The Ruby Circle the last Bloodlines book

                Back to some book reviews. On February 10^th The Ruby Circle came out.  For those of you who are unfamiliar that is the sixth and last book in the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead.  This is, at this time anyways who knows what the future may hold, the last book in the overall Vampire Academy world.  It was bittersweet.  Like most series ends are, especially those you have been reading for several years.  I counted down the days for this release since finishing book five, Silver Shadows both anxious and happy given how the previous book ended.  I picked this book up, on my third store, the morning it came out, so I could have it with me for my shift at work, all 12 hours for which I could love this book.  I found it and I finished it before I went home that night. Here are my thoughts on The Ruby Circle as a book but also my thoughts on the Bloodlines and by extension Vampire Academy series as a whole.  So it goes without saying that if you are not caught up with both series then you should leave now, but come back when you have caught up, so we can discuss.

                Last chance if you don’t want to be spoiled for the other books. 

                Fellow Bloodlines lovers, you remember we left off in Silver Shadows at both a happy and sad place.  We had some amazing Sydrian moments but then that last line….yeah it brought it all down a notch.  I might be horrible but that was not nearly as bad of a cliff hanger as the previous one, I was royally pissed with how book four ended leaving me hanging.  Don’t get me wrong I was worried about Jill and what that meant for Lissa and such but I was still overjoyed by Sydrian and their nuptials and them finding at least temporary sanctuary in court that I was high on love.  After everything they did to find one another again nothing could bring me down.  And besides Sydney had just showed how bad ass she was, okay we already knew but that helipad stuff was hard core.  I had confidence that everything would be okay.

                Then we pick up in The Ruby Circle and have Sydrian hiding out in court.  They are not on a blissful honeymoon and in tight quarters with Adrian’s mom.  Not being able to go out and help search for Jill because your old people want to find you and lock you up in a torture ward is taking its toll.  Oh and the Mori who are technically hiding you, a majority of them don’t like you because of the taboo nature of it all, it’s rough.  Plus they are dealing with issues together, things they have been working on through the series but didn’t discuss in full depth before with the tight time constraints.  Still they have to work through their issues and risk everything to find their friend.  While Adrian is also pulled into a mystery all his own and that could change everything in more ways than one.

 

Sydrian from the book trailers!

                 There were the things we expect in the books, like Adrian’s witty commentary.  I LOVE him.  Now I always wanted Rose with Dimitri because they were just the right fit but I still loved Adrian and wanted him to be happy and Sydney is perfect for him.  They complement and challenge each other.  Favorite line every might just be “Am I still married to a cat?”  Classic Adrian.  Only he could say some of the things and get away with them.  Sydney is her usual smart and determined self.  She feels responsible for people and she wants to do everything she can to help even if it puts her in harms way.  But what is refreshing about her brand of heroism is that she is also super smart and usually thinks things through a bit whereas someone like Rose would have rushed in ready to kick butt first ask questions later.  We also got more Eddie, Trey, Ms. Terwilliger, Wolfe, Neal, Sonya, Rose, Dimitir, and everyone we love and some we love to hate.  We got a book with our main Bloodlines crew but also we added in the originals which warmed my heart so much.  And to see Sydney, Adrian, Rose, and Dimitri working together.  AWE.  Power couples unite!  Yes I’m a nerd.

                I was shocked.  Normally I have things pretty figured out.  I might be shocked at where things are left for a particular book but I usually have a good feeling about some things.  Not going to lie, I didn’t see some things coming until a few pages before.  Then it was like, oh wow.  Nicely done.  I was also expecting a longer draw out to part of the story but it played out differently than I thought in a wonderful way.

                My heart was filled with happiness and dread as I read through this book.  I knew going in that it was the last book in the Bloodlines series but also as of now, though she said no one can predict the future, the end of the Vampire Academy world.  Meaning no immediate follow up sequel series, but I’ll always be hoping for more.  Plus I was looking to see how everything would wrap up.  I admit there were a couple things that didn’t get resolved for me, that I was hoping might have some type of hint as to the result, but hey again leaves room for a short or more.  Just saying.

