Furyborn

February 19, 2018
This fantasy trilogy opener from Legrand (Foxheart) introduces teenagers Rielle Dardenne, a Celdarian, and Eliana Ferracora, a Venteran. Many Celdarians are able to magically control a single element, but Rielle can secretly manipulate all seven. According to legend, this means she is either the Sun Queen, who can save the world, or the Blood Queen, who can destroy it. When Rielle reveals her talent by single-handedly saving the crown prince from invaders, the king imposes a series of deadly trials designed to test her strength and prove her loyalty. A millennium later and a continent away, assassin Eliana ponders the source of her preternatural healing abilities while hunting insurgents for the Empire. When her mother vanishes, Eliana offers tactical assistance in exchange for information, thus altering the course of her future. Action and steamy romance abound, but character development takes a back seat to worldbuilding and an excessively complicated mythology. Legrand cleverly intertwines her protagonists’ seemingly discrete storylines, which unfold in alternating chapters, but her plot is overstuffed; a conclusion lacking resolution or closure will leave invested readers eager for the next installment. Ages 14–18. Agent: Victoria Marini, Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

Fiona Hardingham expertly narrates this thrilling fantasy, giving voice to two remarkable young women. Rielle and Eliana are separated by a thousand years and live worlds apart. Having demonstrated astonishing powers, Rielle must undergo seven deadly trials to determine whether she is destined to save the world or bring forth its destruction. Centuries later, preternaturally strong and swift Eliana teams up with dangerous rebels after her mother is kidnapped. Hardingham's portrayal of these seemingly disparate but inextricably linked young women strikes exactly the right notes, precisely conveying the girls' single-minded intensity, which is underscored by sorrow and self-doubt. Impeccable pacing exquisitely ramps up the tension as the story hurtles towards a breathtaking climax that will leave listeners eager for more. S.A.H. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine