ARC Review: Warcross by Marie Lu

Title: Warcross Series: Warcross #1 Written by: Marie Lu Published: September 12, 2017 by G.P. Putnam and Sons Books for Young Readers (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation. Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at ALA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

I'm a big fan of Marie Lu. I've read and enjoyed all her books. So when I heard she was writing a new series with more of science fiction feel and involving a virtual reality I was incredibly excited. And while this was a pretty good book, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

One thing I did love about this book was the world. This was definitely a fantastic science fiction world. Virtual reality and video games always makes for a fun and interesting world and Warcross was just that. What I appreciated about it was that it wasn't too overwhelming. Marie showed us instead of telling us what the world was and how it was used. As for the actual game of Warcross I found it pretty interesting. It was like a combination of World of Warcraft and the Pro-Bending from Legend of Korra. We didn't get to see much of actual games but I found them totally cool. The world itself had a fun cyberpunk vibe to it as well. The hackers, the "Dark Word," the virtual reality. It wasn't super inventive but it was interesting. But I think this book only was the barest taste into the world of the series. I'm sure there is more to explore with future books.

And to be honest that is how I felt about the plot of this book, there is much more to explore. I think on the whole the plot of this book was on the more basic side. There was a mystery to the book which was engaging enough but it didn't blow me away. I ended up figuring it out pretty quickly and for most of the book I was just waiting for the why to be revealed not the whole. When it finally did come out I was total interested but that was so much later in the book. And while this was a really fast read, I think that was because it was paced very slowly. It definitely suffered from a bit of first book syndrome for me I think.

As far as the characters go, they were fine but they didn't jump off the page. I had high hopes for the characters because I loved the ones in Marie's last series, The Young Elites, so much. But they are so different. And I shouldn't really fault them for that. They just weren't the kind of characters that I like as much. The main character of Emika was fine. I could definitely sympathize with her in the beginning as she was trying to make money to survive and I liked relationship she had with her father and felt like those moments really humanized her but she just didn't feel as complex as I had hoped. I think this could have benefited from just a little bit more characterization and development.

Same goes for the secondary characters, they could have used more development. They were likable enough but there was a lot of them and I never really felt connected to any of them. Emi's team was nice enough but didn't make a lasting impression. The one exception to this I think was Hideo. A lot of focus was placed on Hideo and who he is as a person and why he is doing what he was doing. That deep dive into his motivation made him an interesting character for sure. But I think some of that may have been to the detriment to the other characters including Emika.

All in all Warcross was an okay read. It had a fantastic science fiction world and engaging plot albeit a bit slow. I wish there had been a little more character development but I think more of that is coming in future books. This one had a bit of first book syndrome but I think on the whole it's going to be a good series.

I give Warcross by Marie Lu 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you are a fan of science fiction stories with a cyberpunk vibe and/or are looking for a fast read that is the start of a new series then check this one out. But honestly I would probably say that you should wait until book two is out and then read them together.

Have you read Warcross? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks fo stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Midnight Star by Marie Lu

*** This is the third book in a trilogy. If you have not read The Young Elites and The Rose Society proceed with caution during this review for read of spoilers. Also... READ THEM! They're amazing.***

Title: The Midnight Star Series: The Young Elites #3 Written by: Marie Lu Published: October 11, 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The thrilling finale to the New York Times bestselling Young Elites series from “hit factory” Marie Lu.  There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.  Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all that she’s achieved.  Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite and the very world they live in. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.   Bestselling author Marie Lu concludes Adelina's story with this haunting and hypnotizing final installment to the Young Elites series.

I knew going into this book that it was going to be fantastic and would wreck me, which is exactly what it did. I loved the first two books in the series, they have been among my favorites of the year so I was nervously anticipated the ending of the series. And it did not disappoint, The Midnight Star was just as amazing and dark and emotional.

My favorite thing about this series and one of the major reasons this book was so good and emotional is the characters. In the course of three books I have become insanely attached to all these characters. For one thing, I love how dark and complex they are. This book has multiple perspectives and it gives a much more well-rounded look at them, which I like. And multiple perspectives is key because every single character in this series is dark, damaged, and devious. They do terrible things but at the same time they are sympathetic. You are able to get inside their head and understand their motivation, however flawed it may be. Because of that you root for them, you want them to succeed, and that's what makes this book so good.

