Name: Lightbringer
ISBN: 9781492656692

Claire Legrand

The incredible conclusion to the Empirium Trilogy that started with the instant New York Times bestsellers Furyborn and Kingsbane! This series is perfect for those looking for books for teen girls and is also one of the best fantasy series for adults and teens! 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. An epic fantasy with female protagonist, the Empirium Trilogy has captured the hearts of many and Lightbringer concludes this beloved teen fantasy series. 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

Lightbringer

Valeria

Aimee :)

And if she hid, when the world ended, she could live content inside the cocoon of her memories and pretend she heard nothing.

It would have been easier, he knew, if he had never loved her.

And yet, given the choice, he would do it again, even knowing what was to come. He would lose her a thousand times over if it meant he would first have the chance to love her.

Christine

arwen

a very traumatic experience idk why i put myself through this

Riley Bell

I do think this ended much better than I hoped when finding out their master plan. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming sooo much of the internal feelings and worries of each character. It was too much and for once I was actually reading for the plot. Not a quick read if that’s what you’re looking for when you come across it. I’m writing this review a few days later after reflecting on this series in comparison to my current read, which has captured my attention so much that I go back and reread anything I skip or misunderstand. Very opposite for this trilogy though. Still a great YA read with some interesting (sometimes confusing) worldbuilding.

I have so much to say and so little words to use. I don’t think i’ll ever forget this book; this story. I truly feel like i have lived in it, experienced it and will never feel the same. I only had one issue, that isn’t even significant in comparison to what i truly think of it,

i didn’t like how quickly Eliana accepted and sort of forgave him for how he acted when she was being tortured, and screaming his name, even though i know that’s a big part of the storyline, so i can’t really be mad about it. I couldn’t not love Simon if i tried. I also want to mention, i normally don’t like the idea of time travel in books, especially the last pages being a cliche ‘five years later’ but i believe this series honestly needed it. I needed it. It just made a huge difference for the plot, it made everything seem so much more important. 

I will forever love the characters, how this book was set out to be, and all the thought and love written into the pages. I could not help myself smiling, with tears in my eyes as this beautifully crafted story came to a close. My emotions are in an actual wreck because of you, Claire Legrand - all throughout it actually. This book is really, really underrated, and i don’t know how more people haven’t read it and love it as i do, so i hope after reading this you give the book a try, just like i did.

I have so much to say and so little words to use. I don’t think i’ll ever forget this book; this story. I truly feel like i have lived in it, experienced it and will never feel the same. I only had one issue, that isn’t even significant in comparison to what i truly think of it,

 spoilers 

i didn’t like how quickly Eliana accepted and sort of forgave him for how he acted when she was being tortured, and screaming his name, even though i know that’s a big part of the storyline, so i can’t really be mad about it. I couldn’t not love Simon if i tried. I also want to mention, i normally don’t like the idea of time travel in books, especially the last pages being a cliche ‘five years later’ but i believe this series honestly needed it. I needed it. It just made a huge difference for the plot, it made everything seem so much more important. 

no spoilers 

I will forever love the characters, how this book was set out to be, and all the thought and love written into the pages. I could not help myself smiling, with tears in my eyes as this beautifully crafted story came to a close. My emotions are in an actual wreck because of you, Claire Legrand - all throughout it actually. This book is really, really underrated, and i don’t know how more people haven’t read it and love it as i do, so i hope after reading this you give the book a try, just like i did.

This was easily one of the most powerful books I have read in a long time. From the parallels, to the twists I saw and didn’t see coming shook me to my core. The ending was immaculate in a way that is hard to find. It was heartbreaking and healing, it was truly a masterpiece. I am truly obsessed and will be thinking about Rielle and Eliana for weeks. 

Shai

Cassie Annesi

There’s some things I still question because of the timey-wimey aspect, but it left me feeling like I needed a good cry.

Aditi

This was an unsatisfying conclusion to what could have been a new favourite series for me. Introducing so many new character povs in the first half lead a rushed conclusion to tie everything up. It dragged through the first two thirds of the book which isn't great for any book but especially not for the conclusion of a series. 

It was lacking in action and there was no satisfying resolution to the many sub plots added in. The characters completely changed from how they were in the first two books, some for the better but most of them, especially Rielle who was my favorite before this book, were so annoying. 

I'm still glad to have read this series but I will be always be bitter about this ending.