More Sydrian because they are the best!

*****Spoilers for the ending of the series ahead*****

                Overall if it isn’t clear I love this series.  Both of them.  I think The Ruby Circle did a good job at keeping the story and the action we’re used to seeing going while at the same time wrapping up some loose ends and rounding out the series.  The way Sydney wheeled and deals with the Alchemists making it all about logic was perfect, something the Alchemists could understand.  My original idea was for them to blackmail the Alchemists with exposing them, the Mori, and Strogoi something they fight to keep under wraps.  Kind of like a dead mans switch, if you hurt us we take you and everything you work for down too.  That would also hurt the Mori which is the downside of my plan so I like Sydney’s plan better.  Her way was so much cleaner and to the point.  The magic was taken up a notch as well with some new spells to intrigue us.  If only we all could do magic, I know some of those spells would make life so much more interesting. 

                Adrian.  I just love the way he has grown through both series.  He has stayed the same in many aspects, the real part of him, but he has grown as we all do through our experiences.  He comes a long way all the way up to the little one year later bit.  Total awe moment.  The way he battles with his spirit use.  He wants so much to help.  It comes from a good place and Sydney is worried about him and losing him to madness.  She is so used to having answers and solutions for things, sprit is something she has only one solution for.  But it’s up to Adrian and he has to make a choice and make it for himself not to please anyone else.  I liked the symmetry from the first books where he gave up things to impress rose but then later found he wanted to give them up and be better because of Sydney not to impress her but because she made him want to be better for himself. 

Now can we discuss the ending? 

A little normal family.  A cover up.  Sydney living a normal, rather semi-normal, life.  Domestic selves with jobs and Sydney finally getting to fulfill her dream of going to college.  Things didn’t turn out exactly how they planned but nothing ever does.  I understand needing to keep the bebe hidden, I do but I still wonder about what this could mean for others. This could mean something huge for Rose and Dimitri in the future.  Also with Sonya not brought into the fold with this, what happens if she and her hubby have an accident?  Just a small fault I think was overlooked in who was told what.  I understand Olives need to protect her secret, even if it cost her everything.  Neil just walked away for with the best intentions; that could cause trouble later.  I still have my questions as to why he couldn’t stick around as a “friend”.  

"This is the only escape plan we need."

"Centrum Permanebit.  The Center will hold.  Our center will hold."

"Am I still married to a cat?"

 But back to happier things Eddie and Jill finally had their moment.  Only took six books but they finally admitted their feelings.   Nothing like near death loss to put things into perspective.  Poor Eddie he gets put through the ringer in this series for sure; he deserved a happy ending.  Though this does bring up one question, I may have been so excited about everything I overlooked it, but I don’t remember them clearing up the legal issues and what put Jill in danger in the first place.  She went back to court so you assume all got cleared up but I would have liked to know more.  Also Zoe really surprised me.  I hopped she would come around but given her attitude and how eager she seemed to please her dad I was leery. 

I am sad to see the series come to an end.  I’ve been reading these books for years.  They have made me laugh, cry, swoon, scream, and every other emotion on the spectrum.  Sadly the movie, which I adored, didn’t do so well and we never got Frostbite to be made into a movie, which sadly means we probably won’t see the Bloodlines books into a movie either.  Though if they do I would totally vote for them to use the people from the book trailers for Sydrian they are so cute and who I picture.  In the end, this series will always hold a dear spot in my heart and I look forward to re-reading them from the start again in the future and letting the world and the characters pull me under their spell once more.  I have given every book in both The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines 5 Stars, The Ruby Circle is no exception.  I’d also like to make a special rating for the series as a whole, 10 Stars, since both series have 5 Stars each ;)

 How did you feel about the end of the book and the series?  Are you happy with how it turned out?  Sad to see it go?  Share your thoughts below I need to talk to someone about all the feels I have over the ending. 

