Champion (Legend Trilogy #3)

This exhilarating finale to the dystopian Legend trilogy delivers on the promises of the genre without ever being predictable about details. June and Day are finally on the right side of the law, but nothing's gotten any easier. June, the former soldier, is now one of three Princeps-Elect, next in line to lead the Senate. Day, "most-wanted-criminal-turned-national-hero," is now the face of popular support for the young Elector. The future's dazzlingly bright, right? In fact, from their high perches, June and Day can see everything about to go horrifyingly wrong. The Elector knows the Colonies are about to invade, and he thinks a plague cure will save the day--a cure he's convinced they'll discover by experimenting on Day's brother, Eden. Day will never let the Republic have his brother again; he barely got Eden back alive after the first time they took him for medical experiments. On the other hand, since Day is dying, it's not clear what he can do for Eden or the Republic. Brief international travel expands the worldbuilding of this universe: June and Day had encountered the capitalist dystopia of the Colonies in Prodigy (2012), while June here encounters the seemingly more idyllic society-as-game of Ross City, Antarctica. A civilization run as if it were "The Sims" is intriguing, and it's disappointing that June spends little time there, but there's plenty of betrayal and action to resolve back in the Republic. Ever respectful of the capacity of its readers, this series offers a satisfying conclusion of potential rather than a neatly wrapped denouement. (Science fiction. 13-16)

Grades 7-12. In this heart-pounding conclusion to the Legend series, Day, champion of the people, and June, now a Princeps-Elect and confidant to the young Elector Anden, once again find themselves in trouble and in love. The Republic is being attacked by the Colonies, who are sure that a deadly virus has been inflicted upon them by their enemy. They will only halt their bombardment if a cure is delivered to them. And the only way to find a cure is further experimentation on Day’s beloved brother, Eden, which is something Day will never agree to. The hallmark of this series has been its nonstop action coupled with the burning desire (and complicated relationship) between Day and June. The last of the trilogy amplifies both. Neither Day nor June are comic-book characters—nor, for that matter, is Anden, the third leg of the triangle. Each of them (and young Eden, too) are carefully explored, bringing a personal depth to the action. The resolution of the war has some blurry edges, but readers will be much more interested in the fates of Day and June. How Lu ties up their relationship is done with such patience and feeling that it might bring on a few tears (of happiness or sadness, I’m not telling), but readers will come away grateful that she has given this beautifully crafted series the ending it deserved.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Fans of this best-selling series have been waiting with bated breath for the conclusion. Expect demand.

The conclusion to Lu's Legend trilogy opens on a stage set for personal resolution, maybe even a happy ending. With the political transition established and the Patriots quiet, June and Day appear to have the opportunity to close their romantic distance. But there are lessons neither has learned about how much power to grant the past, and it's easier to focus on the virtues of separation. That is, until geopolitical reality comes roaring back to complicate every bond and every choice. Moments of technical awkwardness, rare in Lu's work, do crop up, such as a lengthy spoken confession by June's old colleague Thomas ("A blade of guilt twisted painfully in my chest, but it was too late to turn back"). The story, however, remains masterfully true to its themes of loyalty, necessity, and dreams, eschewing any easy outs that the plot could offer. A happy-ever-after glow was never in the cards for these two, but Lu displays a hint of Charlotte Bronte in the resolution her characters find. Ages 12-up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency. (Nov.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 8 Up--Factions will fight, traitors will be tried and convicted, and secrets revealed before star-crossed lovers Day and June's powerful story ends in the final book in the trilogy. Day and his brother, Eden, are in San Francisco for medical treatment after Eden was subjected to virus experiments by the Colonies. June is in Denver acting as one of the Princeps-Elect. After months apart without any communication, June asks Day to return with Eden so that the Republic can use the virus Eden is carrying to find a cure for the plague that has invaded the Colonies. The Colonies believe that the Republic has a cure, and issue an ultimatum that unless the Republic reveals it, the Colonies will attack. Then they renege on their promise to hold off and attack without warning. The Republic's Elector desperately needs allies but no one wants to help. Day is also trying not to let June know that he's dying. The Colonies' Chancellor knows that the people will follow Day, and if Day can get the citizens to accept the Colonies' rule, the Chancellor promises to save them and Day's loved ones. Can they find a cure for the virus in time? Can Day and his old Patriot friends defeat the Chancellor and his soldiers? June and Day's future together is equally uncertain. They love each other but their painful pasts and June's involvement in Day's family's deaths will always be between them. Lu's unexpected ending adds an extra poignancy to their complicated relationship. Fans who loved Legend (2011) and Prodigy (2013, both Putnam) won't want to miss this one.--Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for CHAMPION

STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Remains masterfully true to its themes of loyalty, necessity, and dreams, eschewing any easy outs that the plot could offer."

STARRED REVIEW from KIRKUS REVIEWS
"This exhilarating finale to the dystopian Legend trilogy delivers on the promises of the genre without ever being predictable about details. Ever respectful of the capacity of its readers, this series offers a satisfying conclusion of potential rather than a neatly wrapped denouement."

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Don't miss the first two books in Marie Lu's New York Times bestselling trilogy: LEGEND and PRODIGY!