Title: Champion
Author: Marie Lu
Narrator: Steven Kaplan, Mariel Stern
Series: Legend, book #3
Length: 10 hrs 3 mins
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon |
Barnes & Noble |
Audible
The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!
He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.
The way I feel after having finished
Champion is the way I had hoped to feel after
Allegiant. Shoot, it's the way I hope to feel after reading
any series finale but most especially those that have become favorites.
This is how you write the ending to a trilogy.
This is how you say goodbye to characters that feel more like friends than simple descriptions in the pages of a book.
It's with a heavy heart that I do say goodbye to June and Day but not because their ending wrecked me. On the contrary, the ending to the Legend series was quite hopeful. It wasn't picture perfect, wrapped up like a Christmas present with a beautiful bow. But it was spectacular in the way that it pulled you in, made you feel cozy like when you're sitting in front of a warm fire with a mug of hot cocoa. I should know...I listened to the last ten minutes at least three times last night. ;0)
I promise to try not to make any more comparisons to that other finale from a couple of weeks ago. It's just that it's still so fresh on my mind that it's hard not to. But this book deserves to stand on its own merits, especially because it was such a strong finish. There were moments of extreme tenderness and love, but not minutes later, I was overcome with this insurmountable sense of grief over what one character specifically was facing. It was difficult not to give into both of those emotions and wish to remain in that portion of the novel, but there's a war brewing, and I didn't have time for brooding over what might have been or what's been lost. Not yet, anyway. Though the characters themselves are often faced with their pasts and previous mistakes, they endeavor to overcome all of that and move forward. In the face of all of their vulnerabilities, all of their perceived shortcomings, they were strong and self-sacrificing and proved to everyone just how resilient they could be.
Did you think there was a love triangle emerging in
Prodigy? 'Cause I didn't. And for those of you who think triangles are the foulest trope to grace the pages of our YA novels, rejoice. It's practically nonexistent. No. It IS nonexistent. Shame on all ye who doubt June and Day's feelings. Their romance has really blossomed over the course of this trilogy, and though it's not always sunshine and rainbows for them, they're the real deal. Just don't expect them to realize it overnight.
The war, the plague, the biochemical warfare...it's all pushed to the forefront in this final book, and as much as we want our beloved Legend and Prodigy to get their happy ending, the country comes first. The way this world has been set up has always frightened me...it's just so unbelievably plausible. And it feels even more so in this installment. It's militaristic but also chaotic, pitting government against government, citizen against citizen. Even Antarctica gets in on the action.
This is the first time I listened to a book in this series on audio. I remember the details of the other two books pretty vividly, this being a favorite and all, so I didn't feel compelled to listen to the first two books prior to picking up
Champion. However, after listening to
Champion on audio, I have to say, I kind of wish I had. I loved the narrators chosen to portray June and Day. They embodied these characters so perfectly, and they sounded like the teenagers that these characters are. Right down to Day's "yeah". *sigh* I definitely see myself purchasing the other two audiobooks for a future re-read/listen.
Champion is a stunning conclusion: fast-paced, action-packed, and riddled with emotion. Marie Lu knows how to bring the feels, and she knows how to use them against you. But as with most good villains, I'm sure she'd say that the end justifies the means. :) If you're already invested in this series, you
have to see it through, and I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with the ending. Seriously, it was a truly satisfying and fitting end. And if you haven't started the series yet, well, get to it, especially if you're coming off one of those (ahem) other unsatisfying series endings, yeah? :D
About the author:
I write young adult novels, and have a special love for dystopian books. Ironically, I was born in 1984. I like food, fighter jets, afternoon tea, happy people, electronics, the interwebz, cupcakes, pianos, bright colors, rain, Christmas lights, sketches, animation, dogs, farmers' markets, video games, and of course, books. I suck at working out. I also get lost very easily, but am a halfway decent driver. At least, I like to think so. :)
I left Beijing for the States in 1989 and went off to college at the University of Southern California. California weather sweet-talked me into sticking around, so I'm currently in Pasadena with my boyfriend, two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, and a chihuahua mix. In my past life, I was an art director in the video game industry, but now I write full-time.
Find Marie:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
{Blog Tour} THE MIDNIGHT STAR Look Book
In celebration of the release of The Midnight Star next week, Penguin has put together an epic blog tour. You'll find all manner of posts for this tour but yours truly is taking another stab at a look book, which you can find below.
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites, book #3
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
The Midnight Star Blog Tour:
Friday, October 3, 2014
Judging a Book By Its Cover: The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Okay, I totally missed doing these posts with Katie, and it looks like it's been right at a year since our last one. While cleaning recently, I found the folder that I kept her previous iterations in -- all 33 of them! -- so I begged April to see if Aubrey would be up to contributing, too. Lucky for me, she was! =)
This week, the girls are working on the following book:
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites, book #1
Publisher: Putnam BFYR
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Behold, the girls' attempts at recreating The Young Elites by Marie Lu...