But the main character here and the most symapthetic dark character of all is of course Adelina. I love her SO MUCH. Throughout this series we have seen her at her best and we have seen her at he worst. Here she is absolutely at her best. I went into this book thinking that this was going to be a villain origin story and in some aspects, it is. But what makes this book so good is that it goes deeper than that. And in The Midnight Star we are taken deeper still. I don't want to give too much away but there is such great development here with Adelina. I'm not entirely sure that I would call this a villain origin story anymore but I've always felt like Adelina was more of a hero, albeit an antihero, than anything else. She's so likable despite the fact that she does terrible things. And in the end I was so glad that I was rooting for her all along.

But things here are not easy for Adelina, her allies, and her adversaries. Many of the most emotional moments when in this book came from the fact that the characters go through such hardship. The fact that this is the last book in a trilogy it should come as no surprise that the plot is full of thrills and surprises. There is a lot of action and adventure here. I wasn't really expecting an end of the world epic fantasy vibe but there were elements of that. There were also fantastic elements of a Hero's Journey. The two really combined to create a plot that really built to a thrilling conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat and in tears. Not freak you out or anything but I haven't cried this much at the ending of a book in a very long time. But I was openly sobbing here because it was so emotional and so perfect. But that was this book on the whole, emotional and perfect. I absolutely loved it.

I also really love the world of this series. In particular, I find the magical system so fantastic and it was great seeing it at play here. The Elite powers are so interesting and they were very much tied to the plot of the book. In The Midnight Star we got to learn more about the larger reason behind the powers, why they have them, and how they are wielded. We also get to see a lot more about the consequences of the power. It's one of my favorite things when the magic of a series doesn't solve problems, but creates them and that was the case here. The powers and the plot were also really connected with the history and religion of the world which added another interesting later to the world and the story. I loved being in the world so much that I'm not ready to let it go.

The Midnight Star was a great ending to an amazing series. This is without a doubt one of my new favorite YA fantasy series. It complex characters that you will become attached to, thrilling action and a plot full of emotional turmoil, and a fantastic world full of magic.

I give The Midnight Star by Marie Lu 10 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! If you liked the first two books in this series do not hesitate, get this one and read it. (Be prepared for feels). And if you have not yet read this series and like dark YA fantasies or villain stories, or books about sympathetic antiheroes, just read this series. It is amazing and this book was the perfecting ending for it.

Have you read The Midnight Star? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Midnight Star by Marie Lu

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: The Midnight Star Series: The Young Elites #3 Author: Marie Lu Published: October 11, 2016 by Putnum Books for Young Readers (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The thrilling finale to the New York Times bestselling Young Elites series from “hit factory” Marie Lu. There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen. Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all that she’s achieved. Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite and the very world they live in. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger. Bestselling author Marie Lu concludes Adelina's story with this haunting and hypnotizing final installment to the Young Elites series

Why I'm Waiting 

Oh man, I am not ready to read this book. I have been so emotionally invested in this series and they always end up wrecking me. You wouldn't think that a book which is essentially a villain origin story would make me sob uncontrollably but this one definitely does. And the way the last book ended I can only imagine the emotional turmoil this book is going to put me through.

But at the same time I can't wait to find out what will happen in this book. I love this series so much. The world, the characters, the plot development. It's such a fascinating and dark YA fantasy and I'm interested to see where things go and how it will all end.

This book is one of my highly anticipated release for the fall and I have had a copy pre-ordered for awhile now. I cannot wait until it shows up on my doorstep so that I can read it.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Midnight Star along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book review: The Rose Society by Marie Lu

Title: The Rose Society Series: The Young Elites #2 Author: Marie Lu Published: October 13, 2015 by Putnum Young Readers (Penguin) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.  Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.  But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

*** This is the second book in the series. There are not spoilers in this review but you should read The Young Elites before you read this. It's fantastic so just read it, okay. ***

Last year when I read The Young Elites it wrecked me. I mean this of course in the best possible way. It was one of my favorite reads of 2014. Never before have a read such a dark and entrancing YA fantasy with such complex characters. I usually don't love first books in a new series but The Young Elites I did. So when I started The Rose Society, I was both and nervous to see where the story would go. But Marie Lu has done it to me again. She has upped the ante and created another dark and enthralling fantasy read that has left me reeling.

