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christina_chen's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Addiction, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Bullying, Gaslighting, Genocide, and Torture
allisonisabel's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I think that I can genuinely count this trilogy among one of the best fantasy series I have ever read. For the sole reason that it excelled in every aspect of what it attempted to do. And while I may not have liked everything that is attempted to do it did it well and it did it thoroughly. I think it is a worthwhile lesson to remember that while the characters we love may not make the decisions we want them to make, while it may seem easy for us to say well this is the right path for you why can’t you take it, it makes the story that much more compelling when the character follows what makes sense to them, and we see the repercussions of that. I both loved and hated Rielle’s arc in these novels because to me it seems so clear that she could simply return to what she had before, but to her she was following the desire in her heart, the human necessity to be known, and brought the world down and doing so.
As for the other characters, I think they all showed great development, and while some could’ve come earlier (Audric), or given more more explanation (Ludivine), what they were given did them justice. I didn’t know the scope of what I was getting into when I started this, and I said multiple times that at no point did I know where it was going. And for that I am somewhat grateful. It is refreshing to follow an epic fantasy series that continually keeps you on your toes. That attempts something so ambitious that it could easily fall flat. I remember a piece of writing advice I read somewhere that whatever you do in your story you have to believe it if you want your readers to, you cannot question yourself. And while so much of the story hinges on the unbelievable it is written in a way that makes it palatable and comprehensible for readers.
I found myself falling in love with character relationships characters, and feeling so much dread that the prologue of the first book had given away the ending. Even though I knew something would change. Although I did take some issues with some of the ways things were written, in particular the ending of the last book. I both love and hate it. Because it comes full circle, it allows closure in name for everyone, and yet get something feels incomplete. We never learn what happened to those of the future that was erased, and while I do not know how that could’ve been rectified, and I feel that maybe it could not have been, it does not stop me from wishing I could know. Eliana and Simon said their last goodbyes as adults and then he was gone and we did not see that version of him ever again, but I suppose neither did Eliana. We never saw Remy again, or Navi, or Ysabet, or Harkan—characters we had grown to love over the course of 1500+ pages fizzled out. (I take particular grievance with Harlan’s off screen death between books.)
I think the only character that I was iffy about was Ludivine because she was a bit too hard to reach, and I could not quite understand her. But that paled in comparison to everything else I was reading, and so it does not affect my rating much.
I have so many more thoughts, but many are restatements of what I have already said. The Empirium Trilogy is epic fantasy at its best, and I am glad for the time I spent reading it. I do not find myself yearning for changes to what was done, but rather wishing for things that weren’t, and if anything, that is a compliment to the author. Because she was able to weave a story so compelling, I cannot stop asking questions.
I think my final thought is similar to what I opened with: While we may not like the path a character is on, or the actions they may commit, or the atrocities that they usher in, when they are true to how they are written, when they are not forced into the palatable happy ending simply for the sake of it, the story becomes so much richer.
As for the other characters, I think they all showed great development, and while some could’ve come earlier (Audric), or given more more explanation (Ludivine), what they were given did them justice. I didn’t know the scope of what I was getting into when I started this, and I said multiple times that at no point did I know where it was going. And for that I am somewhat grateful. It is refreshing to follow an epic fantasy series that continually keeps you on your toes. That attempts something so ambitious that it could easily fall flat. I remember a piece of writing advice I read somewhere that whatever you do in your story you have to believe it if you want your readers to, you cannot question yourself. And while so much of the story hinges on the unbelievable it is written in a way that makes it palatable and comprehensible for readers.
I found myself falling in love with character relationships characters, and feeling so much dread that the prologue of the first book had given away the ending. Even though I knew something would change. Although I did take some issues with some of the ways things were written, in particular the ending of the last book. I both love and hate it. Because it comes full circle, it allows closure in name for everyone, and yet get something feels incomplete.
I think the only character that I was iffy about was Ludivine because she was a bit too hard to reach, and I could not quite understand her. But that paled in comparison to everything else I was reading, and so it does not affect my rating much.