Livia

4.5 🌟

Oh my, I am at loss as to what my thoughts are. What a conclusion. What a satisfying way to end the story.

I really wished the beginning towards the middle could be slightly shorter, because I think we could do with around 50 pages less of that. It would be interesting if we get to see Eliana growing up, seeing the changes in her and the people around her. I wished the after would be slightly longer, but I still love the story of Rielle and Eliana so, so much. 

And someone please spare Simon from further demise. He has gone through everything horrible, and despite what he did, I want someone to protect him from everything that wanted him ill-intentions

Sophia Lazari

while it took me a while to read this series, i loved how interesting everything always was with the alternating time lines and how much we explored a variety of characters. i loved how fearless both rielle and eliana were. i enjoyed the book but i wish the author would’ve taken the leap with so much potential coming from both sides. i found so intriguing how intense corien was and how his intentions were the same til the end. we had such great confort characters on both sides which made it so hard to see how they were all affected due to the changes in the timeline. i enjoyed how the books made you think and how it showed that anything you do will affected something someday, somewhere.

i adored audric and simon, my loves <3 im a strong believer simon and eliana are soulmates and that audric deserved better.

while i wished i had read this series at another time, in which i could’ve dedicated and focused my time to it more. i enjoyed it nonetheless. a very good fantasy series with an interesting plot and intense characters who will leave you breathless.

I had no idea how I even wanted this series to end and somehow my expectations were still blown out of the water. One of the most beautiful, heartbreaking stories I’ve ever read. This series is criminally underrated. If I could give it a 6/5 I would. 

Rachael Copas

Allison Garrett

Lightbringer was honestly really disappointing for me. I have loved the Empirium triology and the characters that Legrand has created, but I think she sort of butchered the story in the finale. There were many parts I loved, but a lot of it just seemed to be building up to a quick and not that surprising ending. 
Pros: 
•	Rielle- Although her character arc was not all that surprising, I did enjoy watching her slow descent into madness. It made sense and it was clear to the reader why she was behaving as she did. 
•	Time Travel- Time travelling can be super confusing as a concept if not done correctly, so I do have to give Legrand props for making it clear how they avoided certain paradoxes, etc.
•	Happy Ending- No spoilers, but I do enjoy a happy ending and I’m glad that most if not all of the characters I love from this series had a happy ending. 
Cons: 
•	Pacing- I found the pacing of this book super slow. I put it down several times which was surprising for a book that I was so looking forward to. It felt like the majority of the middle was just build up for a mediocre ending. 
•	Predictable Twists- I don’t know if I should still call them twists if I saw them coming, but I was not at all surprised by things like the identity of the Prophet 
•	Ending- As much as I do like a happy ending, it was too happy. It was a classic case of and they all lived happily ever after. 

Favorite Quote:
“We all have light and darkness inside us. That is what it means to be human.”

	It hurts me to give this book a score of 3.5/5 because I wanted to love it so badly, but for the length of the book and the above reasons it had to be done. I do hope that Legrand will continue in the Empirium world in the future.

Scarlett A.

4 /⭐️
2/🌶

Find my review for Lightbringer here.

Meg Cornhill

Katie savino 

This book DESTROYED ME in the best way possible.  This whole series was great but the climax in this final book was unbelievable. No one book has ever made me cry so much or given me such strong emotions and feelings. This series is so underrated. 

The characters and their pain and vulnerability is so real. You feel the deepest love and so much emotional rawness from all of then. There was no perfect fairytale ending for this story but I could not have asked for a better outcome. 

The writing was beautiful. You were completely transported to another world. I was so invested in each storyline that I didn’t mind the time hops and shifting POVs because I knew each story was going to be perfect. This is a series I won’t be able to stop thinking about. 

Andrea Cabezudo García

** spoiler alert **
           REVIEW

Please understand that when I speak of her in this way, it is not to dismiss your anger or your sorrow, but rather to express my belief—for myself, and for everyone trusting us with their lives. My belief is my hope, and hope is the light that shines even on the darkest night.

5 deserved stars for the last book in the Empirium trilogy. I had the pleasure of learning about Rielle and Eliana's story last year. I have to admit that since Furyborn's prologue I fell a bit in love with Claire Legrand's writing. And, with each page that I read, it was clearer. By the time I finished Kingsbane, I was between shattered and in wonder.