It didn't think it was possible but The Rose Society may even be darker than The Young Elites. We pick up shortly after the events of The Young Elites where things did not go well for Adelina. Now she is plotting her revenge. The plot starts out a little slow but we are honestly just being lulled into a false sense of security. This book is like that quote in Game of Thrones "if you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." Once again this book builds to an absolutely thrilling, edge of your seat climax. Along the way there are huge reveals and twists that you don't see coming and keep the shock value going throughout the book. There is also of course tons of action scenes where the characters can show off their powers. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. From the emotional toll it takes on you to the bursts of thrilling action I was flipping pages like a maniac needing to know what happens next and staying up way to late reading.

But the plot is not the only thing that is darker about this this book. The characters too are even darker. While this is the kind of book that has multiple perspectives let's be honest, it's all about Adelina Amouretu. And wow, do I love her. She's has gained some understanding and mastery of her powers and it's amazing to see her use them but they are taking their toll on her mentally and emotionally. She's such a complex and deep character. Deep, dark, damaged, and delightful. This is essentially a villain origin story and by the end Adelina descends into into a madness so extreme that it is both terrifying and exciting. What I like most about Adelina is that she's a character doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons but it feels so right. In The Young Elites it was like a peak into her past. It showed all the bad things that led up to her being evil and because you are along with her through all of it you want her to fight back. She's just a product of her environment after all. I shouldn't support her ruthlessness but she's still so sympathetic. How do you do that Marie Lu? How?

But that may be because all of these characters are devious and self-interested. Every. Single. One. We get more time with some old characters who have development that makes you love and hate them at the same time. Of course Teren Santoro is back being crazy and terrifying. His self-loathing and his devious actions are pretty next level here. Raffaele is also back and manipulating people with his powers. His character arc throughout this series is such an interesting one. And Violetta is back as well. She seems to be the only person who is keeping Adelina grounded. Their relationship is so complex. You can tell they love each other but they both don't always know the best way of showing it is. Violetta is a character I wish had POV chapters to be entirely honest. I want a look inside her head. Then there are the new characters. We get to see Maeve more who was introduced at the end of The Young Elites and I want more of here, she's really interesting. And we also get some new Elites who are pretty dark as well. Like I'm pretty sure even Marie Lu's lovable rogue, a thief who helps Adelina, is dark and devious.

We also get to explore more of the world of this series, a world just as dark. The magical system here is one of my absolute favorites. There are clear rules and the powers come from a very specific place but they are also so varied and interesting. And everyone's powers are getting so much stronger now, especially Adelina's so it's great to see them used and explored. And some of the new characters have really amazing and interesting powers as well. We also get to explore more locations. In the beginning of the book there are representatives of new cultures and new locations to visit. But the best new knowledge of this world was the exploration of the powers. I am so curious to see where this will lead us in the final book. I of course have a harebrained theory about what the endgame will look like. And that to me is the sign of a great book. If I'm theorizing I'm invested.

And I'm definitely invested in The Rose Society. Once again Marie Lu blew me away with this dark fantasy world. The characters are complex and devious, the plot is action-packed and full of shocking twists, and the world is interesting and unique. But be prepared when you read this book, it will hit you right in the feels.

I give The Rose Society by Marie Lu 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! If you loved The Young Elites you will not be disappointed by the next installment of this series. It's dark and emotional in the best possible way. Without a doubt this is a book that fantasy fans should get their hands on, especially if you want a dark villain origin story. It's unlike anything in the YA fantasy game right now and it's amazing!

Have you read The Rose Society? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

On Reads: Fantasy First Books with Fall Sequels

It's already October? When did that happen? I had a great month reading in September though. I read some really great books. If you didn't see my recap yesterday  check it out here. In August I unveiled a new monthly feature where I talk about a few of the books that I got to reread. With so many series enders and series continuations happening this fall and winter I decided I needed some refreshers before I done back into the series. For the foreseeable future I will be doing one reread a week so I thought I would do a new feature I'm calling On Rereads. They will be mini reviews where I talk about the books I reread and any different impressions I may have had after reading them a second time. This month I read three first books in a series in preparation for their sequels.

