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Empirium #3
Lightbringer
The incredible conclusion to the trilogy that started with the instant New York Times bestsellers Furyborn and Kingsbane!
In this epic finale to the Empirium Trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand, two queens, separated by a thousand years must face their ultimate destinies.
Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. Separated from Audric and Ludivine, she embraces the role of Blood Queen and her place by Corien's side, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be.
In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire's capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay--and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter.
But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation--or the destruction their world has been dreading.
Praise for Furyborn:
A BuzzFeed Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
A Bustle Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
"A must-read." --Refinery29
"A series to watch." --Paste magazine
"Visionary." --Bustle magazine
"One of the biggest new YA fantasies." --Entertainment Weekly
"Empowering." --BuzzFeed
In this epic finale to the Empirium Trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand, two queens, separated by a thousand years must face their ultimate destinies.
Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. Separated from Audric and Ludivine, she embraces the role of Blood Queen and her place by Corien's side, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be.
In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire's capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay--and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter.
But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation--or the destruction their world has been dreading.
Praise for Furyborn:
A BuzzFeed Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
A Bustle Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
"A must-read." --Refinery29
"A series to watch." --Paste magazine
"Visionary." --Bustle magazine
"One of the biggest new YA fantasies." --Entertainment Weekly
"Empowering." --BuzzFeed
592 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2020
About the author
Claire Legrand
24 books4,886 followersClaire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now she is a New York Times bestselling author of darkly magical books.
Her first novel is THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2012. She is also the author of THE YEAR OF SHADOWS, a ghost story for middle grade readers; and WINTERSPELL, a young adult re-telling of The Nutcracker. SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, her middle grade novel about mental illness, family secrets, and the power of storytelling, is a 2017 Edgar Award Nominee. Claire’s latest middle grade novel, FOXHEART, is a classic fantasy-adventure and a 2016 Junior Library Guild selection. The companion novel, THORNLIGHT, was a Kids' Indie Next Pick in 2021. She is one of the four authors behind THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, an anthology of dark middle grade short fiction that was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Bank Street Best Book, and among the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2014.
Her bestselling Empirium Trilogy consists of epic fantasy novels FURYBORN, KINGSBANE, and LIGHTBRINGER.
Her young adult horror novel SAWKILL GIRLS received five starred reviews. It was also a 2018 Bram Stoker Award finalist and a 2019 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her latest novel, EXTASIA, is a young adult horror novel described as "The Handmaid's Tale meets The Craft" and was a Kids' Indie Next Pick.
Her adult debut, book 1 of THE MIDDLEMIST TRILOGY, releases in spring 2023.
Her first novel is THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2012. She is also the author of THE YEAR OF SHADOWS, a ghost story for middle grade readers; and WINTERSPELL, a young adult re-telling of The Nutcracker. SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, her middle grade novel about mental illness, family secrets, and the power of storytelling, is a 2017 Edgar Award Nominee. Claire’s latest middle grade novel, FOXHEART, is a classic fantasy-adventure and a 2016 Junior Library Guild selection. The companion novel, THORNLIGHT, was a Kids' Indie Next Pick in 2021. She is one of the four authors behind THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, an anthology of dark middle grade short fiction that was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Bank Street Best Book, and among the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2014.
Her bestselling Empirium Trilogy consists of epic fantasy novels FURYBORN, KINGSBANE, and LIGHTBRINGER.
Her young adult horror novel SAWKILL GIRLS received five starred reviews. It was also a 2018 Bram Stoker Award finalist and a 2019 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her latest novel, EXTASIA, is a young adult horror novel described as "The Handmaid's Tale meets The Craft" and was a Kids' Indie Next Pick.
Her adult debut, book 1 of THE MIDDLEMIST TRILOGY, releases in spring 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,035 reviews
October 13, 2020
happy release day! meaning, you have no excuse to not binge read this series right now. enjoy!
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oh, my heart. i was so not prepared for this series to end like this, or end in general. but i cant think of a more perfect way for this final installment to conclude.
from start to finish, i cant get over how consistent, how balanced, how engaging this entire series has been. this conclusion takes all of the best parts of the previous two books and builds upon it, resulting in a very satisfying, appropriate, and rewarding ending. all of the characters feel like they have reached their full potential, the intricacies of the world feel fully explored, and the story feels like it has played out in the most natural way possible.
i really dont know what else to say other than this series is near perfection. <3
↠ 4.5 stars
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oh, my heart. i was so not prepared for this series to end like this, or end in general. but i cant think of a more perfect way for this final installment to conclude.
from start to finish, i cant get over how consistent, how balanced, how engaging this entire series has been. this conclusion takes all of the best parts of the previous two books and builds upon it, resulting in a very satisfying, appropriate, and rewarding ending. all of the characters feel like they have reached their full potential, the intricacies of the world feel fully explored, and the story feels like it has played out in the most natural way possible.
i really dont know what else to say other than this series is near perfection. <3
↠ 4.5 stars
May 25, 2021
↠ 2 stars
To anyone out there wondering why I need therapy, I would like to present into evidence this entire book. Lightbringer is the culmination of a lot of things, but it is first and foremost where Eliana and Rielles Journey draws to a close. We begin right where Kingsbane left off, with Rielle descending even further into darkness after fleeing with Corien, and Eliana having been captured by the enemy.
In many ways, this book was absolutely nothing like I expected. New character perspectives were introduced that weren’t there previously and the plot development went in an entirely new direction. For a good chunk of the book there is a stalemate, as Corien plans to use Eliana and Simon to travel back to Old Celdaria, and she promptly refuses. In the past, Rielle, allied with Corien, pushes the limits of her power in order to break down the gate and release the angels trapped there. The first half of the book felt really slow going, which given that this was the conclusion to the trilogy, I really didn’t enjoy. However, I do feel that the last half more than made up for the somewhat glacial pace that the book started out on.
Unsurprisingly, time travel played a significant role in the final book, and, while this was the direction I thought the story was going to take, I felt it definitely could have been handled a lot better. Combined with the pacing of the last quarter, there came a moment where everything seemed to be on fast forward and there was so much more to grapple with over a shorter page count. The author just had so many characters to take care of, she ended up pushing half of them abruptly out of the picture at the last second, using time travel as the tool to do so. Out of the multiple perspectives that were added in, only one or two really needed to be there, the others just took so much away from Rielle and Eliana’s points of view. Maybe if those had been scaled back a bit, then the ending could have been handled with a bit more care.
It’s clear that Claire Legrand plans to do more with this world and its characters, but more effort needed to be put into creating a satisfying conclusion for the trilogy. I think more closure was certainly needed with Eliana and Simon, and I could have used a bit less character assassination on her part. I can definitely see how she wanted things to come full circle, it just was not executed accordingly. If you need me, I’ll be sticking to one of the many alternate endings I created upon finishing this book in order to cope.
To anyone out there wondering why I need therapy, I would like to present into evidence this entire book. Lightbringer is the culmination of a lot of things, but it is first and foremost where Eliana and Rielles Journey draws to a close. We begin right where Kingsbane left off, with Rielle descending even further into darkness after fleeing with Corien, and Eliana having been captured by the enemy.
In many ways, this book was absolutely nothing like I expected. New character perspectives were introduced that weren’t there previously and the plot development went in an entirely new direction. For a good chunk of the book there is a stalemate, as Corien plans to use Eliana and Simon to travel back to Old Celdaria, and she promptly refuses. In the past, Rielle, allied with Corien, pushes the limits of her power in order to break down the gate and release the angels trapped there. The first half of the book felt really slow going, which given that this was the conclusion to the trilogy, I really didn’t enjoy. However, I do feel that the last half more than made up for the somewhat glacial pace that the book started out on.
Unsurprisingly, time travel played a significant role in the final book, and, while this was the direction I thought the story was going to take, I felt it definitely could have been handled a lot better. Combined with the pacing of the last quarter, there came a moment where everything seemed to be on fast forward and there was so much more to grapple with over a shorter page count. The author just had so many characters to take care of, she ended up pushing half of them abruptly out of the picture at the last second, using time travel as the tool to do so. Out of the multiple perspectives that were added in, only one or two really needed to be there, the others just took so much away from Rielle and Eliana’s points of view. Maybe if those had been scaled back a bit, then the ending could have been handled with a bit more care.