I have so many more thoughts, but many are restatements of what I have already said. The Empirium Trilogy is epic fantasy at its best, and I am glad for the time I spent reading it. I do not find myself yearning for changes to what was done, but rather wishing for things that weren’t, and if anything, that is a compliment to the author. Because she was able to weave a story so compelling, I cannot stop asking questions.
I think my final thought is similar to what I opened with: While we may not like the path a character is on, or the actions they may commit, or the atrocities that they usher in, when they are true to how they are written, when they are not forced into the palatable happy ending simply for the sake of it, the story becomes so much richer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death and Suicidal thoughts
valpyre's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
[audiobook]
I mean, this was a fine conclusion. I'm pretty much just glad it's over.
[major spoilers ahead]
As with previous book in the series, for me, the book dragged for the first half, and only really started picking up speed and interest in the second. Honestly, I would attribute most of that interest to Audric's chapters, which I actually found pretty compelling in his struggle with grief, depression, and leadership. Looking back, I can understand that Rielle was grieving too, but I simply didn't understand how she got so taken in by Corien each and every time,to the point where she killed Tal after seemingly having come to her senses and taking some initiative.
Eliana's story was pretty good, what with the time travel and working through Simon's outward betrayal, but again, the first half was just a bunch of her being tortured, till shestarted working with the Prophet and the action picked up.
Even so, the climactic point and ending fell a little flat for me -- to me, Eliana seemed to convince Rielle to not kill Audric fairly easily. Also I think LeGrand did a disservice by having Ludivine reveal herself as the Prophet in her own POV chapter, versus in Eliana's, as I think that would have been more impactful, even if similarly predictable. Not to mention Ludivine has basically been everyone's punching bag for the entire series -- who knows why she is so helplessly devoted to her friends even as they berate her and shut her out at will for, frankly, no good reason. Her love for Audric and especially Rielle is no secret, and I wish they showed her that in return even half as much as she did for them.
I was also a little confused at the end when they started talking about repairing the gate -- both Eliana and Rielle knew the true deceit behind the angels being sent to the Deep, and I was surprised nothing was going to be done about it. It seems like angels are there simply just as the Big Bads, with little nuance, except for those who cannot help loving, and dying for humans.
I mean, this was a fine conclusion. I'm pretty much just glad it's over.
[major spoilers ahead]
As with previous book in the series, for me, the book dragged for the first half, and only really started picking up speed and interest in the second. Honestly, I would attribute most of that interest to Audric's chapters, which I actually found pretty compelling in his struggle with grief, depression, and leadership. Looking back, I can understand that Rielle was grieving too, but I simply didn't understand how she got so taken in by Corien each and every time,
Eliana's story was pretty good, what with the time travel and working through Simon's outward betrayal, but again, the first half was just a bunch of her being tortured, till she
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content
onceuponabookcase's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.5
WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.
Having adored the first two books in The Empirium Trilogy by Claire Legrand, I was so excited for the final book, Lightbringer! Though it wasn't the book I expected, it was absolutely incredible!
To be honest, I don't entirely know what I expected. We've known from the very beginning in Furyborn that there was a prophecy of the two queens. We've known that Rielle became the Blood Queen, and that her daughter Eliana was hoped to be the Sun Queen. What I didn't know was how Rielle would end up becoming the Sun Queen and causing so much devastation, nor how Eliana would end up defeating Corien - especially after the cliffhanger ending of Kingsbane, where we discover that Simon has been working for Emperor Corien all this time, and has abducted to Eliana to bring right to him. How on earth is Eliana going to be able to defeat him when she's in his clutches, and doesn't yet have full control of her power?! That cliffhanger came out of left field for me, and I honestly didn't have a clue what would happen next.
Kingsbane is a very different story than the previous two, for the reason that both queens are in Corien's hands. After Audric hears the truth about the death of his father, in his anger and grief, he calls Rielle the monster people are starting to believe she is, and she runs to Corien. As Corien has what he wants in both timelines, there's a lot less action overall. There's definitely moreso in Rielle's timeline, but not as much as we've seen in previous books. Eliana is continuously tortured mentally and physically by Corien, who is desperate for Eliana to use her power. Rielle's power grows ever stronger, and Corien convonces her to use it for ill time and again. The more she uses it, the more it grows, and the more she realises her power has a conciousness, one that is slowly carving away at her sanity.
