I will begin this post by saying that fantasy isn’t a genre that I normally read. But I picked up Furyborn, the first book in the Empirium Trilogy by Claire Legrand on the basis of a recommendation from someone… not sure who that someone is anymore. I finished the book although I do have to admit to skimming over some parts because there just seemed to be no end of killing and maiming. Having said that, I think there is a great story underlying all of the blood and gore.

Two Queens, raised in very different circumstances, will rise to save their Kingdoms, albeit a thousand years apart. The Blood Queen and The Sun Queen, who possess the magic of the seven elements, are the fabilized saviours of the empire and only they possess the power to fight back against the Undying Empire.

Opening scene is a prologue…Rielle Dardenne, the Blood Queen, is in labour and at the birth of her daughter, she is attacked by the evil marque Corien who is trying to kill her and the child. Rielle hands the child to a young boy, a good marque, and begs him to take the child to safety in the territory of Borsvall.

The remainder of the story alternates between the young lives of Rielle and a bounty hunter by the name of Eliana Ferracora. Both of these young girls learn at a very early age that they have extraordinary powers… powers that have to be hidden in order for them to survive. But as they both mature, it becomes clear that there is a destiny for them to fulfill and their fight for survival means showing the world who they really are.

The book is classified as Teen Fiction but I don’t think this precludes adult lovers of fantasy fiction from enjoying this read. It has all of the elements that keep a reader of this genre engaged… suspense, action, mysticism, sexuality, violence. The question is, will I read Book 2? I certainly am curious about what the future holds for the protagonists but am not sure that I can bear much more of the slay or be slayed mentality. Call me a wuss but I tend to like people to generally fear significantly less agony in the books I read.

— Nancy C.