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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I really hate Adelina! and Violetta! How can someone be so hypocrite? She knows her sister betrayed her all the time, I know she's her sister after all but she should say to Enzo that thing and let him decide but NO! Why would she?! She lied and betrayed him! Then be with him like she did nothing! Enzo deserves BETTER than, really, hate Adelina for what she did to him and Dante and because of her Raffaele is captured!!!
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
From the author of "Legend" comes a stpry of power, history and betryal.
When Adelina finds out that she has powers like many young people all over her country, after the pass of a fever, she is led to be killed. The Young Elites save her and from there begins a story of discovering her powers but also taming the darkness in her.
The POVs are seperated into third and first, something I've seen a lot this year and liked it very much. Adelina is a girl with darkness in her. She is not your typical fluffy good girl, she bleeds, hates and has ambitions.
The setting? You could say that in many aspects it can remind you of Venice at Rennaisance with a touch of magic and X-men. The rest of the characters, mostly the Young Elites are not so much developed, but instead we have glimpses from Enzo, Teren and Raffaele.
In the end another POV is added and if you read the book, you can see the plot line which i hope will be developed at the second book! The "Young Elites" is a must read which continues Marie's talent on storytelling and opens well her debut on historical fiction, something harder than dystopian. :)
When Adelina finds out that she has powers like many young people all over her country, after the pass of a fever, she is led to be killed. The Young Elites save her and from there begins a story of discovering her powers but also taming the darkness in her.
The POVs are seperated into third and first, something I've seen a lot this year and liked it very much. Adelina is a girl with darkness in her. She is not your typical fluffy good girl, she bleeds, hates and has ambitions.
The setting? You could say that in many aspects it can remind you of Venice at Rennaisance with a touch of magic and X-men. The rest of the characters, mostly the Young Elites are not so much developed, but instead we have glimpses from Enzo, Teren and Raffaele.
In the end another POV is added and if you read the book, you can see the plot line which i hope will be developed at the second book! The "Young Elites" is a must read which continues Marie's talent on storytelling and opens well her debut on historical fiction, something harder than dystopian. :)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book kept me reading and took several turns I didn't expect, especially Enzo's death. Adelina's slowly deteriorating mental health was really sad to read about, but I couldn't help cheering on her efforts to save the mulfettos (or however they are spelled) and try to connect with people.
Her capacity for reading bad intentions into other people's actions and good intentions into her own (regardless of how they appeared to others) was almost funny in its enormity.
I was meh about the romance, and mildly irritated about the scattered phrasings such as 'my alignment for passion rose within me' - I just found them weird and awkward.
Overall, though, I enjoyed the novel and will continue to read the series. I will spend the whole time rooting for her to change for the better and realize fear isn't all that great, while she probably does the exact opposite, as this has been marketed as a villain origin-story. But I suppose that's the hallmark of a tragedy - seeing opportunities for the main character to turn it around only for their own flaws to prevent them from doing so and instead doubling-down. At least it will be action-packed and interesting to follow.
Her capacity for reading bad intentions into other people's actions and good intentions into her own (regardless of how they appeared to others) was almost funny in its enormity.
I was meh about the romance, and mildly irritated about the scattered phrasings such as 'my alignment for passion rose within me' - I just found them weird and awkward.
Overall, though, I enjoyed the novel and will continue to read the series. I will spend the whole time rooting for her to change for the better and realize fear isn't all that great, while she probably does the exact opposite, as this has been marketed as a villain origin-story. But I suppose that's the hallmark of a tragedy - seeing opportunities for the main character to turn it around only for their own flaws to prevent them from doing so and instead doubling-down. At least it will be action-packed and interesting to follow.
4.5-5
With many people saying this series was just a little less than Legend, I went into this ready to find something to critique. About halfway through I realized I just can't, because I love this series so far just as much as I loved Legend. Let's face it, Marie Lu just has the power to entrance me and I give myself over.
I find it so intriguing and refreshing that she decided to do a villain's journey rather than a hero's. Adelina's journey throughout this book was absorbing, and maybe one of the best villain's journeys I've ever encountered. Everything was done perfectly – a background that lays the foundation for Adelina's darkness combined with her own personal lean toward darkness that makes her truly bad. I liked that she THOUGHT she didn't want to be bad, but her experiences and the acts of those around her break her and she realizes, yes I am bad and I will be unapologetic.
I loved the characters. Everyone in this book drew me in. Everyone had a role that affected Adelina but also had roles that showed multiple plots working around Adelina's.
I loved the setting, the feel of the Venetian chapter of Assassin's Creed mixed with the kind of fantasy magic that makes me think of A Darker Shade of Magic. This worked perfectly for me. At first I wasn't sure about it, going from the real-world in Legend to a fantasy world.
Going back to the characters, I want to touch on Teren and how much I actually like him as a villain. Perhaps lately I've just been reading lackluster villains, but Teren is the kind of evil that is truly frightening, the God complex type of evil, yet the peeks at his background make for promising development.
However with Enzo, I believe he was well done, but there was just a little bit missing in the interactions with him. Maybe that mystery is intentional, but my one criticism with this book is the amount of adoration Adelina spends on him. I think it was to show that her darkness is a mixture of her past and a denied romantic love, but there was just a little too much.
This story is filled with such interesting twists on good sides and bad sides and fuzzy morality within each group. I am eager to read more, and the epilogue has just ramped up the interest for me. I'm really hoping the sequels keep up this quality, I don't want to be disappointed!
With many people saying this series was just a little less than Legend, I went into this ready to find something to critique. About halfway through I realized I just can't, because I love this series so far just as much as I loved Legend. Let's face it, Marie Lu just has the power to entrance me and I give myself over.
I find it so intriguing and refreshing that she decided to do a villain's journey rather than a hero's. Adelina's journey throughout this book was absorbing, and maybe one of the best villain's journeys I've ever encountered. Everything was done perfectly – a background that lays the foundation for Adelina's darkness combined with her own personal lean toward darkness that makes her truly bad. I liked that she THOUGHT she didn't want to be bad, but her experiences and the acts of those around her break her and she realizes, yes I am bad and I will be unapologetic.
I loved the characters. Everyone in this book drew me in. Everyone had a role that affected Adelina but also had roles that showed multiple plots working around Adelina's.
I loved the setting, the feel of the Venetian chapter of Assassin's Creed mixed with the kind of fantasy magic that makes me think of A Darker Shade of Magic. This worked perfectly for me. At first I wasn't sure about it, going from the real-world in Legend to a fantasy world.
Going back to the characters, I want to touch on Teren and how much I actually like him as a villain. Perhaps lately I've just been reading lackluster villains, but Teren is the kind of evil that is truly frightening, the God complex type of evil, yet the peeks at his background make for promising development.
However with Enzo, I believe he was well done, but there was just a little bit missing in the interactions with him. Maybe that mystery is intentional, but my one criticism with this book is the amount of adoration Adelina spends on him. I think it was to show that her darkness is a mixture of her past and a denied romantic love, but there was just a little too much.
This story is filled with such interesting twists on good sides and bad sides and fuzzy morality within each group. I am eager to read more, and the epilogue has just ramped up the interest for me. I'm really hoping the sequels keep up this quality, I don't want to be disappointed!
Different edge as the main character is filled with a dark power and is constantly struggling with her desire to be good and the joy she feels from her "dark" side. Unexpected ending...the next book could go in many different directions. Looking forward to this series.
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was AMAZING!!! An extremely unique novel with morally grey main character. Underrated for sure.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes