Furyborn

Furyborn is a gloriously ambitious book, written by a writer who knows exactly what she's doing. From the first pages, I trusted that Legrand had control of her world--she revealed characters, motivations, and backstory in a way that stuck, made me intrigued to know more, and yet felt like it was only scratching the surface of a much larger world. I feel like every side character has a backstory, every city has real streets that are just around the corner, even if the book will never take the reader there. The real strength of this book is the two main characters. Rielle and Eliana are very different and have very different arcs, and yet are both compelling, complex, and challenging. From the start, both Rielle and Eliana have things to do in the story that are compelling. They trade off chapters--and somehow, every chapter seems to end on a perfect cliff hanger that makes me want to read more. The prologue establishes that Rielle is set out towards a tragic end. But in this book, we only see the start of it. She must compete in different magical tests to prove she is the sun queen. Legrand does a fantastic job of crafting cinematic magical tests for Rielle--and for making each one feel different and more important. Never is the action mechanistic--it always teaches Rielle something about herself, or her enemies. And it's fun and exciting to read. (Magical contests are hardly new, but this one is done well). Eliana is essentially a killer for hire, who works for the corrupt empire to keep her family safe. Eliana is such a perfect execution of that particular character type. She cares about other people, and yet is messy and complicated and sometimes betrays them, and will definitely do bad things for them. And yet she also wants to be better, and she is willing to do a lot for the people she cares about. Both are "chosen ones" - but in this story it doesn't feel trite. Their lives don't become easier after that revelation. They still have to fight for their titles and the victories feel hard earned. Finally, I was impressed with how much narrative ground this one book covered. I appreciate authors who move ahead at full speed, not drawing out things. I am sure the sequel will be even more epic because Legrand hasn't pulled punches here--this first installment matters: characters die, people betray others, things will never be the same again. And I can't wait for more.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration if I said that this book has literally garnered all the hype in the world. Almost anywhere you turn, no matter what social media site you're using, it seems as though everyone is talking about this book. At times, such hype can be alarming since it can lead to disappointment if something doesn't live up to your expectations. However, Furyborn is a book which definitely withstood the hype test in my eyes and is deserving of all the commotion it has been making. First and foremost, I have to say that this was a very unique book to read. Not only was the premise and style inventive (I really love the world this story is taking place in), but the fashion of jumping between separate-but-connected timelines was refreshing. Such a unique style of story-telling is uncommon for my reading taste so it was strange at first but also very fun to jump into. Furyborn's cast of characters were also very fun. For the first half of the book, I didn't particularly care for Eliana but I really liked Rielle. However, as the story continued and readers were given further perspective into character's backstories and characterization, I began to quickly warm up to Eliana. Then, by the end of the book, she was undoubtedly my favorite character! Though she has a long journey to take in terms of growth, she is a character whose character arc I immensely look forward to. I am likewise intrigued by Rielle and her character arc, especially since the various time frames this story is told through hints at multiple directions that have yet to be realized. I'm very interested in seeing how such paths come into play, and if they are as good/bad as the future makes them out to be. Overall, I thought this was a great first book in the series. I look forward to reading the sequel!

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.