Champion - Marie Lu (#3)

*There may be spoilers in this review for those that have not read the first two in the series, Legend (review) and Prodigy (review)*

Source: Own Book
Pages: 369
Publisher: Penguin
Series: #3 in the Legend series
Challenges: None

I am a massive fan of Marie Lu and her amazing Legend series. Her books are entirely unappreciated for how good they are. So much so that when a customer at work asked for Legend specifically, I got a little bit excited, raced over the section to get him the book and told him how brilliant it was on the way. I think my reaction scared him a little bit.
Anyway, I have been waiting and waiting for the third and final book in the series since THAT ending in Prodigy, I literally had no clue what would take place in the next book. So I was pretty excited for this one to say the least!

Synopsis: June and Day have given up so much for helping the Republic and now the country is on the brink of evolving into something good. June is now in a elite government position as one of the Princeps-Elect while Day is in a high military position. However, just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak threatens the Colonies and war seems to be inevitable. This plague is powerful and deadlier than ever and it is up to June and Day once again to try and save their country.

Review: This series, and this book alone, have done things that many other series have not succeeded in. The first book was like your typical dystopian - horrible divided America, divided poor and rich sectors, two people meet and fall in love and work together to make things better blah-blah-blah (for the record I love dystopia so the whole sameness thing doesn't bother me too much). However, I liked the fact it was military based, that there was an equal share of June and Day - not one dominating in the narration. I loved how political this series is - I just really enjoyed and loved this series. The second book blew the first out of the water, it was just so good. In all honesty, I don't think anything could match up to that second book. But the third book made a pretty good stab at it.

This book takes the reader in a number of different directions, making you try and predict the ending without having much success until the ending finally hits. As by all Marie Lu's books, I was constantly kept on my toes and for a book that I took me a while to read with lots of university work mingling into my reading time, that really helped to make me absorbed into the action when I did return to this book.
There is just something so BRILLIANT about this book, something I can't put my finger on. I think it is the plot and the premise, but mostly I have to credit Marie Lu's way of writing, which is incredible. This series of books are quite short, particularly as I reflect now on what happens within them. Yet she does this marvellous thing where we have all this intense action, chaos and emotion and then it all slows down, quieten down for a moment when there are scenes of intense emotion or sadness or love. It's something I admire quite a lot, her ability to pace a book - such as an action packed dystopia - like that.

Readers are returned to the ups and downs of the amazing characters of June and Day in the beautifully handled duel narrative. Normally, I prefer one or the other when there are two protagonists, but I can't help but loving both of these characters (although I see a lot of myself in June). The addition of Auden and Eden was great too and I loved both of these characters. It was nice to finally have them in the spotlight of the narrative as they've both been in the background for the series. There is a bit of love triangle lingering in the background of the narrative, which normally I would roll my eyes at...but somehow it works. Not entirely sure how, but it just does.

I cannot finish this review without talking about the ending. Oh my. Lu's endings are brutal for the frequent use of cliff hangers, adding to my love-hate relationship with them. I know many don't particularly like the ending to this book and the series, but I think it's perfect, particularly for the relationship of June and Day. It's ambiguous, almost annoyingly so. But there are many hints for the reader to make up their own mind of the overall solution. In my mind, I have a pretty good idea of what happens after the pages end, my own piece of imagination, my own interpretation. I love books like that.

This review doesn't really justify the beauty of this book. It was a book I thoroughly enjoyed and a great end to one of the best series I have encountered. This series is so unappreciated and I wish I could get lots more people reading this series and giving it the recognition it deserves. CHAMPION had the perfect ending in my opinion, as well as a decent beginning and middle! It's sad to say goodbye to the Republic, to June and Day. But at least Lu has done it in a way that shows the best parts of this series.

I give it a 5 out of 5

Other Books by this author:
Legend (#1)
Prodigy (#2)

On My Bookshelf (43)

This meme for originally inspired by 'In My Mailbox' created by The Story Siren
Other versions are:
Letterbox Love created by Narratively Speaking
Stacking the Shelves created by Tynga's reviews
Showcase Sunday created by Books, Biscuits and Tea

Since my little holiday from blogging as I settle in at university, I've bought QUITE a lot of books without realising. My flatmates have already worked out I'm a book lover, so much so that I've been asked for book recommendations by them. I also got a job at Waterstones here in Bournemouth so having my staff discount again is like...it's amazing.
I've also discovered a massive library here that has a huge fiction section with a lot of books I didn't see in my local libraries at home.

