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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
it’s definitely a very fast paced book so i feel like i didn’t have time to get attached to the characters. but overall the idea for adelina’s powers is pretty interested so i’m excited to see where this goes
Back before BookTok, Lu's book [b:Legend|29863662|Legend (Legend, #1)|Marie Lu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1460224537l/29863662._SY75_.jpg|14157512] was whatever the old school equivalent of a BookTok sensation was; it was blowing up all over my Goodreads feed. I didn't like Legend, but I figured she was so popular for a reason so I kept adding her new books to my TBR. This is my third Lu book, none of which has gotten higher than 3 stars, and I think I can officially declare that Lu is just not to my taste.
Like [b:Warcross|41014903|Warcross (Warcross, #1)|Marie Lu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533058119l/41014903._SY75_.jpg|49634052], this is a perfectly serviceable YA dystopia (this time with a fantasy twist!), that will appeal to fans of other YA dystopias. The worldbuilding is lacking, but the main draw of YA dystopia is rarely the worldbuilding.
The biggest sticking point for me is that if the mutants/superpowered teenagers/magical teenagers/however you want to characterize them are hated and persecuted for their newfound abilities, why are they popularly referred to as The Young Elites? That sounds like a compliment! Wouldn't calling them "Young Monsters" or something make more sense? Anyway, if that doesn't bother you at all, then you'll probably like this book.
DNF @ 15%
Like [b:Warcross|41014903|Warcross (Warcross, #1)|Marie Lu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533058119l/41014903._SY75_.jpg|49634052], this is a perfectly serviceable YA dystopia (this time with a fantasy twist!), that will appeal to fans of other YA dystopias. The worldbuilding is lacking, but the main draw of YA dystopia is rarely the worldbuilding.
The biggest sticking point for me is that if the mutants/superpowered teenagers/magical teenagers/however you want to characterize them are hated and persecuted for their newfound abilities, why are they popularly referred to as The Young Elites? That sounds like a compliment! Wouldn't calling them "Young Monsters" or something make more sense? Anyway, if that doesn't bother you at all, then you'll probably like this book.
DNF @ 15%
I didn't love this one as much as I had hoped. I was really intrigued by the concept of a novel that focused on an anti-hero. Adelina is a fascinating character. I was hooked for about the first 100 pages. Then I got bogged down. The romantic tension between Adelina and Enzo is important for the story. But it, and a lot of the middle 200 pages, felt overly long. Then the last 100 pages had me hooked again. I think that if this book had been 300 pages instead of 400 it would have been fantastic.
3.5 stars - not great, but not bad either
3.5 stars - not great, but not bad either
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i first read this literally ten years ago, and i think it held up better back then. that's not to say it's bad—it just feels a little less groundbreaking and awesome now. however, i'm still definitely going to re/read the rest of the series.
I liked it okay. Unfortunately, I guess, it reminded me of a cross between Seraphina (which I really liked) and Throne of Glass (which I really hated). So, it fell somewhere in the middle. I liked the premise . . .
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Adelina’s character was very dangerous. She has a lot of darkness inside of her which she has trouble controlling, especially after she gains access to her powers. Her powers are fueled by fear and fury and, deep down, even if she doesn’t want to admit it, she craves the power to feel superior and to be able to cause others pain and fear. This is what makes her a gamble for the young elites to allow her to be one of them. The things her emotionally and physically abusive father made her go through has scared her in multiple ways, but the worst thing is that she realizes he might have been right about Adelina having something dark within her after all. I can’t wait to see how Adelina will use her powerful abilities to get revenge on those who have betrayed her as this wasn’t shown much in this book, but I have a feeling this will be a big part of the next one.
Enzo is the leader of the Young Elites, and technically the prince of Estenzia (the area they reside in). He possesses fire abilities and has an interest in Adelina for multiple reasons, one of them being her powers. He is determined to get the throne back from his sister and protect his elites at all cost. He cares a lot for them even though it might not seem like that from the outside because of his cold demeanor.
Teren is the villain of this story and he’s an interesting one, that’s for sure. He is out to hunt malfettos, wipe the land clear of them as he believes they are cursed and horrible. His character is more deeper than it seems because of multiple reasons that were revealed throughout the book. He is obsessed with the queen and hates the king but he’s also manipulative and sneaky. Overall, he does a great job stirring feelings of hatred in one but also has layers to him and his story.
The chemistry between Adelina and Enzo was everything. He was dark on the outside and she was dark on the inside. He was intrigued to push her and see the potential of her powers and she was ready to showcase them. The only problem I had was what made Enzo like her. It was a fair thing that many people probably experience but I felt bad for Adelina because it was as if he didn’t truly like her for herself. Though, that is something I could look past.
The pace of the plot at the beginning was quite slow. It was mostly introducing us to Adeline, the broken pieces of her life after becoming a malfetto and slowly getting us familiar to the new world. Most fantasy books do start off like that but it wasn’t until more than half-way after the book did it start picking up pace. Things escalated so fast and the amount of things that happened in one book was crazy. I have never read a book with this much happening in it, it felt like a whole series wrapped in one book. The major events occurring towards the end was probably the reason for me to feel as such.
The plot twist, though, was horrible in the way it pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it a thousand times until there was nothing left. I couldn’t believe it, I went through the five stages of grief trying to cope with it. Never saw it coming, never will forgive the author for it. The temptation of trying to go online and figure out whether the results of the plot twist were for real or not was so strong but I didn’t give in. One of the absolutely heart-wrenching plot twists I’ve ever read.
