Furyborn-Book Review
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Publisher's Summary:
When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire 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
Personal Review: 4 and 1/2 coffee cups
Let’s start with this. Furyborn is one of those fantasy novels that demands to be read in print form. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy through NetGalley. Once I downloaded the ebook on my Kindle and started reading, I immediately wished I had a paper copy. I constantly found myself wanting to flip back to the map at the front of the book…something, in my opinion, that is just much easier with a paperback or hardback.
I also desperately wish that fantasy novels with characters like this had a family tree chart somewhere so I could look at a visual map of who these people are in relation to each other. This isn’t particular for just this novel. Every fantasy or sci-fi book I read, I have the same thought, especially within the first couple of chapters. I’m constantly asking myself, “Wait, who is that again???” One thing that has been great about the promotional campaign leading up to this novel’s release is the fanart character cards. If you follow Claire on Instagram or Twitter, you have seen the beautiful artwork by Kate Trish that Claire has re-posted. I know a lot of readers like to have their own visual of character depictions, but I honestly loved having these character cards
as a reference.
One important thing to keep in mind when you start reading this book is that there are two different POVs in this book told in alternating chapters….and that these POVs come 1000 years apart. When I first started reading the book, I had to go look at the book summary again because I was so confused as to what was happening. But once you realize these girl’s perspectives are being told 1000 years apart, the confusion clears up as you navigate through the chapters.
When it comes to these two main characters, Rielle and Eliana, the two seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. But at the heart, these two characters are tenacious, flawed, and loyal. As the chapters go by, you see Rielle’s determination to prove to her people that she is the beloved Sun Queen.
However, the beginning chapter clues readers into the fact that Queen Rielle may not be what she seems. As her story continues, you see Rielle pushed to the breaking point by enduring seven trials in order to prove her allegiance to her people and as the Sun Queen. And by the end of the novel, you know that the imminent fall of Queen Rielle is coming.
But my personal favorite character has to be Eliana Ferracora. She is feisty and unapologetic, but underneath that hard exterior is a soft spot for her family. You see Eliana make graves mistakes that result in tragic consequences. And that guilt threatens to unravel her. Her journey and what she learns about her family history sets up some exciting plot points for the second novel.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy novel. The writing is excellent, the characters flawed and relatable, and the story keeps you on your toes. There are a lot of YA novels out there about kings, queens, and royal family bloodlines. But this novel had plenty of unique elements that make it a stand-out (the angel storyline was a personal favorite). The beginning of each chapter showcases a snippet of a journal entry, report, or prophecy that gives readers clues about this unique world and events that have and will transpire. I am greatly looking forward to the follow-up novel, and I can’t wait to see how certain events and prophecies unfold.