Library:

- Debutantes In Love by Cora Harrison - I've always loved historical fiction especially those set in the early 20th Century (which is why Downton Abbey is like the BEST show - although this series hasn't been fantastic). This is the second book in the Debutantes series by Cora Harrison. The first book has an air of finality for me, so I'm interested to see what happens next in this book for the Derrington sisters. Also, if you remember what happened in the first book, PLEASE let me know!

- Gilt by Katherine Longshore - Ah, the Tudors. I'm starting to realise that I love the Tudors a little bit too much and know so much about it (my whole A-level History was about the Tudors). I've heard lots of good things about this series around the blogosphere and was so happy to see this in the library. It's due back really soon, so hopefully I can renew it...

Bought:

- How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff - This was an author I normally tend to avoid. Mainly, that's because I read What I Was by this author and really disliked it. My friend read Just In Case too and didn't like it either. However, with the upcoming film release that looked SO GOOD, I thought I should give this book a try especially as I've seen a lot of positive reviews around. I found this little bargain in a charity shop for 50p with the traditional Penguin Books cover which I prefer to the original cover. 

- This Song Will Save Your Live by Leila Sales - There are many reasons why this is on my bookshelf. 1) It's being made into a movie with Keira Knightley in, 2) The blurb sounds so good, 3) The amount of rave reviews I've seen by some of my favourite book bloggers is ridiculous, and 4) I was kind of taken by the cover. I have a feeling this is going to be a bit like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist...

- Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle - Finally this is published in the UK! It includes two of my FAVOURITE authors - Maureen Johnson and John Green. I'm also reading this for EmmaIsWriting's Christmas Month. 

- Allegiant by Veronica Roth - Do I need to say more? I attended a signing with Veronica Roth in London (OH MY, SO GOOD. More on that later in the week) and got it signed. With the feedback I've seen on the blogosphere and Twitter, this is going to be an interesting read...

- Champion by Marie Lu - After the crazy ending to the second book in this amazing series, Prodigy, I have literally no idea what will happen in the final book. This is a series I actually really, really love and wish it had so much more recognition. If you haven't read it, I would completely and utterly recommend it!

Reviews by these authors: 

Debutantes - Cora Harrison

I was Jane Austen's Best Friend - Cora Harrison

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Legend by Marie Lu

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What books did you get this week? Let me know in the comments below!

On My Bookshelf (42)

This meme for originally inspired by 'In My Mailbox' created by The Story Siren
Other versions are:
Letterbox Love created by Narratively Speaking
Stacking the Shelves created by Tynga's reviews
Showcase Sunday created by Books, Biscuits and Tea

I haven't done one of these in what seems like ages. I haven't actually bought that many books this month, as I've been working so much. Although as I left Waterstones this week (and therefore, no more discount), I went on a bit of a rampage around one of my local stores (More on leaving Waterstones later in the week hopefully).

Bought:

- It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - I've had this recommended to me time and time before especially for 'fans of John Green'. I think it's going to be like The Fault in our Stars 2.0 reading the blurb, although hopefully not as sad, as in 'tears-streaking-down-my-face' sad.

- Legend & Prodigy by Marie Lu - For those that have been followers of my blog for a while, you'll know that I was only introduced to this series this year and by an utter surprise, I was amazed by how good this series is and how under appreciated it is too. So when I spotted them on my huge book buying rampage, they went straight into my basket (I actually think they're better than The Hunger Games...)

For Review:

- Resist by Sarah Crossan - I read Breathe last year after spotting it in my library and was blown away by how good it was and how original a dystopia is was. So when I saw Resist, the sequel available on Netgalley, I requested it without a thought. This looks really good, hopefully this will be as good as it's predecessor (still desperately trying to remember what happens in Breathe as it's been so long). 

