Series Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Series: Legend 

Author: Marie Lu

Books: Legend, Prodigy, and Champion

Series Rating: 5/5- a heart racing and pounding adventure from start to end

Book #1's rating: 5/5- an exciting start to a revolution

Book #2's rating: 5/5- my heart just died a little. Just a little.

Synopsis of Legend (as found on Goodreads):

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. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. 

Review:

*SPOILER FREE FOR CHAMPION, really really minor spoiler-y hints at what happens in Legend and Prodigy 

ANOTHER DYSTOPIAN SERIES ENDING. WHAT IS LIFE. It's like saying goodbye to such an old friend. It's another series I read when I first began to be a serious YA reader and I was in the midst of my dystopian rage (thanks to Divergent). And yet here we are now. The end.

Let us go through Carmen's fangirl emotions.

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Legend:

OH DAMN. S*** just hit the fan. Time to get to the heart of the plot and action! Oh wait jokes I have to wait for a second book... -.-

Prodigy: 

*cheers at badass fighting and action 

REVOLUTIONS WOOO

*pauses

*le gasp

*CONVULSES ON GROUND

*try to remember what oxygen is

*weep on the floor in a complete utter destroyed mess

Champion:
*HEART RACING
*PANTING
*CRYING
*moment of silence from shock
*gasp
* soft tears drip down
* blink
*small smile of hope

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I kid you not guys, dystopian series have got to STOP doing this to me. They are wrecking my life. (*cough, the book that shall not be named.)

Another great dystopian series, what can I say? Legend is utterly enthralling, captivating me with heart pounding action and suspense, and holy crap I can't believe it but it actually made politics interesting to me.

Legend begins as a relatively simple dystopian story, not an incredible amount of depth, but offers much potential.

Prodigy is when the world building and the richness of the characters come into play. They move the plot and Marie Lu is very smart on using character relationships to push other relationships forward along with plot. Everything is very interconnected and nothing is filler or irrelevant. Everything links in a way- whether certain actions/scenes are included because it was crucial to plot or adds depth to character, further enhancing and establishing their character.

Marie Lu also apparently learned cliffhangers around then too. -.-

Champion is much like Prodigy, very linked and action packed. There is no longer much world building but rather the world that was build comes into play to push on the plot and further establish depth and the struggles in the politics that anchor this revolution.

The romance between Day and June is at a perfect balance with all the other elements in the books. Usually the true most authentic and best dystopian series to me are the ones where the romance has equal standing to everything else around them. The characters not only care about the romance but they also value everything else- like family, friends, the fate of the world, etc. They are reluctant to sacrifice either one for the other and it shows especially in Champion. They are two amazing people with incredible obstacles between each other, and it's not overwhelming. They don't spend every moment with each other.

And of course, what everyone is anxious about: the ending.

Personally... I would argue it's the best ending for the series. Sure it might not be the "happy ever after" fairytale ending, but it tied everything SO well together, it made sense not only to plot, but also to the character personalities. It's bittersweet, but it's also beautiful. To me, around the last maybe 20 pages of Champion, it took more of a contemporary turn to the atmosphere of the novel. It was well written, totally tugging at my heartstrings, and it was heartbreakingly amazing. It was sad but sweet, like... really yummy dark chocolate. (My simile (or is it metaphor?) skills guys.) I was crying, but it was more like the really like sweet hopeful tears. Trust me when I say that it's a satisfying ending. Marie could've made it a fairytale ending... but there would be some bumps in logic and it just... it would be happy but it would lack depth and meaning to the ending.

And really I think ultimately that's what matters: the meaning of the ending and how it fits the theme of the whole series. Not really if the couple ends up together. (but duh yeah of course they should cause no, we fangirls cry for the fun of it) Really it's about how it's executed and what it means.

And according to that list, Champion gets a big fat A+ from me.

If I had to compare how that ending made me feel... I would say it made me feel like how I felt after reading Eleanor and Park.


Overall, another series I am so sad to say goodbye to. Legend has been an amazing series to read, going along with me for these past three years of high school. The characters are amazing, the plot is intriguing, and it is true to its core as a dystopian series. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm excited to see whatever Marie has planned next!