Prodigy: A Legend Novel [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Marie Lu (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 29, 2013 | Series: Legend (Book 2)

Featured on Entertainment Weekly's MUST-LIST!

The highly anticipated second book in Marie Lu's New York Times bestseller, LEGEND—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!


June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. 

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Marie Lu’s New York Times bestseller, PRODIGY:
 
Featured on ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S MUST-LIST!
 
From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:
“Marie Lu has beaten the curse with Prodigy. . . it has all the chivalry of Robin Hood and all the shine and grime of Blade Runner . . . The well-drawn worlds, political undercurrents and the believability of the characters make it all feel fresh . . . Lu proves that a Book 2 needn't play second fiddle, providing intrigue and deep pleasure all its own.”
 
 
From THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS:
“. . . clear your calendar to allow yourself the luxury of reading this book in one or two sittings. You will be shaken . . .”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
 “Lu opts for a high simmer of intrigue in her sequel to Legend…taut and insightful.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from SHELF AWARENESS:
“Stunning follow-up to Legend . . . The thrilling action and futuristic settings are sure to please fans of Divergent.”
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Praise for Marie Lu’s New York Times bestseller LEGEND:
 
From ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:
“Fine writing and excellent execution. Sequel, please!”

 
From THE NEW YORK TIMES:
“Legend doesn’t merely survive the hype, it deserves it.”
 
 
From USA TODAY:
“Marie Lu’s dystopian novel is a ‘Legend’ in the making.”
 
 
From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:
“an action-packed love story full of inventive details.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
“Lu’s debut is a stunner. . . raises hopes high for the sequels to come. ”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from KIRKUS REVIEWS:
 “A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles. This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from BOOKLIST:
 “[D]elicious details keep pages turning . . . you’ve got the makings for a potent sequel.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from VOYA:
 “A fast-paced blend of action and science fiction (with only a hint of potential romance) means that this one will likely appeal to male and female readers alike.  Debut author Lu has managed a great feat—emulating a highly successful young adult series while staying true to her own voice. Legend will give Hunger Games fans something worthwhile to read.”
 
 
STARRED REVIEW from LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION:
 “This book stands out . . .”
 
 
FROM KAMI GARCIA, New York Times bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures trilogy
“A romantic thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world where nothing is what it seems—Legend is impossible to put down and even harder to forget.”
 
 
FROM SARAH REES BRENNAN, author of The Demon Lexicon trilogy
“A compelling dystopic world, with diverse characters, high tension and political intrigue. [If] you liked the Hunger Games, you'll love this.”

About the Author

Marie Lu (www.marielu.org) is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel, Legend. After graduating from the University of Southern California, she jumped into the video game industry, working for Disney Interactive Studios as a Flash artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California (see above: traffic), with one boyfriend, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; First Edition edition (January 29, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399256768
• ISBN-13: 978-0399256769
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (255 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction
  • #84 in Books > Teens > Love & Romance

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

(What's this?)

#25 in Books > Teens

#25 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Prodigy Lives Up To The Legend January 14, 2013

By anne-marie

Format:Audible Audio Edition

Day and June are the resistance's new Bonny and Clyde taking on the republic and inspiring a nation. But when the Elector Primo dies the fledgling couple finds themselves entangled in an assassination conspiracy that will test their loyalties and love.

Marie Lu delivers an engrossing followup to her debut novel. Prodigy takes all the intrigue and heartbreaking developments of it's predecessor to the next level. Day and June's past exploits and diverse backgrounds add complexities and questions to their relationship that exposes new layers to their characters and how they evolve throughout the story. Lu intertwines the plot and emotional development beautifully. The unlikely love in Lu's hands not only drives her characters but manages to create a lot of complications for them to overcome. The author's world gets a boast with a glimpse into the colonies and a surprising setting for the resistance. The story is mostly built on semitransparent threads. Yet a couple of huge twists I didn't see coming, and another heart wrenching ending will leave readers ready and wanting the third installment now.

The narration by Stephen Kaplan and Mariel Stern was a little stiff and formal but it grows on you and somehow manages to fit the world and personalities of the characters well. Kaplan and Stern have get voices for YA. I'm glad they returned to voice this installment and hope they continue to do so.