It’s clear that Claire Legrand plans to do more with this world and its characters, but more effort needed to be put into creating a satisfying conclusion for the trilogy. I think more closure was certainly needed with Eliana and Simon, and I could have used a bit less character assassination on her part. I can definitely see how she wanted things to come full circle, it just was not executed accordingly. If you need me, I’ll be sticking to one of the many alternate endings I created upon finishing this book in order to cope.
May 16, 2021
i'm still actively crying as i write this review. why is this the best YA series to ever exist ever
June 9, 2024
The writing was beautiful, imaginative, and brilliant. But, the antagonist’s dominance for most of the story was awful. The antagonist won, over and over again. It was tiresome rooting for two supposedly powerful protagonists who remained powerless because their opponent was vicious and relentless in his pursuit of destruction. It all came together nicely in the end. However, in my opinion, it took too long for the tides to turn.
It is still a five-star read for me; the world-building was too incredible for it not to be.
It is still a five-star read for me; the world-building was too incredible for it not to be.
October 14, 2020
Aight I read this in one sitting, so I might feel differently about it tomorrow. I really hope my opinion isn't unwanted, but after sticking with this series, I can't help be feel desperately disappointed. I'll admit--it's cause of some bias on my part.
Things I Liked
-Eliana
It's strange--I started out being sorta bored with her, but the girl grew on me. I always liked the parallels her and Rielle's growths were like one good that became "evil" and one "evil" that became good. In this, the strength of the girl really comes out. She's strong, but you can tell she's really at her wits end.
-Navi
Do I really need to explain? It's Navi. Would have been 100x better if she was the main love interest.
Things I Didn't Like
-Rielle
Sigh, I really liked Rielle at book one, but as book two began I became less enthusiastic, and by this book I was pretty much done with her shit. Every five seconds she was talking about how she was to be feared, and how the people who loved her didn't really love her, and x y and z.
This might have been more tolerable if Eliana hadn't
A). Grown up in abject poverty--unlike her mother
B). The bad guy WASN'T after sex with her and was basically taking a jack-hammer to her mind every five seconds--unlike her mother
C). Being mentally and physically tormented every other page in the most cruel ways possible--unlike her mother
D). Knowing that her parents have been absolutely decimated and tortured by these weird fuckin alien ass things and that her brother--the one guy she has left--could be getting tortured to death as she sleeps. UNLIKE HER MOTHER
E). Had her love interest say that he SHOT HER FUCKING BROTHER IN THE CHEST and then said he just wanted to FUCK her and he never gave a shit, then hand her over on a silver-platter to her mother's pissy insane ex-boo. UNLIKE HER M O T H E R
Like she was insane every five seconds talking about how powerful she was, and meanwhile Eliana was getting the living shit beaten out of her. It's like, shut the hell up about pain for five damn seconds. Your daughter is in another universe getting repeatedly traumatized, but hey, They hurt you, so you gotta make up for that by helping a psychopath commit genocide unto millions of people who had fuck all to do with what he is talking about. Because revenge. And then, like, the narrative tries to get us to pity her, and tries to redeem her in the last several pages. I don't give a shit. She fucked up, she deserves to live with that guilt. Being okay with murdering thousands who just don't want to die just cause they made you feel angry is not right. She sucks. Yeah, she sabotaged Corien for a hot minute, then went back to making out with him, okay Karen. By the end of the series I just hated her. I hated her so freaking much. I wished at the end, after she gave birth to the rightful Sun Queen Eliana, Mirven came up and punched her in the face. She "stopped" Corien, but ffs, he was only so powerful cause he had her with him. Plus the relationship between her and Audric got really weird vibes starting out with the second book, and it wasn't helped here. It felt like he was afraid of making her upset, and I can't really fault the man for that, but apparently its his fault for being taken aback after finding out his wife killed his father and has also been sleeping with the guy who wants to commit mass genocide onto innocent people just cause he UnDeRsTaNdS her. I just couldn't relate to her.
All I can say is that Rielle would not survive a second on the internet.
-Simon
Okay this is the one that's probably gonna get people mad. This is where my bias comes out. I absolutely abhor this weird trend that's appeared in YA for decades: The Love Interest does X horrible thing to the MC, but it's okay cause it "was for their benefit". Like what the fuck? I know it was Ludivine being, again, Machiavellian (strange that there's a trend with angels being terrible people with little to no concern over people's lives). I feel for Simon, that was fucked up, but I really think they should have had more of Eliana processing everything that's happened, being angry, and then maybe forgiving him. The fact they got back together after him just saying "Lol it was a prank bro" is unreasonable at best and toxic at worst. You only JUST found out this man was only ~pretending~ to try and destroy you, like you gotta take a minute honey. Still though, Simon's the victim in this, I'm aware, it's just this whole love interest thing didn't go in any comfortable direction.
Ludivine and her weird ass plan
Now the CLOSE SECOND to the worst trends in YA: "Your pain was to make you stronger". This one is a bit personal to me, and so I'd like to handle this as carefully as possible. I always hate that abuse and mental/emotional/physically trauma have been recently given this sense of making the person "stronger". Every abuse victim is strong, but the unreasonable abuse they have suffered should never be considered the starting point of that strength. I don't believe that Ms. Legrand meant for it to have this sort of message, I actually think she might have written herself into a corner, but the line of reasoning Ludivine has potentially gives a huge out for abusers. "You're only this way cause I made you this way." "I'm the actual reason you're doing so well in life." "I only treated you that way so that you would become stronger." Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. Abuse is never excusable, nor is trauma, and that shouldn't be glorified in my opinion. Others might feel differently, but that's their right to. I'm just voicing my opinion. And yeah, she was called out for it, but it just felt like she was the "Prophet" and therefore knew what was best.
Also, I felt this development of Eliana's sole purpose being to be thrown back into time just so she could stop Rielle was...bullshit on Eliana's character (what can I say, I stan Eliana). It just made Rielle this focal point that sorta enraged me a bit. Girl almost caused the decimation of the world as they knew it, but now she gets to claim she was Good All Along and is the defacto hero.
Unresolved Arcs
I know some of these are just being too picky, but this is just me.
-Harkan and Eliana--was that man even mentioned once apart from Eliana's thoughts? I thought he was gonna try and rescue her.
-All those characters that may or may not be dead.
There are probably some more, but it's 11:30 and I'm really tired.
-The Ending
I've always hated time travel plots that are sorta made to be a MacGuffin. I didn't like the Samurai Jack finale cause of that, I didn't like the Life is Strange Season 1 ending because of that, etc. It didn't help that I thought the characters in Eliana's universe were vastly superior to the ones in Rielle's (again, a bias. I'll take homegrown rebellion over political intrigue and courts any day). It just feels like the adventure, everything Eliana went through, is just cheapened. Nothing really mattered. Her purpose was just to get Rielle's head out of her ass and to make her God-complex go from "I'm powerful and can kill you all" to "I'm powerful and could kill you all, but I'm not gonna :)" and that was it. The world, the conflicts, the developments made in each of the characters, who gives a shit? None of that matters now--hell, half the characters might not even be born. Remy, Navi, Harkan? Who cares they probably don't even exist anymore. Now watch Eliana and Simon be weird around each other knowing that one violently mistreated the other in another universe, but none of that matters. It just seems like a waste.
Was pretty disappointed, but I hope everyone can find more things to like about than I did. 2.5/5
Things I Liked
-Eliana
It's strange--I started out being sorta bored with her, but the girl grew on me. I always liked the parallels her and Rielle's growths were like one good that became "evil" and one "evil" that became good. In this, the strength of the girl really comes out. She's strong, but you can tell she's really at her wits end.
-Navi
Do I really need to explain? It's Navi. Would have been 100x better if she was the main love interest.
Things I Didn't Like
-Rielle
Sigh, I really liked Rielle at book one, but as book two began I became less enthusiastic, and by this book I was pretty much done with her shit. Every five seconds she was talking about how she was to be feared, and how the people who loved her didn't really love her, and x y and z.