               

                

Fifty Shades of Grey the Movie

                So as I mentioned I had plans to see the Fifty Shades of Grey movie last night with some friends.  I did.  If you are one of the few people who have somehow managed to not hear about the books or movie in some form or fashion, for or against, in the last few years then I am amazed.  It’s an erotic/romance that follows Anastasia Steele as she meets billionaire Christian Grey and her life changes as she is introduced into his world.  Full of sex and Dom/Sub relationships, other adult content, ringing any bells?  My showing was packed.  It made me happy to see it so full.  As one could guess the audience was made up of about 85% female.  I read these books, a couple times now, since the latter half of 2014.  I have my thoughts on those here if you’re interested.  Proceed knowing this review is by a fan of the series who was excited for the movie.  These are my thoughts on the movie as a whole and as a book to movie adaptation. 

                First WOW.  Okay so the soundtrack is pretty kick ass.  I got it only a day before the movie came out so not a ton of time to enjoy but I really enjoy the songs and after seeing the movie and having scenes in mind when I hear them, only gets better.  Oh and if it wasn’t clear I loved it.  I loved the way it played out on the screen, how they took the book and translated it to the screen in a way that was true and beautiful.  The contrast between Anna and Christian was there, the clear night and day differences in their lives.  Her just finishing school and him billionaire businessman who has… structure in his life.  I never had any issues seeing either Dakota or Jamie in the roles, maybe because the trailer is what made me decide to read the books so I visualized them, but they were the roles for me.

Yes please!

They had the chemistry there as well to back it up, even though I keep hearing people say they have none.  Okay I admit some of their interviews are more reserved but they are both more private which I can respect and as long as you have that chemistry on the screen that’s all I care about.  To me, they have it.  Even in the trailers the way he gazes at her, like he wants to just rip her clothes off.  And Dakota played the poor Anna so well but also gave her a bit…more backbone with him.  Without the inner monologue (AKA inner goddess) where her thoughts were stronger than her actions.  It was a nice blend.  Everything is still there but in expressions and actions or conversations rather than internal conversation with herself and not as in depth.  This is something I think many will enjoy as the inner goddess is one of the biggest things I hear people complain about in reference to the books.

So the inner goddess is gone from the movie, or more infused in other ways.  The sex is not gone.  Sure they edited/cut it to make it suitable for the screen and they did cut out several scenes but when you have so many of them in a book and you want the movie to have the impact but also have more story you pick and choose.  Of the ones they cut, I get it, some just wouldn’t be able to have the ummph they had in the book shorting of making the rating go up, if possible, and risk theatres choosing not to show it. 

              

With the cutting of scenes there wasn’t nearly as much e-mailing back and forth.  They do on occasion message which showed on the screen but not nearly the in depth letters they e-mailed one another full of witty and flirty lines.  Also their jobs are left a bit in the dark, hers more than his, she is supposed to be applying for jobs and such after graduation and that plays a role in the next two books.  They also didn’t get too in depth with some of the lesser characters.  There was more of them in the books, obviously, like Jose, Christian’s family, Dr. Flynn, Dr. Greene, and our friendly housekeeper.  Speaking of Dr. Flynn, or the lack there of, they toned down some of Christians “stalkerish” features.  And the food fights.  Yes in the books, all three, it is always a thing with him making her eat, he’s constantly taking her to eat or trying to feed her because she never seems to eat.  He does give her food but some of the scenes are changed from a restaurant to a walk in woods or a business meeting.  Leading from the business meeting, instead of a lot of back and forth over e-mail and in person talking about “the contract” with the rules and limits, they have a business meeting.  I liked it.  It was a kind of take control kind of moment for her as she tries to understand and come to terms with his world.  That being said the rules are never clarified or negotiated just the limits.  Also it’s not really stated the no touching thing clearly until the end, sure he always stops her but doesn’t really mention it being such a huge deal, a HARD limit, until the end.  I would have liked it mentioned a bit earlier.

