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Synopsis (From GoodReads):
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.
Review:
It's taken me a while to start reading author Marie Lu's dystopian Legend series. But once I started, I couldn't stop reading. Champion is the third (and final) book in the series. There is further world building, lots of action, forgiveness, and redemption that provides a satisfying conclusion to this story.
What I Liked:
World Building:As with the other two books, the author has some great insights as to what future societies might look like. We get the authoritarian government of The Republic, the privatized government of The Colonies, and now we see an entirely new social structure in Antarctica, based on technology and gaming! I found each of these social systems plausible in the future, with definite downsides to each.
Story:
Each character is confronted with a dilemma that will force them to choose between what they want personally, and what others want them to do. Do our desires count for anything when they might conflict with what is best for society? How can we reconcile these two conflicts?
I also loved the theme of forgiveness and redemption that ties each character's story together. June is struggling to see if Day can ever forgive her for her involvement in the death of his mother. Can they have a future together when June feels overwhelming guilt over what happened? Can Day move from being a rebel against The Republic to supporting the government as they face invasion from other nations? What can Anden do to make up for the sins of his father? Is it too late? Each person is forced to acknowledge that their lives may not lead to perfect, happy endings.
The Ending:
Obviously, I am not going to give away the ending, but I was very pleased with how things turned out. It was not a fairy-tale finale. There were sacrifices made by each character, but this made it more grounded, and plausible.
I especially liked that there was an epilogue so that you could see how everything turned out.
What I Didn't Like:
Once again, I was not a big fan of Commander Jameson. She is not in many scenes, but I just never understood her motivation for being so over-the-top evil. I really wish there had been some scenes of why she was so bitter. Did she have a fling with Anden's dad that went sour? Was she angry because she was not in a more powerful position? We may never know. What we do get is a Terminator-style final showdown where the Commander just keeps fighting, for no known reason.As a whole, I really enjoyed all three books in this series. With captivating characters, imaginative societies, and lots of action, this was a lot of fun to read.
Rating:
Release Date: November 5th, 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Source: Public Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: A satisfying end to the series. The audio book versions of these books were very well produced with great performances by the actors.
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