As the next entry for this week's Friday Reads I have the sequel of Legend, the book I reviewed in the previous Friday Reads entry. Binge reading a series has the advantage of saving you agonizing waits and you feel like you've never left the world you're reading about!
As with Legend, Prodigy is part of both my 2014 Series Challenge and the Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014!
Prodigy by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Being able to read Prodigy right after finishing Legend was a treat because I had all the details fresh in my mind. As always I'm going to try and keep it spoiler free, but expect spoilers for Legend because that's the nature of sequels!
We start right where Legend left us, with June and Day on the run, trying to contact the Patriots and get them to help Day with his injury. June is ready to give up everything in her former life to help Day and try to make amendments and Day has decided that the Patriots are the ones that can help them change the Republic.
The Patriots plan is to kill the newly elected Elector Primo, to start a revolution and change the Republic as it is. In exchange for the Patriot's help to finding Day's brother, they are asked to help. June will infiltrate the Elector's circle by returning to the Republic and Day will be the one to carry out the deed. But nothing is exactly as it seems, not the Elector Primo, not the Patriots and certainly not their plot.
Here the world builind is intense, since we see beyond the streets where Day grew up, we see more of the Republic and we even see some of the Colonies, and we learn that they aren't exactly the paradise and haven Day had dreamed of. There's a lot of political intrigue in Prodigy with quite a few unexpected twists in it too.
Day and June are still our main characters and the POVs we follow, but they're not the only characters that get developed. We get to know other players in this game much better than we did in Legend, and despite the hints at a love "square" we get, it was done in a very realistic way. It bothered me a bit, but never really took from the narrative and the main plot points, and in a sense, it also adds a bit more to the already high stakes.
For most of the book Day and June are separated because in this book and series romance never takes over the plot, the story and the fight never feels like an excuse to present us with the romance. Day and June do go through to some very hard times and revelations in Prodigy, and that changes them but also makes them more determined to do what they think is right.
The ending... well, the ending is not exactly a cliffhanger, but it is an emotional punch. You are left feeling quite horrible and hoping for something that will fix everything in the next book! Luckily enough for me, I had Champion right there waiting to be read!
Prodigy was a fantastic sequel, didn't suffer from the dreaded middle book syndrome, since we learn a lot of important information and the character progression is brilliantly done. Very much deserved 4 stars!
View all my reviews
As with Legend, Prodigy is part of both my 2014 Series Challenge and the Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014!
Prodigy by Marie LuMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Being able to read Prodigy right after finishing Legend was a treat because I had all the details fresh in my mind. As always I'm going to try and keep it spoiler free, but expect spoilers for Legend because that's the nature of sequels!
We start right where Legend left us, with June and Day on the run, trying to contact the Patriots and get them to help Day with his injury. June is ready to give up everything in her former life to help Day and try to make amendments and Day has decided that the Patriots are the ones that can help them change the Republic.
The Patriots plan is to kill the newly elected Elector Primo, to start a revolution and change the Republic as it is. In exchange for the Patriot's help to finding Day's brother, they are asked to help. June will infiltrate the Elector's circle by returning to the Republic and Day will be the one to carry out the deed. But nothing is exactly as it seems, not the Elector Primo, not the Patriots and certainly not their plot.
Here the world builind is intense, since we see beyond the streets where Day grew up, we see more of the Republic and we even see some of the Colonies, and we learn that they aren't exactly the paradise and haven Day had dreamed of. There's a lot of political intrigue in Prodigy with quite a few unexpected twists in it too.
Day and June are still our main characters and the POVs we follow, but they're not the only characters that get developed. We get to know other players in this game much better than we did in Legend, and despite the hints at a love "square" we get, it was done in a very realistic way. It bothered me a bit, but never really took from the narrative and the main plot points, and in a sense, it also adds a bit more to the already high stakes.
For most of the book Day and June are separated because in this book and series romance never takes over the plot, the story and the fight never feels like an excuse to present us with the romance. Day and June do go through to some very hard times and revelations in Prodigy, and that changes them but also makes them more determined to do what they think is right.
The ending... well, the ending is not exactly a cliffhanger, but it is an emotional punch. You are left feeling quite horrible and hoping for something that will fix everything in the next book! Luckily enough for me, I had Champion right there waiting to be read!
Prodigy was a fantastic sequel, didn't suffer from the dreaded middle book syndrome, since we learn a lot of important information and the character progression is brilliantly done. Very much deserved 4 stars!
View all my reviews
Haaaah. Just wait until you read Champion.. :p I enjoyed the book, until that DAMN ENDING. Worst ending in the world. Well. It was for me, at least, hih :D But hopefully you will like the book. <3 I'm glad you enjoyed Prodigy :) Sigh. I adore Day and June. <3
ReplyDeleteThey make such a great team, Day & June!
DeleteI admit, I didn't read your review too closely, because I have not read this one yet! I do plan on reading Prodigy and Champion! But I have not yet. I dislike that Day and June are separated for most of the book. And I've heard things about this sequel's ending... and the ending of Champion... well now, I guess I'll just have to read the two books.
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, Pili!
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Do get onto it, reading Prodigy and Champion one after the other will be the less painful way! ;)
DeleteThanks Alyssa!
I'm dying of jealousy :P I read this book in three years and waited for each one to come out. Can you believe the struggle I went through after this one ended and Champion was leaps away from release day!? Haha, in all seriousness, I'm very happy that you enjoyed the series. It's one of the ones that keep you on your feet. Great review.
ReplyDelete-Mari
I'm so happy I waited to read the whole series all together! The wait between books is always awful!!
DeleteWoot! You liked Prodigy! It's actually my favorite of the three books. I just loved the roller coaster ride of the plot as well as the emotions of the characters here. Ohhh June and Day <3 <3 It was that ending here that blew my socks off. I remember gasping and staring at the book with wide eyes for a while, thinking, "Well, Lu has guts!!!" haha. Great review hon!
ReplyDeleteFaye at The Social Potato Reviews
Thanks Faye! It really was a fantastic middle book, complete opposite of middle book syndrome indeed!
DeleteI LOVED Prodigy! I wasn't the biggest fan of Legend, but I adored this one... but... after that ending I'm scared of Champion! I have it on my top pile since december and I still can't!
ReplyDeleteSo, if you read it first, please tell me it won't break my heart (though I know it will).
Great review!