Prodigy: Review

A few weeks ago I reviewed the first book in the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu. Prodigy is the second book in there series, the story starts a week after the end of the previous one, so without further ado, here we go.

Synopsis

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic’s most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots – a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

Review

The plot in this book is interesting, unlike most trilogies what the characters are aiming for has changed completely from the fist book. I really enjoyed this as it meant that there was no overly stretched out plot strung between the books.However the new plot works well with the characters existing motivations so that it doesn’t result in a fake turn in direction, they are just responding to their situation.

Few people ever kill for the right reasons.

The new characters in this book are well thought out, as they all have interesting backstories. I enjoyed how bits and pieces of people’s history were shared in a very organic way, and often by the person themselves. I’m not the biggest fan of being told about on character’s past by another character. I also enjoyed the semi-frequent flashbacks given by our two point of view characters, as it allowed me to have a deeper connection to them over time, as things got harder.

What’s right is relative, isn’t it?

The inevitable relationship between Day and June is a bit predictable but I enjoyed the fact that they actually trusted each other. I am sick and tired of YA relationships (especially in fantasy and dystopia) where the relationship is built on a physical attraction or a shared history but the characters doubt each other constantly. While there are moments of distrust in this book, the characters are aware that this is not a good thing, and do their best to resolve the issue without getting into a screaming match with their significant other. I also enjoyed the fact that all of the characters are slightly aware that this relationship formed not long after Day and June met and that they haven’t known each other for very long. Unlike the other stories where this happens (which it does occasionally), this is done in a way that doesn’t try to destroy the relationship but is done by characters who want what is best for the protagonists.