Wow looking at this now it seems like I have a lot to complain about that is different, but I didn’t feel that way.  I think it was beautifully done and yes as a book fan I would have clearly liked more of everything, every line and such translated but that is unrealistic.  The overall feel of the movie to me will please fans of the book, I know it pleased me, and also can be enjoyed by those who didn’t read the books.  I look forward to seeing it again, without the full theatre.  As much as I loved the combined laughs, gasps, and whoohoos of everyone I would like to see it without it.  For me I give it 5 Stars.  It made me proud as a book to movie adaptation. 

On a side note then end, well let’s just say it was made abundantly clear at the end who hadn’t read the books before the movie.  That’s all I’ll say on that.  Also given how book one ends I did go home and finish my re-reading of Fifty Shades Darker which I had started earlier in the day after spending all the previous night re-reading Fifty Shades of Grey.  I’m posting a bit later than usual but I’m functioning at work on less than 3 hours of sleep and I keep getting distracted as I write this with clips and such on the movie.  Anywho here it is.  Tell me what you think in the comments love it, hate it, or undecided.

Laters Baby!

Jupiter Ascending: Not a Flop For Me

                Hey everyone!  So I thought I’d switch things up a bit with a movie review.  I know I haven’t done one of these in a while.  Not that my love for movies have died down, but now I have so many movies and books to enjoy in the home, I don’t always go to the theatre.  With that said I did go Sunday and saw the new release of Jupiter Ascending, and picked up my ticket for the Thursday showing of Fifty Shades of Grey, which I plan to review also.  Limited spoilers just some overall thoughts, you know the drill.

                So I’m going to start out with the fact that, despite all the haters and the bad reviews I’d heard, I enjoyed the movie.  I have no shame in admitting I liked something others were bashing.  I liked the story.  I would give it a solid 4 Stars.  I was entertained through the whole thing, it has some issues but overall I felt it had more positives than negatives.  So I say go into it with an open mind and if you like the trailer and it seems at all interesting then give it a shot.

                I have no idea how to summarize the plot to this story adequately but here goes.  It’s a Sci-Fi story about a girl named Jupiter who has a less than glamourous life as a cleaner.  She soon finds there is more to the world than Earth, in fact it’s a very small piece of it all.  Oh and she is a Royal, and has legal claim over several realms, a fact that the current owners don’t see eye to eye with.  So between the 3 siblings there is lots of things going on to try and help and hurt the new Heir.  To make it through this, Jupiter must travel with a genetically modified warrior, Caine, to try and find her place and the best solution to her newfound status. 

                Okay so that might be a horrible description of it, and I’m sorry.  I just don’t know what to say to really explain it without giving things away.  Instead how about you check out the trailer to find out.

                That was so much better I think.  Anyways, I’m not clear on all the details but this movie was slated to come out back in the start of 2014, I remember seeing previews thinking it looked good and then never hearing about it for a year, then I saw them again and heard about the push.  Don’t know why or what just if you’re like me and swear you saw this trailer forever and a day ago, you may have. 

                The best thing about this movie was the visuals.  The world that was created was just beautiful.  So many times I wanted to screen cap the scene for my background and stare at it all day.  I only saw it in regular ol’ 2D so I can’t say if the extra money on 3D would be better.  On that I must add that there were some things that the 3D could have been pretty cool, but the scenes weren’t shot with the purpose of coming out at you like some movies can do.  So the beautiful land, er, spacescapes were one thing.  Then you add in the costumes and outfits, some of those dresses were beautiful, impractical as can be but beautiful.  And with any movie with different species we see a diverse set of characters with some strange characteristics and esthetics.  Some good make-up artists to do that work and to age some characters in a way that looks natural and not too out there is hard but pulled off.

