Review: Prodigy (Legend#2) by Marie Lu

“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?”

**There will be spoilers from Legend**

Prodigy was amazing! I am always concerned about the second-book slump but that was certainly not the case with this story. The book opens with June and Day escaping the Republic in search of the Patriots. Day is still suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg that desperately needs medical attention. Along the way they learn that the Elector has died and his son, Anden, is the new Elector. Upon meeting the Patriots, June and Day learn that they will only get help from the Patriots if they assist in their mission to kill the new Elector.

One of the aspects I enjoyed most was how June and Day were essentially fighting for the same thing- peace, freedom- but their different backgrounds don’t always allow them to see eye to eye. June agrees to help with the Patriots’ mission, if only to ensure that Day gets medical care. June doesn’t agree with the Republic’s ways but she’s met Anden before and is unsure he will be just as bad as his father. Is June truly no longer loyal to the Republic? What does freedom really mean? Day, on the other hand is solely focused on getting Eden back from the Republic. The Republic has taken everything from him and he is more than ready to help the Patriots with their plan. He cares for June but also realizes they have differing viewpoints of the Republic, even if June no longer claims loyalty to them. When it comes down to it, does Day really trust June, even after everything she’s done?

June really grew on me in this book. She still comes across as cold and calculating, but I think that’s just how she copes. When she’s upset she counts time, she sees patterns- this is how she calms herself down. She feels but she often doesn’t know how to express it. She also often offends Day without realizing it and is too proud to admit her mistake to him. We see this when June unknowingly offends Day after he crafts her a paperclip ring. While she is quite touched by this gesture she doesn’t exactly express her gratitude the way she meant to.

“Engagements? My heart flutters in my chest. I can’t help smiling. ‘With paper clip rings?’

Oh no. I’d meant it as an honest question of curiosity, but don’t realize I sound sarcastic until the words are already out of my mouth”

Page 67

June often takes her privileged upbringing for granted, whereas Day has always had to struggle for everything. While it was heartbreaking to watch these two often misunderstand each other, it is also important for the development for their relationship. They do come from different backgrounds and they have to learn to accept and understand each other to move forward.

Can I also say how much I enjoy the change in fonts and colors for the alternating points of view? I know Legend has a similar format, but in Prodigy Day’s font is blue to coordinate with the cover. I also know that Champion has red font for Day’s point of view. It’s very aesthetically pleasing and easy to tell when the point of view changes.

Has anyone else wondered what Day looks like? June says that he has white blond hair with blue eyes, but his eyes also have a slight tilt to them indicating some Asian heritage. He sounds pretty good looking to me 😉

We also get to know a few other characters in this installment. We see more from Tess, who is no longer the child Day remembers her to be. I really liked Kaede in this book, she constantly surprised me with her actions. I also enjoyed Anden’s story arc as we got to know him and his motivations for his plan with the Republic. Finally, although Metias is not alive in this installment, he is as present as ever. It amazes me that Lu is able to develop Metias as such a strong character when he is dead for the entirety of the series. Through June’s memories and references to him, I feel like I know him and care about him as a character. We learn more about the circumstances of his death, and it is truly heartbreaking.

I know I’ve talked a lot about the characters and not as much about the plot in this review. The plot is excellent, but I felt like this book was very character driven. June and Day are both such rich, complex characters and I thoroughly enjoyed each of their stories. I picked up Champion immediately after finishing Prodigy because that ending was amazing!! I know a lot of people have already read this trilogy, but if you haven’t it is absolutely worth the read.