Book Title: Champion
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend #3
Series: Legend #3
Date Started: November 19th 2013
Date Completed: November 24th 2013
Genres: Dystopian, Action, Romance, Thriller
Rating: Five stars
Review:
Champion is the much-anticipated last book in the Legend trilogy. I read the first book a few years ago and immediately fell in love. I've been keeping track of everything that's been going on with the series since, and I'm distraught that it's over. However, Champion was an amazing end to the trilogy and I won't walk away with loose ends to tie up.
It's been months since Day and June last talked. They've both got their own jobs to distract them, keeping them busy with transforming the Republic into a better place. But with an outbreak of plague in the Colonies, it seems their peace is soon to be shattered by threats from their enemies of invasion. The only hope, it seems, is Day's brother, but Day would rather die than see his brother being experimented on again. As the Republic is attacked and the Patriots reemerge to help, it seems Day's options to keep his brother safe are narrowing - and he has to make sure June gets out of it all alive too.
I don't know where to start with the writing style. I think I forgot just how much I loved this series until I read it again. First of all because of the writing. It's so good for a Young Adult novel: I'm always waiting for what will happen next (I literally couldn't put the book down at around 290 onwards) and I believe every word that comes out of each character's mouth as if they were real people. Lu also has this amazing talent of being realistic in everything she does. The behaviour of each character is consistent, yet still surprising when it should be.
Furthermore, the writing style itself is just flawless. Especially the action. I see physical combat being used more and more these days in dystopians, as well as other genres - but few people manage to describe the movement in a way that allows the reader to follow a picture it, whilst also making them race ahead through the action as if they themselves were caught up in the adrenaline.
The story. I think Prodigy might just beat it by a hair's length for plot, but it's extremely close. The thing was, at this point in the series, I was already so emotionally invested with the characters when I started reading, that there was no need for reintroducing me to the world and everything that was going on. And I don't think that did happen, which meant that we were immersed in everything going on straight away. The slight drawback of that, I think, is that the story became more about how the characters were dealing with things, rather than the actual plot. Having said that, it's not necessarily a bad thing. A huge part of the series are the characters, and so the more we care about them, the better the book is going to be.
The tension built up towards the end was phenomenal. There was always a hovering little threat at the back of my mind as I was reading, about how, along with everything that was going on anyway, that their whole country was about to be plunged into the middle of a war. But then when the fighting actually arrived, I realised how unreal it had seemed to me. That was a feeling I've only really experienced in history lessons (that part where you've heard about all the people who died and seen the statistics - but actually they're just numbers in your head until you see the devastation in film or pictures). I'm not sure an author has ever recreated that moment of surprise in words before - or at least not in a book I've read so far.
Finally, the very end. I did see it coming, but it still made me stop for a moment when it really was revealed. I like that sort of bittersweet ending; the possibility but nothing said to imply it ever happened. And then there was the epilogue. I'm a little bit indifferent to those fifteen or so pages. It wasn't bad, but I felt it might have lost out a little on a proper heart-tearing ending. Then again, it does only supply a possibility, and no guarantee. (Sorry if this makes no sense, you'll have to read the book I'm afraid - no spoilers!)
I've grown very attached to these characters, and right when I went into this book, I was already feeling for them as events happened. I've been close to characters in books before, but it's impressive to have me this worked up for them in only three books.
Day is an amazing protagonist. I remember preferring June in the early books, but actually Day has come a lot further personality-wise. He's also had to go through a lot worse, in my opinion, though I'm not denying June's had it hard too. But Day retaliates with this fearless recklessness which is common in a lot of books these days. But he has another element about him that I'm still not sure of. It's not vulnerability, it's more the openness that he isn't invincible, despite what other people think. And, in a way, that's what makes him a much more relatable character to me; because he's honest that he isn't a superhero.
I do love June though. I love all of the characters, but she's one awesome girl. I usually moan about the actions of female protagonists being forced because they feel they have to be a certain way or they have to prove they're just as kick-ass as the boys. But June has this effortless skill about her which makes it so that she doesn't feel like she constantly has to prove herself as able; it's more about age than gender. That's a part I'm real happy is included, because it's still prejudice, but it's a breath of fresh air for once. That and June is just a pretty awesome person anyway.
