Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Furyborn [The Book Depository] is the newest book of Claire Legrand. Its fast pace and action-packed scenes leave you breathless. Two Queens will change the world in different eras. One is the Blood Queen, and she aims to destroy the known universe. The other one is the Sun Queen, and she seeks to save it from damnation. The book starts mighty, but you can feel lost in action soon. Fortunately, you have three different ways to enjoy it: either you follow the intended reading order of the chapters, or you read Rielle first, and then Eliana; or Eliana first, and then Rielle. The story and feel of the book will change completely!

[SPOILERS: this review contains massive spoilers of this book. Your experience reading the book changes a lot depending on how you decide to keep up with it. So, choose wisely.]

One of the reasons I gave three cocktails instead of five to this book was the reading experience I got from it. I started using the intended order, and I got lost soon, to the point that I wanted to quit reading. Some people find it too confusing to have so many timelines happening at the same time in such a short time. Each chapter shows a different timeline. One belongs to Rielle, and the other belongs to Eliana. With so much action going on, and so many beloved characters to fall in love with, you can feel overwhelmed.

Depending on who you read first, your reading experience will change dramatically. If you start with Rielle, you will end up with a collection of unanswered questions. However, you’ll enjoy a lot of action and a super hot sex scene. However, this is not how I read the book. I chose Eliana instead just because I was lost while reading, and it just happened that I was reading Eliana’s part. Thus, I had more information about what happened in the past once I finished her part. Whether you decide to start with Rielle or with Eliana, it’s up to you. But be aware that the overall feeling of the book will change. Which is great. So, I can decide to read it differently in some months if I choose to do so!

Rielle has many powers, but they’re very dangerous. She killed her mother when she was a child because she didn’t understand how to use them. Her mentor and guide, Tal, helps her control them. Her father is cold and aloof because he still blames her for the loss of his wife. Rielle has a best friend called Ludivine who loves her a lot. It’s not until the end that we won’t discover Ludivine’s true nature. Rielle is in love with the Crown Prince Audric, but he’s betrothed to Ludivine. Still, Lu manages to match them together.

Rielle and Audric take part in a race, and because some assassins try to murder Audric, Rielle shows her true colors. In a panic, the King and Church members decide to make her pass seven tests to see if she is either the Sun Queen or the Blood Queen. Her only allies are Audric and Lu, and a mysterious voice in her head that turns to be an angel called Corien.

Angels are frightening beings who try to end up humanity. Not all of them, but Corien seems to be keen on taking back Earth. And he needs Rielle to help him. While he supports Rielle through the trials, he also poisons her in her thoughts. So much so that she ends up lying to everyone. After being successful in the tests, Corien finally appears. Instead of telling Audric the truth, she opts to just say that Corien is pestering her. She has a complicated relationship with the angel, half hate, and half lust. Angels are breaking the door of the prison where they’re living. Some have escaped, but not all.

In the future, Eliana works as an assassin for the Emperor, who took her country time ago. Without many choices, she brings the bread home by killing people. Her lover and best friend, Harkan is sweet and also deadly. But he wouldn’t cross some lines that Eliana does. The only way to survive and keep her family safe is by working for the Emperor. And so she does, until her mother is taken by a mysterious group. She has to keep her brother safe, and to do so ends up teaming up with the Wolf, a man called Simon, member of the resistance.

Eliana’s journey is that of taking back her humanity. She’s been a killer for a long time, ruthless with the resistance. And now, she’s working for them because she has no other choice. Simon blackmails her. Harkan helps Eliana, her brother, and Simon escape by sacrificing himself. In the beginning, Eliana keeps fighting the rebels, but soon she starts growing a conscience.

Eliana is almost indestructible. She heals super fast. And, according to Simon, she can do much more. However, she doesn’t believe that’s possible. We won’t see her power awakening way until the end of the book. Eliana starts wanting to kill Simon and ends up saving him.

Simon appears at the beginning of the book trying to help Rielle’s baby. Soon you discover that Rielle’s Simon is Eliana’s Simon. And that Eliana is Rielle’s daughter. The Emperor is no other than the rogue angel Corien. Despite connecting many of the dots, we have to wait for the next book.

There are many characters in Furyborn, perhaps a little too many. When you read the book, you’ll realize that I left out many in this review. While the story is brilliant, and I love the idea, the format lost me. That’s why I’m giving to it only three cocktails. Everything would have been more accessible with a small note at the beginning on how many different ways you could choose to enjoy the book. Only that would have spared me getting lost.

All in all, I loved Furyborn [The Book Depository], and I do want to read the next book. I’m pretty sure that the author will keep up with this format. But now that I know that I can get easily lost, I only need to read it in a different way (not like the author intended). And if you ask me, I prefer Eliana in this book. She’s a pain, but she grows for the better.

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Note: This post contains affiliate links. I only share things that I love. I got the ARC from the FairyLoot.

Copyright: Images on this post (C) Furyborn (C) Claire Legrand / Review image by dePepi.com