Reviews by these authors:
Legend - Marie Lu
Prodigy - Marie Lu
Breathe - Sarah Crossan

What did everyone else receive? Leave a comment with your link so I can check your out!

Prodigy - Marie Lu (#2)

**This is the second book in the Legend series so there may be some spoilers in this review for those who have not read the first book. If you would like to read my review of the first book, Legend, click here**

After the amazement at discovering such a great series a couple of months ago, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of the sequel to Legend soon. With a quick perusal of my library's funky new website, a reserve and a phone call informing me PRODIGY was ready and waiting for me at my library, I had the chance to find out what's next for June and Day.

Synopsis: June and Day arrive in Las Vegas after June helped Day escape his execution. However, within hours of being there, it is announced that the Elector Primo has died with his young son, Anden taking his place. The pair join a group of Patriots - rebels fighting against the Republic government who want to see a united America once again - who are eager for June and Day's involvement. They will help Day find his brother, but only if they help assassinate the new Elector and push the Republic into chaos and revolution. It is the chance to save a nation that has been silenced for so long. But soon, June starts to question whether this is right, are they getting the full story and ultimately, what if Auden is the right person to be Elector?

Review: Okay, so I thought Legend, the first in this extraordinary series, was pretty good, very different and original from many other dystopians out there. But then I read PRODIGY. And Marie Lu just blew me away. Again. But so much more. SOMEHOW I thought this was better than Legend and that book was pretty darn good.

Part of the beauty of dystopians is the action that makes the genre a bit more interesting apart from the whole corrupt world thing. In many dystopian sequels, there is a different kind of 'second-book-syndrome'. Gone is the definition that the second book cannot live up to the first. FAR from that. The second books in many series - Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent series), Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games series) and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Delirium series) to name a few - seem to just be so action packed, like EVERYTHING seems to happen. I guess it's probably because in these trilogies, there is no world-building or setting up the story neither is there any tying up loose ends or creating an ending. But I find, in all the three novels mentioned, the action becomes waaaaay too intense. Just too much to absorb for the humble reader.
BUT in PRODIGY, does that happen? NO. This is so action-packed, don't get me wrong, like literally some chapters - make that MOST chapters, I was breathless by the end, needing a little break to absorb and understand what on earth just happened. But something I found in this novel is that the action was never too much, never too intense and chaotic to read. It's almost cinematic in a way as it is so vivid that I could visualise it all happening so clearly. And THAT, my friends, is due to the amazing writing of Miss Marie Lu.

Lu moves the plot incredibly fast especially with the duel narrative from Day and June, but there are these moments that arise from the surface, moments of romance, kindness, sadness, fear, death. All these emotional moments that once she slows the writing down, the reader appreciates them in full. It's incredibly hard to describe, but if you've read the novel, I really hope you understand what I'm jabbering on about.
There is something compulsive about Marie Lu's writing. She just makes me want to read and read on and on which had me telling myself 'I'll go to sleep after this chapter'. I read half of the book in a couple of hours late one night which as a slow reader, that is a huge achievement for me.

Ah! The characters! I loved June and Day much more and I just love that both these characters share the spotlight in the narrative. These are both quite complex characters who both have a real depth to them and that is handled perfectly. They continue to develop individually and in their relationship together yet none of the aspects that make them so unique and likable in the first book is lost at all.
Some authors have a habit of not developing or evolving their secondary characters which most of the time, make books better or worse whatever the genre. In PRODIGY, that certainly happens in Kaede and Tess as well as the addition of some new characters like Razor, a commander, and Anden (who is just too lovely!). I thought some characters that were in the first book, like Thomas, were left out a little bit. He does appear briefly but then doesn't return so I hope he comes back in the third book.

Can we just pause and look at the ending? I mean Legend was a little bit of a cliffhanger, with me literally about to fall of the edge. BUT THIS ENDING IS JUST...AH. IT'S SO MEAN.
Without ruining anything, for the last quarter of the book, I was sitting there thinking 'This is such a closed ending'. Like it seemed like an end to the series but I KNEW that there was a third book and I was thinking 'What the hell is going to happen in that book then?'.
THEN. POW, POW, POW. All these events and things are thrown at me and before I can react, before I can even think, before I absorb these sudden change of events, it's the last line of the book and once again I'm turning the pages frantically looking for the rest of the story. So basically, watch out for that killer of an end. Because it's unexpected. So unexpected.

