Champion by Marie Lu

Hie everyone! It's been a while. I hate to say I was in a heck of a book slump after finishing Soldier by Julie Kagawa. I was pretty devastated if you couldn't tell....

I finished Champion by Marie Lu, the third and final installment in the Legend Trilogy, today after trying to get through it for about  a month. I hit halfway yesterday and suddenly I was engrossed and I couldn't put it down.

Soooo without further adieu, here is my review for Champion!

Goodreads Summary:

"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. "

My Rating: 5/5 Stars!!!!!

Non-Spoiler-y Thoughts:

First of all, I want to say that I was not prepared for the level of emotion I felt with this book. 

Obviously, I loved this book! I've said before that a book that gives you all of the feels has done its job and it has done its job well. Better than that! It excelled! 

The love story in this book is breath-taking. Seriously. June and Day are amazing characters and they are perfect together. 

The bond between Eden and Day is also beyond amazing. I don't have siblings, but I imagine I would feel the same bond that Day and Eden do. 

I really enjoyed the action in this book. It's different than the action from the first two books, but it is still absolutely thrilling. This book's action is all about war. Not rebellion and making statements like with Legend and Prodigy. 

I adore this series and I am honestly sad that it's over. I needed more. The ending left me kinda just hanging, but it was an okay ending. Much better than what I expected, but I still need more!! 

Outside of that fact, I can't rave enough about this series. 

Pick them up and read them! Seriously! You won't regret it! 

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!!! 

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!!!! (In best Gandalf voice)

Seriously. Turn back. 

Book Talk (SPOILERS) 

 Alright so if you've read all three books, you'll be fine continuing on with this section of the post. 

If not, go away. You'll wish you had listened to me if you get spoiled. 

So here we go. We'll start with Anden. 

Anden is the new Elector of the Republic. He is madly in love with June. Anden is struggling to be a better Elector than his father, who was ruthless and had no qualms about killing innocents. I actually really like Anden and I have some sympathy for him because of the position he is in. He is under a ton of pressure at such a young age. For a while I thought that Anden and June would end up together, but hoped they wouldn't. He's really a stand up guy, and I'm glad that June has Anden in the 10 years that she and Day are apart. 

Now for Tess! She has REALLY matured in this book. She is pretty much over her infatuation with Day, which made me happy. She really just wants him to be her family. She is such a strong young woman. She feels so deeply and wants to save everyone that she loves. Unfortunately that isn't possible at one point in the book, and we see her reaction to the fact that she can't. The following meme represents my feelings for Tess in the previous book. She has redeemed herself.

Pascao is a character that is definitely not a lead, but I really liked his presence in the story line. He really helps Day and I think that they are pretty close friends. There isn't much to say about him except that he's a total bad-a** and I love him.

Eden, Day's little brother is another character that I think adds a lot to the story without being a lead character. His presence helps show what kind of heart Day has to his family. He loves Eden so much and would do anything for him, even if it means dying himself. I especially like that Eden goes to college in Antartica and he comes back to the Republic in the epilogue for a job interview in Batalla. That wrapped up his story line really well! (Love his name, because it's mine.) This meme is me every single time Eden is in the story.

JUNE! 

This girl kills me at some points in the book (the end!) I love the story that has unfolded between she and Day. She is so stiff and with him she doesn't know how to act. When she FINALLY tells him she loves him, I was so emotional. Basically, Day tells her that if she doesn't love him he needs to know so that he can stop torturing himself. He says ," Help me." June tells him she can't help him because she loves him. It was a beautiful moment. I really like that they had the one intimate night together (not that Marie said they were intimate, but we know ;) ) It was beautiful. She says," Nothing compares to him. And right now, I want nothing else." 

I HATED her for not telling Day who she was and what they meant to each other after his surgery. She just told him thank you for everything he had done for her and walked away forever. Ugh. So hard to read that part. 

June is still a complete kick-a** female lead in this book. I admire her and I applaud Marie Lu for creating such a marvelous character!!

DAY!!!! 

Day is my favorite character, if you can't tell.... I'll love him forever. 

His story is so heartbreaking and I love how he has overcome so much in his life and is still such a wonderful guy. His love for Eden is amazing and his love for June leaves me speechless. I need that kind of love in my life! Right now! 

When he's begging June to tell him how he feels and to help him I was so emotional. I know that feeling! It was so heartbreaking. 

My favorite part of that scene was when he says, "Billions of people will come and go in this world, but there will NEVER be another like you."  I swooned. Literally swooned, y'all. 