But as we've seen in previous books, both queens have loved ones and allies, those who will bend over backwards to try and save their people, or fight for their queen - in all meanings of the word. So we have quite a few more narrators in Lightbringer, to see what is happening elsewhere, and how people are preparing for what is to come. Besides Rielle and Eliana, Audric has the most narration compared to everyone else, and he's not doing well. The love of his life killed his father, is now in the hands of their worst enemy, and is very likely the Blood Queen. His kingdom has been taken from him by Merovec, Ludivine's brother, and he's had to run for his safety - but those left behind are under the rule of an ignorant and suspicious new ruler, and are in danger. Audric struggles to deal with all that has happened, and falls into a deep depression. But there isn't time. His people need him. Now Rielle is with Corien and how he has her ear, it's only a matter of time before the Gate is opened, and the angels are released, and there will be war. It's so difficult to see those around him not understanding what he's going through, but needing him at the same time - needing him to take lead, to strategise, to come up with a plan of action, when he can't even get out of bed.
But I loved his chapters, because we see the other half of Rielle's timeline's story, and the lead up to the war. On top of that, I feel we get something from Lightbringer we don't get - or get only briefly - from other high fantasies when it comes to war; the very real fear for your own life, the fear for those fighting with you, the fear you may lose. I love high fantasies where the good vs evil trope climaxes in wars and battles, and seeing strategy play out, but even though the main characters are involved in those battles, there's still a distance to it; it's about strategy and manoeuvering. But with Lightbringer, you're deep in it, alongside Audric, as those around him fall, as he fights, as he sees individuals he cares about fighting. It's emotional and it's difficult, and it was brilliant.
Something else I loved about Lightbringer was the idea of the consequences of time travel. I can't talk about this in too much detail without spoiling the story, but time travel is definitely something that fascinates me. The idea of the butterfly effect, how a small change, something that could seem as insignificant, could have very real and very drastic consequences. Honestly, it just blows my mind with how clever authors can be when it comes to time travel, and I just love it.
The ending was fantastic. It absolutely wasn't what I was expecting at all, and I adored it. It's just so clever! You think you know what's coming, but do you? Do you really? With the Lightbringer, it's best to leave all expectations behind. I had one theory right, but everything else was a surprise for me. The climax was really something, and just genius. It was absolutely the right ending, but it did leave me feeling a little sad, especially when it comes to a number of other characters. But honestly, it was beautiful, and I love it!
And one that leaves so much scope for more stories! I've no idea if Legrand has any plans to write a companion series, but there is so much she could do! She's created a world where there are so many layers, of time and place and more, and there's so, so much she could explore here! That's not to say that there's no proper conclusion to this series, there definitely is. But I think of at least four different avenues Legrand could explore relating to this series if she chose to. So much scope. So many possibilities. And I find that so exciting! I hope Legrand does consider some of them, because we could have a completely different story, absolutely completely different, but with links to this one. And I love it when you can see the stories that are possible, after the end of the story. While the book has ended for us, the story hasn't ended - life goes on and continues for those around after. What happens next? And where? And when? Even if we don't get those stories, I like knowing those possibilities are there.
Lightbringer, while completely surprising in so many ways, is an incredible conclusion to this trilogy, and I just loved it! And I'm so looking forward to what Legrand gives us next!
Having adored the first two books in The Empirium Trilogy by Claire Legrand, I was so excited for the final book, Lightbringer! Though it wasn't the book I expected, it was absolutely incredible!
To be honest, I don't entirely know what I expected. We've known from the very beginning in Furyborn that there was a prophecy of the two queens. We've known that Rielle became the Blood Queen, and that her daughter Eliana was hoped to be the Sun Queen. What I didn't know was how Rielle would end up becoming the Sun Queen and causing so much devastation, nor how Eliana would end up defeating Corien - especially after the cliffhanger ending of Kingsbane, where we discover that Simon has been working for Emperor Corien all this time, and has abducted to Eliana to bring right to him. How on earth is Eliana going to be able to defeat him when she's in his clutches, and doesn't yet have full control of her power?! That cliffhanger came out of left field for me, and I honestly didn't have a clue what would happen next.