If this review didn't quite illustrate my thoughts, in a sentence: this book was brilliant. So brilliant. (okay so two sentences).
It's hard to fathom how good it is and what makes it this good but I'm pretty sure if you read this series and enjoyed it as I did then you'll understand. I haven't come across an amazing dystopian series like this since Divergent, and I read a lot of dystopian fiction. I'll be in the queue for definite for the third and final book and eagerly anticipating with Marie Lu is going to face me with now.
Go buy this book. Buy this series and celebrate the beauty of reading. This book reminded me I'm so in love with reading. And that is just what the doctor ordered.

My thoughts are pretty much summed up in this review I found on Goodreads including the whole thing at the beginning about wondering what I would do if I encountered a zombie. True fact.

I give it a 5 out of 5


Author's Website: http://marielu.org/
Pages: 371
Publisher: Penguin
Challenges: None

Related Reviews: 
Legend - Marie Lu
Noble Conflict - Malorie Blackman
The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
Divergent - Veronica Roth

On My Bookshelf (40)

This meme for originally inspired by 'In My Mailbox' created by The Story Siren
Other versions are:
Letterbox Love created by Narratively Speaking
Stacking the Shelves created by Tynga's reviews
Showcase Sunday created by Books, Biscuits and Tea

Library:

- Prodigy by Marie Lu  - When I finished Legend (the first book in this series), I was hooked and due to the cliffhanger ending, I needed to know what happened next soon. And gladly, Prodigy has only recently come out in the UK and was BRAND NEW to the library so I was able to grab a copy straight away. So looking forward to this one!

- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - Unless you've been living under a rock or away from the Internet, everyone has been talking about this book. I was a bit dubious when I saw it at work. I mean, aliens? I like some science-fiction but I normally draw the line at alien invasions because they're always a bit...out there (and no-one can beat War of the Worlds). So when I heard the amazing, stunning reviews for this, I still was a bit unsure whether it would be a personal thing for people on how much they liked it. I've heard some negative reviews now, so I'm going into this book open-minded. Let me know what you think of this book if you've read it!

Have you read either of these books? What did you think of them - good or bad? 

Leave your links so I can check out your own hauls!

Reviews by these authors:

Legend - Marie Lu (#1)

Mini Reviews: Legend, All These Things I've Done, Scarlet

So while I was away, I went on a bit of a dystopian rampage. Literally. This has to be one of my favourite genres and while some dislike the amount of books on offer in this genre out there, I like the variety you can choose from, getting more and more interesting each time I read them.
While I can't do a full out review for all of these (especially as one of them I read months ago), I am going to do some mini-reviews. Bottom line is though: all of these are great books!

LEGEND - Marie Lu (#1)

Synopsis: The Western states of America are now home to the Republic. Born into an elite American family, June is Republic's prodigy training to one of the Republic's best military officers. Born in the slums, Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal although his motives for his crimes aren't as bad as they seem to the public. There is no reason for these two teenagers to cross path until June's brother, Metias, is murdered and the Republic name Day as the prime suspect. June vows to avenge Metias' death and catch Day once and for all while Day tries to help his family survival the vicious plague. As they both chase each other, they uncover the secrets the country has been hidden and the lengths they will go to make sure the public never find out.

Review: There was always something about this novel that made me hesitate when I saw it in the library or bookshop. I'm not entirely sure what it was but it may have something to do with the proud declaration on the front cover that should I like The Hunger Games, it's a given that I'll love LEGEND (like a lot of dystopians now). I finally picked it up during my blogging break, I guess because I wasn't reading to review intentionally.
However, when I started reading, I suddenly became absorbed in this startlingly different world where the military was key to the government but there was all this suspicion and secrets lying underneath the cold exteriors of the officers. June was a great protagonist, strong yet had that hint of sensitivity that comes through ever so often. I also liked Day throughout and as there wasn't much of a relationship between these two characters in this book, I hope this will develop in the next book in the series, Prodigy. The ending, oh my THE ENDING, was just...it's just happens to fast, so quick yet you're still involved and absorbed in the action and the emotions of the characters. It was incredibly well-written and clever. This book is short, unsatisfactorily short even, yet so much happens in the short amount of pages which left me finishing the book wanting the sequel immediately. This is a different kind of dystopian, one I haven't seen around which I think makes it all the more enjoyable and interesting.
I give it a 5 out of 5

ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE - Gabrielle Zevin (#1)

Synopsis: 2083, New York. In a society where coffee and chocolate is banned, water is rationed and New York is the centre of crime and corruption, as the daughter of the city's most notorious crime boss, now dead, and a part of the city's famous chocolate maker, Anya's life is rather normal. She goes to school, hangs out with her best friend, Scarlet, looks after her brother and sister as well as her dying grandmother. Meanwhile, she is also trying not to fall for the charming son of the DA's assistant. However, soon her ex-boyfriend is poisoned by chocolate that Anya's family manufactures and she finds herself as the prime suspect. Anya is thrust into the spotlight at school, publicly and most importantly within her mafia family after years of staying hidden away.

Review: Gabrielle Zevin is an author I would normally associate with contemporary writing with a twist after reading Elsewhere and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, which I enjoyed both. This book was good, and I liked it a lot especially the way it felt like the Prohibition era, with guns, gangsters, family loyalties  - but with chocolate and modern technology. I think the problem is the blurb and I guess the whole damn narrative of the book. The blurb made me think this would be a book about the conflict between her and her family and the impact of that on her life and in a way it is with her romance with Win central to it all. And it is and it isn't. There is a lack of action until the very end and with these expectations I had from the blurb, I ended the book feeling a little bit cheated. I did like the book, and I did find it interesting and enjoyable mostly because of the superb characters but really, I think that's as far as it goes (doing this several months after reading however). I liked most of the book's narrative up until the last quarter where I started to *gasp* dislike Anya. There was just nothing there, no emotion, no sympathy, just nothing and although that may be done on purpose, it made it incredibly boring and slow to read with this nothingness. So it was a good attempt at this dystopian/crime/contemporary/something else genre, but I do think there were flaws. I'll probably read the next book, Because It Is My Blood, but only because I want to know what's next for Win and Anya.
I give it a 3.5 out of 5

SCARLET - Marissa Meyer (#2)

*May contain spoilers for those who have not read the first book, Cinder. Here's my review for that*

Synopsis: Cinder's story continues as she tries to break out of prison although it will make her the most wanted fugitive on Earth. Meanwhile, in Europe, Scarlet's grandmother has gone missing and the police have ruled her as dead. Scarlet meets Wolf, a streetfighter hiding his own secrets and intentions, who is Scarlet's only link and evidence that will lead to her grandmother. They start to unravel one mystery together, including the secrets Scarlet's grandmother kept from her all the years she grew up. They also encounter another mystery as the stories of Cinder and Scarlet collide as they try to defeat the vicious Queen Levana and stop her plan to make Prince Kai her husband, whatever the cost. 

Review: I knew this would be good. I just knew it. This is the sequel to Meyer's debut last year, Cinder, a futuristic retelling of Cinderella. SCARLET is a retelling of Red Riding Hood, with some different interpretations of the story, one I particularly like was how they incorporated the idea of the wolf being Red Riding Hood's grandmother - very clever. I loved this second installment, especially the spilt narratives between Scarlet, Cinder and Prince Kai (yep, he's still there!) which made the story more well-rounded and gave the idea that the problems throughout the book with Queen Levana are impacting the whole world, not just in the Eastern Commonwealth.
It was well-written considering the amount of action that could overwhelm a reader. I especially loved finding out more about Cinder's past continuing from Cinder, and there are LOTS of surprise discoveries.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone that has read and loved Cinder as I did. I don't think it's quite as good compared to Cinder but there are so many things in this book that take the narrative of Cinder in a completely different direction. I am eagerly awaiting the new book, Cress, a retelling of Rapunzel coming out next year (AH NEXT YEAR?!)
I give it a 5 out of 5

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Do you agree with what I thought - let me know below!