This might have been more tolerable if Eliana hadn't
A). Grown up in abject poverty--unlike her mother
B). The bad guy WASN'T after sex with her and was basically taking a jack-hammer to her mind every five seconds--unlike her mother
C). Being mentally and physically tormented every other page in the most cruel ways possible--unlike her mother
D). Knowing that her parents have been absolutely decimated and tortured by these weird fuckin alien ass things and that her brother--the one guy she has left--could be getting tortured to death as she sleeps. UNLIKE HER MOTHER
E). Had her love interest say that he SHOT HER FUCKING BROTHER IN THE CHEST and then said he just wanted to FUCK her and he never gave a shit, then hand her over on a silver-platter to her mother's pissy insane ex-boo. UNLIKE HER M O T H E R
Like she was insane every five seconds talking about how powerful she was, and meanwhile Eliana was getting the living shit beaten out of her. It's like, shut the hell up about pain for five damn seconds. Your daughter is in another universe getting repeatedly traumatized, but hey, They hurt you, so you gotta make up for that by helping a psychopath commit genocide unto millions of people who had fuck all to do with what he is talking about. Because revenge. And then, like, the narrative tries to get us to pity her, and tries to redeem her in the last several pages. I don't give a shit. She fucked up, she deserves to live with that guilt. Being okay with murdering thousands who just don't want to die just cause they made you feel angry is not right. She sucks. Yeah, she sabotaged Corien for a hot minute, then went back to making out with him, okay Karen. By the end of the series I just hated her. I hated her so freaking much. I wished at the end, after she gave birth to the rightful Sun Queen Eliana, Mirven came up and punched her in the face. She "stopped" Corien, but ffs, he was only so powerful cause he had her with him. Plus the relationship between her and Audric got really weird vibes starting out with the second book, and it wasn't helped here. It felt like he was afraid of making her upset, and I can't really fault the man for that, but apparently its his fault for being taken aback after finding out his wife killed his father and has also been sleeping with the guy who wants to commit mass genocide onto innocent people just cause he UnDeRsTaNdS her. I just couldn't relate to her.
All I can say is that Rielle would not survive a second on the internet.
-Simon
Okay this is the one that's probably gonna get people mad. This is where my bias comes out. I absolutely abhor this weird trend that's appeared in YA for decades: The Love Interest does X horrible thing to the MC, but it's okay cause it "was for their benefit". Like what the fuck? I know it was Ludivine being, again, Machiavellian (strange that there's a trend with angels being terrible people with little to no concern over people's lives). I feel for Simon, that was fucked up, but I really think they should have had more of Eliana processing everything that's happened, being angry, and then maybe forgiving him. The fact they got back together after him just saying "Lol it was a prank bro" is unreasonable at best and toxic at worst. You only JUST found out this man was only ~pretending~ to try and destroy you, like you gotta take a minute honey. Still though, Simon's the victim in this, I'm aware, it's just this whole love interest thing didn't go in any comfortable direction.
Ludivine and her weird ass plan
Now the CLOSE SECOND to the worst trends in YA: "Your pain was to make you stronger". This one is a bit personal to me, and so I'd like to handle this as carefully as possible. I always hate that abuse and mental/emotional/physically trauma have been recently given this sense of making the person "stronger". Every abuse victim is strong, but the unreasonable abuse they have suffered should never be considered the starting point of that strength. I don't believe that Ms. Legrand meant for it to have this sort of message, I actually think she might have written herself into a corner, but the line of reasoning Ludivine has potentially gives a huge out for abusers. "You're only this way cause I made you this way." "I'm the actual reason you're doing so well in life." "I only treated you that way so that you would become stronger." Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. Abuse is never excusable, nor is trauma, and that shouldn't be glorified in my opinion. Others might feel differently, but that's their right to. I'm just voicing my opinion. And yeah, she was called out for it, but it just felt like she was the "Prophet" and therefore knew what was best.
Also, I felt this development of Eliana's sole purpose being to be thrown back into time just so she could stop Rielle was...bullshit on Eliana's character (what can I say, I stan Eliana). It just made Rielle this focal point that sorta enraged me a bit. Girl almost caused the decimation of the world as they knew it, but now she gets to claim she was Good All Along and is the defacto hero.
Unresolved Arcs
I know some of these are just being too picky, but this is just me.
-Harkan and Eliana--was that man even mentioned once apart from Eliana's thoughts? I thought he was gonna try and rescue her.
-All those characters that may or may not be dead.
There are probably some more, but it's 11:30 and I'm really tired.
-The Ending
I've always hated time travel plots that are sorta made to be a MacGuffin. I didn't like the Samurai Jack finale cause of that, I didn't like the Life is Strange Season 1 ending because of that, etc. It didn't help that I thought the characters in Eliana's universe were vastly superior to the ones in Rielle's (again, a bias. I'll take homegrown rebellion over political intrigue and courts any day). It just feels like the adventure, everything Eliana went through, is just cheapened. Nothing really mattered. Her purpose was just to get Rielle's head out of her ass and to make her God-complex go from "I'm powerful and can kill you all" to "I'm powerful and could kill you all, but I'm not gonna :)" and that was it. The world, the conflicts, the developments made in each of the characters, who gives a shit? None of that matters now--hell, half the characters might not even be born. Remy, Navi, Harkan? Who cares they probably don't even exist anymore. Now watch Eliana and Simon be weird around each other knowing that one violently mistreated the other in another universe, but none of that matters. It just seems like a waste.
Was pretty disappointed, but I hope everyone can find more things to like about than I did. 2.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
May 23, 2019I have many, many, M A N Y questions...
I so very desperately need answers because what the fuck was that ending in Kingsbane I’m honestly still upset
I so very desperately need answers because what the fuck was that ending in Kingsbane I’m honestly still upset
December 1, 2020
4.5 Stars ⭐️
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 8, 2020
Time to go cry.
Welp, she did it. Claire Legrand somehow wrapped up this ruthless trilogy and I honestly can't imagine this ending any other way. Fair warning though, it will rip out your heart before slowly mending it back together and even then it'll never be the same 🙃
Welp, she did it. Claire Legrand somehow wrapped up this ruthless trilogy and I honestly can't imagine this ending any other way. Fair warning though, it will rip out your heart before slowly mending it back together and even then it'll never be the same 🙃
October 14, 2020
worst fucking book ever what a waste of my time
December 13, 2020
A solid 4 stars. I'm still sorting through my thoughts enough to write a coherent review, but I loved the ending and expected a little more from the journey of getting to it. RTC.
Pre-release Review:
Edit 7/7/20: I'm so emo over this series that I made a playlist to channel my feelings of love and despair as I wait for the final book. That's where I'm at.
Edit 2/26/2020: I WOULD LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THIS COVER. Also, I've decided that this is most definitely my most anticipated book of 2020.
Original review:
Me @ this book, after finishing Kingsbane:
Pre-release Review:
Edit 7/7/20: I'm so emo over this series that I made a playlist to channel my feelings of love and despair as I wait for the final book. That's where I'm at.
Edit 2/26/2020: I WOULD LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THIS COVER. Also, I've decided that this is most definitely my most anticipated book of 2020.
Original review:
Me @ this book, after finishing Kingsbane:
December 30, 2020
I rated every book in this series 5*.
I can't express how much I love these books or how much they mean to me.
Forever my favourite fantasy series and I have a feeling it will be hard to ever compete with how I felt whilst reading it
I can't express how much I love these books or how much they mean to me.
Forever my favourite fantasy series and I have a feeling it will be hard to ever compete with how I felt whilst reading it
September 9, 2024
i just want to cry and cry and cry and cry that was the most evil bittersweet ending i physically can’t stop the tears right now
the conclusion to this story is so satisfying and i believe claire legrand mapped this out PERFECTLY. i miss them so so SO much and i can’t believe that’s it???? this is the end of their story and i’m just expected to be okay and move on with my life?! what the fuck.
the multiple pov’s as the series progressed, while irritating, i think really added to the tension and gave perspective on how other mc’s were perceived- good or bad. all i did this entire book specifically was HURT FOR THEM. don’t y’all love when a fantasy series starts off tame and then destroys your heart by the end and you wonder how you (or them) were ever happy to begin with 😃 why don’t we ever get to just gallop over the rainbow with unicorns????
the conclusion to this story is so satisfying and i believe claire legrand mapped this out PERFECTLY. i miss them so so SO much and i can’t believe that’s it???? this is the end of their story and i’m just expected to be okay and move on with my life?! what the fuck.
the multiple pov’s as the series progressed, while irritating, i think really added to the tension and gave perspective on how other mc’s were perceived- good or bad. all i did this entire book specifically was HURT FOR THEM. don’t y’all love when a fantasy series starts off tame and then destroys your heart by the end and you wonder how you (or them) were ever happy to begin with 😃 why don’t we ever get to just gallop over the rainbow with unicorns????
