legend – Zakiya N. Jamal

Book Review: Champion

Posted on May 10, 2016June 17, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

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.

*Note: If you haven’t read Prodigy by Marie Lu, there will be spoilers! You’ve been warned.*

Champion starts a few months after the end of Prodigy and it’s been a while since Day and June have seen each other. After being told he was dying Day thought it would be better to leave June because he didn’t want to hold her back from accepting the Princeps-Elect position Elector Anden had offered her. Of course, June doesn’t know any of this and just knows that Day broke up with her.

But now Day needs to go back because the Republic and the Colonies peace treaty is falling apart and they need Day’s help. June has to ask Day to consider doing the impossible and in doing so it brings back a whole lot of tension between them that they’ve tried to keep at bay.

I loved June and Day’s relationship. It’s really complicated but also filled with love. Plus they come from such different backgrounds and complement each other perfectly. I’m so glad this trilogy is told in their alternating POVs because they have such different perspectives on everything.

I don’t want to spoil anything so I don’t want to say too much but this book was filled with action, a decent amount of romance but not too much, and the ending was different than I expected but still really good. Definitely a buy for me.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Billions of people will come and go in this world but there will never be another like you.”

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Book Review: Prodigy

Posted on April 19, 2016May 10, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge.*

*SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t read Legend yet, there will be minor spoilers from that book in this review. You’ve been warned!*

It’s been a while since I read Legend so I was worried I wouldn’t remember everything. Thankfully, Prodigy picks up right where Legend left off and everything came back to me immediately. June and Day are looking for the Patriots because they need help to save Day’s brother, Eden. In this book we really see the differences between June and Day and I really enjoyed that.

For Day, who’s been poor his whole life, he hates the Elector and everything he stands for. To him it seems highly unlikely that the new Elector, Anden, could be anything but evil. June, however, sees things differently. Although she still hates the Republic for what they did to her family she believes it can be saved and made better with the help of a good Elector. The different ways Day and June see their world leads to them butting heads and this isn’t helped by Tess, who has feelings for Day, and Anden, who has feelings for June.

Jealousy, misunderstandings, and betrayal made this novel fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I expected some of the twists but not all of them and the ending really punched me in the gut. I can’t wait to get Champion so I can know how it all ends.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“The first time I kissed you…Well, that might as well have been my first kiss ever.”

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Man Crush Monday: Daniel “Day” Wing

Posted on January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

To be honest it’s been a while since I read Legend and I haven’t had a chance to read Prodigy yet. However, I do remember liking Day and I also really liked that the author, Marie Lu, wrote the novel in Day and June’s, the protagonist, point of view.

Day has had a hard life when we first meet him in the novel. He’s living on the streets with his friend Tess and they’re just trying to survive. In the world of Legend kids have to take a test called Trials that basically determines the rest of their lives. Day was told he failed his test and was therefore sent away…somewhere. I won’t spoil it if you haven’t read it but basically the Republic where June and Day live is shady and Day ends up in the slums.

While trying to survive with Tess, and also on the run from the police for a crime he didn’t commit, Day also does everything he can to provide for his family even though they think he’s dead. Day is just such an all around good person and of course he’s also attractive. And he’s super smart and can kick butt.

I really liked him and I liked how and he and June worked together in the novel. Now, I want to go and read Prodigy. I’ll add it to my to-be-read list. If you haven’t read Legend yet definitely do so. If you’ve read the whole trilogy let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

*Note: The following quote is from the last book in the trilogy. It doesn’t really spoil anything but read at your own risk.*

Swoonworthy Line:

“You drive me insane, June. You’re the scariest, most clever, bravest person I know, and sometimes I can’t catch my breath because I’m trying so hard to keep up. There will never be another like you. You realize that, don’t you?”

Dreamcast: L. Joe

Book Review: Legend

Posted on November 19, 2015November 25, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2015 Reading Challenge*

Synopsis:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

I’ve been hearing about this book for a while but there’s just so many dystopian novels and I resisted getting swept up into another trilogy.

But this one was definitely worth a read and worth all the hype. The novel is told in alternating point of views between the main characters, June and Day, which is interesting because they both have very different relationships with the Republic.

June is a prodigy who’s rich and has always led a comfortable life whereas Day is on the run, living in the poor sectors and just trying to help his family survive.

To be honest, I found their instant connection a little unbelievable but I still really liked their love story. More than that though, I liked the plot. The way June is so analytical and how she sees her world was really interesting and I loved Day’s character. I also really like Day’s friend, Tess, and I thought the character portrayal of Thomas and Commander Jameson were very well done.

Marie Lu structures this novel very well with the death of June’s brother, Metias, being the catalyst and how it connects to not only Day but also his little brother, Eden. I also like how we only scraped the surface of the bigger conflict between the Republic that June and Day live in and the Colonies that oppose them.

This was a pretty intense book for the first novel in the trilogy and I’m excited to see where this goes. Definitely a must read.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything’s possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”

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