Before talking about the novel, I want to thank Claire Legrand for this story. Not only for creating complex characters and such a well-run story, but also for inspiring me so much. Hopefully one day I'll be able to write like you. You are my rolemodel.

What can I say about Lightbringer? I spent three days without stopping reading and enjoying it from beginning to end. It made me cry, laugh, scream... it made me feel. It has a good rhythm, according to each narrator. It doesn't get heavy or at least it wasn't my case. In addition, the incorporation of new voices seemed very interesting and added dynamism to the story.

Something to highlight about this book is that you can perfectly understand the characters and the decisions they make. It is a double-edged sword because it makes you see the background of the most perverse acts.

Corien is the undisputed villain. His relationship with Rielle is attractive, it humanizes him. God, even I have shipped them. And you can understand his motives, why he feels that resentmen. But at the end of the day, he's a villain. And, as an unpopular opinion, I will say that I am very happy with his ending. He deserved nothing less than death, and he certainly deserved nothing from Rielle. Or are you going to forget that he constantly manipulates her? Anyone who minimally values ​​Rielle wouldn't want that for her. And okay, it's fiction, but I don't understand how people can be so disappointed with their relationship.

Corien’s expression hardened. “You are a creature of maddening contradictions,” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.
“And you love me for it,” she replied.

There is nothing I love more than well-built gray characters and this book is packed with them. This is the case of Rielle. She is one of the best protagonists I have ever read. She's a clear reflection of a good heart punished by loneliness and trauma. Power consumes her and people's opinions don't help. She carries a great weight and ends up succumbing. But luckily she sees the light at the end of the tunnel. And even if her sacrifice is sad, she dies as a heroine.

Until this book I had not empathized so much with her, oddly enough, and now she has all my heart. I would die for her.

“I may be a monster,” Rielle said, the words thick with pain, “but I am no longer yours.”

Simon is an important piece in a war for which he was very young. I hadn't recovered from his betrayal at the end of Kingsbane but I wanted to have faith in him. And God, how I screamed when the Prophet tells him that the time has come, when you understand that his time travel didn't change anything, that it was all part of a plan. I cried with his story too. And Eliana's reaction is realistic, which earned her more points. It has the ending it deserved: being happy and a child again.

Ludivine was my big surprise from the book. I didn't expect her to be the Prophet. And I loved it. There was no one better for that role. She sacrificed everything she was and her principles, even her own life, to try to make amends for her mistakes. And she made it. And it wal all for love.

Eliana is… my favorite girl. All her journey, everything she learns, the people she meets ... It is precious and painful. I hated to see her suffer but I loved that she gave us the happy ending they deserved. A part of me felt sad that all the history of the future disappeared. But the ending makes sense, it's beautiful and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Eliana is one of the strongest women I have read and I am glad that she has the opportunity to grow up with her father and Simon in the past.

It would have been easier, he knew, if he had never loved her.
And yet, given the choice, he would do it again, even knowing what was to come. He would lose her a thousand times over if it meant he would first have the chance to love her.

Audric should be considered the most underrated character of the Empirium's universe. He deserves so much more. His heart is made of gold, I'm sure. I think he's one of the most beautiful characters, he seems so human. When the book title was announced, I thought about him. I spent the whole book suffering because I didn't want to read how his great love killed him. And in the end... everything went well. He showed his strength and kindness, had a second chance with Rielle, and was able to live to see her daughter grow up. His story is sad but I know he will be fine.

Remy, Navi and everyone else... I want to think that they all existed and lived happily for the rest of their days. Special mention to chapter 27 and the happiness it brought in the most tense and dark moments of the book. And also, special mention to the relative happy ending for my favorite couples, I can't forget about them.

I know I'll sound silly, but this ending is everything I wanted and more. I am looking forward to reading more about the author. Hopefully she will be encouraged to write more fantasy of this type or publish a story about this universe. Either way, she will always have a loyal admirer.


RESEÑA

Please understand that when I speak of her in this way, it is not to dismiss your anger or your sorrow, but rather to express my belief—for myself, and for everyone trusting us with their lives. My belief is my hope, and hope is the light that shines even on the darkest night.

