While the revitalization of some of the most beloved characters-Daniel and June, for example-was exactly what we were looking for, the disconnect between storylines felt like a bit of a stretch. To have a conflict be created and resolved in a single book felt a bit artificial and better suited for a longer series. It’s a city where you can really see the divide between the rich and the poor, literally from block to block.”Īlthough the novel had an interesting plot and enough hitches along the road to be engaging, in the larger scale of the whole series, it felt more like a tangential accessory on a larger piece of work.

“I think that was partly because I live in Los Angeles. “It became a story about class,” Lu said. Just as it is in “Legend,” the central issue is the class divisions. Antarctican mobster Dominic Hann rises from the Undercity as a threat to society, and Eden and Daniel must, once again, fight the odds to save the day, with a little help from our old favorite, June.Ĭlearly, this Antarctican setting is a far cry from the trilogy’s dystopian America however, “Rebel” contains enough of “Legend”’s magic to recapture the wonder of Lu’s universe. In theory, this motivates the populace to stay in line however, in “Rebel,” Lu explores the systematic oppression of the lowest classes, who are unable to raise their status because of the lack of resources available to them. The original trilogy paints Antarctica as the ideal place to live in because of its fair and just monitoring system, which rewards good actions with resources such as access to more desirable housing, jobs, and transportation. Unlike the other “Legend” books which are set in the Republic (present-day West Coast), “Rebel” is set in Antarctica, Daniel (also known as Day) and Eden’s new home. I don’t have control over everything in the real world, but I am the God of this world.” “Feeling out of control made me feel like I had to write that fourth book. “I just felt so small and hopeless for a while, and I’m sure a lot of us did,” Lu said. It’s been almost 10 years since the first book, “Legend” was published, so the question is, why now? At her book launch in San Francisco’s Books Inc., Lu explained that her decision to write a fourth book was prompted by the 2016 election. As we closed the books, we were not fulfilled with the bittersweet farewell to the epic saga instead, we were furious at the vague epilogue, our treasured happily-ever-after between Daniel and June tantalizingly out of reach. Who will be Champion?” We, alongside countless other elementary and middle schoolers, read those words on the backside of Marie Lu’s beloved “Champion,” thinking it would be the end of the series.

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