclusion and it felt very satisfying, however, it was entirely too long and the beginning was incredibly slow. In the end I still feel like nothing happens in this book until the last 100 pages. I do feel like you could read those 100 pages and get the entirety of the story.   In the end I do think this is worth reading and while none of the ending was surprising it was still really well done.

This book was received as an ARC from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Having read Kingsbane and almost finishing Furyborn I knew Lightbringer was going to be something epic. Having it be the most anticipated ending to a trilogy, our community has all types of questions in anticipation to see life Lightbringer is really worth the wait and I can happily tell them Absolutely! The drama between Queen Rielle and Corien and the fight she has to protect her reign traveling back in time to connect with Eliana and keep away from Corien even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice. My jaw was wide open through the entire book and my heart was racing non stop. I can not wait to share this book with our community and teen book club and see their reactions when they are finished.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Huge thanks to Netgalley for granting me access to the epic conclusion of one of my favorite series. I can't say too much about this book without posting spoilers, so I'll keep this short.

Final books in a beloved series are always nerve wracking. This book lived up to the hype and then some. Of course, after finishing LIGHTBRINGER, I no longer exist in human form and am now simply a mere puddle of feelings on the floor.

What can I say about this book? Things happened so quickly, changed so fast, the book gave me emotional whiplash. And then, it destroyed me. The characters I have come to know and love went through hell and back, and I went right there with them.

The descriptions of each character's journeys are astounding. I found myself loving some characters, then hating them, then loving them again, as I learned more and more about their experiences and how they got to where they are. All the pieces fell into place, every question I had was answered. This is a long book, but so much happens on every single page.

The ending. Oh wow. There was one character I wanted to know about that I didn't see again at the end of the book, but the way things ended I'm pretty sure that was intentional. There seems to be room left at the end for a spin-off series, which would be amazing. This book ties up all loose ends, but leaves a door open. Just in case.

And the ending wrecked me. It broke my heart, only to repair it, only to smash it into a million pieces once again. I'm still reeling. This book is the perfect conclusion we all needed to an incredible series.

An epic finale with a heartbreaking end. I cried my eyes out for Rielle and Audric but it was also satisfying for Eliana and Simon.

I was so excited for this series however unfortunately Furyborn just was not for me and I have decided not to carry on with this series. I have heard so many good reviews, so I am definitely in the minority. I may try again in the future but for now I will not be continuing with the series.

This was an amazing conclusion!! How can I put this into words? 

I was so worried in the beginning because I thought that the pacing was a bit slow for how many different plot points needed to be addressed but leave it to Claire to not let me down.

This was a wonderful trilogy and I cannot wait to recommend it to all my friends

Incredible conclusion! This series swept us away and this final installment has left us with all the feels. I was on the edge of my seat until the final page.

Regularly, series wane as they develop.  That said, book two (Kingsbane) was better than book one (Furyborn) - and Lightbringer raises the whole series another level.  I don't think anyone does characters better than Legrand - and the layered narrative is just masterfully woven.  This will be a centerpiece of our YA class.

4.5 stars
LIGHTBRINGER is the thrilling conclusion to an epic fantasy trilogy. This is definitely my favorite book in the series. It is full of magic, betrayal, love, and power. This was such a strong finale and was the kind of ending you love to see to a series. The characters were so well developed and changed so much over the course of this book, specifically. There are no words for how connected I felt to them after this book in particular. I only had a single complaint for this particular book, and it is that there are so many perspectives. I did think that most of the POVs we get were beneficial to the story and moved it along well, but because of the dual timelines and the already huge cast of characters, when you throw in more perspectives than just the main two from previous books, it can get confusing. There were times when I had to look back and catch up on which timeline I was in and whether the current narrator was in the past or the future. This ended up throwing me out of the story and leaving me completely lost as to what was happening with each character. I just feel like the perspectives could have been cut down to a select few, and also arranged a little better to flow easier. My real problem with the series as a whole is the timelines not seeming that far apart. I feel like the development of not only the technology, but specifically the people/angels (in this book especially) are more representative of, say, 100 years in the future—not 1000. This book also spent more time discussing a specific type of magic that proved this point even further. Other than these few issues, I thought this was an incredible book. I’m not ashamed to admit I shed some tears at the end. Definitely worth the wait!

This book was so amazing on so many levels. I couldn't put it down and was completely taken in with this thrilling conclusion to The Emperium Series by Claire Legrand. 
The story is told from various characters points of view. Mainly, of course, from Rielle and Eliana. It's hard to talk about this story without giving anything away but Simon and his ability to send people through time definitely weighs heavily on the story line. You also get a much better feel for Audric in this book. Much of the story is told through his eyes as well. 
What can I say. I loved the story, I was thrilled with how it wrapped up and at the same time I am devastated that the story has ended. It will always be a series that I will recommend to our young adult patrons at the library. Huge amount of gratitude to NetGalley for allowing me to read this magical tale. @clairelegrand @netgalley @SourcebooksFire

The explosive finale to the Empyrium trilogy doesn't disappoint; it's every bit as gut-wrenching as its predecessors and even more cathartic. After the events of Kinsgbane, Eliana and Rielle are left adrift, captives both physically and mentally to their trauma. As they break out of the fog, the final events of the prophecy begin to unfold and the true struggle between angels and mankind begins. Legrand writes with epic scale and daunting prose, but what breaks your heart is her incredible characters. Rielle, Audric, Eliana, Simon, Corien, and Ludvine are all unforgettable characters, and their journey is one to revel in.