5 merecidísimas estrellas para el último libro de la trilogía Empirium. Tuve el placer de conocer la historia de Rielle y Eliana el año pasado. He de admitir que desde el prólogo de Furyborn me enamoré un poco de la forma de escribir de Claire Legrand. Y, a cada página que iba leyendo, lo tenía más claro. Para cuando acabé Kingsbane, estaba entre destrozada y maravillada.

Antes de hablar de la novela, quiero agradecerle a Claire Legrand esta historia. No solo por crear unos personajes complejos y una historia tan bien llevada, sino también por inspirarme tanto. Ojalá algún día sea capaz de escribir como tú. Eres todo un modelo a seguir.

Respecto a Lightbringer, ¿qué puedo decir? Lo he devorado. Estuve tres días sin parar de leer, disfrutándolo de principio a fin. Me hizo llorar, reír, gritar... me hizo sentir. Tiene un buen ritmo, acorde a cada narrador. No se hace pesado o al menos no fue mi caso. Además, la incorporación de nuevas voces me pareció muy interesante y le añadía dinamismo.

Algo a destacar de este libro es que puedes comprender perfectamente a los personajes y entiendes las decisiones que toman. Es un arma de doble filo porque te hace ver el trasfondo de los actos más perversos

Corien es el villano indiscutible. Su relación con Rielle es atractiva, le humaniza. Dios, hasta yo les he llegado a shippear. Y puedes entender sus motivos, por qué siente ese rencor. Pero al final del día, es eso. Un villano. Y, como opinión impopular, diré que estoy muy feliz con su final. No merecía menos que la muerte y, sin duda, no merecía nada de Rielle. ¿O es que os vais a olvidar de toda la manipulación a la que la somete? Cualquiera que valore mínimamente a Rielle no querría eso para ella. Y vale, es ficción, pero no comprendo cómo la gente pueda estar tan decepcionada con el final de los dos.

Corien’s expression hardened. “You are a creature of maddening contradictions,” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.
“And you love me for it,” she replied.

No hay nada que más adore que los personajes grises bien construidos y este libro está repleto de ellos. Es el caso de Rielle. Es una de las mejores protagonistas que he leído nunca. Para mi gusto es un claro reflejo de un buen corazón castigado por la soledad y el trauma. El poder la consume y las opiniones de la gente no ayudan. Carga con un gran peso a sus espaldas y acaba sucumbiendo. Pero, por suerte, ve la luz al final del túnel. Y, aunque su sacrificio sea triste, muere como una heroína.

Hasta este libro no había empatizado tanto con ella, por raro que parezca, y tiene todo mi corazón. Moriría por ella.

“I may be a monster,” Rielle said, the words thick with pain, “but I am no longer yours.”

Simon es una pieza importante en una guerra para la que era muy joven. No me había recuperado de su traición al final de Kingsbane pero quería tener fe en él. Y Dios, cómo grité cuando el Profeta le dice que ha llegado el momento, cuando comprendes que su viaje en el tiempo no cambió nada, que era todo parte de un plan. Lloré con su historia también. Y la reacción de Eliana es realista, lo que le sumó más puntos. Tiene el final que merecía: siendo feliz y un niño de nuevo.

Ludivine fue mi gran sorpresa del libro. No me espera que fuera el Profeta. Y me encantó. No había nadie mejor para ese papel. Sacrificó todo lo que era y sus principios para intentar enmendar sus errores. Y lo consiguió. Y todo por amor. 

Eliana es… mi chica favorita. Todo su camino, todo lo que aprende, la gente que conoce... Es precioso y doloroso. Odié verla sufrir pero amé que nos regalara el final feliz que merecían. Una parte de mí se sintió triste porque toda la historia del futuro desapareciera. Pero el final tiene sentido, es bonito y no lo hubiera querido de otra forma. Eliana es una de las mujeres más fuertes que he leído y me alegra que tenga la oportunidad de crecer con su padre y Simon en el pasado.

It would have been easier, he knew, if he had never loved her.
And yet, given the choice, he would do it again, even knowing what was to come. He would lose her a thousand times over if it meant he would first have the chance to love her.
 
Audric debería ser considerado el personaje más infravalorado de toda la historia. Merece muchísimo más. Su corazón está hecho de oro, estoy segura. Creo que es de los personajes más bonitos de todo Empirium. Cuando se anunció el título, pensé en él. Me pasé todo el libro sufriendo porque no quería leer como su gran amor le mataba. Y al final… todo fue bien. Demostró su fuerza y su bondad, tuvo una segunda oportunidad con Rielle y pudo vivir para ver a su hija crecer. Su historia es triste pero sé que estará bien.

