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.
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.