Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Furyborn

I have to be honest, I almost DNF'd this book multiple times purely because it started out as such a drag. It's a five-hundred-pages-long brick of a book and should have been about three hundred pages shorter, because that's how long it took for the plot to finally pick up properly. I do have to be honest and say that, once the plot did pick up, I was hooked until the end. But on to the actual book now.

I quite liked Eliana as a character. The writing of her perspective at the start of the book showed how indoctrinated into her society she is really well and it was fascinating to read how she justifies some of the things she does, as unacceptable as they may be. It was also a good writer's choice to not have her morality make a 180 when she is literally face to face with the consequences of her actions. However, that is about where the logical character development ended for me. Legrand set up some beautiful storylines and relationships - Navi and Remy's friendship, Eliana and The Wolf's eventual friendship - but those were either thrown away or rushed. Additionally, Eliana's deal with The Wolf felt weird and forced. For someone who was willing to go to horrific lengths and had such faith in her repuation and importance to her society, she was very quick to turn her back on that same society and make a deal with a man who she had absolutely zero reason to trust. To summerize, a lot of the character development in this book felt forced and weird, especially on Eliana's side.

cw/tw: talk of NSFW and non-consent
Every moment that the characters were engaged in sexual activities or anything adjacent to it was, in my opinion, either too graphic or completely unnecessary. I mostly don't have any problem with sex, but it was mostly unnecessary to the plot and a bit too graphic for a book that classifies as Young Adult (12 - 18). Legrand should have especially been more careful with the way she describes certain sections that were either explicitly or assumably non-consensual but were described as fine. Again, Furyborn classifies itself as Young Adult, which means it is aimed primarily at minors, most of which will be just starting to explore their sexuality and comfort/discomfort and so might think that certain sections in the book are okay while they are not. This is just plain dangerous.

Also, except for one, maybe two times, the sex didn't add anything to the plot or characters except to show that 90% percent of the characters are predators, so in YA book it would have been better to just leave those sections out.

Finally,

Rielle and Audric having a relationship in which Audric is so loyal to her and risking everything while he is betrothed to Ludivine, while Rielle is horny for Corien is really fucked up

. In conclusion, the sexual parts of this book generally made me quite uncomfortable.
end of content/trigger warning

Will I read the rest of the series? Yes, I will, because the worldbuilding and main plot is generally quite good, if fairly poorly executed, and Legrand have a pleasant and enjoyable writing style. I really hope the 1100 pages the next to books take up combined will be worth it.

Rep: gay characters (MLM).
February 7th, 2023 - March 9th, 2023.

"Have you always been this unspeakably irritating?"
"Has your face always looked so temptingly carvable?"

"Belief doesn't keep you alive."
"But, given time, it can win wars."

"I have heard rumors of what is done to them, these missing girls, and I hope my daughter is safely dead."

Content Warnings

oliverreeds's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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saukittome's review against another edition

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adventurous dark

3.5

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lanid's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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thestarsaresad's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

andromeda_1998's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was amazing! I had a bit of a slow start while reading it but damn, I’m glad I finished it (and in a good way). This book is fresh, one of a kind and put together!

What is the book about?:
Furyborn is the first book in the empirium trilogy by Claire LeGrand. It’s a new adult book and it focuses around Rielle and Eliana. Who seem to have nothing in common and live over a thousand years apart of each other.

When Rielle is forced to save her best friend, she exposed herself as one of the 2 queens of legend. To prove her loyalty and her willingness to protect instead of destroy she needs to succeed in seven elemental trials. If she fails she will reserve the death penalty unless the trails kill her first.

In Eliana’s time Rielle is nothing more than a fairytale. Eliana works as a bounty hunter and believes herself to be untouchable until her mother disappears. Eliana joins a rebel captain in the hopes of saving her mother.

What are my opinions about this book?:
This book as some amazing worldbuilding. It’s detailed, refined and all puzzled out. Both timelines are really put together. It’s amazing to read how Claire LeGrand built not one but 2 different timelines for a world both of them complement each other and have a different origin story. There are a lot of differences between the timelines, something that is to be expected with a difference of a thousand years but they stil share the similarities that make it one world.

The characters are wel put together, The author put a lot of effort in building some very balanced characters. They aren’t always sweet and they have a bad side without them being evil. They are humans made out of light and darkness.

The plot starts a bit slow and can be a bit transparent but it finishes strong with a lot of questions still to be answered. For me the plot was hard to follow in the beginning. I think it has something to do with the two timelines. Since you switch between characters every chapter it can feel I bit like reading two books at once. This is something that you will learn to appreciate within the first 100 pages. It all comes together in the end and you just have to have some patience getting there.

The writing of Claire LeGrand gets the job done. It isn’t gorgeous but it’s efficient and it really tells the story. For me it felt like a medium paced but but I can understand why it would be a fast paced book for others.

Favorite quote:
“What is this child, who knows so much of the world?” Her expression turned tender. “Oh, sweet one. You are a dreamer, a teller of tales. I see that now. You ache for magic and for all those golden giants in the past.”

Recommendation?
Yes, for sure a 10 out of 10. I would recommend this book to readers of SJM, especially the TOG series and ofcourse to others searching for a good NA with strong female leads!

Content Warnings

starlessnights's review against another edition

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1.0

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