Title: Champion (Legend #3)
Author: Marie Lu
Narrator: Lise Ravn
Publication Date: November 15, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
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Reviews for book 1 and book 2
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: 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.
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.
Woohoo! I finished a series! Look at me go! I have so many series that I’ve started and haven’t finished yet, so I feel like this needs to be celebrated.
Champion picks up right where Prodigy left off, and we continue to follow Day and June on their mission to save the Republic. I can’t say too much about the plot without giving things away, but I felt like Champion was a good and enjoyable continuation of their story and, although I wasn’t a fan of what happened, there was resolution in the end.
One of my favorite things about this series is the way the romance was handled. It didn’t feel like a lot of the typical YA romance, where one character can’t live without the other and is distracted from saving the world by their scent. (Can you tell I’ve read a lot of books lately that spend way too much time talking about the way people smell??) Day and June actually spent a lot of time apart in Champion, and their love survived while they accomplished what needed to be done. They had a strong relationship despite what was going on in their world, and they were both willing to make sacrifices regarding their relationship. Props to you, Day and June.
I can’t say too much about the plot because of spoilers, but I have enjoyed the storyline of this entire series. It is entertaining and full of action. I never felt bored while I was reading and I found myself invested in the characters and what happened to them. The one thing I really didn’t like about Champion was the ending. I had a feeling that Marie Lu would try to break my heart with that ending, and she delivered. I knew something devastating would be coming my way. I understand why the ending happened the way it did, but I was personally not a fan of what went down. I will always prefer a nice happily-ever-after type of conclusion.
All in all, I really enjoyed this series. The books haven’t made it to my list of favorites, but I would definitely recommend them for a fast, entertaining read. And they are definitely a good choice for people like me, who hate romance. I’m happy that I can finally say that I have finished the Legend trilogy and really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to picking up some more of Marie Lu’s books in the future.