October 30, 2020
I don't even know how to write this review. I will start with Claire Legrand and her beautiful prose. She writes so vividly and precise, even about things like magic that don't exist and other metaphysical things like light and auras, so acutely that it's like I'm watching an HD movie in my head. You see the elemental magic perfectly, which is no easy feat in terms of depictive writing. I strive to write like this and I'm so grateful for Legrand's generous gift that are these books (especially this extraordinary finale) so that I can look back at them for inspiration and guidance.
The characters are all so beautifully real and raw. They all have good and evil in them, selfishness and selflessness. They're so HUMAN and in this way they are unpredictable.
These books are everything I want from fiction. I wished Game of Thrones managed to grasp this kind of ending with the perfect blend of tragedy, making the stakes of the books credible and realistic, and happiness and satisfaction, so that the tragedy is worth it.
The battles are beautifully written. The lore is vastly intriguing and complex.
I cried. I got angry. I grieved. I was so engrossed in this world that I wish there was more of it. (sequels within the universe, Legrand?) This was a perfect conclusion to a perfect story and I need EVERYONE who loves fantasy (and even those who don't, you'll still love these books) to read them asap.
The characters are all so beautifully real and raw. They all have good and evil in them, selfishness and selflessness. They're so HUMAN and in this way they are unpredictable.
These books are everything I want from fiction. I wished Game of Thrones managed to grasp this kind of ending with the perfect blend of tragedy, making the stakes of the books credible and realistic, and happiness and satisfaction, so that the tragedy is worth it.
The battles are beautifully written. The lore is vastly intriguing and complex.
I cried. I got angry. I grieved. I was so engrossed in this world that I wish there was more of it. (sequels within the universe, Legrand?) This was a perfect conclusion to a perfect story and I need EVERYONE who loves fantasy (and even those who don't, you'll still love these books) to read them asap.
August 27, 2021
Me, reading the last couple chapters of Kingsbane:
Me, desperately waiting for Lightbringer, coming to us on Oct. 13, 2020:
Me, desperately waiting for Lightbringer, coming to us on Oct. 13, 2020:
December 3, 2023
I definitely owe Raincoast Books my soul for this ARC, but they can't have it because Claire Legrand already took it and broke it into a million pieces. Anyone who knows me well is aware that The Empirium Trilogy is my all-time favourite fantasy series. I was scared of how this would come together, but please know that Legrand hit it out of the park. This story is magnificent and has been beautifully crafted from beginning to end.
This picks up almost right after that devastating cliffhanger. *Kingsbane's spoilers ahead, so skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to know.* Rielle has fully embraced her title as Blood Queen and has run off with the avenging angel, Corien. Pregnant and shunned, she is beyond saving now, and unstoppable with her ever growing powers. Meanwhile, Audric is grieving the loss of his new wife and his home to the hands of a usurper cousin. One thousand years into the future, Eliana has been captured and is on her way to the ruthless Emperor Corien—yes, the very same. She does not know what he has planned for her, but she is utterly alone in the world now. And Simon is ... well, f**k, it's been over a year and I'm still not over that betrayal. I chose not to re-read the second book because I wanted to dive straight in. I was delighted to find that aside from a few royals, I remembered who everyone was—or at least was reminded well—and knew what had happened.
Half of the magic of this incredible series is within the equally incredible characters that carry it. Rielle's story arc is what I so desperately needed from Daenerys Targaryen. Legrand has made her descent into power and madness so deliciously perfect. It is so effortless and natural to follow this character as she loses herself to her unspeakable powers and is bolstered by the wrong, manipulative people. Eliana on the other hand is struggling to keep her magic tamped down, thwarting her enemies in the only way she can. She is so strong and brave that I can have nothing but serious respect for this girl. She didn't ask to be who she is, but she handles it so beautifully. This was the first time we properly saw Corien in both timelines, and it was such a conundrum on my feelings. In one timeline he is unhinged with obsession and grief, and in the other he is so charming and cruel that I am at a loss as to why I pity him sometimes. As with Kingsbane, we are treated to new POVs such as Tam, Simon, Audric, Jessamyn, Navi and more. I would have like more Rielle and Eliana chapters, but in hindsight I don't think there's more the author could have done. Best of all, we finally meet the elusive Prophet who has pulled so many strings in Eliana's timeline, and I was reeling from the reveal. It was 110% not what I was expecting at all.
So much happens in this book, but it never feels crammed in or rushed. Every scene is there with a purpose and drives the plot forward towards that ending we've all known was coming from the very beginning of the series. There is an underlying sense of dread as we work through Rielle and Audric's timeline, how her power grows and pushes the boundaries of the Empirium, leaving us to believe she cannot be saved. The way the story unfolds to the point of Rielle and Corien attacking the city with an angelic host and eventually that final battle between husband and wife is devastating and so believable. On Eliana's side, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that when it comes to one of the major plot points in the book, it is something I never once considered. And looking back at the series as a whole, it is so obvious. But it never clicked until Corien planted the seed in my head with a single sentence, and then my entire outlook on Eliana's timeline changed. And with it came a different sense of dread mixed with excitement.
The ending itself is truly perfect. I had terribly high expectations, and I could not have asked for a better ending. It is absolutely bittersweet. I'm happy, but I'm suffering, and I wouldn't want it any other way. And dare I say that there might even be the potential for a spin off? It isn't needed, but there's definitely a few crumbs left to follow elsewhere in this world.
I am in awe. This series has been one of the most consistent, well-crafted, emotional and overall thrilling series I have read in so very long. I recommend it to nearly everyone I know for a very good reason. It is epic fantasy on a scale akin to Game of Thrones that welcomes me body, heart and soul. These women run this story and they run this world. They are heroes and villains and both all at once, and I will forever be grateful to Legrand for sharing this beautiful story with the world.
This picks up almost right after that devastating cliffhanger. *Kingsbane's spoilers ahead, so skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to know.* Rielle has fully embraced her title as Blood Queen and has run off with the avenging angel, Corien. Pregnant and shunned, she is beyond saving now, and unstoppable with her ever growing powers. Meanwhile, Audric is grieving the loss of his new wife and his home to the hands of a usurper cousin. One thousand years into the future, Eliana has been captured and is on her way to the ruthless Emperor Corien—yes, the very same. She does not know what he has planned for her, but she is utterly alone in the world now. And Simon is ... well, f**k, it's been over a year and I'm still not over that betrayal. I chose not to re-read the second book because I wanted to dive straight in. I was delighted to find that aside from a few royals, I remembered who everyone was—or at least was reminded well—and knew what had happened.
Half of the magic of this incredible series is within the equally incredible characters that carry it. Rielle's story arc is what I so desperately needed from Daenerys Targaryen. Legrand has made her descent into power and madness so deliciously perfect. It is so effortless and natural to follow this character as she loses herself to her unspeakable powers and is bolstered by the wrong, manipulative people. Eliana on the other hand is struggling to keep her magic tamped down, thwarting her enemies in the only way she can. She is so strong and brave that I can have nothing but serious respect for this girl. She didn't ask to be who she is, but she handles it so beautifully. This was the first time we properly saw Corien in both timelines, and it was such a conundrum on my feelings. In one timeline he is unhinged with obsession and grief, and in the other he is so charming and cruel that I am at a loss as to why I pity him sometimes. As with Kingsbane, we are treated to new POVs such as Tam, Simon, Audric, Jessamyn, Navi and more. I would have like more Rielle and Eliana chapters, but in hindsight I don't think there's more the author could have done. Best of all, we finally meet the elusive Prophet who has pulled so many strings in Eliana's timeline, and I was reeling from the reveal. It was 110% not what I was expecting at all.