Jackaby by William Ritter -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

I absolutely loved this book when I read it last year. I thought it was incredibly fun with an engaging plot full of mystery, a atmospheric world full of fantasy, and likable characters full of humor. It still does. The second time around I was not at all disappointed by this book. It was just as fantastic and enjoyable.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the audio on this one. Nicola Barber does this boook justice which was a big concern of mine. But she captured Abigail's enthusiasm, Jackaby's snark, and Charlie's mystery. She also captured the supernatural world and I felt like I could perfectly visualize New Shoreham and all the characters. My only criticism is that because I knew how it was going to end it didn't have as much mystery and usually I'm okay with that but this time I didn't really pick up some extra plot points that I missed the first time around. But on the whole it was a fantastic read.

I was so glad I read this before Beastly Bones. It reminded me how much I liked the characters and how fun this series is. I picked up a few references from the book that I may not have noticed if I had not reread Jackaby.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu- (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

This was another favorite book of 2014 and another really anticipated sequel. I cannot wait for my copy of The Rose Society to get here. I need more Adelina and her descent into madness. I seriously love how dark this book is and it was just as dark the second time. I didn't forget how ruthless these characters are and it didn't affect me any less. Neither did that climax. I didn't sob as much but the anticipation killed me. But that being said the dramatic irony sort of made it so that I didn't like the characters as much. I held a few of them at arms length knowing what they would do so that was a change I didn't like the characters as much.

But I did really like the audio in this case. I knew that the world is influenced a lot by Italian/Renaissance history and that was so much more obvious with the audiobook. The narration was fantastic and the way they pronounced the names and certain words really helped to immerse me in the world. And I really love this world and magical system so that was great.

I wish I had waited a little bit before I read this though. I now need The Rose Society so badly and I still have to wait two weeks. Three from when I finished my reread. I need book two like... yesterday.

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson - (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

It should come as no surprise to you that I love the Mistborn series if you have been here for awhile. Mostly I am obsessed with this world. The Alloy of Law is not my favorite in the series but it's a fantastic series that's more like a police procedural. I had completely forgotten so many elements of the mystery so it was great to reread and refresh on that note. One thing I didn't forget about is the characters. How much do I love Wayne? SO MUCH! And Ranette. And Marassi. And Wax. Ah, they are all so fantastic.

I didn't listen to all the audiobooks for the first three Mistborn novels but I did listen to a bit of them and the narrator is fantastic. They use the same one for this one which is nice. He gets the world so well and I can immerse myself in it along with his voice.

But now I am so ready for Shadows of Self. It comes out next week and I am starting the preview from Netgalley today. I cannot wait for more crazy hijinx, more mystery-solving, and more allomancy and feruchemy. But mostly more Sanderson because obviously!

Have you done any rereads lately? What books? Do you like doing rereads or not? Tell me why. I hope you like this new feature. I'm hoping to do it once a month or when I finish a reread of a series. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Champion by Marie Lu

Title: Champion Series: Legend #3 Author: Marie Lu Published: January, 2014 by Putnam Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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?

The final book in a trilogy can sometimes be a let down. It doesn't wrap things up, it bites off more that it can chew, or it just doesn't stack up to the others. But I am so happy to say that Champion was the perfect ending to this trilogy and a fantastic read. Marie Lu once again expanded the world, developed the characters, and wrap everything up with with a thrilling plot that had me engaged from beginning to end.

I'm such a fan of the characters in this series. Both June and Day are complex and interesting protagonists and I've really enjoyed their character arcs throughout the series. They have both really developed into amazing heroes that care for others and their countries. But at the same time they are far from perfect. Despite learning their lessons in Legend and Prodigy they still make mistakes and have to live with the consequences. But in this book they finally felt like heroes and I was totally rooting for them. I was also rooting for them in terms of the romance. I didn't ship it at all until this book. Maybe that's because it was just a fantastic slow burn, maybe it was because they spent so much time apart in this one, or maybe because I just didn't buy into until the high stakes of Champion but I totally ship it now.