I loved the way the author handled her multiple pov’s. The main pov was Adelina’s, she moved the story forward and was who we focused on throughout the book. We also had other pov’s from other characters but they were very brief. The purpose of them was to add depth to the story and reveal things to continue to make me want to read. These side povs had an important role, for sure, as they definitely kept the plot interesting even when it was quite slow. The world building was pretty good. I understood how the cities were suffering due to the malfettos being hunted and punished, the gloominess of the poor city of Estenzia even though it was still beautiful from afar, and how the people were suffering as well from poverty and/or the ruthlessness of the Inquisitors who hunted down malfettos.
Overall, this book was a great read. I was in a mood for a fantasy I would love and the first book met my expectations pretty well. I’ve heard the second and third books are even better than the first so I can’t wait to pick those up. I’m not excited to see how many other ways the author may break my heart though. If you’re in a mood for a semi-dark fantasy, this one is a great choice!
Enzo is the leader of the Young Elites, and technically the prince of Estenzia (the area they reside in). He possesses fire abilities and has an interest in Adelina for multiple reasons, one of them being her powers. He is determined to get the throne back from his sister and protect his elites at all cost. He cares a lot for them even though it might not seem like that from the outside because of his cold demeanor.
Teren is the villain of this story and he’s an interesting one, that’s for sure. He is out to hunt malfettos, wipe the land clear of them as he believes they are cursed and horrible. His character is more deeper than it seems because of multiple reasons that were revealed throughout the book. He is obsessed with the queen and hates the king but he’s also manipulative and sneaky. Overall, he does a great job stirring feelings of hatred in one but also has layers to him and his story.
The chemistry between Adelina and Enzo was everything. He was dark on the outside and she was dark on the inside. He was intrigued to push her and see the potential of her powers and she was ready to showcase them. The only problem I had was what made Enzo like her. It was a fair thing that many people probably experience but I felt bad for Adelina because it was as if he didn’t truly like her for herself. Though, that is something I could look past.
The pace of the plot at the beginning was quite slow. It was mostly introducing us to Adeline, the broken pieces of her life after becoming a malfetto and slowly getting us familiar to the new world. Most fantasy books do start off like that but it wasn’t until more than half-way after the book did it start picking up pace. Things escalated so fast and the amount of things that happened in one book was crazy. I have never read a book with this much happening in it, it felt like a whole series wrapped in one book. The major events occurring towards the end was probably the reason for me to feel as such.
The plot twist, though, was horrible in the way it pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it a thousand times until there was nothing left. I couldn’t believe it, I went through the five stages of grief trying to cope with it. Never saw it coming, never will forgive the author for it. The temptation of trying to go online and figure out whether the results of the plot twist were for real or not was so strong but I didn’t give in. One of the absolutely heart-wrenching plot twists I’ve ever read.
I loved the way the author handled her multiple pov’s. The main pov was Adelina’s, she moved the story forward and was who we focused on throughout the book. We also had other pov’s from other characters but they were very brief. The purpose of them was to add depth to the story and reveal things to continue to make me want to read. These side povs had an important role, for sure, as they definitely kept the plot interesting even when it was quite slow. The world building was pretty good. I understood how the cities were suffering due to the malfettos being hunted and punished, the gloominess of the poor city of Estenzia even though it was still beautiful from afar, and how the people were suffering as well from poverty and/or the ruthlessness of the Inquisitors who hunted down malfettos.
Overall, this book was a great read. I was in a mood for a fantasy I would love and the first book met my expectations pretty well. I’ve heard the second and third books are even better than the first so I can’t wait to pick those up. I’m not excited to see how many other ways the author may break my heart though. If you’re in a mood for a semi-dark fantasy, this one is a great choice!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
I had high hopes for this book going into it sense I loved the Legend Series and let me tell you, I was not disappointed in the slightest. I loved the characters and the sense of magic in the book. The drama was intense and the plot kept surprising me. Let me just say that the ending had me getting watery eyes but that the epilogue left me on a cliff hanger. I need more Marie Lu!!!
I had high hopes for this book going into it sense I loved the Legend Series and let me tell you, I was not disappointed in the slightest. I loved the characters and the sense of magic in the book. The drama was intense and the plot kept surprising me. Let me just say that the ending had me getting watery eyes but that the epilogue left me on a cliff hanger. I need more Marie Lu!!!
This book started out pretty strong but then became a chore to finish. I believe this is in part because I started it during a busy finals week and had to frequently put it down. If I had been able to just dive in until I finish, I think I would have liked it better.
As it is, I felt like while the writing began well, it became melodramatic and overwrought. There was a lot more telling rather than showing Adelina's inclination towards darkness and violence. Thinking on it now, it reminds me a bit of Kylo Ren.
What bugged me more than anything was the actions of the Adelina and Enzo. When she was blackmailed, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for them to feed false information to Teren. I completely understand her anxiety in how Enzo would react, but...it seemed like sitcom level misunderstandings but deadlier.
While not many of the characters were particularly memorable, I did really enjoy her relationship with her sister as well as Rafelle (can't remember the spelling). Some parts of the book did genuinely surprise me. I'll probably read the rest of the series but I'm not going to rush out for the next book.
As it is, I felt like while the writing began well, it became melodramatic and overwrought. There was a lot more telling rather than showing Adelina's inclination towards darkness and violence. Thinking on it now, it reminds me a bit of Kylo Ren.
What bugged me more than anything was the actions of the Adelina and Enzo. When she was blackmailed, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for them to feed false information to Teren. I completely understand her anxiety in how Enzo would react, but...it seemed like sitcom level misunderstandings but deadlier.
While not many of the characters were particularly memorable, I did really enjoy her relationship with her sister as well as Rafelle (can't remember the spelling). Some parts of the book did genuinely surprise me. I'll probably read the rest of the series but I'm not going to rush out for the next book.