At the end of the book, when Day and June see each other again after the ten years they haven't seen each other, June sees that he is still wearing the paper clip ring that she gave him at the beginning of the book. I had real tears again guys. I'm not usually a book crier, but apparently my book selections have been on point, because I have sobbed. The paper clip ring part is so romantic and just so emotional. Then he tells her that he has known her before, so he remembers her in bits and pieces. He remembers parts of their relationship. He tells her that he wants to get to know her again if she'll let him. I was just so happy that they were going to be together again that I couldn't contain the tears. The book ends with the two of them reintroducing themselves to each other.

THE END! 

I have one negative thing about Champion. I needed more closure. I needed to see their wedding, or I needed children, I just needed an honest happily ever after. 

Besides my one negative, 

I LOVED this series so much. I don't think I have ever seen a love like the one between Day and June. It was EVERYTHING! Every. Thing. All of the feels guys. All of them. I cried so much.

There has never been a dystopian like this, I swear. At least not one that I have read. 

I'm really sad that this path in my reading adventures is at an end. I haven't loved a series this much in a while (not counting Falling Kingdoms). This has been amazing, and I really hope that someone who reads this has been encouraged and inspired to pick this series up. I know you'll love it. :) 

I hope that you have all enjoyed my Legend series posts! 

I'll be back with more reviews before long. School is almost out and I should have a little more time for reading after graduation! 

Happy Reading!! 

XOXO,

Eden

Book Talk: Soldier by Julie Kagawa

Hey Readers!!!

I'm back in school now and my reading time has been really limited. However, I did FINALLY manage to finish Soldier by Julie Kagawa! It took me a while because I knew the ending, which I would spoil you for unless you read the book talk section.

So here we go...my review and book talk for Soldier....

Goodreads Summary:
    "When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She’s lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side.

As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragonslayers alike and place them all in imminent danger as Talon’s new order rises."


My Rating:
     5/5 Stars!!!!!

My Review:

    In this third installment of the Talon saga, a little piece of me died. I was so emotionally invested in these characters that I hung on to every word in this book. This review is incredibly hard for me to write because I don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't read this book yet. It made me cry, just like the others in this series, and I couldn't get enough of this world. I still love the fact that there are two "big bads" and I love all of the different aspects of the dragons and their culture. I'm still in love with Garret, Ember has really matured, and Riley is still a jerk. But basically, the book was extremely emotional and I MUST get my hands on the fourth book. Unfortunately it comes out at the end of April. Bleh.


SPOILER ALERT: Do NOT continue reading if you have not read this book, and the preceding novels!!!!













Seriously.....I warned you. 







Book Talk:
    This is going to be a long one y'all, so grab a snack and strap in.


Dante:
 First, let's discuss this d-bag. He is STILL such a fool. In this book, we see that Dante does, in fact, have a conscience, but he freaking ignores the heck out of it and does whatever the heck is the easiest and won't get him killed. This happens even when he knows he's wrong.... He is working with those scary clones. He keeps telling himself that they are only for protecting Talon and making sure dragons go extinct, and blah blah blah. BUT!!!!! They are clearly going to be used to cause the mass extinction of human kind. Clearly.... What a dummy.

Riley:
I don't have much to say about Riley. He has grown on me a lot. I don't prefer him over Garret, and I think he's too pushy about Ember and his feelings toward her. He has actually grown to barely like Garret and he even tells G that he doesn't want him to die, so that is a HUGE improvement! Riley is a wonderful leader, and a good friend. I just do not like him with Ember.  He really does try to be a decent guy, but he is still an ass.

Ember:

 I kinda love her now!!! In the previous books, I thought she was extremely immature and whiny. She really needed to grow up and smell the perfume and realize that life just isn't going to be fair for her. I mean she can turn into a fire breathing dragon for pete's sake!!! Gah! 

Anyway, in Soldier, she was much more mature and understanding of what she has to suck up and deal with and do in order to survive the war that she is in the middle of. She isn't an innocent teenage girl anymore. She has had to kill and do things she isn't proud of in order to live as long as she has. She does feel bad about having to kill people, which I admire. I'm really happy that she isn't losing her conscience in the midst of it all. She still listens to it and knows when to show mercy and when not to. 

