Furyborn - (Empirium Trilogy) by Claire Legrand

Okay, I have to admit, at first I did not really like this book. I thought it was a little slow in the beginning and that there was not enough world-building for me to understand what was happening or to connect with any of the characters. However, I persisted and kept reading, and I am so happy that I did! As the book continued, I began to become more and more invested in the characters. I loved the way the each chapter would switch between Rielle’s and Eliana’s perspectives, ending each chapter with a little bit of a cliffhanger that made me want to keep reading to see what would happen. The ending of this book has made me very excited to read the next book in this series. I’m interested to learn more about the magical aspects of the world Legrand has created, and I believe we will see more of that in Kingsbane!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy to review! Like Children of Blood and Bone, this book was majorly hyped. And it deserved all of it. When this book was first hitting the book scene, I was not really into it. I am sometimes wary of super-hyped books but then I was, like most things, "Ahh, might as well try it." AND I LOVED IT. Though book seems to be like a lot of popular books; you will love it to pieces or you will hate every fiber of its being. I have noticed a lot of people who are complaining about the size of the book. I have been lately wanting to read some long (about 500 page) fantasy books so I appreciated that fact. For me, Legrand did not add any scenes that I felt were unnecessary as the book is basically two stories together. I love being thrown into the action and this book starts with Rielle fighting to save her daughter and yes it is very dramatic. You also get to meet Simon, who is the same little boy that Rielle gives her daughter to at the beginning of the book, who is also with Eliana during her time; yes there is a completely logical explanation for this. Though I do have lots of questions as to how Simon managed that. The Blood Queen I enjoyed Rielle's POV a little more the Eliana's which is weird because you know that Rielle dies so it is not like there is any is-she-going-to-die tension. Fear not, what it lacks in tension of when she is going to die is made up in how does she become queen? The answer to this question is wholely dramatic and I loved it though I definitely was not expecting it. The Sun Queen Then there is Eliana who I would describe as Adelina Amouteru with the flair of Celena Sardothein. She once jumped off a 3-story building with a red cape because she can. Now tell me Celena wouldn't do that and I totally would too if I knew that I wouldn't go splat on the ground. Now she is also invincible, well not completely as she does get hurt but she heals really fast so basically. And she is so much like Adelina because she is (extremely) morally grey but she does love her family. I thought that Simon's remark after the little incident with the army prison was a bit much but it did show Eliana how her actions do affect others. And because the reader knows about the prophecy and the fact that Rielle is called the Blood Queen, it is not hard to put together that Eliana is the Sun Queen. But she does not know that so it makes it interesting for when she is told. Now, both Rielle and Eliana have bisexual feelings but it is not an in your face "THESE CHARACTERS ARE QUEER!!!!" remark. And that is perfectly okay. One plot point that I was expecting to be a bit different was how the prophecy was going to play out. I was expecting a little more hush, hush on who was the Bloof Queen and who was the Sun Queen. The supporting characters are a strong part of Furyborn. I loved Ludivine and Remy! Ludivine is Rielle's close friend and the betrothed to Audric. She is completely okay Audric and Rielle loving each other because I think that she might be aro/ace but then again there is a whole plot twist thing and that might be the reason why she has no love interests. And then there is Remy, who is Elianna's little brother; he is adorable and I love the bond between him and Elianna. In a nutshell, I did really enjoy reading this book it was a lot of fun and I can't wait to read the next one! I know that I shouldn't be quoting an ARC but I just love this line. I do not break or bend. I cannot be silenced. I am everywhere. Page 339

This book has absolutely earned its hype, the "most anticipated" title that it's being marketed with it is also well-deserved. It's a rare thing to find a single fantasy story that is original, exciting and full of powerful, intriguing characters, let alone two within one book. Rielle and Eliana's stories are connected, yes, but it's not in an in-your-face obvious way, which serves Furyborn very well. But for a few overlapping elements, they each read as fantastic, nearly standalone stories in their own right, and the way author Claire Legrand deftly weaves them together adds tremendously to the depth and magnitude of the plot. It's so interesting to see both sides of the coin in one story - Rielle's story provides the lead-up to an earthshaking event (which we get tantalizing hints of in the prologue), and Eliana's story is set in the devastatingly brutal Empire left in the aftermath of Rielle's time. In books with multiple POVs, I personally find it nearly impossible to not have a clear favorite, but in Furyborn, both Rielle and Eliana are strong, compelling, and fascinating in their own ways. I truly did not have a favorite, and was only tempted once to skip a chapter and get a peek ahead, and skimming can be a huge problem for me in other books. Fabulous writing, action, character development, worldbuilding, magic...everything. Fabulous everything.