Aubrey's masterpiece & guess:
Aubrey says:
I haven't read this one yet, so I'm not sure if she's right or not. In fact, I haven't read any of her books yet. For shame, but I did buy her last trilogy in kindle version, so someday I'll get to them. I met Marie Lu a few years ago at the Breathless Reads tour and she was lovely. :)
Katie's artwork & thoughts:
Katie says:
Haha...out of the mouths of babes, right? Actually, she's not all that far off, though. ;0) And don't you just love her dagger?!? I've read this newest book from Marie Lu already, and I was really impressed with the dark turn it took. I can't wait to read the rest of the series! And I get to meet the author later this month at the Texas Teen Book Festival in Austin, along with some other amazing authors. I AM SO EXCITE!
Have you read this book or do you plan to? What do you think of the girls' artwork and their thoughts on the story's premise?
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites, book #1
Publisher: Putnam BFYR
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I've been anticipating The Young Elites for what feels like forever. I was not, however, anticipating just how dark this novel would be. I loved Marie Lu's LEGEND series and thought it was incredibly strong from start to finish. I sense that the same will be true for THE YOUNG ELITES series, as well.
The thing is, there's not a single character in this book who is well and truly good. Not one. They manipulate to their own ends. They scheme with ulterior motivations. I wouldn't trust any of them, and Adelina is right to keep everyone at arm's distance, even if it means she has to face her demons on her own. Adelina is not simply facing adversity at the hands of her captors or from her would-be allies...she's facing death because of who she is and what she can do...and what she now knows.
When she meets the members of the Dagger Society, she thinks she may have finally found kindred spirits. Adelina is broken and has been since she emerged from the blood fever that ravaged the city, killing many and leaving many more marked, including Adelina. As a malfetto, her life has not been easy, but it was made even less so by a father who only wanted to use her to his own ends. Making her situation worse still was the fact that her younger sister had not received any marking as a result of the fever and was therefore perfect in the eyes of their father and doted on as such.
I loved the sister dynamic in this book, most especially because it was so very reminiscent of the one in Cruel Beauty, another book I read and loved earlier this year. A hard, demanding father's expectations of his eldest daughter. His doting on the younger, more beautiful sister. Love, misplaced hatred, and jealousy that all lead to a broken bond...and all in the name of protecting one another. Adelina's memories paint quite the portrait of her relationship with Violetta, colored by her jealousy that she is marked and Violetta is perfect. But there are moments that show Adelina in a less harsh light. It's just a shame that the only one who seems able to keep Adelina from the darkness is her sister.
But others seek to fuel the darkness in Adelina, to harness the power that the darkness calls forth and use it for their own purposes. Adelina doesn't know who she can trust, only that she must do everything in her power to save her sister from the Inquisition. In doing so, she might risk the ultimate betrayal...and the only love she's ever known.
If you're anything like me, you saw one girl + two boys and immediately suspected that a love triangle was afoot. You'll quickly discover that, though the synopsis does lend itself to an air of triangularity, at least one of the potential love interests is otherwise engaged already. And I don't mean in the matrimonial sense, only that this character's affections are already spoken for. So, fear not, haters of love triangles...your ship will have smooth sailing...sort of. I enjoyed the romance that developed, for the most part, and when it was on, it was ON, but I still felt like something was missing. That could have something to do with the fact that I never fully connected with any of the characters, thanks to their continued evil-mindedness, though.
Also, I might lay some of the blame with all of those viewpoints. Adelina's is most prevalent, but from time to time, we are launched into Teren, Enzo and even Raffaele's perspectives and thoughts, though from a third-person point-of-view as opposed to Adelina's first person. I was intrigued to learn more about what was happening with the Daggers and at the Inquisition Tower, but I also felt that it pulled me away from feelings I could have developed toward Adelina's precarious situation, instead of thinking she was as bad as all the rest.
The ending of this novel is just as unsettling as the beginning and no less intense. I don't think it could've ended on a better note, albeit dark and dire as can be. It was soul-crushing but also elegant in its destruction. I don't know that I'd have wanted it any other way, even if it means that possibly even more disturbing things are coming as a result. I am just in awe of Marie Lu's ability to continually surprise me at every turn, to completely destroy what little heart I had left after her characters dashed it to pieces with their villainy. And I can't wait for her to do it again in the next book.
Marie Lu Prize Pack
US only
Ends 9/30
Monday, September 15, 2014
{Promo} Excerpt & Giveaway: The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Some hate us, think us outlaws to hang at the gallows.
Some fear us, think us demons to burn at the stake.
Some worship us, think us children of the gods.
But all know us.
By Marie Lu
In stores October 7th
Here's the blurb:
LEGEND. PRODIGY. CHAMPION. ELITE. Don’t miss a word. Enter for your chance to win the full list of Marie Lu titles including the complete Legend trilogy and the all-new release The Young Elites.
Prizing & samples courtesy of Penguin Books USA.