And once again I loved Marie Lu's narrative style and the alternating perspectives. You are once again able to get inside both June and Day's heads. We get to know them better and on a personal level and see them through the other person's eyes. It gives you a well-rounded and more complex look at the characters. It also made the book more complex and interesting, the characters spent a lot of time in different places so the book had a more well-rounded look at the world of this book. It also created a really fantastic dramatic irony in the book. There was so much mystery which I loved. 

That mystery also extended to the plot of the book. With every passing book there has been more and more exciting action.  Champion was so thrilling. The stakes were higher and it felt like an epic end of the world as we know it kind of book. It was life or death. I was on the edge of my seat and I definitely cruised through this book much faster than the first two books. What I loved most was the fact that it took little hints from the first book and brought them back in with moments from the second book. It all came full-circle and wrapped up with an interesting and thrilling finale. Despite that I did found the pacing a bit problematic. It was like a roller coaster ride. There was tons of thrilling moments but then it would slow down. There were some ups and downs with some lulls at times but on the whole I absolutely loved the plot of this book.

And once again I loved the fact that much of the plot was about the dystopian world and the political intrigue. Each book we get to see more and more of the world and more of the politics involved. In Prodigy we got to see the Colonies and how different they are from the Republic, here in Champion that all came to a head. It was even more about who had the people's best interests in mind. We also got to see more of the larger global world which really cool and there was some really interesting stuff in Antarctica. But my favorite part was June's exploration of the politics in the Republic. I love the exploration of power and control in dystopian novels and we saw so much of that in Champion from all different angles. I really enjoyed the world and how it was developed in Champion.

On the whole Champion was conclusion of an interesting dystopian series. The characters continued to work their way into my heart, the plot was thrilling and full of action, and the world-building was complex and full of political intrigue. A great read and a great series.

I give Champion by Marie Lu 9 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. This is far from my favorite dystopian series but it is really enjoyable and fans of the genre should definitely check this book out. I loved June and Day, I'm kind of sad to see them go. It's a thrilling series with a fantastic world.

Have you read Champion? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Title: Prodigy Series: Legend #2 Author: Marie Lu Published: January, 2013 by Putnam Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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?

Prodigy was such a great sequel to a dystopia series. Prodigy is what Mockingjay should have been, what Insurgent could have been, and what The Scorch Trials would have been. Marie Lu took the established world and characters, made the stakes higher and then threw in that political intrigue I was missing in Legend. All this combined to create a captivating and action-packed read.

I loved the characters in Legend and that didn't change in Prodigy. Both June and Day are complex and interesting protagonists. Despite being heroes to many people, they are far from perfect. In Prodigy they have to live with the consequences of their actions in Legend. Things are not easy for either June or Day in this book but they can handle anything that you throw at them. In this book their personality traits both positive and negative felt much more similar. They are both so trusting, in fact they are too trusting. But they are both also caring, intelligent, and resourceful. My one main criticism is that they just don't seem fifteen. I read a lot of YA and I am used to young protagonists, I am used to characters that grow up fast and are trust with a lot of responsibility at a young age. But here for some reason I just found myself wondering why on Earth anyone would have a fifteen year old doing, saying, or thinking that. It made it hard for me to suspend disbelief at times. That also extended into the romance of the book. As much as I didn't necessarily ship it in Legend, the addition of love triangles in Prodigy made things even more frustrating when it came to romance. But on the whole I love June and Day together, I think they make an excellent team and they are fantastic characters.

Liking those characters together and apart made Marie Lu's narrative style work so well. I say it with every book I read from her but she does alternating perspectives so perfectly. You are able to get inside both June and Day's heads so we are not only able to get to know them on a more personal level but we are also able to see them through the other person's eyes which makes things really interesting. But it also made for a unique narrative. In this book the main characters spend just as much time in the same place as they do in different places but it never feels odd. When one character drops the story the other one will pick it up. And despite often ending one person's portion on a twist or cliffhanger it never felt like a sudden or confusing. It all flowed in a really great narrative.