                 Now moving onto the meat and bones of the story.  The plot was respectable, however, my biggest negative about the movie was that it had such a vast scale and so much going on sometimes it seemed a bit choppy going from one thing to another.  It was just over 2 hours long and  I know some people can’t deal with long movies so adding more would have been hard but I feel some more explanation or a bit different transition from one issue to another would have benefited the story as a whole. That being said there is a ton of stuff happening, different plot points and twists moving the story along.  Oh and tons of action.  There is constant fights, chases, explosions. And to temper it we also have some comedy.  There are some great little one liners that just totally made me laugh a bit too loud.  And what made them even better was that it was just what I was thinking myself, someone on screen voicing it.  My favorite one involves clothing.  And Mila Kunis does a great job in the role of being both naïve and determined.  She has her moments, just like many characters when we want to give them a good Gibbs head smack, but she also pushes through it. 

                That's all I really have to say about this movie.  Again I liked it and will probably buy it on DVD when it comes out.  So if this sounds like something you normally enjoy then give it a chance.  That's all for today.  I have some more book reviews to work on, I've already read 12 books in 2015 so whoohoo on that, and as I mentioned at the start I have my ticket to see Fifty Shades of Grey tomorrow with some friends and I plan to review it for you also.  So until then the usual applies.  Please take a moment to share your thoughts below.  Thanks!

                

Angelfall and a new breed of angels

                Normally I’d say my being behind in reviews is a horrible thing, but in this instance it worked out pretty well.  I read the first two books, Angelfall and World After, in the Penry & the End of Days series by Susan Ee back in November 2014.  LOVED THEM.  But as I’ve mentioned the end of 2014 was gone in a blink and I have no idea what happened.  So I was working on my review and I find that the cover for the next book End of Days is coming out tomorrow (today since I won’t post till then) and I can share that with you too!  Exciting new for me. 

                So jumping right into it the series is about angels who have come to Earth to demolish the modern world.  It’s been about 6 weeks, so everything is in a weird kinda place, people are still in shock and adapting but the world has also already turned cruel as the world falls around them.  We focus on Penryn, a 17 year old girl just trying to keep her helpless little sister, Paige, and her crazy mother safe and alive.  Then when her sister is taken by a warrior angel.  Penryn will do anything to get her sister back.  Even work with another angel, Raffe, one she can make a deal with.  He is broken and wingless on the street in bad shape.  He’s never needed someone before but now he is being rescued by this teenage girl.  Can these two enemies learn to trust one another enough to survive together long enough to reach the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco for Penryn to rescue her sister and Raffe the chance to be made whole again?

                I heard several BookTubers talking about these books and had seen them always on the Amazon pages.  I decided to check them out, wanting to know what they were about for myself.  Then as luck would have it as I ordered the books, I found out my little brother, okay he’s been taller than me for 4-5 years now even though I’m 5’7 still I’m older, thus he is my ‘little’ brother, has read Angelfall.  He read it free on Prime and then was asking me to borrow World After.  I advised I had only placed the order the previous day so I didn’t have it yet and he’d have to wait till I read it.  I’m picky about lending out my precious bebes to people but no one borrows it until I’ve read it.  Clearly.  So to get my brother super excited about a book I knew it had to be really good and I counted the days for it to arrive.  I was not disappointed. 

                I’ve read several series involving angels in the past.  I have nothing against them but they aren’t usually my favorites.  Mostly because they all seem similar and focused on the same aspects.  I can enjoy them sure but not like these.  This series is completely different from any angel book I’ve found.  Angels are creatures of good, everything is turned on its head.  The journey the characters make is the central focus.  A quest type of story with the ultimate goal for our heroine and she is forced to form an alliance with an unlikely source and a surprising semi-friendship if not mutual respect blooms. 

                Penryn is a tough girl who had to grow up fast.  Not strictly because of the angels but her family.  She is purpose driven and struggles with everything happening around her but she refuses to fall apart.  I like her and from the start I was rooting for her.  On the flip side we have out wounded angel, Raffe, who you’re unsure of.  Angels after all are painted out as evil heartless.  He is rough around the edges for sure but he grows on you.  I felt bad for him just as much for Penryn, to go from soaring through the sky to being wingless would majorly suck.  The way they interact with each other is beyond great.  So different and yet very similar.  Very dynamic. Each having to step out of their own prejudices to learn about the other enough to make it through.