Remy, Navi y todos los demás... quiero pensar que todos existieron y vivieron felices el resto de sus días. Mención especial al capítulo 27 y a la felicidad que aportó en los momentos más tensos y oscuros del libro. Mención especial también al relativo final feliz para mis parejas favoritas, no puedo olvidarme de ellas. 

Sé que sonaré ñoña, pero el final es todo lo que quería y más. Estoy deseando leer más cosas de la autora. Ojalá se anime a escribir más fantasía de este tipo o publique alguna historia sobre este universo. Sea como sea, siempre tendrá una fiel admiradora.

Claire Railton-Jones

Bad ending to the series. Very disappointed. Otherwise great world building and characters

Ashley Sawyer

This book was way better than I expected. I was disappointed with the second installment and it left me afraid to read the final book. But I am absolutely thrilled that I read it. I loved every minute of this book and fell in love with all of the characters again. And I am so happy with how everyone ended up. A great end to the trilogy.

Jess Spangler

What a fantastic end to a fantastic trilogy! I loved everything about this series! The characters and the magic system and the story were so good. I loved all the characters, not just the main characters, the author did such a good job of creating a well rounded world where you were invested in every character to the point that my only complaint is that there wasnt more closure for some of the side characters, specifically in Eliana’s timeline.

Gabriella Rivera


Series Review - Non-Spoilery (PLEASE READ)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This series is massive. Not in the sense of page length or number of books, but in the space it takes up in your heart. (And I could never express that enough)

If you’ve been around on my account for ANY amount of time, you can tell Shadow and Bone has been my #1 all time favorite series ever. And I now sit here telling you it has been bumped down to #2 because it could NEVER compare to THIS. 

There are a billion plot lines so well balanced out and threaded together by the end that as a writer myself I can only look up to Claire with awe. Her brilliance and creativity are unmastered.

From the PROLOGUE of the first book you are immediately hooked on the characters and plots. Claire made the characters SO complex, each dealing with their own warring desires (whether bad or good) and secrets. I swear it felt like I was reading about real people. The inner turmoils of good vs bad, darkness vs light, felt so realistic and I want to know how Claire did it so masterfully.

I absolutely ADORE every character in this series, even the horrible ones who I wish I could beat to a pulp.

I feel like a certain author who I will not name is considered a ruler of YA epic fantasy but I’m sorry (though, not really since this is technically good news) to say it but Claire’s books take it to a WHOLE other level. I’ve never felt SO submersed in the world and characters. Claire’s truly slept on.

I actually cried multiple times during this series (MANY times in the last book) and I would subject myself and any of you to that beautiful torment any day. It is SO worth it. (However, there are trigger warnings I urge you to research first.)

As well, this world is so OPEN about sex positivity and sexuality in a way that isn’t forced or obvious and I find that refreshing.  

As you go through this series, you may THINK you know where it’ll all end. But I PROMISE you, you don’t. 

One last note to hopefully drive home the point that you need this series in your life, I would do nearly ANYTHING for Claire to continue writing about this world and its characters even if it was just their day to day lives with zero plot. I love them all like they’re my own and I know you will too.

Maria Brogueira

I dreaded the end of this book so much I stopped reading for an entire month. The anxiety inducing story is burnt in my heart forever. Seriously it took me way longer than what I was anticipating, but once I got over my own anxiety problems - the book was amazing, it was heartbreaking but achingly beautiful and magical, and how could I wait to read it I will never understand!! I am still crying while writing this, so I am gonna try and remain coherent and non emotional (emphasis on try).

I have so many things to say about this book that I do not know where to start. I think my ideas will be a lot more consolidated when I reread this entire series, because this was a heartbreaker which tends to mess my thoughts. It's a complex, dark but full of magic (and sexy) story with the uncommon story of the hero turned evil ch loved the idea of good guy turned villain, which is so unique. 

But that ending, was what blew me away. Don't get me wrong I loved the multiple POVs and the time travel ( I was DYING to see the two worlds collide, seriously Rielle and Eliana in the same room I WAS NOT READY), but what that ending did to me was not normal. It was brilliantly written, so full of raw power, love and strength. Both Rielle and Eliana were complex and utter amazing characters, which made - they are two sides of the same coin and it made the story so much more interesting. AndThe interaction between Rielle and Eliana was amazing, and it left a permanent mark on my heart. Corien was a brilliantly written villain, Audric was the perfect prince hero and Simon, oh SIMON I KNEW IT. 

