Putnam Juvenile
November 5, 2013
369 pages
add to Goodreads/buy from Book Depo/or Amazon
** synopsis is spoilery for Legend and/or Prodigy **
The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!There's always anxiety when a series I love is coming to a close and Marie Lu's Legend series is definitely one that I love. Always.
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 once again. 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 he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.
Sometimes that anxiety eases quickly, just a few pages into the book as it becomes clear the author's giving the characters a (more or less) happily ever after. Other times, the anxiety morphs into something akin to disappointment when the wrap-up isn't what I wanted.
Rarely, if ever is the end of series what Champion was: something that kept me anxious until the last page, not sure just how much I might have to dislike Marie Lu at the end . . . but also really happy with the story. It was stressful.
Amazingly good, though. Even more so as I think back on it.
June and Day don't have a typical, fluffy (by any means), sunshine and rainbows relationship. Even as I kind of wanted things to be easy and happy for them, it wouldn't have made for the better or more realistic story. Nor would it have been better - in the long run, especially - for the characters. Lu's conclusion to this series really took the characters and their pasts into consideration, not sacrificing who her characters were for a (possibly) easier story.
It's great that the Republic - and the Colonies - are again a part of the plot. They've always been such a large part of Day and June's tale, even before Legend and Prodigy, that it only made sense the threat of their biggest battle should be in the last book.
With brilliant characters who continue to grow, relationships that are still evolving and a world that's still being built - or at least unveiled to readers - Champion is an incredibly strong conclusion to an amazing series. I do hate to see it end, but only because it did and I've loved the books so much - not because I can think of anything to change about how it ended.
I can't wait to see what Marie Lu publishes next.
NB: This series' audiobooks are really good, as well.
Rating: 10/10
No comments:
Post a Comment