                Now aside from a unique and original take on angels, for me there was so much more.  An added dystopian and even sci-fi element.  There is tons of action and misadventure along the route with tons of things to straight freak you out.  Really.  There is some creepy stuff described in the book and normally that doesn’t catch me but I was so caught up in the story I wasn’t prepared.  Also as a random side note the wonderful Susan Ee added random moments/items that just completely made me stop and think.  Might just be me but yeah I stopped reading for a few minutes to Google a couple things, not spoilers, you know how I hate those, but things mentioned, survival aspects, that I wondered about the validity and yeah they were legit.  I give her high props for making me Google and also for having clearly depicted it realistically.  It’s the simple things that make it so good to me.

                I mentioned I read both books that are out.  Now I have to talk about things that I feel would slightly spoil Angelfall if you knew before reading.  You’ll be safe if you haven’t read or finished World After though.  So with that said, skip until you see the second set of ***** and you’ll be safe from spoilers. 

*****Now we move into some slight SPOILERS*****

                You’ve been warned. Okay now if you are still with me and you have read Angelfall, or you’re one of those strange creatures I don’t understand who likes to be spoiled.  Either way thanks for sticking around.  Now I mentioned before about Penryn and Raffe and their getting to know one another.  Well you can’t really explain more without ruining it, the best part is really them getting to know one another and having to rely on the other without knowing if they fully trust them.  The different agendas and confusion over motives and past beliefs and such.  It’s such an amazing tangled mess.  But through it all we see that connection, they clearly have come to care for one another.  For me there was the slightest touch of forbidden romance, but just a touch.  It is hard earned and it feels natural.  The way they grow together through the course of the book.  But still just a smidgen because let's face it there is so much stacked against them.  Just love it, and it only improves in book 2. 

                And did I mention Paige.  Oh my goodness I was not expecting that.  I was prepared for so many different outcomes but that?  No way, was I in the least bit prepared for the end of Angelfall.  If you haven’t read World After yet get ready it is kicked into a whole new league with the sci-fi creep factor the end of  Angelfall left you in.  Oh and mom is a tad bit over the fence in crazy town and I spent half the books trying to figure out if it was good or bad for Penryn.  If I trusted her enough to stay with her or if I wanted her to find her own path.  What?  She’s seriously coco for cocoa puffs.  I love it.  Such a great dynamic and the girl it has turned Penryn into, those classes and such turned out to be okay.  Maybe there is something to be said for crazy.

*****End of SPOILERS*****

Susan Ee was at YALLfest 2014
and it was so much fun to chat
with an author about her books,
her characters. Even wished my
brother an early Happy Birthday!

                Spoilers are over.  Back to safe topics like, I am so ready for the next book, the last book.  I gave both Angelfall and World After 5 Stars and hope to give the next one the same rating.  Yep the next book in the Penryn & the End of Days book, aptly titled End of Days will be the final installment in the trilogy.  I have very high expectations for this last book and hoping to wrap up several open stories that have kept me on the edge of my seat thus far.  End of Days is set to release May 12th.  Also at the start I mentioned today was the release of the final cover.  It was released at EW and you can click here to see it and if you're caught up read a one page exert. 

                While I wait to find out what happens with Penryn, Raffe, Paige, and everyone else I'd love to chat about the books.  Please share your thoughts below as usual I love hearing what everyone has to say about books. I hope to have more up for you soon.  Enjoy!    

A Legendary Series

                So I know I said Monday...but yesterday I left my apartment for one thing then kinda didn't come home until bed time.  But better late than never.  Let’s discuss this little series that starts with Legend by Marie Lu, who is ubber sweet by way.  I’ve read the entire series at the end of last year and WOW.  The last book, the whole series if I’m honest, made my top books of 2014 and today I am finally getting my thoughts about the first book, Legend, and the series as a whole down.  I’ll keep the first part spoiler free for those who are as behind as I was.