Kingsbane is a very different story than the previous two, for the reason that both queens are in Corien's hands. After Audric hears the truth about the death of his father, in his anger and grief, he calls Rielle the monster people are starting to believe she is, and she runs to Corien. As Corien has what he wants in both timelines, there's a lot less action overall. There's definitely moreso in Rielle's timeline, but not as much as we've seen in previous books. Eliana is continuously tortured mentally and physically by Corien, who is desperate for Eliana to use her power. Rielle's power grows ever stronger, and Corien convonces her to use it for ill time and again. The more she uses it, the more it grows, and the more she realises her power has a conciousness, one that is slowly carving away at her sanity.
But as we've seen in previous books, both queens have loved ones and allies, those who will bend over backwards to try and save their people, or fight for their queen - in all meanings of the word. So we have quite a few more narrators in Lightbringer, to see what is happening elsewhere, and how people are preparing for what is to come. Besides Rielle and Eliana, Audric has the most narration compared to everyone else, and he's not doing well. The love of his life killed his father, is now in the hands of their worst enemy, and is very likely the Blood Queen. His kingdom has been taken from him by Merovec, Ludivine's brother, and he's had to run for his safety - but those left behind are under the rule of an ignorant and suspicious new ruler, and are in danger. Audric struggles to deal with all that has happened, and falls into a deep depression. But there isn't time. His people need him. Now Rielle is with Corien and how he has her ear, it's only a matter of time before the Gate is opened, and the angels are released, and there will be war. It's so difficult to see those around him not understanding what he's going through, but needing him at the same time - needing him to take lead, to strategise, to come up with a plan of action, when he can't even get out of bed.
But I loved his chapters, because we see the other half of Rielle's timeline's story, and the lead up to the war. On top of that, I feel we get something from Lightbringer we don't get - or get only briefly - from other high fantasies when it comes to war; the very real fear for your own life, the fear for those fighting with you, the fear you may lose. I love high fantasies where the good vs evil trope climaxes in wars and battles, and seeing strategy play out, but even though the main characters are involved in those battles, there's still a distance to it; it's about strategy and manoeuvering. But with Lightbringer, you're deep in it, alongside Audric, as those around him fall, as he fights, as he sees individuals he cares about fighting. It's emotional and it's difficult, and it was brilliant.
Something else I loved about Lightbringer was the idea of the consequences of time travel. I can't talk about this in too much detail without spoiling the story, but time travel is definitely something that fascinates me. The idea of the butterfly effect, how a small change, something that could seem as insignificant, could have very real and very drastic consequences. Honestly, it just blows my mind with how clever authors can be when it comes to time travel, and I just love it.
The ending was fantastic. It absolutely wasn't what I was expecting at all, and I adored it. It's just so clever! You think you know what's coming, but do you? Do you really? With the Lightbringer, it's best to leave all expectations behind. I had one theory right, but everything else was a surprise for me. The climax was really something, and just genius. It was absolutely the right ending, but it did leave me feeling a little sad, especially when it comes to a number of other characters. But honestly, it was beautiful, and I love it!
And one that leaves so much scope for more stories! I've no idea if Legrand has any plans to write a companion series, but there is so much she could do! She's created a world where there are so many layers, of time and place and more, and there's so, so much she could explore here! That's not to say that there's no proper conclusion to this series, there definitely is. But I think of at least four different avenues Legrand could explore relating to this series if she chose to. So much scope. So many possibilities. And I find that so exciting! I hope Legrand does consider some of them, because we could have a completely different story, absolutely completely different, but with links to this one. And I love it when you can see the stories that are possible, after the end of the story. While the book has ended for us, the story hasn't ended - life goes on and continues for those around after. What happens next? And where? And when? Even if we don't get those stories, I like knowing those possibilities are there.
Lightbringer, while completely surprising in so many ways, is an incredible conclusion to this trilogy, and I just loved it! And I'm so looking forward to what Legrand gives us next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, and Torture
Minor: Vomit
War
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