Rielle Dardenne, in an effort to save her best friend from assassins, exposes herself as one of the prophesied queens. But is she the Queen of Light or the Queen of Blood? Forced to endure a series of elemental magic trials, will Rielle prove herself worthy of the title of Sun Queen?
Living in a time one thousand years after Queen Rielle, Eliana Ferracora is a bounty hunter whose personal quest may impact the health and wellness of her fellow citizens. When it becomes apparent that Eliana has a secret that may help her world, will she discover that her existence has importance beyond measure?
Furyborn is a novel about two women who are headstrong, determined, and willing to do what it takes to survive. As the author bounces back and forth between the two perspectives with their separate story lines, it becomes readily apparent that the two women have some connection to each other. I found Furyborn to be overly dramatic at times and, as is often the case with YA fantasy, had too much teenage angst to make it believable. These young women are supposed to be struggling with their identities, their lives, and their purpose, but the author spends a great deal of time on their personal relationships instead. Rielle's story is much stronger than Eliana's and this lopsidedness took away from the balance of the book. The novel was largely repetitive and, although the author does a good job of building the worlds in which the characters live, she did not do enough to hold my interest. There was just too much going on and not enough to anchor the characters to their story lines. As Furyborn is the beginning of a series, perhaps the author will be able to settle into the characters in future books. Readers who like YA fantasy and romance may like this book, but I thought it was not in the same caliber as standouts such as The Young Elites.
Living in a time one thousand years after Queen Rielle, Eliana Ferracora is a bounty hunter whose personal quest may impact the health and wellness of her fellow citizens. When it becomes apparent that Eliana has a secret that may help her world, will she discover that her existence has importance beyond measure?
Furyborn is a novel about two women who are headstrong, determined, and willing to do what it takes to survive. As the author bounces back and forth between the two perspectives with their separate story lines, it becomes readily apparent that the two women have some connection to each other. I found Furyborn to be overly dramatic at times and, as is often the case with YA fantasy, had too much teenage angst to make it believable. These young women are supposed to be struggling with their identities, their lives, and their purpose, but the author spends a great deal of time on their personal relationships instead. Rielle's story is much stronger than Eliana's and this lopsidedness took away from the balance of the book. The novel was largely repetitive and, although the author does a good job of building the worlds in which the characters live, she did not do enough to hold my interest. There was just too much going on and not enough to anchor the characters to their story lines. As Furyborn is the beginning of a series, perhaps the author will be able to settle into the characters in future books. Readers who like YA fantasy and romance may like this book, but I thought it was not in the same caliber as standouts such as The Young Elites.