                The story is a futuristic dystopian that takes place in what used to be the United States, now it’s divided into the Republic and the Colonies.  Both are perpetually at war.  The story is told from two sets of view, one from one of the Republics wealthiest districts, June, who is a prodigy and is expected to rise to success in the highest military ranks.  And then we have Day, the country’s most wanted criminal who was born in the slums.  They are from very different worlds but their worlds collide when June’s brother is murdered and Day is the prime suspect.  Day races to stay alive and save his family while June is looking for revenge.  But as things progress the two uncover secrets and the truth about what sinister lengths the country will go to keep its secrets.

                June and Day.  Okay I admit one thing that in the first part of the first book was that they were so young, 15 I believe.  That seemed a bit young for me with everything they were going through but once I ignored the age thing I pictured them a bit older and all was right in my internal picture.  Though I think that may just be a me thing.  Also, something I thought was pretty cool, in the physical copy of the books (I don’t know if it would do this on e-readers) is that as it changes from Day to June it changed ink color.  I found it pretty interesting that the ink color also matched the books covers (Legend= Gold, Prodigy= Blue, and Champion= Red).  Noting to do with the story really but the attention and unique detail made me smile.

                The first book is packed with so…much.  We fall into this world and we have two characters we see the world from, two completely different people.  The way the world of the Republic is for someone on the poor side and someone raised with the best of everything.  We see the motivations behind each of their actions as we go along their journey.  It’s hard to pick a side when you want to agree with both of them.  Each one is biased over their past experiences both good and bad.  I loved the dynamic there.  Getting to know both June and Day, seeing what made them tick and watching as they developed over the course of the series was great.  The entire world is like one big nightmare but still I couldn’t help trying to figure out if the system would work for me or against me.

                Action galore.  Day the criminal is always working on a plan, always coming up with something to provide him and his friend and family with food and supplies but also ways that fight against the Republic and make him the people’s hero.  June on the other hand is a finely tuned machine ready for action, just itching to use her schooling and show she the best.  Be it brawls, chases , flash backs, break-ins, break-outs, whatever these two characters like to be moving and doing. 

With the action comes plenty of meat on the bones of the story.  There is a lot of political motivation, revolution and rebellion in the story that spurs it along.  And still there is a balance with learning about them and watching as the characters get to know one another both before either knows the other and after.

That’s all I can really say without being a bit spoilery so if you haven’t read the whole series then you should skip right to the comments to share your thoughts and come back to finish reading once you’re all caught up! 

*****Slight spoilers ahead if you haven’t read the first 2 books yet*****

                LOVE!  I had to share.  I LOVED this series.  Everything from the characters, June and Day, down to the lesser supporting characters, the ones we keep and the ones we lose, the different structure, the world itself and what devastation it has fallen into.  It’s hard to pick a favorite part but some of my favorite parts include the way the world was portrayed.  Neither system, the Colonies, the Republic, Antarctica, each system seems to have its own flaws, there is no system that is 100% great to everyone.  To be able to write a balanced world and not skew it one way or the other for the reader is a real treat; to be shown so much and allowed to make up my own mind with the characters.

 

                Another favorite is the development in both Day and June.  They go from complete opposites, enemies really, with such skewed views of one another to be much closer.  They both have lost so much, and in the war, in a place where everything isn’t sunshine and rainbows that is important to the development.  Now yes, I do feel Day suffered more losses than one should have to in their life.  But it changes them into who they are through each book, they continue to grow and change.

               

                Amazing.  And one last thing.  The ending!  I won’t spoil it but the last little bit I was beyond myself thinking it just could not end that way, then we get that fast forward and it was a balm to my heart.

*****End Spoilers*****

She is super sweet and stylish!

                So if it isn’t clear I rate all three books, Legend, Prodigy, and Champion 5 Stars.  I hope you all will take the time to check them out and give them a chance.  I look forward to reading Marie Lu’s other book series that has started, The Young Elites.  Please share your thoughts down below on the Legend series, if you’ve read it, want to read it, whatever I love talking books and want to start a discussion!