So much happens in this book, but it never feels crammed in or rushed. Every scene is there with a purpose and drives the plot forward towards that ending we've all known was coming from the very beginning of the series. There is an underlying sense of dread as we work through Rielle and Audric's timeline, how her power grows and pushes the boundaries of the Empirium, leaving us to believe she cannot be saved. The way the story unfolds to the point of Rielle and Corien attacking the city with an angelic host and eventually that final battle between husband and wife is devastating and so believable. On Eliana's side, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that when it comes to one of the major plot points in the book, it is something I never once considered. And looking back at the series as a whole, it is so obvious. But it never clicked until Corien planted the seed in my head with a single sentence, and then my entire outlook on Eliana's timeline changed. And with it came a different sense of dread mixed with excitement.
The ending itself is truly perfect. I had terribly high expectations, and I could not have asked for a better ending. It is absolutely bittersweet. I'm happy, but I'm suffering, and I wouldn't want it any other way. And dare I say that there might even be the potential for a spin off? It isn't needed, but there's definitely a few crumbs left to follow elsewhere in this world.
I am in awe. This series has been one of the most consistent, well-crafted, emotional and overall thrilling series I have read in so very long. I recommend it to nearly everyone I know for a very good reason. It is epic fantasy on a scale akin to Game of Thrones that welcomes me body, heart and soul. These women run this story and they run this world. They are heroes and villains and both all at once, and I will forever be grateful to Legrand for sharing this beautiful story with the world.
February 2, 2021
Well that ended exactly as I expected and precisely how I wish it hadn’t. 🤦🏼♀️Why won’t most YA authors take that risk.
*** still very much enjoyed this conclusion and trilogy ***
*** still very much enjoyed this conclusion and trilogy ***
October 24, 2020
”In every moment, in every blade of grass, in every path untraveled—there I will be, beside you, and there I will always be.”
Ok, now that I’ve managed to stop crying for a full 5 hours, I think I can write a very short review— because let’s face it, I’ll start crying again..
Claire broke my heart over and over again in this book, in the most beautiful way possible. There was so much pain, suffering, redemption, and acts of love in this book.
I feel like Audric, Rielle, Ludivine, Eliana, Simon & Corien all ended up exactly as they should. Did it shatter me? Of course, did it make me want more? Absolutely but it was honestly the perfect ending for them all.
The Empirium trilogy will always have a special place in my heart. Audric will alway set the bar high for real life guys lol and I will always be thankful to Claire for giving us these amazing characters, this unique magic and these phenomenal books.
5/5 ✰’s
Ok, now that I’ve managed to stop crying for a full 5 hours, I think I can write a very short review— because let’s face it, I’ll start crying again..
Claire broke my heart over and over again in this book, in the most beautiful way possible. There was so much pain, suffering, redemption, and acts of love in this book.
I feel like Audric, Rielle, Ludivine, Eliana, Simon & Corien all ended up exactly as they should. Did it shatter me? Of course, did it make me want more? Absolutely but it was honestly the perfect ending for them all.
The Empirium trilogy will always have a special place in my heart. Audric will alway set the bar high for real life guys lol and I will always be thankful to Claire for giving us these amazing characters, this unique magic and these phenomenal books.
5/5 ✰’s
October 18, 2020
“Love is the one constant force that no violence or despair can diminish. We must hold onto the light of this truth. Even when the world grows dark. Especially then.”
This novel destroyed me. Absolutely destroyed me. Having completed a reread of the first two books about a week ago, I had just fallen back in with the characters and had grown attached to them and their world all over again. This trilogy as a whole is excellent, and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of fantasy. Lightbringer , which is the final book, takes place about 10 days after Kingsbane ends, and is easy to fall into. More PoV’s are introduced, and though it did take a little while to get used to that, I was grateful for it later on. As a warning, I’m going to talk about some very minor spoilers from the other books in the series, but nothing major will be revealed.
“To rise, first one must burn.”
The characters, especially Rielle, Audric, and Eliana grew so much! Eliana reacted to the torture she faced and changed because of it. Though this seems pretty basic, I’ve read many fantasy books where the characters are not affected by the terror around them. Rielle, as expected, grew more insane and lost herself in her power. Even though this has happened in every other book, it was still heartbreaking to watch her spiraling descent. Audric, after facing heartbreak, changed because of it, and grew into the Lightbringer he was always supposed to be. The side characters (Remy and Ludivine especially), also grew, but if I told you how, the book would be spoiled, so you’ll have to read it to find out.
“Our prayers for so long have been this: May the Queen’s light guide us… But I say that we are the light. We are the salvation we have prayed for! We stand on this earth that is our home, and it is we who will drive from it every creature who would dare try to take it from us!”
The plot was a MASTERPIECE! Every moment weaved together seamlessly with another, and this book was near impossible to put down. Very few parts dragged, and every character’s perspective added to the story in some way. Yes, the time travel was never explained properly, but I’m ignoring that because I loved everything else. The battle scenes were beautifully written, and it was easy to get lost in the world. At the start of every chapter, the author includes quotes from texts that tie into the plot (Saint’s journals, letters, reports, etc) and each quote added layers to the following chapter.
“We all have light and darkness inside us. That is what it means to be human.’
‘And if I am more than human?’ she asked.
‘Then you must carry more of the light, and more of the darkness too, and so must I.’ Eliana tried to smile. ‘That is our burden.”
In summary, the Empirium Trilogy as a whole is a genius work of fiction, full of elemental magic, heart stopping romance, cohesive world-building, stellar characters, betrayal, heartbreak, and politics. Every chapter flies by, and every books stays in your mind long after the final page is turned.
This novel destroyed me. Absolutely destroyed me. Having completed a reread of the first two books about a week ago, I had just fallen back in with the characters and had grown attached to them and their world all over again. This trilogy as a whole is excellent, and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of fantasy. Lightbringer , which is the final book, takes place about 10 days after Kingsbane ends, and is easy to fall into. More PoV’s are introduced, and though it did take a little while to get used to that, I was grateful for it later on. As a warning, I’m going to talk about some very minor spoilers from the other books in the series, but nothing major will be revealed.
“To rise, first one must burn.”
The characters, especially Rielle, Audric, and Eliana grew so much! Eliana reacted to the torture she faced and changed because of it. Though this seems pretty basic, I’ve read many fantasy books where the characters are not affected by the terror around them. Rielle, as expected, grew more insane and lost herself in her power. Even though this has happened in every other book, it was still heartbreaking to watch her spiraling descent. Audric, after facing heartbreak, changed because of it, and grew into the Lightbringer he was always supposed to be. The side characters (Remy and Ludivine especially), also grew, but if I told you how, the book would be spoiled, so you’ll have to read it to find out.
“Our prayers for so long have been this: May the Queen’s light guide us… But I say that we are the light. We are the salvation we have prayed for! We stand on this earth that is our home, and it is we who will drive from it every creature who would dare try to take it from us!”
The plot was a MASTERPIECE! Every moment weaved together seamlessly with another, and this book was near impossible to put down. Very few parts dragged, and every character’s perspective added to the story in some way. Yes, the time travel was never explained properly, but I’m ignoring that because I loved everything else. The battle scenes were beautifully written, and it was easy to get lost in the world. At the start of every chapter, the author includes quotes from texts that tie into the plot (Saint’s journals, letters, reports, etc) and each quote added layers to the following chapter.
“We all have light and darkness inside us. That is what it means to be human.’
‘And if I am more than human?’ she asked.
‘Then you must carry more of the light, and more of the darkness too, and so must I.’ Eliana tried to smile. ‘That is our burden.”
In summary, the Empirium Trilogy as a whole is a genius work of fiction, full of elemental magic, heart stopping romance, cohesive world-building, stellar characters, betrayal, heartbreak, and politics. Every chapter flies by, and every books stays in your mind long after the final page is turned.
March 27, 2023
As the Empirium Trilogy ended up being pretty middling for me on the whole, I'm not sure how much I'll remember it as time goes on.
But for the rest of my life, I will never ever forget Eliana going back in time, approaching Odo Laroche and straight up telling him, "I'm Rielle's as-of-yet unborn daughter. I've time-traveled back 1,000 years to save the world. Can you take me to her?" And he responds like, "Great, right this way." NO FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
In my review of Furyborn, I ended it by writing, "I can only see the series improving as it goes on." Egg on my face.