Rules:
- This giveaway is US only. The publisher will be providing the prize for this giveaway.
- One entry per household.
- Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant.
- Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!!
- We are not responsible for lost packages.
a Rafflecopter giveawayMarie’s NYT-bestselling Legend series will be available in paperback after September 7th. Reviews on the Legend series:
“Legend doesn’t merely survive the hype, it deserves it.” –The New York Times
“Marie Lu’s dystopian novel is a ‘Legend’ in the making.” –USA Today
“An action packed-love story full of inventive details.” -The Los Angeles Times
Good luck!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
{Audiobook} Review: Champion by Marie Lu
Author: Marie Lu
Narrator: Steven Kaplan, Mariel Stern
Series: Legend, book #3
Length: 10 hrs 3 mins
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
It's with a heavy heart that I do say goodbye to June and Day but not because their ending wrecked me. On the contrary, the ending to the Legend series was quite hopeful. It wasn't picture perfect, wrapped up like a Christmas present with a beautiful bow. But it was spectacular in the way that it pulled you in, made you feel cozy like when you're sitting in front of a warm fire with a mug of hot cocoa. I should know...I listened to the last ten minutes at least three times last night. ;0)
I promise to try not to make any more comparisons to that other finale from a couple of weeks ago. It's just that it's still so fresh on my mind that it's hard not to. But this book deserves to stand on its own merits, especially because it was such a strong finish. There were moments of extreme tenderness and love, but not minutes later, I was overcome with this insurmountable sense of grief over what one character specifically was facing. It was difficult not to give into both of those emotions and wish to remain in that portion of the novel, but there's a war brewing, and I didn't have time for brooding over what might have been or what's been lost. Not yet, anyway. Though the characters themselves are often faced with their pasts and previous mistakes, they endeavor to overcome all of that and move forward. In the face of all of their vulnerabilities, all of their perceived shortcomings, they were strong and self-sacrificing and proved to everyone just how resilient they could be.
Did you think there was a love triangle emerging in Prodigy? 'Cause I didn't. And for those of you who think triangles are the foulest trope to grace the pages of our YA novels, rejoice. It's practically nonexistent. No. It IS nonexistent. Shame on all ye who doubt June and Day's feelings. Their romance has really blossomed over the course of this trilogy, and though it's not always sunshine and rainbows for them, they're the real deal. Just don't expect them to realize it overnight.
The war, the plague, the biochemical warfare...it's all pushed to the forefront in this final book, and as much as we want our beloved Legend and Prodigy to get their happy ending, the country comes first. The way this world has been set up has always frightened me...it's just so unbelievably plausible. And it feels even more so in this installment. It's militaristic but also chaotic, pitting government against government, citizen against citizen. Even Antarctica gets in on the action.
This is the first time I listened to a book in this series on audio. I remember the details of the other two books pretty vividly, this being a favorite and all, so I didn't feel compelled to listen to the first two books prior to picking up Champion. However, after listening to Champion on audio, I have to say, I kind of wish I had. I loved the narrators chosen to portray June and Day. They embodied these characters so perfectly, and they sounded like the teenagers that these characters are. Right down to Day's "yeah". *sigh* I definitely see myself purchasing the other two audiobooks for a future re-read/listen.
Champion is a stunning conclusion: fast-paced, action-packed, and riddled with emotion. Marie Lu knows how to bring the feels, and she knows how to use them against you. But as with most good villains, I'm sure she'd say that the end justifies the means. :) If you're already invested in this series, you have to see it through, and I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with the ending. Seriously, it was a truly satisfying and fitting end. And if you haven't started the series yet, well, get to it, especially if you're coming off one of those (ahem) other unsatisfying series endings, yeah? :D
Monday, September 9, 2013
{Promo} Champion by Marie Lu: Excerpt & Trailer
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend, 3rd & final book in the series
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Visit the Legend series website here for a two chapter excerpt: http://www.legendtheseries.com/champion_excerpt.pdf
And here's the teaser trailer:
How excited are you for November to get here?!? I think it's rather apropos that this book is releasing on Guy Fawkes Day, and I can't wait to see how well it's received. It's going to be an epic finish for a brilliant series, and if you haven't yet started these books, I highly recommend them!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Waiting on Wednesday: Champion by Marie Lu & The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's WoW selection's are...
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend, 3rd & final book in the series
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.
I love this series. So. Much. And June and Day's story just gets more and more complicated. But after that ending in Prodigy, I thought I would die, having to wait to find out what happens. I think Marie Lu could have a very lucrative career in torture. And then for the release date to be pushed back! Gah! What are you doing to me?!?
Author: Robyn Schneider
Series: n/a
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.
But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?
Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.
For those of you unawares, this book was previously titled Severed Heads, Broken Hearts. The original cover is provided below for your viewing pleasure, as well. I think this new cover and title are more mainstream and likely to garner a larger audience, but either way, that summary has definitely captured my interest.
What are you waiting on this week? Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so we can stop by!
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
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