Champion

By Marie Lu

Published: 

Pages: 369

It's been eight months since June and Day have seen each other, but when June comes calling, Day doesn't hesitate to move Eden and himself back to Denver.  However, June hasn't been completely honest with her reasons for wanting him to return.  Day still has not told June his reasoning for leaving either.  It's a web of lies and half-truths that could ultimately cause the greatest war between the oldest of enemies: The Republic and The Colonies.  June and Day seem to be the only ones able to make the sacrifices necessary to saving the planet from war, but are they willing to do it?

My first thoughts after finishing this book were: now that's how you finish a trilogy. Recently I've been let down by the third book in several trilogies so my hopes were not high for this one. But I was blown away by this conclusion, however frustrating I initially thought it. The story telling in this novel is excellent. The pace was steady with high action and resolution in the perfect place to keep the narrative compelling.

The characters we met in the first two books come into play big time. Even the infuriating end of Prodigy fuels this book with just the right amount of stubborn angst and tension to keep me coming back for more.  There are a couple of places characters say and do things that I thought puzzling because it seemed slightly out of character but those moments were few and far in between. 

The best part about this novel is that even though there is clearly loads of romantic tension it's not goddy, to use one of Day's favorite words.  There is something at stake besides the happiness of the romantic leads, which can sometimes be overshadowed by teenage angst.  That is not the case here. There is a real sense that something important is about to happen, the worst may not be over like June and Day hope. The tension between The Republic and The Colonies is by far the most palpable. 

Marie Lu has created a world in which I would not want to live, but however many issues I have with it, her characters are aware of their faults. They struggle with the difference between using their hearts and logic to live in the only world they know and there are consequences to actions. That's what I love about this series.  This is a series that I would read again and again and find something new every time.

PS. The cover is gorgeous!

Stars: 5/5

Praise:

"Remains masterfully true to its themes of loyalty, necessity, and dreams, eschewing any easy outs that the plot could offer."
     -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The exhilarating finale to the dystopian Legend trilogy delivers on the promises of the genre without ever being predictable about details.  Ever respectful of the capacity of its readers, this series offers a satisfying conclusion of potential rahter than a neatly wrapped denouement."
     --Kirkus Reviews