Claire Legrand
Released: April 25, 2018
Pages: 501
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Overall: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting & World-building: 3/5
Emotional Investment: 3/5
"The queen stopped screaming just after midnight."
Quick Summary: When assassins attack Reille Dardenne's best friend, she risks her very life to save him. She reveals that she has the powers of the prophesized sun queen or blood queen. She has to endure trials now testing the powers and proving her place as a possible Sun Queen. A thousand years into the future the legend of Rielle is merely a comforting fairytale to trained bounty hunter Elaina Ferracora. She believes herself virtually indestructible as a promised killer for the Undying Empire until her mother gets taken. To save her mother she joins up with a rival group and learns the harrowing secrets of the Empire are more sinister than ever believed. Despite As Reille and Elaina fight battles separated by thousands of years, their stories intersect and the secrets surrounding them might just be the end of the world.
So I was really looking forward to this book because it has been on my tbr for like millennia. The cover itself is so appealing and the whole concept of two people being connected despite time separating them was super cool. Unfortunately, the book plot-wise missed the mark a little.
First of all, the prologue was the best part of the entire story. Like the rest was good but the prologue was written beautifully. It gave away a bit, especially when a certain came into the scene so the later plot twist wasn't executed well because you already knew it. But the prologue honestly had me very hyped. I was a little disappointed I guessed the nature of Rielle and Elaina's relationship before I started the book but I tried to not let it bother me too much. I thought the writing was very cohesive and like the world-building actually made sense. I mean I'm still very confused by the elements and the people who started them but there was a chart at the end so thank god. There was also a point where I was super confused about who the villain was. Like I just couldn't understand that the angels were the "enemy" to the empire. But that might just be my lack of reading comprehension. It wasn't wowing but it was alright.
Now the characters. In all the reviews I read everybody was like I preferred Eliana's chapter to Rielle's, and I have to respectfully disagree. I loved Rielle. Like she was the best and I know I shouldn't because we know what happens to her from the prologue but she just was so beautifully written. She lacked a lot of decorum after being shut down by everyone and having kept her powers secret. The one thing I didn't understand though was how fast her father's opinion of her changed. He literally kept you locked up to "protect you", and then he does one good thing and all is forgiven? What is this? Now out of all the relationships, Rielle had -platonic and romantic- Corian was the best. Now don't get me wrong I don't support him but it was just interesting. Like he was clearly suspicious for the beginning but he sounded like the typical bad boy of a book. Now Rielle's love interest is interesting. He seems boring to me. Like friends-to-lovers is only my thing when the angst could kill me. This wasn't that. No, he was quite boring and had a very plain personality and it screamed savior complex. Sorry, not sorry.
Now Eliana I actually liked her. Except when she got judgy and was basically judging poor people for being poor and the only reason she isn't one of the poor people is because she kills for a living. Her attitude wasn't a vibe, also when she kept abandoning people. Other than all that, she was a blast. She loved her bother so much and that was sweet to read. Almost always her first question was 'Where is Remy?' She was a bit unhinged at times but it made it all the more interesting. I absolutely abhorred her love interest. Not the person, I'm very indifferent to him. But the build-up was so bad. It was basically insta-love and I was just disappointed. Out of nowhere, she was like 'let me touch your face even though I've been basically told you lied to me thirty seconds ago.' People are strange.
Now I don't really have much to say about this book because it kind of left me empty in a bad way. It was unfulfilling, and I expected way too much. I will though read the next book because I'm hoping somehow despite a thousand-year difference Rielle shows up in the present and like bosses people around. Maybe she can resurrect.
Quotes
"People like us don't fight for our hope. We fight for everyone else's."
"We all have darkness inside us, Reille. That is what it means to be human."
"What are you?"
"I am your doom."