Seriously, I need more of this story and this world with its magic.

Favourite quote: "We all have light and darkness inside us. That is what it means to be human"

It took me so much time time to finish it, though it was an incredible book! The ending completely broke me and that epilogue OMG! I’ve got a new favourite couple!! Don’t usually read slow-paced books, but it was completely worth it.

Caitlin

Oh my God. Just....oh my God. How do I say goodbye to this beautiful, wonderful, heart wrenching, heartbreaking, hopeful and devastating and perfect series? Truly, I need to know. Claire Legrand has written a world that took my breath away and made me fall in love in that really rare sort of way. I may love many books, but this was something else. I know Rielle, Audric, Eliana, Simon, Remy, Navi and co. will never leave me. Moving on from this one is going to be painful.

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 fromNew York Timesbestselling 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 forFuryborn: 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

Sophia De La Garza

I'm conflicted about how I feel about the ending of this series. What happened wasn't a complete surprise but I'm not sure I liked it either. 

That being said I loved Eliana and Audric in this book. They are probably my two favorites from this trilogy, though I loved Navi and Remy as well. Simon, oh Simon. I loved him so much but this book makes me conflicted, I feel like a lot more should have been resolved with his story arc but that didn't happen. 

Rielle ... now Rielle is probably the most complex character. One because I sort of hated her the entire series. But by the end of this book I was sad for her, and routing for her. And to be honest that's how a morally disrupted character should be written as. Where you hate them but also want them to do the right thing all at the same time. 

Corien is the best villain by being the absolute worst person in existence (next to Midas from the Plated Prisoner series) 

Overall, 4.5 Stars cause I truly loved the whole ride that was this trilogy.

Jennifer

A bittersweet ending to a solid trilogy. The premise of the Empirium trilogy drew me into the books: it had me thinking about the sense of time and control, as well as deeper morality issues of the humanity's dark & light sides. It has interesting characters, intriguing worldbuilding + magic systems, and also did a great job at showing not telling.

So first of all, I think the two female protagonists' narratives are woven together really well despite them living in different times: and this is executed really well throughout the entire trilogy. Normally I get throw off course when too many POV's but with Eliana & Rielle, I understand the flow of the novel and it works pretty well. Eventually, everything clicked together - a type of reading experience that often sates me.

Character-wise, I also find both Eliana & Rielle's headspace decently fleshed out. Especially Rielle's moral greyness, complexity, and internal struggles. I think Rielle's character development in Lightbringer is particularly well done. I also found that the supporting characters all have their chance to shine. Therefore, I felt pretty emotionally engaged with the characters particularly towards the ending.

Okay, the writing style is also something I really enjoyed. I loved the beautiful & figurative prose of the story. I found a lot of dialogues and lines thought provoking as they conjure aesthetic images in my mind. At the same time, this writing style did not sacrifice the emtionality of the story so I applaud Claire Legrand's ability to strike this delicate balance.

The central themes also stood out to me. The underlying message of the novel is centred on moral issues and human goodness. This thematic development is artfully shown through Rielle's and Eliana's narratives. Thanks to the artful writing style, the novel left me a lot of food for thoughts & interpretations.

While there are a lot of positive things to say about Lightbringer, ultimately I think the novel is a bit too long and it results in a sluggish pacing for some pages. For example, a couple chapters in the middle of the novel could had been condensed and shortened without sacrificing the underlying messages the Lightbringer intends to deliver.

Nevertheless, reading this is a cathartic experience and this is a rather solid closing novel to an fascinating trilogy.

This book contains the following triggers: abuse, violence, and torture.

The incredible conclusion to the Empirium Trilogy that started with the instant New York Timesbestsellers Furybornand Kingsbane! This series is perfect for those looking for books for teen girls and is also one of the best fantasy series for adults and teens! 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. An epic fantasy with female protagonist, the Empirium Trilogy has captured the hearts of many and Lightbringer concludes this beloved teen fantasy series. 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."--Pastemagazine "Visionary."--Bustlemagazine "One of the biggest new YA fantasies."--Entertainment Weekly "Empowering."--BuzzFeed