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kayanoelle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Well, that certainly went downhill very fast.
I was gagged for the last 50 pages, what the hell did I just read???
Also, Audric is the incarnation of ‘work song’ by Hozier.
“No grave can hold my body down,
I’ll crawl home to her.”
That’s literally Audric.
There were so many plot twists, I could barely keep up. I’m still a little confused with the one right at the end. Why would Simon work for the Emperor, it doesn’t make sense?? Because why would he help Eliana strengthen her powers and try to prevent everything? Maybe he’s a double agent and this is his plan to help her/the world?? I really don’t know.
This is one of the darkest books I’ve ever read, it’s crazy to see how Corien corrupts Rielle and makes her doubt everything. He always tells her exactly what she needs to hear to gain her trust and it’s working and the f#cked up thing is I UNDERSTAND WHY IT’S WORKING. Her situation is impossible to handle, she’s annoying and selfish sometimes but I do understand how difficult it is. Claire Legrand did a wonderful job of portraying the constant conflict in her mind.
What I found fascinating was that when Eliana went to the past, it actually changed something!! I thought it wouldn’t because everything she did in the past already happened and led to the present she lives in. But now that we know she changed something, that leaves a lot of possibilities for the other books. They could still “win” and change Rielle’s mind and that’s exciting!!
What I find really impressive is when an author manages to convey feelings and boy did she succeed in that. The relationship between Eliana and Simon made me ache, I didn’t know what to do with my despair lmfao. Corien made me want to throw the book, Audric made me ehdbwjskbwwi because he’s just too good for the world. I was shocked, I cried, I laughed.
I’m very very excited for book 3!
I was gagged for the last 50 pages, what the hell did I just read???
Also, Audric is the incarnation of ‘work song’ by Hozier.
“No grave can hold my body down,
I’ll crawl home to her.”
That’s literally Audric.
There were so many plot twists, I could barely keep up. I’m still a little confused with the one right at the end.
This is one of the darkest books I’ve ever read, it’s crazy to see how Corien corrupts Rielle and makes her doubt everything. He always tells her exactly what she needs to hear to gain her trust and it’s working and the f#cked up thing is I UNDERSTAND WHY IT’S WORKING. Her situation is impossible to handle, she’s annoying and selfish sometimes but I do understand how difficult it is. Claire Legrand did a wonderful job of portraying the constant conflict in her mind.
What I find really impressive is when an author manages to convey feelings and boy did she succeed in that. The relationship between Eliana and Simon made me ache, I didn’t know what to do with my despair lmfao. Corien made me want to throw the book, Audric made me ehdbwjskbwwi because he’s just too good for the world. I was shocked, I cried, I laughed.
I’m very very excited for book 3!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Blood, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Pregnancy and Cursing
csmall73's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Incest, Self harm, Violence, War, Blood, Death of parent, Vomit, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Death, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
laurenfro22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"I hope you'll remember that in the days to come-that many here love you, and would give up their silly, simple lives for you. You do not exist alone in this world. You are part of something immense and fragile and infinite. I hope you can respect that, even as mighty as you are."
The second installment of the Empirium series plops the reader right back down into the action. In Kingsbane, Legrand continues the arc of the mysterious and diametrically opposed Queens said to rise to save humanity. A thousand years apart, we see Rielle's unravelling and Eliana's burgeoning skills. Kingsbane felt a little bit like a bridge book - building the world, characters, and context with a pause on the plot to prepare for book three. This definitely impacted my rating, as I felt that there are so many unanswered questions and plot points just piling up and swirling around in this world- very effective at creating tension, but occasionally made it difficult to stay connected to the characters and larger story. There were a lot of great points where we see excellent character development; secrets finally shared, major betrayals, painful losses, and a whole host of battles both blood and lust filled. It was a solid read, and I'm hoping the set up lets Legrand really spike Lightbringer. I have high hopes for book three and am still a little nervous to start!
I enjoyed the ongoing development of the reader's understanding of the political climates, and the religious-mythos-magic systems that reflect each other in interesting ways between the two timeframes to which we're privy. It is a grand world that Legrand is building and she is skillful in her prose, especially describing the Empirium and the characters' interactions with the world just a layer below 'our' own. I'll be interested to see how some of those hanging threads are tied up in Lightbringer.
A number of reviews commented on the sex scenes in Kingsbane eclipsing those of Furyborn. There were certainly many more, and while I can see the point raised (they're just thrown in there), my take is that Rielle is in a complicated situation and using the tools she had available to her to maintain her status and keep the other parties around her distracted. The only scene that came off unfortunate was roughly two-thirds in and felt very much out of line with Audric's characterization. But I suppose there is truly no escape from the patriarchy and toxic masculinity. Folks with a history of SA should tread carefully or avoid altogether. What I did appreciate though, was that sex is not treated as some 'fade-to-black' taboo. The characters feel and love and lust and act human; the queerness in some of the relationships and side characters was lovely to run into as well.
As I've pondered the book, the thought I keep returning to is the question of villainy. The premise of the book turns on the idea of two Queens rising - one that will be the death of humanity, the other the salvation. We spend a lot of time in Rielle's head in her tug-of-war between the 'freedom' Corien hangs over her head and the stability that appears to exist in Audric, Ludvine. I'm waiting to see the other shoe drop, as I'm not completely convinced that she'll end up as the 'evil' side of the coin. What makes her the villain? The inborn aspects that tilt villainy in her favor, or weight of the expectations fate and its constant reminders place on her head? Between Rielle and Eliana, I know I'm going to be surprised. Legrand does a great job crafting characters that are complex, and often it's often painful to see them tripping down a path that you want to reach in and drag them out of.
Overall, I was far more impressed with the plot of book 1, but appreciated Kingsbane for what it is. The prose and flow are equally enjoyable, so I still flew through the book in a couple of days. I'll have to see how I feel about the series after I finish book 3.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
ka_ke's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m not sure how this series was classified as Y/A, it’s definitely more suited for Adult Fantasy readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Genocide, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment
stormywolf's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was not the best time to read this through. Then again, I don't know if there's ever a good time to read a book like this, but definitely not when you're already feeling depressed. It's not uncommon for the 2nd book in a trilogy to be more depressing than the first, what with needing to set up for the more triumphant finale, but this one, I think, takes it to a new extreme. I mean, I don't even think Catching Fire (The Hunger Games) was this disheartening.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I think Kingsbane was well written, though maybe a little slow in places, and a great character study in how love, and grief and fear can shape people. Both story and characters are detailed and complex, and every chapter knows just how to end to where you want to get back to their story as quick as possible. Of course, you end up feeling that way for both storylines, so you're stuck reading the book as written. If you were intrigued by the first book, you'll definitely want to continue their stories, but I might recommend waiting until the next book is out so you're not left in so much despair for so long...
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I think Kingsbane was well written, though maybe a little slow in places, and a great character study in how love, and grief and fear can shape people. Both story and characters are detailed and complex, and every chapter knows just how to end to where you want to get back to their story as quick as possible. Of course, you end up feeling that way for both storylines, so you're stuck reading the book as written. If you were intrigued by the first book, you'll definitely want to continue their stories, but I might recommend waiting until the next book is out so you're not left in so much despair for so long...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
A good bit of the murder/death is either fantasy (a character snapping a character into ashes or summoning fire at them) or done during battle/war.
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