Title: Furyborn

Author: Claire Legrand

Pub. Date: May 22, 2018

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ – 4.25

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The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world…or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable―until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire’s heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world―and of each other.

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This book is one of many on my Most Anticipated 2018 list, and I was able to get an early copy of Furyborn and this review is my own honest opinion. Like with the majority of my reviews, the first part will be non-spoiler, with a separate spoiler section after.

This is definitely an UPPER YOUNG ADULT NOVEL.

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Two Queens.

One with the power to save the world.

The other with the power to destroy it.

Furyborn follows Rielle Dardenne and Eliana Ferracora, two fiercely independent women. When Rielle’s best friend, the Crown Prince is attacked, she fights to save him, revealing her ability to use the seven different kind of elemental magic. This reveal leads her to have to participate in trials proving her ability to control them.

There’s a prophecy about two people who will be able to control all the elemental magics, two Queens. One of Blood and one of Sun. One to destroy the world, and one to save it.

A thousand years later, Queen Rielle is a legend and fantasy, a mere fairytale to Eliana – a bounty hunter. After the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom she turned to violence to keep her family alive. Eliana considers herself untouchable – that is until her mother vanishes. Eliana joins forces with a rebel Captain in order to find her mother.

Past and present start to collide as Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that will determine their fates and the fates of those they hold dear.

I’m going to start with the cover – WHICH IS FREAKING GORGEOUS and I cannot wait to have the finished copy in my hands and on my shelf!

I really enjoyed this book, though I often found myself caring more about Eliana’s story more than Rielle’s. Though I did get to points where I really wanted to know Rielle’s story. I absolutely loved the world, and the characters. I loved the connection between Eliana and her brother, and Eliana and Simon. I freaking loved Audric.

I could go on and one about how much I enjoyed this book, and the characters and the world, but it’s hard to do that without spoiling.

I think my favorite parts of this book were the relationships. They all weren’t warm and fuzzy, some were tense and strained, but there was loyalty. It came in different forms depending on the people, but it was there. I loved it when any two people who may have been/are at odds are still loyal to each other.

There were a lot of moments in this book that made me all warm and happy, and others that made me hold my breath. I was really impressed with how the stories complimented each other, and intersected despite being a thousand years apart.

Now for spoilers –

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You’ve been warned!

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While I felt more invested in Eliana and Simon’s budding relationship, I loved Audric and Rielle together. I always wanted more. He was always there for her, looking after her, making sure she was okay. I liked how his concern wasn’t based in ‘she can’t protect herself, or fend for herself’ but rather in ‘oh shit, she’s a bad ass who just kicked ass, but my hearts been pounding in my chest, and I’m fully of worry, I need to make sure she’s okay’. I loved their relationship. I couldn’t hate Ludivine either. And when she found out that Audric and Rielle had made out in the gardens, I enjoyed her reaction. I’m glad that everything works out between the three of them. I would have been heartbroken if they couldn’t be together. But with that being said, I loved their relationship with each other, friends since childhood, and willing to support each other no matter what.

Rielle felt horrible about liking Audric, since he and Ludivine were meant to marry, and that guilt ate at her. I did think it was funny when Ludivine found out about her and Audric and basically told Rielle that she’s known for a long time, and has enjoyed watching them dance around each other. Those intimate scenes between Audric and Rielle – I didn’t realize that this book was Upper YA. lol

Since I clearly love Audric and Rielle together so much, I hated Corien. I hated the affect he had on Rielle. He’s one of those characters, that is such a good character that you hate to love him. And since I don’t like him, I’m not spending any more time on him. Moving on. (Though I cannot wait for Eliana to kick his ass in later books – I’m assuming she’s going to defeat him.)

Simon. *swoon* His entire life is Eliana, even though she has no idea towards the end. Everything he has done was for her, in support of her becoming the Sun Queen and saving the world.

The relationship between him and Eliana was so enjoyable to read, especially towards the end of the book where their feelings for each other became more prevalent. I loved their snarky banter and the (romantic) tension between them. I’m so here for their growing relationship.

AND I DON’T KNOW HOW I FORGOT THAT IT WAS SIMON IN THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK. I went back to the beginning and was like duh.

Eliana was such a blast getting to know. Her self-confidence was inspiring, and while she believed herself invincible she also understood her limits. I really liked how she started off so utterly sure and confident, and as her story progressed she started to realize she wasn’t the monster she thought herself to be. She figured out that she couldn’t lock her feelings away forever, because eventually they threatened to drown her.

I loved that both Rielle and Eliana had to learn to accept who they are – two very powerful Queens.

I’m excited to see where their story is going to go in book 2 – the wait might kill me.