Tess is definitely my favourite character, and I think she has come the furthest since the very first book. I've loved watching her change and develop and grow into an amazing person. I always felt a little sorry for Tess, because it was like she was always being put behind other people, but I actually realised in this book that she wasn't being put behind other people, they just trusted her to trust herself and work things out independently. That might sound like the same thing, but having gone through a similar process, I can see how it's different. I can really connect with that girl and I adored her relationships that built up with everyone around her.
Eden is adorable and you can tell he's grown up a lot through the books. He's probably the bravest of all the characters, and the most 'pure'. I think up until this point, you think of him as more of a plot-device rather than his own person. Which of course is dramatically turned on it head by Lu in the final book.
Pascao is lovely, but I wish some of the other Patriots had been featured more. And I swear there was something going on between him and Tess. If only the author would reveal if I'm making it up in my head or not.
Anden was, again, great. It really was hard for me to chose between him and Day, so I can't imagine what June was dealing with. However, I do feel he almost disappeared after a bit, and faded into the background. To be honest, that did reflect how June was dealing with everything, so it worked well for getting her feelings across, although I did miss the Elector.
I've always had a little soft spot for Thomas, despite his actions, and I was quite sad that his part was cut short so abruptly. I would've liked a little more about that from June's monologue, but it's only a minor thing.
I've always loved Lu's novels for the way she sets them out. Alternating chapters between June and Day's perspective makes sure that the reader never gets bored, and gets intertwining stories that are actually of their own unique nature at the same time. You could read just Day's chapters, or just June's and get the main parts of the story. Yet by switching between the two, you get loads of depth from two different sides of the fight. It's in this way that Lu has no problem with pacing. Although I did favour Day's chapters more, I loved June's too since there was always something going on in either, and always necessary for the story.
Wow, long review. Anyway.
I recommend Champion to fans of dystopians and action stories. There's amazing development throughout this whole story that really builds up a relationship between the characters and the reader and the plot line is just amazing. The writing is advanced for a young adult novel and it will be on my favourites shelf for quite a while.
Image Source: http://mybookwormblog.files.wordpress.com/
2013/11/champion.jpg?w=645&h=976
Champion is the much-anticipated last book in the Legend trilogy. I read the first book a few years ago and immediately fell in love. I've been keeping track of everything that's been going on with the series since, and I'm distraught that it's over. However, Champion was an amazing end to the trilogy and I won't walk away with loose ends to tie up.
It's been months since Day and June last talked. They've both got their own jobs to distract them, keeping them busy with transforming the Republic into a better place. But with an outbreak of plague in the Colonies, it seems their peace is soon to be shattered by threats from their enemies of invasion. The only hope, it seems, is Day's brother, but Day would rather die than see his brother being experimented on again. As the Republic is attacked and the Patriots reemerge to help, it seems Day's options to keep his brother safe are narrowing - and he has to make sure June gets out of it all alive too.
I don't know where to start with the writing style. I think I forgot just how much I loved this series until I read it again. First of all because of the writing. It's so good for a Young Adult novel: I'm always waiting for what will happen next (I literally couldn't put the book down at around 290 onwards) and I believe every word that comes out of each character's mouth as if they were real people. Lu also has this amazing talent of being realistic in everything she does. The behaviour of each character is consistent, yet still surprising when it should be.
Furthermore, the writing style itself is just flawless. Especially the action. I see physical combat being used more and more these days in dystopians, as well as other genres - but few people manage to describe the movement in a way that allows the reader to follow a picture it, whilst also making them race ahead through the action as if they themselves were caught up in the adrenaline.
The story. I think Prodigy might just beat it by a hair's length for plot, but it's extremely close. The thing was, at this point in the series, I was already so emotionally invested with the characters when I started reading, that there was no need for reintroducing me to the world and everything that was going on. And I don't think that did happen, which meant that we were immersed in everything going on straight away. The slight drawback of that, I think, is that the story became more about how the characters were dealing with things, rather than the actual plot. Having said that, it's not necessarily a bad thing. A huge part of the series are the characters, and so the more we care about them, the better the book is going to be.