A narrative that grew and built to a thrilling and exciting conclusion. I think that was one of the biggest changes for me when it came to Prodigy that made me enjoy it so much more. It was much more thrilling. Legend had some pretty good action scenes but they never felt very high stakes. Here they felt like it was life or death. I was definitely on the edge of my seat with Prodigy. A few scenes in particular were incredibly thrilling and when everything really picked up I just kept reading and readig having getten through much more of the book than I thought. The pacing too was much better in this book. The characters got to the ending at the same time and it made the book much more mysterious and captivating. I actually didn't predict the twist in this one and made things all the more interesting and exciting.

But that thrilling and exciting plot was really mostly about the dystopian world. Like most dystopian sequels it took us out into the larger world. Here that expanded focus really worked. We got to see more of the Republic, including their capital in Denver, and we even got to visit the Colonies. In the first book the world was so basic. I wanted more about what was happening and why, which is exactly what I got here. There were so many different things happening in Legend but with Prodigy while the world grew the focus seemed to narrow. It was about the dichotomy between the haves and have nots. It was about the elites and their control of the people. It was all about the fight between the Rebels and the Republic. It's all about that political intrigue. I love the exploration of power and control in dystopian novels but here it felt more about who had the people's best interests in mind. It was such an interesting and refreshing take on the power concept I like in my novels and I really enjoyed it.

On the whole Prodigy was a great sequel and a huge improvement to a series I am now really interested to see how it develops. The characters continued to work their way into my heart, the plot was more thrilling, and the world-building was bigger and more interesting.

I give Prodigy by Marie Lu 9 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. This is definitely more like it. Fans of dystopia should definitely check out this book. If you liked the first one at all then be ready for more of June and Day, more exploration of the world, and more thrilling action.

Have you read Prodigy? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend Series: Legend #1 Author: Marie Lu Published: November 2011 by Putnam Juvenile (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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.

Last November I read my first Marie Lu book, The Young Elites, and was blown away by her writing, world building, and characterizations. I knew I needed to read more of her books so I couldn't wait to start this series that I know a lot of people love. And while I did find Legend to be an enjoyable read, I didn't love it. I thought it had great characters and an interesting narrative style but I found the plot to be a little basic and I wanted more world-building.

Probably my favorite thing about Legend was the characters. Both main characters were complex and interesting and while they are similar they are also incredibly different. Both June and Day are larger than life. June is the youngest prodigy serving in the military and is well-known for her prowess and intellect despite being a teenager. But she's not your average kickass female warrior. Despite being incredibly skilled she still has to prove herself to others. I found her really compelling because while she never for a moment doubts herself that's kind of her biggest weakness. She is a little sheltered and very trusting which gets her into trouble sometimes. But that is what makes her a well-rounded and likable character. Day however is not an elite, he is the most notorious criminal. He is also well-known and infamous for his skills and intellect. He's definitely misunderstood though and has this real Robin Hood vibe about him that I totally respected. And while they come from different backgrounds and want different things, they find a kinship in one another. And while I did enjoy that aspect of their relationship, I didn't love their romance. It was a little intsa-lovey and for me their companionship didn't have to be romantic. But that didn't ruin their characters. I was still invested in their struggle and wanted to see them succeed.

But liking the characters so much was really helpful for the narrative style of the book, another thing that really worked for me. You know that I don't love alternating perspectives but seriously, no one does it better than Marie Lu. Both June and Day had very distinct voices despite their similarities. Seeing the book from each of their perspectives led to us getting to know them a lot better. I felt like I knew them both on a deeper level and I wanted to see them succeed even when they were at odds. The other thing that the alternating perspectives did was create a lot of dramatic irony. We knew things that the characters did not know and that made for a really suspenseful narrative.

That suspense also extended into the plot of the book. While there was a lot of action and excitement throughout the book I didn't feel the thrills in the way I often do with these kinds of reads, I think I was expecting a thrilling and action-packed story but what I got was a mysterious and intricate read. The stakes here are pretty high for both our main characters and things definitely build to a thrilling conclusion but the general plot development was not about the thrills. And while I did find the plot interesting, I found the pacing to be a little disconnected. With two separate protagonists they are going to move at different speeds and reach different points that lead them to the inevitable climax. And while they did reach the same climax it felt like they reached their own individual ones first which was odd to me. But a lot of the plot is about learning the truth and learning about what is really going on here and they had to find their own truth before they found it together and learned the bigger picture information about the world as a whole.