I was so angry with her at the end of the second book for not telling Garret to stay!!! I'm so glad she told Garret that she made a mistake by not stopping him from leaving. I am also SO glad that she FINALLY chose Garret!!!! That love triangle was killing me!!! I was so tired of it. I did feel really bad for Riley because she does have feelings for him. I totally understand her wanting to be more human and not wanting to be with Riley just based on instinct and the Sallith'tahn (which was really shocking to learn was a thing) and all that jazz.

Garret:

 My boy.....OMG. He handled the whole Riley/Ember thing so stinking well! He didn't act out towards either of them and he handled it with so much dignity. I was proud. Especially when compared to Riley and his jealousy. 

Garret is so brave and selfless. He goes into the St. George organization to expose the Patriarch's secrets without hesitation, even though he was scared and knew he may not make it out alive. He also fought the Patriarch so honorably. Even after the Patriarch tells him his parents weren't killed by Talon, but were actually part of Talon, which meant St. George murdered his parents. 

Alright folks. Here is where I get emotional. Garret wins the fight against the Patriarch, and then that SOB pulls a freaking gun and shoots Garett in the back. He dies in Ember's arms. Ember tells him she loves him, and he smiles at her and he dies. I am so devastated. I said in my last book talk for Rogue, that I wanted no major deaths, and look what happened.....Dang it Kagawa. I'm still in denial and I am utterly devastated and crushed. There are no words.....

 

Tristan:

  The last character I feel I need to talk about is Tristan St. Anthony, Garret's former St. George partner. In the first two books, Tristan is completely against Garret and won't hear Garret's reasons for leaving St. George and aiding Ember and Riley. He sees him as a traitor. 

  In this book, when Garret brings evidence of the Patriarch's corruption, Tristan sees a few things a little more clearly, even though he does not support the dragon aiding part of it. Tristan helps Garret get into the St. George meeting to expose the Patriarch and he serves as a witness at the duel that the Patriarch challenges Garret to. 

When the Patriarch pulls the gun and shoots Garret in the back, Tristan pulls his own and shoots the Patriarch in the head before Garret even knew he was hit. He tried to help save Garret. 

Another one of the things I wanted to happen in this book came true where Tristan is concerned! I wanted him to come around and he did, even though it is only a small step. Bravo Tristan...Bravo.

 Things I wanted to happen that actually did happen in this book include Tristan's baby steps to the good side, and Ember finally choosing between Riley and Garret! Plus she made the choice I wanted her to make. 

Things that happened that I hoped wouldn't include Garret's death (any major death would have upset me, but this one was devastating) and Dante still has not come around. 

Things I want to happen in Legion:

I need Dante to come around.

I need Tristan to come around all the way! 

Especially this one: I need Garret to be alive somehow! As a dragon or just anything so that he will be with Ember. He's my favorite character!! 

I also hope Riley and Ember don't have a thing at all...or more of a thing than they do have. Cause that would tick me the crap off. Seriously. 

Conclusion:

This book was my favorite of all of the Talon Saga so far, simply because of my emotional investment in the characters. That is what separates this book from the first two. I loved it, even though it devastated me. I recommend these to everyone and I hope I have introduced you to your new favorite series! I can't wait for the fourth book to be released! It comes out in the US on April 25, 2017 and it is titled Legion! I'm so excited and desperate to see what comes next! I hope you all will join me in reading it. Leave comments below on what you think of this book and the saga! 

Thank you all so much for reading!!

XOXO,

Eden

Book Talk: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

Happy January everybody! I hope everyone is having a super wonderful 2017 so far, filled with lots of travel, reading, and stitching. :)

 I finished Rogue, the second book in the Talon Saga, on 1/8/17. This is the first book that will qualify towards my 2017 Goodreads goal. :D

Goodreads Summary: 

"Deserter. Traitor. Rogue.

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can’t forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he’d signed his own death warrant.

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order’s headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember’s own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war? "

My Rating: 4/5 Stars!!! 

My Review:
     Once again, Julie Kagawa had me captivated! I want to reiterate what I said in my Talon Book Talk....I have NEVER seen dragons done the way Kagawa has done them. You have dragons that can shift into humans and it is set in present day. Sometimes you forget that the dragons aren't actually people! I love that about this series. 

    My one major complaint still remains: the love triangle. It is truly hard to read through. However, that isn't enough to make me hate the book, or even dislike it in the least. The way the romance is written is great, I just hate that the triangle exists. It feels forced and unnecessary to me in this series. 

    The action scenes are amazing! Especially towards the end of the book. This book kept me on my toes way more than the first book. The whole book left you wondering what would happen next! 

    After reading the second book in this series, I still highly recommend these books! You get some of everything with this series, you feel every emotion, and who doesn't want that?! 







SPOILER ALERT: Please stop reading if you have not read Talon or Rogue and you plan to do so!!







Seriously....You have been warned....









Book Talk Section:

    So first, lets talk about Garret in general.... This guy is amazing. He has risked everything for Ember, and has resigned himself to his fate at the beginning of the book, even though he deserves so much better than what he is getting, just because he is happy that he could save Ember's life at the end of book 1. 
   I definitely prefer Garret to Riley/Cobalt where the love triangle is concerned. In the last book I was conflicted, but I know 100% who I want her with now. I love him....I love him so much.....

   Now for Riley/Cobalt....I really admire how much he cares for all of the "Hatchlings" that he helps escape from Talon. 
    I also think he needs to lay off of Garret. I understand that Garret has killed dragons before and he has all of their blood on his hands, but he was only following orders. Cobalt followed Talon's orders the same way before he was aware of what Talon really is. 
     I liked Riley more in the first book. Now he is just way too jealous and, to be frank, an epic asshole. 

    Ember......ugh. This girl still drives me insane with her naivety, but not nearly as bad as she ticked me off in book 1. She isn't whiney anymore, which is a huge saving grace, but she does have her flaws. 
    For example, she still insists that Dante didn't report her to Lilith in the first book when she was getting ready to run away. She thinks Talon is only using him and he is just following along like a little puppy. NOOOO!!!! EMBER WTF?!! We all know that Dante is lost to the dark side and he is completely cray and refuses to see the truth. Talon may have taught him that, but after he was trained, he still had the choice to leave. He should have trusted Ember in the first place. 
    Next thing....Freaking pick a guy girl! Riley and Garret both love her. Those words actually came out of sweet Garret's mouth. He actually said it. Riley has said the same, but not in so many words. I have a HUGE problem with her not having a clue who she's going to be with. 
    I do like that she is ready and willing to help her friends no matter what the situation or consequences. I also am sooooo happy that she has finally seen Dante for what he is at the end. 

    Dante.....you stupid ignorant dude. Why won't you give your sister the benefit of the doubt?!?! He's known her his whole life and he won't even hear her out?! And then, he sends a Viper after Ember?! (In Dante's defense, Talon itself gave the orders to Faith to kill Ember if she didn't go back willingly, and Dante ordered her to not harm Ember no matter what). 
    I do believe that Dante doesn't know the harm that Talon is willing to inflict to get their way. He could feel differently if he did. 
    The Epilogue was like what!!? Dante SMILED like a maniac when he saw the clones in the Talon basement. CLONES..... After movies like " The Clone Wars" is there ANY doubt what a huge number of clones is actually meant for?! The answer is NO! There is only one thing that Talon could be planning to do with them.....It is an ARMY! A DRAGON ARMY!!! And Dante just smiles evilly.....Um...ok Dante.......

    So now for thoughts about other random characters:

     I suspected Ava/Mist as soon as Kagawa described her looks... The hair color gave away her real identity to me. Ava=Mist. Mist works for Dante.....Obviously, the whole "save the innocent hatchlings" plan was not going to go well. 

    Since I realized who Ava/Mist was, I suspected Faith immediately and was basically mentally screaming at Garret and Ember to throw her out a window and be done with it. Hate. Her. 

    The epic battle between Faith and Ember had me biting my nails. When Ember let Faith go I was like Noooooooo! She's coming back, she's coming back! And then.....Faith came back and Garret did his thing to save Ember, yet again. Go Garret! 

    The end......you guys the end tore my heart out and stomped on it with its big giant feet.....I've said this in other reviews, but I really, actually, literally cried. I love Garret and I was so mad that Ember just let him walk away like that. When he tells her all she has to do to make him stay is to tell him to, and she doesn't say anything, I was so angry at her! Heck, I am STILL angry with her. She better redeem herself and choose him in the next book. I want her with Garret!!! GARRET!!!! And he left! *Sobs uncontrollably* 

   

Some things about the writing that irritated me....

    Several sentences seemed to be repeated a few times in the same-ish situations. So I was kinda "eh" about that. 

    Once again, I hate that Dragon-Ember and Human-Ember are referred to as separate individuals. NO! Ember is a dragon and a human! She has both! BOTH. Drives me insane. 

