Prodigy by Marie Lu
Series: Legend (Book #2)Will need to read the first book prior to reading this one
For the beginning of the series, click here
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: 29th January 2013
Read Date: 17th May 2014
Tagged under: 2014 read, 2014 favourites, dystopian, YA-fiction, 4
Pages: 371
Buy at: Amazon, The Book Depository
She is a Prodigy...
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?
Book Review [Spoiler-Free]
The first book in this series, Legend, is a solid read and introduces the readers to the dystopian world of the Republic. While I did enjoy the book, I wasn't able to give the book a high rating because I felt Marie Lu held a lot of things back and the world building was just not there. Often, while I was reading, I felt as though the story is isolated to just one city. However, I did enjoy it enough to continue on to Prodigy.
And wow, Prodigy comes out punching!
Last warning: please read the first book before continuing on with this review. Although it's spoiler free for this book, it will contain details regarding the first book, possibly spoiling it for you.
Prodigy picks up right where Legend ends, with Day and June on the run. Day is injured, making their goal of joining the Patriots and asking for help all the more urgent. But once there, the Patriots refuses to help them out of good will. Instead, they want June to use her former connections and Day his popularity to advance the Patriots' goals. But will the pair be willing to trust the Patriots and join in the political foray?
This second instalment of the Legend trilogy contained everything that I wanted in the first book and more. While in some trilogies, the second book seems to be the lull before the finale, Prodigy acts more of a can-opener, revealing a whole heap of new content and plot development that ramps up the fast pace that's set in the first book. And unlike the first book, where you can see the impending disaster from a mile away, this time, I was left at the edge of my seat most of the time, wondering what is going to happen next? The twists in this tale is cleverly planted and beautifully executed. I thoroughly enjoyed almost all of it.
And the world building! Everything that I wanted is delivered plus more! We finally discover the truth of what happened prior to the formation of Republic and the difference between the two states is so startling it's remarkable. One comment I will make is that the setting of this book is eerily similar to two real-life countries. (Those who have read the book will probably now which two I'm referring to)
While the world building and the plot are definitely the highlights of this book for me, the character developments are also very well crafted. The alternate POVs between June and Day continues in this book - giving the reader insight into both of their thoughts and emotions. Plus, there are some ripples in their relationship with the presence of Tessa and Anden, which is fairly predictable. I wouldn't really call it a love triangle or a love square as there really is no battle in this case.
This second instalment of the Legend trilogy contained everything that I wanted in the first book and more. While in some trilogies, the second book seems to be the lull before the finale, Prodigy acts more of a can-opener, revealing a whole heap of new content and plot development that ramps up the fast pace that's set in the first book. And unlike the first book, where you can see the impending disaster from a mile away, this time, I was left at the edge of my seat most of the time, wondering what is going to happen next? The twists in this tale is cleverly planted and beautifully executed. I thoroughly enjoyed almost all of it.
And the world building! Everything that I wanted is delivered plus more! We finally discover the truth of what happened prior to the formation of Republic and the difference between the two states is so startling it's remarkable. One comment I will make is that the setting of this book is eerily similar to two real-life countries. (Those who have read the book will probably now which two I'm referring to)
While the world building and the plot are definitely the highlights of this book for me, the character developments are also very well crafted. The alternate POVs between June and Day continues in this book - giving the reader insight into both of their thoughts and emotions. Plus, there are some ripples in their relationship with the presence of Tessa and Anden, which is fairly predictable. I wouldn't really call it a love triangle or a love square as there really is no battle in this case.
I really did like this book, maybe even as much as I liked the first! I hope you enjoy Champion!
ReplyDeleteMissie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
I've been wanting to read this series for a while, but I never seem to have any time.
ReplyDeleteYou've been nominated -->> http://booksnifferbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/06/liebster-award-nominations-x2.html