#BookTalk-Champion (Legend Series) by Marie Lu

Champion by Marie Lu

 If you haven't read this series and love dystopian fiction, I highly recommend this book! Ahh so good. Champion is the last book in the Legend Trilogy. The trilogy is about two young adults, Day and June. They live in the United States in the future but as the government structure starts to lose control of inside and outside forces. Day and June are both challenged to uncover the truth of the lies they have been told since they were little, and find out what is best for their nation. This dystopian novel is told from the POVs of Day, a criminal, and June, a high society government solider. When their paths cross everything changes, and they find out they are more alike than they are different. This novel is action packet and of course what is a YA without a little romance! As these teens try to find their way, they start to understand what's best for their nation as well as themselves.

If you haven't read this book, come back and read this when you finish.

Okay. Where do I begin!

Characters


Day has my heart. He loves his family to the end, and that is what drives him. His compassion for those people around him, causes him to stand up for those who don't have a voice, in this socialist society. It is just plain beautiful! He does the things that are not easy. And I always love someone who can ran form the police. This criminal is a Rodin Hood of the future. Love him! And on top of that he is Mongolian, don't let his blond hair and blue eyes fool ya. I love when authors through someone diversity in their character's ethic background.
Let us appreciate this awesome fanart by Cassandra Jean!

At the end of the novel, I still love him. I have total faith in his ability to make decisions. He comes near death, and that still does not stop him from doing what he needs to do to save the one he loves. But at the end of Prodigy, the second book, he just plain ripped my and June's heart out! Ahh Day! All for good reason. He did not want to get her hopes up, when he found out he didn't have much time to live. But still!!! Killing me with your love and care for other, just killing me Day! But in the end I am glad, he and June both found each other, beating the odds. Every obstacle, even Day's memory lose, could not keep them apart. Just a beautifully developed character all in all.


June is the most dynamic character in the novel. As she battles with what she was taught and the truth, she truly develops and grows into a character that has a better understanding about the world and nation  she is lives in. I have a love hate relationship with June. I love her bad-ass fighting skills and how she handles majority of her situation. But when it comes to her love life, I just want to smack her over the head.
It took her all three books to realize she loved Day. It was when she realized he was dying in her arms. Like I guess the saying is right, you don't realize what you have until it is gone. June is too self-sacrificing when it come to her relationships. Day on the other hand is a little more selfish. June likes to look at all the players involved and not just herself, which is a very admirable quality. But still it is a book, and I want my happy ending. I can only handle so much. She knew that in the society they lived in Day and her couldn't have a real future, the both knew that. So she starts thinking about her relationship with Aidan, the young knew ruler of the Republic. And the problem with that is that Aidan is actually a good guy! You can't even hate him and the worse part is that he understands her feels for Day, and accepts them without malice towards Day!
The men in this book, ughh I can't even.
Anyway, June is like I don't want to hurt Aidan, becasue he is so sweet, but it's clear she has feelings for Day but she is not sure how deep they run. When she realizes that she loves Day, it is like YESS! But then at the same moment she realizes that he doesn't remember her or their relationship at all when he wakes up form his coma. She does the more noble thing, and she makes the hard choice, and releases him from her. She does not try to force his memory, she accepts it and let's it go! In the moment I am so annoyed, WHY June?!?! But it's okay they found each other at the end. Because you want to know why?!?! They were meant to freaking be together! That's why!
Fanart by Patsie in Books & Novels

Setting

The setting of the novel plays a key part in understand the role of government. The lesson learned is that there is no good or bad way all have their own faults and short comes and it up to us to pick the lesser of two evils. Through out the novel, Lu allows us to think about socialism and capitalism is different lights, examining the successes and short comes. She even takes us off the continent to Antarctica, and shows us a totally different way of government, the idea that through good deeds people excel. But June rises a good question, who determines good from bad? This also shows us the faults in a a society that this. Marie Lu shows how there is no such thing a perfection when it comes to government. And yes there will be conflict, but hopefully out of that conflict will come something better.

All In All

Final thoughts. I loved the complexity of Marie Lu's world building. She really thought about every aspect of these characters lives, and nothing was over looked. Dystopian fiction has a problem of being too generic, after the popularity of the Hunger Games every reader feels like the definition of dystopain is found in the Hunger Games (lies!). I love the Hunger Games, but I don't like how it has become a category identifier. Marie Lu is an author with beautiful writing abilities. And yes it is like HG becasue it is dystopian but it is not  the Hunger Games. The characters are different and the plot is different and the world is different.

This book is beautiful and it is a wonderful addition of the dystopain genre!