But for the rest of my life, I will never ever forget Eliana going back in time, approaching Odo Laroche and straight up telling him, "I'm Rielle's as-of-yet unborn daughter. I've time-traveled back 1,000 years to save the world. Can you take me to her?" And he responds like, "Great, right this way." NO FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
In my review of Furyborn, I ended it by writing, "I can only see the series improving as it goes on." Egg on my face.
October 28, 2024
4.75/5
To już finalny tom trylogii Empirium. Z jednej strony nie mogłam się go doczekać, z drugiej żałuję że muszę już poczekać się z tym światem i bohaterami.
Corien w tej części jest istnym spoiwem między córką a matką i ich liniami czasowymi. Oby dwie starają się okiełznać swoje moce, by stawić czoła swoim koszmarom.
Ten tom zmiażdżył mnie niejednokrotnie bo choć mogłoby się wydawać, że autorka, nie może niczym zaskoczyć to odkrycie wszystkich tajemnic, sprawiało ogromną satysfakcję, nawet jeśli żadna moja teoria się nie sprawdziła.
Ten tom to ból. Ogromnie było mi żal Eliany, a jej rozdziały łamały mi serce. Gdy wracam wspomnieniami do tej bohaterki z pierwszego tomu, widzę jak długą i wymagającą drogę przeszła, która finalnie sprawiła, że młoda zabójczyni dojrzała.
Postać Audrica zyskała tutaj pole do popisu i w końcu przestał być tylko mężem Rielle w moich oczach. Jego podejście do ukochanej jak i swojego ludu i przeznaczeniu które na niego spadło, sprawiło że nie mogłam doczekać się ostatniej bitwy, która wypadła niesamowicie, malując całą masakrę w mojej głowie.
Tyle emocji kryje się pod koniec tej książki. Finalne starcie, mieszanie z czasem i wersjami przyszłości wywołało u mnie dreszcze niepokoju, w którą stronę to wszystko zmierza. 🫣Nie zabrakło tej łez, gdy zamykałam książkę. Lepszego i bardziej ikonicznego epilogu nie mogłam sobie wymarzyć.
Całą serię będę polecać każdemu miłośnikowi fantastyki, który szuka bardziej wymagającej ale nie męczącej lektury, w której znajdzie genialne wykreowany świat, wiele emocji i zwrotów akcji przyprawiających o ból głowy.
To już finalny tom trylogii Empirium. Z jednej strony nie mogłam się go doczekać, z drugiej żałuję że muszę już poczekać się z tym światem i bohaterami.
Corien w tej części jest istnym spoiwem między córką a matką i ich liniami czasowymi. Oby dwie starają się okiełznać swoje moce, by stawić czoła swoim koszmarom.
Ten tom zmiażdżył mnie niejednokrotnie bo choć mogłoby się wydawać, że autorka, nie może niczym zaskoczyć to odkrycie wszystkich tajemnic, sprawiało ogromną satysfakcję, nawet jeśli żadna moja teoria się nie sprawdziła.
Ten tom to ból. Ogromnie było mi żal Eliany, a jej rozdziały łamały mi serce. Gdy wracam wspomnieniami do tej bohaterki z pierwszego tomu, widzę jak długą i wymagającą drogę przeszła, która finalnie sprawiła, że młoda zabójczyni dojrzała.
Postać Audrica zyskała tutaj pole do popisu i w końcu przestał być tylko mężem Rielle w moich oczach. Jego podejście do ukochanej jak i swojego ludu i przeznaczeniu które na niego spadło, sprawiło że nie mogłam doczekać się ostatniej bitwy, która wypadła niesamowicie, malując całą masakrę w mojej głowie.
Tyle emocji kryje się pod koniec tej książki. Finalne starcie, mieszanie z czasem i wersjami przyszłości wywołało u mnie dreszcze niepokoju, w którą stronę to wszystko zmierza. 🫣Nie zabrakło tej łez, gdy zamykałam książkę. Lepszego i bardziej ikonicznego epilogu nie mogłam sobie wymarzyć.
Całą serię będę polecać każdemu miłośnikowi fantastyki, który szuka bardziej wymagającej ale nie męczącej lektury, w której znajdzie genialne wykreowany świat, wiele emocji i zwrotów akcji przyprawiających o ból głowy.
January 1, 2021
update: 01/01/21
2 stars. looking back on it, this was way more underwhelming than i first thought. right from the very first scene of book one, we are made to believe that rielle dardenne is supposed to bring doom and be the main villain of the trilogy but unfortunately she does not live up to the hype in lightbringer. in a final book, you usually expect a lot of action, but this finale lacks in that department as well.
update: 06/13/20
considering this is the last book in the trilogy, it was slower than i was expecting it to be. this series has one of the best plots in fantasy and i'll always be glad to have read it, rielle and eliana's story is so beautiful, i couldn't help but cry while reading their scenes (they remind me of anakin skywalker and luke skywalker from star wars) but i'm really disappointed and sad at the bittersweet ending (more bitter than sweet to be honest). my favorite part of this series has always been rielle and eliana's arc (rielle especially) but this felt more like an audric and corien story until the very end. i'm having trouble coming to terms with the fact that this series is truly over because i'm left wanting more of rielle and eliana. and i'm really upset to see rielle's story become a tragedy. to me, she's always been the best thing about this series. the few simon and eliana scenes we get by the end though enjoyable were not enough. overall, compared to the last two books, this felt a little underwhelming.
2 stars. looking back on it, this was way more underwhelming than i first thought. right from the very first scene of book one, we are made to believe that rielle dardenne is supposed to bring doom and be the main villain of the trilogy but unfortunately she does not live up to the hype in lightbringer. in a final book, you usually expect a lot of action, but this finale lacks in that department as well.
update: 06/13/20
considering this is the last book in the trilogy, it was slower than i was expecting it to be. this series has one of the best plots in fantasy and i'll always be glad to have read it, rielle and eliana's story is so beautiful, i couldn't help but cry while reading their scenes (they remind me of anakin skywalker and luke skywalker from star wars) but i'm really disappointed and sad at the bittersweet ending (more bitter than sweet to be honest). my favorite part of this series has always been rielle and eliana's arc (rielle especially) but this felt more like an audric and corien story until the very end. i'm having trouble coming to terms with the fact that this series is truly over because i'm left wanting more of rielle and eliana. and i'm really upset to see rielle's story become a tragedy. to me, she's always been the best thing about this series. the few simon and eliana scenes we get by the end though enjoyable were not enough. overall, compared to the last two books, this felt a little underwhelming.
September 29, 2024
pre review update: I was right and now I would love to jump off a cliff. I started this series being obsessed with corien & rielle but lightbringer turned me toward Simon & eliana. I have mixed feelings about this book though, especially the last few chapters. to call the ending anti climactic would be an understatement. anyways rtc //
currently have way too many crackpot theories and I hope for my sake that I’m wrong
currently have way too many crackpot theories and I hope for my sake that I’m wrong
October 25, 2020
i did not finish this book, it finished me
December 3, 2021
Okay. Here’s the thing: I’m so glad I decided not to give up on Furyborn.
I gave Furyborn a grand total of 2 out of 5 stars. I remember thinking it was one giant mess and I couldn’t for the life of me fully grasp the feel between whatever happened to Rielle and Eliana. Too much was happening and it felt like two books squeezed into one. I didn’t like Eliana and I sure as hell didn’t like Rielle. When I decided to read Kingsbane, I grew to like Eliana and hating Rielle.
This book managed to turn the tide around, somehow.
I even, somewhat, like Rielle now .
The Empirium Trilogy revolves around both the Blood Queen and the Sun Queen; Rielle and Eliana. Both of them are equally important and both of their arcs are what caused and became of this story. How the entire thing ends, depends on what choices these two made. Combined with time travel, the series is both complicated and epic: it’s rich in world building and I love the magic system but the stakes are higher; because of the time travel, everyone walks on a tightrope and the series can take you to unexpected places.
If you’ve read the first and second book, you’ll know about Rielle and how she is, basically. You can’t really blame someone for hating her and I do feel in some degree that she was written to be at least irritating to the readers. I spent the first two books wishing she was dead. I still stand by my opinion that the entire Rielle-Audric-Corien love triangle is ridiculous and I still don’t understand how they could even work. But in this book, she became more tolerable and I even started to feel for the girl. I think it’s because she had decided to go full evil and didn’t spend her time annoying me with “what’s right and what’s not”. I like how this book shows it clearly that despite finally accepting that she’s the Blood Queen, Rielle still has that spark of humanity that is actually more profound than the other two books. It makes me feel more for her as a person instead of seeing her as an all-bad character. But most of all, I pity her so much. She’s just a mere girl, being played around by fate’s hand. To be given that kind of power, that is somewhat turning you into a power-hungry person, and at the same time, there’s some ages old prophecy telling you that you WILL go evil.