The tension built up towards the end was phenomenal. There was always a hovering little threat at the back of my mind as I was reading, about how, along with everything that was going on anyway, that their whole country was about to be plunged into the middle of a war. But then when the fighting actually arrived, I realised how unreal it had seemed to me. That was a feeling I've only really experienced in history lessons (that part where you've heard about all the people who died and seen the statistics - but actually they're just numbers in your head until you see the devastation in film or pictures). I'm not sure an author has ever recreated that moment of surprise in words before - or at least not in a book I've read so far.
Finally, the very end. I did see it coming, but it still made me stop for a moment when it really was revealed. I like that sort of bittersweet ending; the possibility but nothing said to imply it ever happened. And then there was the epilogue. I'm a little bit indifferent to those fifteen or so pages. It wasn't bad, but I felt it might have lost out a little on a proper heart-tearing ending. Then again, it does only supply a possibility, and no guarantee. (Sorry if this makes no sense, you'll have to read the book I'm afraid - no spoilers!)
I've grown very attached to these characters, and right when I went into this book, I was already feeling for them as events happened. I've been close to characters in books before, but it's impressive to have me this worked up for them in only three books.
Day is an amazing protagonist. I remember preferring June in the early books, but actually Day has come a lot further personality-wise. He's also had to go through a lot worse, in my opinion, though I'm not denying June's had it hard too. But Day retaliates with this fearless recklessness which is common in a lot of books these days. But he has another element about him that I'm still not sure of. It's not vulnerability, it's more the openness that he isn't invincible, despite what other people think. And, in a way, that's what makes him a much more relatable character to me; because he's honest that he isn't a superhero.
I do love June though. I love all of the characters, but she's one awesome girl. I usually moan about the actions of female protagonists being forced because they feel they have to be a certain way or they have to prove they're just as kick-ass as the boys. But June has this effortless skill about her which makes it so that she doesn't feel like she constantly has to prove herself as able; it's more about age than gender. That's a part I'm real happy is included, because it's still prejudice, but it's a breath of fresh air for once. That and June is just a pretty awesome person anyway.
Tess is definitely my favourite character, and I think she has come the furthest since the very first book. I've loved watching her change and develop and grow into an amazing person. I always felt a little sorry for Tess, because it was like she was always being put behind other people, but I actually realised in this book that she wasn't being put behind other people, they just trusted her to trust herself and work things out independently. That might sound like the same thing, but having gone through a similar process, I can see how it's different. I can really connect with that girl and I adored her relationships that built up with everyone around her.
Eden is adorable and you can tell he's grown up a lot through the books. He's probably the bravest of all the characters, and the most 'pure'. I think up until this point, you think of him as more of a plot-device rather than his own person. Which of course is dramatically turned on it head by Lu in the final book.
Pascao is lovely, but I wish some of the other Patriots had been featured more. And I swear there was something going on between him and Tess. If only the author would reveal if I'm making it up in my head or not.
Anden was, again, great. It really was hard for me to chose between him and Day, so I can't imagine what June was dealing with. However, I do feel he almost disappeared after a bit, and faded into the background. To be honest, that did reflect how June was dealing with everything, so it worked well for getting her feelings across, although I did miss the Elector.
I've always had a little soft spot for Thomas, despite his actions, and I was quite sad that his part was cut short so abruptly. I would've liked a little more about that from June's monologue, but it's only a minor thing.
I've always loved Lu's novels for the way she sets them out. Alternating chapters between June and Day's perspective makes sure that the reader never gets bored, and gets intertwining stories that are actually of their own unique nature at the same time. You could read just Day's chapters, or just June's and get the main parts of the story. Yet by switching between the two, you get loads of depth from two different sides of the fight. It's in this way that Lu has no problem with pacing. Although I did favour Day's chapters more, I loved June's too since there was always something going on in either, and always necessary for the story.
Wow, long review. Anyway.
I recommend Champion to fans of dystopians and action stories. There's amazing development throughout this whole story that really builds up a relationship between the characters and the reader and the plot line is just amazing. The writing is advanced for a young adult novel and it will be on my favourites shelf for quite a while.
Image Source: http://mybookwormblog.files.wordpress.com/
2013/11/champion.jpg?w=645&h=976