It's hard to live up to a Legend but Prodigy manages to entertain. The evil genius of Marie Lu will captivate readers and listeners alike while planting enough yummy possibilities to make fans groan over the long wait ahead.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Every bit as good as the debut January 29, 2013

By A Book Obsession.. TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Scared and on the run, Day and June turn to the Patriot Rebels for sanctuary. But their assistance comes at a price, the assassination of the Republic's new Elector, Anden. Considering how cruel the previous one was, Day and June don't object, and quickly agree to the plot. But as things start in motion and June is placed close to the new Elector, she starts to question whether they are doing the right thing. Anden doesn't seem to have the same agenda and genuinely seems to want to help the people. With more on the line than she ever could have realized, June will have to decide where her loyalties lie once and for all.

I've always thought the best books were the ones where the line between the good guys and bad isn't so clear cut. In LEGEND, the Republic was labeled as the bad guy, and considering the atrocities they committed, it was a well earned title. Just the simple fact that June, their most loyal soldier was turned from them speaks volumes. So, in PRODIGY, both June and Day are on the run from the Republic and have hooked up with the Patriots, the underdogs from the first book. Since they are against the oppressive nature of the Republic, one would think that they were the undisputed good guys. However, the lines quickly got blurred in PRODIGY once the new Elector took over the Republic and seemed to have a different path. Yet despite this, the Patriots continued on their quest to assassinate him, making their path seem more like destruction was their only goal rather than doing what was best for the people, thus making their good guy status questionable and only further twisting the plot, vamping up my enjoyment tenfold.

I have a love hate relationship with love-triangles. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that I love to hate them. There is just something that draws me in about them even while the drama involved typically makes me want to grind my teeth. That being said the scales of my love/hate opinion hang by a delicate balance as if not handled well that triangle can easily become a tired plot ploy. The thing about PRODIGY is that two separate love triangles seemed to start developing. Although there was one central character to them both, making it even more twisted and complicated. It was a daring move, but one that Marie Lu pulled off beautifully, to the point where I honestly couldn't tell you how I want things to play out. She has me so torn between all of the characters that I can't possibly choose, and honestly that was what made this book really stand out to me.

Whenever a debut book really impresses me, there always is the worry that the second book won't live up to the first. Also, a lot of times the middle book in trilogies can suffer from a sophomoric slump, but that just isn't the case at all in PRODIGY. In fact, other than a slightly slow start, there wasn't a dull moment in this book. Fans of the first installment will be more than pleased. Every bit as good as the debut, PRODIGY is not to be missed!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Day is still The Best! not so sure about June. 3.5 stars May 4, 2013

By Aman @ Enticed by Books

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm still not sure how I feel about Prodigy. On one hand, it is a well-written and constructed book. I loved the dual POV and Day still rocks the books for me. Some of the events that took place in the end were mind blowing and I loved the ending. I knew it was going to happen and honestly, I was happy with how things turned out and that ending makes me so excited to read the last book in the Legend series. But on the other hand, I simply wasn't invested in the story. I was bored through so many parts, the pace was extremely slow and bottom line, I'm not comfortable with June. I don't believe that she loves Day. I don't believe that she wants to leave the Republic. I simply don't trust her enough and I think Day can do much better than June.

After betraying the Republic, June & Day are on their way to Las Vegas where the Patriots reside. In Prodigy, we learn a lot about Patriots. Who they are? What their purpose is? Who is behind them? Who does the inside job? Who funds them? What is their connection to Colonies? All of these questions were answered and I was really taken aback with some of the revelations. I loved the mystery surrounding the Patriots and I don't like June, but I have to say that she is very smart. The way she puts the pieces together is Ah.Mazing and that is something that makes this series very special. Though I really wish Metias was alive. He is someone I've grown to love throughout this series, we do get to see flashes of him in form of illusion/dream and I love seeing the bond he shares with June; it just hurts that I never got to know him. I want Metias back!

Other than some Patriots' development, there was an assassination plot I could care less about. It was predictable since the beginning and wasn't even that interesting. So that is another point in my list of why I didn't liked Prodigy as much as Legend. Also, Day's perspective was much stronger and relatable than June. Where Day is someone I can relate to in terms of living a hard life, June is someone I don't get. She was one emotionless girl, I didn't see her showing any feelings whether it was towards Day or anything else. June was more like a robot who does the work they are assigned perfectly and observe little details with accuracy and story the information in their brain for later use. That can be a good thing but for me it was bad. She was basically the major reason of me not enjoying Prodigy. Not good.

Overall, if you erase June from the book, then Prodigy is the best books I've ever read. I have nothing against her, but if I can't connect with a character, then that ruins the book for me at some level. Though I am highly impressed with the world Marie Lu has created and I can't wait to discover more of it in Champion. Prodigy was an okay read, if you loved Legend like I did, then definitely continue the journey with this book. If you weren't that happy with Legend, then it's safe to say that you won't like Prodigy (Obviously!).