Speaking of that world, Legend was a perfectly passable dystopian read but I was missing a little something from the world. I think my lack of connection with this book was the world-building. I feel like I'm being contradictory to what I often say about the world-building in my reads but here I would have liked a little but more. The disparity between the elite and general populace is a concept I love in my books but it was only barely touched on. And while the idea about a disease affecting the population was a big part of the plot development, I didn't feel like I knew that much about it. When it comes to dystopia what makes the books engaging for me is either lots of thrilling action or big picture political intrigue. In this book the lack of action wasn't balanced out by the bigger themes. Legend is the first book in a series and usually with first books I find that they either give you too much info about the world or not enough and in the case of this one it was the latter. I found the world interesting, I just wanted more.

But thankfully this is just the start of a new series and I am excited to see it all develop. I don't always love first books so I am going to continue with this series and find out more about the world and these characters.

I give Legend by Marie Lu 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you are a big dystopia fan check this series out. It was a good start to a series and I am excited to see where things go. I am definitely connected to these characters and I want to see where it all ends for them.

Have you read Legend? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Rose Society by Marie Lu

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: The Rose Society Series: The Young Elites #2 Author: Marie Lu Published: October 6, 2015 by Putnam Juvenile (Penguin) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes the second book in the exhilarating Young Elites series  Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.  Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers that murdered her love, the Crown Prince Enzo Valenciano.  But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

Why I'm Waiting 

How much did I love The Young Elites, you ask? Answer: SO MUCH! It was one of my favorite books of 2014 and I found it utterly and completely brilliant. I loved the characters, the ship, the world, the magical system, and the plot. I loved everything.

This series is one of the darkest YA novels I have read in such a long time. The Young Elites go to a very dark place. It's essentially a villain origin story and you spend most of the book in the head of a very broken girl. And she's the protagonist, the sympathetic one. The antagonist in this series is one that I love to hate! They are diabolical and vicious!

Basically I just need more of this series. I need to catch up with Adelina and continue with her story. The way that The Young Elites ended, ripped my heart out so I need to find out what happens next. I need to see Adelina's slow decent into madness and I need to see her get revenge. I feel like I need it just as much as she does!

I don't always love first books in a series and this one I found so fantastic, so I have high hopes for The Rose Society. I cannot wait to read it in May!

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting for The Wrath and the Dawn with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Crossing Over - Villain Stories

Crossing Over is a feature I started to encourage the reading of "adult" books based on a "young adult" book that has similar themes, characters, or plots. Think of it as If You Liked this then Try but with varying age ranges. It's retelling month here at My Thoughts Literally and I wanted again to do another special edition but then I thought about a draft post I have been hanging on to since October. It includes one of my absolute favorite retellings but it really looks at a different spin on the stories.

So this time I've decided to do things differently. This time I want to recommend a YA novel based on the adult book that I found it very similar to...

Wicked by Gregory Maguire - Add to Goodreads 

Maybe you've seen the musical but don't judge the book by what you saw. Wicked is quite a dark and dramatic story. It is the first book in a High Fantasy series with a compelling and interesting world that is not what you expect it to be, this isn't your grandmother's Oz. But it's also essentially a villain origin story. Many of the characters in the book are complex and devious and despite the fact that you know them to be evil, they stay sympathetic and likable.There is a lot more political intrigue than you expect and even some unexpected plot twists.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu - Add to Goodreads 

The Young Elites is quite a dark and dramatic story and when I was reading it I couldn't help but compare it to Wicked in my mind. It is the first book in a High Fantasy series with a compelling and interesting world that is not what you expect it to be. But it's also essentially a villain origin story. The characters in this book are complex and devious and despite the fact that you know them to be evil, they stay sympathetic and likable. There is more political intrigue than you expect, unexpected feels, and it is full of so many shocking plot twists.

I was incredibly blown away by The Young Elites (Check out my review). I loved the characters, the drama, the plot twists, and the emotional roller coaster it took me on during and after reading it. It reminded me a lot of my thoughts for Wicked. And when I finished reading it I couldn't get the similarities between the books out of my head. And not necessarily the plot at all, but the way the book made me feel. I definitely would recommend TYE to fans of Wicked and vice versa.