I think I don’t have much to say about Eliana. I love her strength and I love her resilience. I love how she always tried to do what’s right and save everyone even though there’s literally no catch for her.
One thing that I noticed from this book and the other two is that despite hating Rielle immensely, I actually enjoy what happened in the Second Age more than the Third Age. There’s some magical quality to it as shown by the time when magic still lives instead of the post-apocalyptic world Eliana lived in. And while I do get annoyed by Rielle a lot, I actually find her dark descent to villainy a creepy and fascinating one.
One of the cons of this book, which I think is a downgrade from Kingsbane, is the fact that there are so many POVs all at once. While we bounce back and forth between Rielle and Eliana in book one, we get a whole new addition to the cast like Corien, Audric, Ludivine, Jessamyn, Simon, and even Tal. It’s confusing as hell. I spent like three chapters at once, reading Rielle’s, Ludivine’s, and Audric’s POVs that when the chapter returned to Eliana, I got a little disoriented at first. I even totally forgot what happened to Eliana that time, which is annoying, because the last time we saw her (before the POVs shift to the characters in the Second Age), she was about to get slaughtered. Another thing about this is because there are too many characters, some of them got totally swept to the background when the book reached its’ peak.
There’s also the thing where the POVs of the characters in the Third Age (Eliana’s time; the future) are boring as hell. I spent like half of the book reading about them and nothing really happened. It was very slow for a finale and since this is the last book, the ‘epic conclusion’, I just feel like this is really annoying because the action and the whatnots piled up in the last half, so it was a little confusing to read.
Lastly, the ending! I didn’t know what I was expecting but it sure as hell wasn’t that. Despite not getting a surprising ‘smarter way’ to fix things, I enjoyed the climax so much. This might be an unpopular opinion because I’ve seen the majority of people disappointed with the ending. But even though the ending wasn’t what I expected, I think it fits more than what I had in mind. I find the ending to be a realistic solution to the problem they have and I think I would hate it if some more convenient solution came up suddenly.
Though I think the first half was a disappointing one, the last half; the climax and that ending , is a very powerful move and I think it would stick with me for a long time. It makes up for the flatness of the first half and saved the entire trilogy for me.
I gave Furyborn a grand total of 2 out of 5 stars. I remember thinking it was one giant mess and I couldn’t for the life of me fully grasp the feel between whatever happened to Rielle and Eliana. Too much was happening and it felt like two books squeezed into one. I didn’t like Eliana and I sure as hell didn’t like Rielle. When I decided to read Kingsbane, I grew to like Eliana and hating Rielle.
This book managed to turn the tide around, somehow.
I even, somewhat, like Rielle now .
The Empirium Trilogy revolves around both the Blood Queen and the Sun Queen; Rielle and Eliana. Both of them are equally important and both of their arcs are what caused and became of this story. How the entire thing ends, depends on what choices these two made. Combined with time travel, the series is both complicated and epic: it’s rich in world building and I love the magic system but the stakes are higher; because of the time travel, everyone walks on a tightrope and the series can take you to unexpected places.
If you’ve read the first and second book, you’ll know about Rielle and how she is, basically. You can’t really blame someone for hating her and I do feel in some degree that she was written to be at least irritating to the readers. I spent the first two books wishing she was dead. I still stand by my opinion that the entire Rielle-Audric-Corien love triangle is ridiculous and I still don’t understand how they could even work. But in this book, she became more tolerable and I even started to feel for the girl. I think it’s because she had decided to go full evil and didn’t spend her time annoying me with “what’s right and what’s not”. I like how this book shows it clearly that despite finally accepting that she’s the Blood Queen, Rielle still has that spark of humanity that is actually more profound than the other two books. It makes me feel more for her as a person instead of seeing her as an all-bad character. But most of all, I pity her so much. She’s just a mere girl, being played around by fate’s hand. To be given that kind of power, that is somewhat turning you into a power-hungry person, and at the same time, there’s some ages old prophecy telling you that you WILL go evil.
I think I don’t have much to say about Eliana. I love her strength and I love her resilience. I love how she always tried to do what’s right and save everyone even though there’s literally no catch for her.
One thing that I noticed from this book and the other two is that despite hating Rielle immensely, I actually enjoy what happened in the Second Age more than the Third Age. There’s some magical quality to it as shown by the time when magic still lives instead of the post-apocalyptic world Eliana lived in. And while I do get annoyed by Rielle a lot, I actually find her dark descent to villainy a creepy and fascinating one.
One of the cons of this book, which I think is a downgrade from Kingsbane, is the fact that there are so many POVs all at once. While we bounce back and forth between Rielle and Eliana in book one, we get a whole new addition to the cast like Corien, Audric, Ludivine, Jessamyn, Simon, and even Tal. It’s confusing as hell. I spent like three chapters at once, reading Rielle’s, Ludivine’s, and Audric’s POVs that when the chapter returned to Eliana, I got a little disoriented at first. I even totally forgot what happened to Eliana that time, which is annoying, because the last time we saw her (before the POVs shift to the characters in the Second Age), she was about to get slaughtered. Another thing about this is because there are too many characters, some of them got totally swept to the background when the book reached its’ peak.
There’s also the thing where the POVs of the characters in the Third Age (Eliana’s time; the future) are boring as hell. I spent like half of the book reading about them and nothing really happened. It was very slow for a finale and since this is the last book, the ‘epic conclusion’, I just feel like this is really annoying because the action and the whatnots piled up in the last half, so it was a little confusing to read.
Lastly, the ending! I didn’t know what I was expecting but it sure as hell wasn’t that. Despite not getting a surprising ‘smarter way’ to fix things, I enjoyed the climax so much. This might be an unpopular opinion because I’ve seen the majority of people disappointed with the ending. But even though the ending wasn’t what I expected, I think it fits more than what I had in mind. I find the ending to be a realistic solution to the problem they have and I think I would hate it if some more convenient solution came up suddenly.
Though I think the first half was a disappointing one, the last half; the climax and that ending , is a very powerful move and I think it would stick with me for a long time. It makes up for the flatness of the first half and saved the entire trilogy for me.
October 17, 2024
Pierwszy tom mnie zachwycił. Drugi złamał moje serce. A trzeci… zmiażdżył mnie bezlitośnie.
Claire Legrand po raz kolejny pokazuje, jak cudownie operuje piórem. Nie tylko potrafi stworzyć wiarygodną wersję świata, lecz dopracowuje go pod każdym względem, wzbogacając o barwne opisy i oryginalne elementy. Niesztampowe spojrzenie na magię oraz jej źródło, empirium. Jednak tym, za co ją absolutnie uwielbiam to plot twisty wywracające mnie na lewą stronę i robiące sieczkę z mózgu oraz mocne finały… po których nie mam pojęcia, co mam ze sobą zrobić. Jak mam zacząć czytać jakąkolwiek inną książkę po tym, skoro będę ją porównywać do niej?
Wracając do konkretów. Przemiana Rielle oraz Elianny od początku historii jest przeogromna… widać to, zwłaszcza w ostatnim tomie. I o ile, tą drugą od samego początku pokochałam, kibicowałam, śmiałam się wraz z nią, a częściej płakałam, to z Rielle jest to o wiele trudniejsza relacja. Nie jest to postać, którą potrafiłam polubić, ani nawet zrozumieć. Irytowała mnie od początku trylogii, a jednocześnie… ogromnie doceniam jej kreację jako tej złej. Zepsutej do szpiku kości, egoistycznej, mściwej i małostkowej. Jej intencję i decyzje były najbardziej, jak to się dało, oddalone od mojej moralności, ale zawsze w książce spotykamy albo dobrych bohaterów, ale o szarej moralności, gdzie zazwyczaj ta lepsza strona wygrywa. Ciekawe było poznanie kreacji tak innej, kontrowersyjnej, nawet jeśli wielokrotnie chciałoby się strzelić jej kontrolnego liścia.
