Disclaimer: This review will contain spoilers to the ending of Champion, book three in the Legend series by Marie Lu. I encourage you to pick up the series if you haven’t yet, it’s a phenomenal story!
With that said, I was beside myself when I learned I would get to review this book. While it’s not rare that I would love to revisit worlds of favourite series, the ending of Champion left me empty. At the time, it was what I needed because of the harrowing journey our beloved Day and June go through. Some might have hated the way that it ended, but it seemed like a natural stopping point. It was also a perfect segue into Rebel. I started back into the world of Legend as if I had just finished Champion yesterday, and I tried to pace myself and savour the final journey that I would take with these characters. It is well worth the read, and I highly encourage everyone to pick it up!
Rebel is the story of Eden Wing, Daniel (Day) Wing’s younger brother. He has lived in his brother’s shadow for a long time, despite being a top student at his academy and a brilliant inventor in Ross City, Antarctica, all people seem to remember is that he’s brother to a young man who led a revolution. That same young man now spends his days hidden away from the world, attempting to leave his past behind. All that matters to Daniel now is keeping Eden safe, even if it means giving up June, the love of his life. As both brothers struggle to accept what they’ve become since the Republic, a new danger is creeping its way into Ross City, further distancing the brother’s from each other. As Eden delves further into the criminal underworld of Ross City, he’ll find out even his own brother won’t be able to save him…at least not on his own.
There’s so much going on from the start of this story. One of my favourite aspects is the fact that Ross City, while not remotely like the old Republic, has its own host of problems plaguing their world. While the city is a technopolis like no other, the citizens live based on a points system. That point system dictates where and what they can do. Eden looks at these flaws both as a victim of the system and as a tech genius. Although he’s got an altogether different mindset than his brother, they have that same tenacity when it comes to something they believe in. His longing to be viewed outside of his brother’s shadow is palpable, and it makes my heart hurt for the dear boy. Marie Lu always manages to knock the ball right out of the park in terms of character development for me, and it always seems to go hand in hand with her stunning world building.
The antagonist of this story is also phenomenally written. The hidden depths that go beyond a simple psychopath bent on destruction really worked well here. I loved exploring the motivations behind this character’s misdeeds, and how this all relates to Eden and Daniel. More importantly, we explore the ease in which this can happen to anyone. There is a lot of darkness to work through, not just through our antagonist, but in Eden…and Daniel as well. He’s survived quite a lot, and he’s still working on his memory, some of them good, some of them not so great. Although readers won’t see a definitive mention of PTSD or anxiety, it is clear that a few of our beloved characters are coping with mental health issues.
Going beyond that darkness, I truly loved the moments between Eden and Daniel, Daniel and June, as well as Eden and his best friend. They display bonds of brotherhood, friendship, and romance. They’re intimate and sweet, and interspersed throughout the book. They provide readers a solace from what at times seems an overwhelming darkness for the characters. Moreover, we’ll get to see what’s been going on with some beloved characters from the Legend series, and find out what’s happened in the ten years since Champion.
Although the story felt fast, it didn’t feel rushed. I tried to prolong reading the story as much as I could; which was agonising at times. It’s definitely one of those stories I could have finished in hours if I had wanted to rush through. I do feel like savouring the story allowed me to take more of the world in and really think about the world that Eden and Daniel were living in. I was on the edge of my seat at moments, and I think readers are going to love getting into this world one last time. I loved the ending so much, I need someone else to talk to about it…so please let me know if you finish it!
If I had to complain about anything, it would be that I wanted more June! We didn’t get her perspective in this one, but at the same time the focus was on another journey altogether. Other than that, this story had everything I could have wanted it to have. Romance, drama, angst, danger, growth *sigh*. I’m sad it’s over, but this is a story that I know I’ll definitely be coming back to.
This story is a 10/10 for me. It’s all the good adjectives you can think of (mainly because I’ve run out of positive ways to continue describing this book, ha!). Add it to your TBR, I don’t think you’ll regret it!
Rebel is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up Rebel? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Respect the Legend. Idolize the Prodigy. Celebrate the Champion. But never underestimate the Rebel.
With unmatched suspense and her signature cinematic storytelling, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Marie Lu plunges readers back into the unforgettable world of Legend for a truly grand finale.
Eden Wing has been living in his brother’s shadow for years. Even though he’s a top student at his academy in Ross City, Antarctica, and a brilliant inventor, most people know him only as Daniel Wing’s little brother.
A decade ago, Daniel was known as Day, the boy from the streets who led a revolution that saved the Republic of America. But Day is no longer the same young man who was once a national hero. These days he’d rather hide out from the world and leave his past behind. All that matters to him now is keeping Eden safe―even if that also means giving up June, the great love of Daniel’s life.
As the two brothers struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can’t save him. At least not on his own . . .