Have you read both of these books? Just one? What did you think? Leave me a comment. And because it's retellings month here on My Thoughts Literally, and because Wicked is probably my favorite retelling, I'm curious what your favorite retelling is. Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites Series: The Young Elites #1 Author: Marie Lu Published: October 7, Putnum (Penguin Teen) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside. Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites. Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her. It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

The Young Elites had me utterly captivated! From beginning to end it was one of the most unique, complex, and interesting books I have read in a really long time. From the characters, to the world, to the plot it was truly fantastic and I loved it!

The thing that first struck me about this book was the world. When the book began I wasn't sure if it was more of a dystopian novel or if it was more of a High Fantasy. It definitely had elements of both with a lot of political intrigue, a disease that changed society, and teens with powers. Speaking of those powers, the magical system here was incredibly unique. While it was supernatural in origin it was rooted in logical with each power being specific to the wielder and their particular nature. I loved learning about everyone's power and seeing the characters learn and experiment with them. And while I did feel like there was a bit of info-dumping or just a convenient way of showing off the individual powers of the characters, I'm going to cut this book a little slack because it didn't take me out of the story completely.

Or do, your call, whatevs!

What drew me into this story, and kept me captivated despite the info-dumping, however was the characters. Every last one of these characters was complicated and ruthless! I have never read a book where the heroes are just as hardcore and evil as the villains. They were all the dubious kinds of characters that I love and on the spectrum of good and evil they fall more towards the latter end of things. Adelina in particular was a fantastic protagonist for this kind of story. She is dark and dramatic with a tortured past that has made her that way. But that is also what makes her so compelling. I think what was the most interesting thing about Adelina is how despite being told over and over again that she is evil and not to be trusted, she did not come off that way to me. Throughout most of the book I kept thinking that she isn't really that bad and I was waiting for her to become as villainous as she is painted. But Adelina's Hero's Journey in The Young Elites was more about becoming evil. And while this is a villain's origin story but throughout it all, Marie Lu still makes her sympathetic and dare I say, likable?

Not to mention that the book was also full of amazing secondary characters that are just as compelling and ruthless. Teren was a spectacular antagonist for this story and was truly diabolical. Like he is officially on my list of villains that I love to hate! Meanwhile The Daggers were also great characters. I particularly like Enzo, who is a great leader and romantic lead, and Raffaelle, who may be my favorite character for how complicated he is and shipping feels. And Adelina's family was also really compelling especially her sister Violetta. And for the first time I really loved being able to see the book from the perspectives of these character, if only briefly. It added to the complexities of their characters. Being able to see into their heads made them darker and even more intense. It also added a level of dramatic irony and made them seem contrary to their actions and how Adelina viewed them.  I'm usually complaining about this but in The Young Elites it really worked.

Perhaps the most incredible thing about this book, however, was the plot development. The first quarter of the book was a lot of exposition and world-building. At this stage of the book it was much more character-driven, we were getting to know everything and empathizing with the characters. And when we develop am attachment to them the plot exploded! And from then on it was non-stop action and adventure. It sounds like a weird thing to say but the plot development was incredibly purposeful and thoughtful. Every action of the characters and every moment intentionally led to the thrilling climax of the book and when you sit down and think about it, you can logically draw the cause and effect. I'm not sure I've ever read a book where that was so clear, and I really enjoyed it. But as logical as it was in that respect the plot was also incredibly outrageous! This book is full of surprises, twists, and big reveals that I didn't see coming. I found myself on the edge of my seat, with my mouth agape, and bursting into tears at the unexpected WTF moments.

It was without a doubt an emotional roller coaster and I'm still not entirely over it three days later. I can't believe that this is only the first book in the series. It had feels, big reveals, and surprises that usually don't occur until the last book in a trilogy. Maybe that's why this is one of my favorite first books ever and one of my best books of the year.

I give The Young Elites by Marie Lu 9.5 (really more like 9.8) out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY, BUY, BUY! If you are a fan of Marie Lu, Dysopia, High Fantasy, and/or villain stories than you need this book in your life. Or if you are looking for a YA unlike anything you have ever read then check this book out. Give this book as a gift to that person in your life who is all "isn't YA just blah blah blah." This book is not for the faint of heart though. Be ready for the feels and a thrilling adventure!