Zakończenie jest pełne nieoczywistości, niedopowiedzeń, gdzie możemy albo snuć najgorsze scenariusze, albo dopisać sobie swoje szczęśliwe zakończenie. Jednak w obu tych przypadkach i tak pozostawia nieodłączną nutę smutku… Nie ukrywam, że chciałabym więcej (najlepiej kolejny tom!), zabrakło mi również informacji, co się wydarzyło z niektórymi postaciami (Harkan, heloł?!), czy większego rozwinięcia niektórych finałowych wydarzeń. Wciąż mam wiele pytań i spory niedosyt!
Gdybym miała opisać, czym stoi ostatni tom… są to emocję. Szalone niczym rollercoaster przeskakujące od smutku i łez, poprzez wątły cień nadziei, a na wściekłości i bezradności kończąc. Historia pełna bólu, wylanych łez i przelanej krwi. Zaczynając trylogię, nie spodziewałam się, że wstrząśnie mną aż tak mocno, że będę przeżywać losy bohaterów, płacząc z nimi… na pewno nie wiedziałam, że trafi to do moich absolutnych ulubieńców.
Claire Legrand po raz kolejny pokazuje, jak cudownie operuje piórem. Nie tylko potrafi stworzyć wiarygodną wersję świata, lecz dopracowuje go pod każdym względem, wzbogacając o barwne opisy i oryginalne elementy. Niesztampowe spojrzenie na magię oraz jej źródło, empirium. Jednak tym, za co ją absolutnie uwielbiam to plot twisty wywracające mnie na lewą stronę i robiące sieczkę z mózgu oraz mocne finały… po których nie mam pojęcia, co mam ze sobą zrobić. Jak mam zacząć czytać jakąkolwiek inną książkę po tym, skoro będę ją porównywać do niej?
Wracając do konkretów. Przemiana Rielle oraz Elianny od początku historii jest przeogromna… widać to, zwłaszcza w ostatnim tomie. I o ile, tą drugą od samego początku pokochałam, kibicowałam, śmiałam się wraz z nią, a częściej płakałam, to z Rielle jest to o wiele trudniejsza relacja. Nie jest to postać, którą potrafiłam polubić, ani nawet zrozumieć. Irytowała mnie od początku trylogii, a jednocześnie… ogromnie doceniam jej kreację jako tej złej. Zepsutej do szpiku kości, egoistycznej, mściwej i małostkowej. Jej intencję i decyzje były najbardziej, jak to się dało, oddalone od mojej moralności, ale zawsze w książce spotykamy albo dobrych bohaterów, ale o szarej moralności, gdzie zazwyczaj ta lepsza strona wygrywa. Ciekawe było poznanie kreacji tak innej, kontrowersyjnej, nawet jeśli wielokrotnie chciałoby się strzelić jej kontrolnego liścia.
Zakończenie jest pełne nieoczywistości, niedopowiedzeń, gdzie możemy albo snuć najgorsze scenariusze, albo dopisać sobie swoje szczęśliwe zakończenie. Jednak w obu tych przypadkach i tak pozostawia nieodłączną nutę smutku… Nie ukrywam, że chciałabym więcej (najlepiej kolejny tom!), zabrakło mi również informacji, co się wydarzyło z niektórymi postaciami (Harkan, heloł?!), czy większego rozwinięcia niektórych finałowych wydarzeń. Wciąż mam wiele pytań i spory niedosyt!
Gdybym miała opisać, czym stoi ostatni tom… są to emocję. Szalone niczym rollercoaster przeskakujące od smutku i łez, poprzez wątły cień nadziei, a na wściekłości i bezradności kończąc. Historia pełna bólu, wylanych łez i przelanej krwi. Zaczynając trylogię, nie spodziewałam się, że wstrząśnie mną aż tak mocno, że będę przeżywać losy bohaterów, płacząc z nimi… na pewno nie wiedziałam, że trafi to do moich absolutnych ulubieńców.
May 29, 2021
“The empirium speaks to you,” Eliana said, tearing her eyes from Remy to find Rielle once more. “It speaks to me too. It tells me to rise. It tells me it is mine and that I belong to it. But I belong only to myself. And it is the same for you.”
Apparently I survived this trilogy and my heart is still intact.
Don't know how you guys feel about it but I think I deserve an award.
Seriously, though, Claire Legrand just made it into my list of Authors Who Lovingly Torture Their Readers and I think she's not topping only because Leigh Bardugo and Victoria Schwab exist.
Lightbringer was the perfect ending for this series, but it also is the book I liked less out of the whole trilogy.
Let me elaborate before you get the wrong idea.
For one, it was a bit too long. I appreciated the various and new POVs we got, but I also had some trouble up with the insanely slow plot. I flew through the first two books especially because the chapters were short and the plot super fast, so the fact that this book was so long despite being the last one, put me off a little.
Second, I still have some questions and I can't tell if I missed something while reading or if the author purposely forgot about/left out stuff. I'll pack my doubts and bring them to Book Reddit, just in case.
And last, although it's not that important and mostly related to how I reacted to this book in terms of feelings than about the book's technicalities, I expected Lightbringer to wreck me and, while it indeed made me suffer a huge deal and those last 10 chapters made me feel like a lost puppy (chapter 45 , it also left me a bit unsatisfied.
It surely was filled with angst and moments that made me wanna tear my eyes out, but it was also full of dull moments and filling scenes that toned down the rest.
Example 1: the ending!!
Example 2:
Now, about the things I truly deeply madly loved.
Eliana and Remy and Audric, first and foremost. My heart is theirs, now and forever.
Then, Legrand's world-building is simply epic and the way she writes her actions scenes is chef-kiss worthy.
I also appreciated how, despite everything the characters went through and the obvious changes they came with, they remained coherently similar to the characters they first were.
Anywayz, I wish I could recommend this trilogy to all the people I know, even those who don't like to read, because it's just that good😭
January 23, 2021
THIS WAS BRILLIANT AND HEARTBREAKING
“You love me."
"I wish I didn't," she said bitterly.
"I fascinate you, darling."
"As would your death.”
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Furyborn Review *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Kingsbane Review *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Review
The Empirium trilogy now has solidified itself as one of my all time favorite series with this concluding novel. I felt like everything came together perfectly. This story was so captivating, and the twists and turns of the plot kept my heart racing the entire time that I was reading. I am truly so in love with this series.
One of the best standout elements to me is definitely Rielle and Eliana. They are difficult women who make difficult choices, and they do not always make the right choices. They are both such fascinating women whose morality lives in the grey area. Sometimes the choices that they made (especially Rielle) made me want to throw my book across the room, but LeGrand does such a good job at examining the emotions that lead them to such awful decisions. The best way to describe reading this book is that you feel each character's emotional pain, deeply. I felt for all of these characters, and the turmoil that they faced.
The plot itself is just absolutely brilliant. The culmination of all of the story lines and threads that have occurred throughout the series absolutely blew me away. I will be screaming my love for this series forever because it is truly that amazing!!!!!
“You love me."
"I wish I didn't," she said bitterly.
"I fascinate you, darling."
"As would your death.”
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Furyborn Review *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Kingsbane Review *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Review
The Empirium trilogy now has solidified itself as one of my all time favorite series with this concluding novel. I felt like everything came together perfectly. This story was so captivating, and the twists and turns of the plot kept my heart racing the entire time that I was reading. I am truly so in love with this series.
One of the best standout elements to me is definitely Rielle and Eliana. They are difficult women who make difficult choices, and they do not always make the right choices. They are both such fascinating women whose morality lives in the grey area. Sometimes the choices that they made (especially Rielle) made me want to throw my book across the room, but LeGrand does such a good job at examining the emotions that lead them to such awful decisions. The best way to describe reading this book is that you feel each character's emotional pain, deeply. I felt for all of these characters, and the turmoil that they faced.
The plot itself is just absolutely brilliant. The culmination of all of the story lines and threads that have occurred throughout the series absolutely blew me away. I will be screaming my love for this series forever because it is truly that amazing!!!!!
October 17, 2020
I feel like I've read Grisha Trilogy all over again and this is not a compliment
October 16, 2020
thanks for the pain i guess
April 10, 2023
this is like the shadow & bone trilogy if it slayed
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