July 29, 2014

Legend series by Marie Lu (Awesome)

I'm going to do a mini series review of the Legend series by Marie Lu.  I loved the series and read the entire trilogy in about a week.  It was fantastic, and I loved it and think you will too!  (All of the reviews were from my thoughts as soon as I finished and were not at all influenced by the books afterwards.)

Legend:

The Cover:
The cover simply has the Republic's seal marking it.  The Legend it mentions is Day, of course.

Official Description:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. 
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. 
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. 

My Review:
All of the reviews I've seen of Legend rather supported the-best-book-I've-ever-read cause or the-worst-book-ever-why-on-earth-do-people-like-it side. 
That said, I've been waiting on hold in the library for Legend for about two months now. Well, before that I requested it from the library and got it almost immediately, only to find it was in Swedish instead of English... I had to return that one and get a readable copy, of course. There was so much excitement and disappointment is trying to read Legend. I was so excited when I got it and for good reason! Legend was fantastic! I loved the way the story was put together and the characters and basically everything! It was a great book. 
Of course as soon as I finished, I started the next challenge: finding book two. (Why my library has the first and the third, without the second, I have no idea.)

Prodigy:

The Cover:
I'm not entirely sure what is on the cover... (If you have an idea, tell me in comments.)  But the prodigy mentioned is June.

Official Description:
Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

My Review:
4.5 stars
Prodigy wasn't nearly as fantastic as Legend was, but it was still a good book. Quite a bit of the book felt like filler/ fluff. A good deal of the book was focused on Day/June's love story, which I didn't care nearly enough about, considering how much airtime it got. 
On the other hand, I really do care about the characters. While the storyline is a bit repetitive (the classic Book 1: terrible stuff is happening, Book 2: main character is the face of the rebellion, Book 3 (probably): they change the government system and the main characters love each other), I still enjoyed the story. Marie Lu had a slightly altered take on the story. Also, based on the very end of this book, she will most likely veer even further away from the classic YA Dystopian novel (Hunger Games, Delirium, Matched, etc.). 
I'm looking forward to read the next book because whether or not it's original, Marie Lu can WRITE!
*Update: This was also the book where June started to get on my nerves.

Champion:


The Cover:
I think the cover shows a rose on fire, just like Day's dream had in the beginning of the book.  The champion who is mentioned... Well, I don't know if anyone won.  Maybe it references the winner of the Republic/ Colonies war.

Official Description:
He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
 
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. 
But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. 
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion

My Review:
Champion was a wonderful book with a wonderful conclusion. It was on par with Legend while being better than Prodigy. I can't believe the series is over. I want more! To tell the truth, I can't even tell if I hated the ending of Champion or loved it... I am deeply satisfied either way though, so it doesn't really matter! A great, great book. I can understand why this series is so popular. Marie Lu is a truly talented author, and I hope she writes much more!

Series Phrase:
If you do that, you will have a revolution on your hands. 

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