    If this love triangle isn't resolved ASAP in book 3 I will literally scream. I'm not joking around here guys. If there is one single thing I would change about this book, the love triangle would be it....it is SO forced and unnecessary. I don't normally feel this way about the love triangle thing, but I am not having it in this case. It got old, reeeeeal fast y'all. 

    A few things I want for the rest of the series:

      I would really like for Dante to come around and help Ember and the team. 

      I also would like to see Garret's old St. George partner come back into the story. In a good way though, not as an enemy, because G-man needs all the help he can get from how the ending of the book sounds. 

     Obviously, I want the love triangle to be resolved. (Go Team Garret!!)

    I also want to know why the heck Ember and Dante are so important to Talon. 

    No major deaths please!!!!!! 

                     

    Alrighty guys!! I hope that you all enjoyed my Review/Discussion for Rogue by Julie Kagawa! I am looking forward to reading Soldier and discussing that with you. 

    Let me know if you have any thoughts on this book in the comments. Don't forget to check out my Talon Review from December and discuss that with me as well! 

See y'all later! 

XOXO,
Eden

Book Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

      Finally a super up to date book review! I just finished Prodigy by Marie Lu, the second book in the Legend trilogy. It is super fresh in my mind so this book talk shouldn't leave anything out :D

Goodreads Summary: "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?"

Rating: 5/5 Stars!!!!



SPOILERS! *If you haven't read Legend, turn back. There is no way to give even a summary without spoiling Legend for you. 



My Review: This book picks up pretty much right where Legend left off. Day and June are making there way to Las Vegas, Nevada to find the Resistance and get help for Day's injury. As soon as they reach Vegas, the action picks up and NEVER lets up. NEVER guys. There are  so many twists and turns in this book. It keeps you on your toes at all times. The political drama is still prominent in this book, but the romance plays a bigger role. I am so glad the love between June and Day was stepped up some. 
   It's not often that you find a sequel that is at least just as good as the first book, and this one is definitely just as intriguing. This series is amazing. I'm so glad I picked it up. I LOVED this book! It was just as good, if not better, than the first book. Legend was really gripping, but it took several chapters for me to become engrossed. This book on the other hand, had me from the very first page while still maintaining all of the good things about Legend , like the kick butt characters, and I couldn't put it down for anything. This book deserves the best ratings across every board. I definitely recommend this series! It is one of the best Dystopian series I have read in a long time. 



Spoilers ahead for Prodigy!!! 




- So when the resistance hideout ended up being in the middle of a army barracks, I knew something was up. It was too fishy. At some point the identity of the rebels would have to have been questioned. It did make sense that an officer was heading the resistance though. 

-I didn't like Razor from the very start. 

-When Thomas told June that he had strict orders from the state to kill Metias I freaked. I thought it was only Commander Jameson that wanted him eliminated. 

-Plot twist: Metias was in LOVE with Thomas?! WHAT?! So unexpected for me. 

-Tess and Day is not allowed to be a thing. She's a pain in the dang butt. She's rude about June just because she's jealous and I can't stand that. 

-June and the Elector I can definitely see happening. I like him. He's sweet and so different from his father. He has a crush on June, and I definitely don't disapprove of a relationship developing there.

-So now theres a love square/rectangle....the struggle. 

-I love the part when Day gives June the ring made of paperclips, and June pretty much loses the ability to talk. It's so cute! (I would swoon over a paperclip ring if I were her) 

-When Kaede flies the jet at the end of the book, I was pretty much biting my nails from the excitement/stress of it. It was epic. 

-Kaede's death broke my heart since she was such a huge help to June and Day escaping the Colonies. 

-Plot Twist: The Colonies are pretty much just as bad as the Republic....:( 

-Plot Twist III: Um...Razor was hired by the Republic to assassinate the Elector by way of the Resistance.. Like.....what even! It was so unexpected. I knew that Razor was messed up. The whole deal was just suspicious. 

- Plot Twist again: When Day is diagnosed, I cried a little. I had to put the book down for a minute to process it. I hope he doesn't die in Champion. It would be so wrong. Especially since he has his brother back. 

- The end was so sad! When Day leaves June with just a kiss and barely an explanation, I was angry, then I was just sad because June was really falling for him. She doesn't know what to do without him. She tries to convince him at first that it could work and she would stay away from the Elector if it would make it easier for Day. It was just hard to read. 

     Once again, I really recommend that you read this series. I hope that you've enjoyed this book talk/review and I appreciate you stopping by! Until next time....

XOXO,
Eden