This book shouldn’t have taken me as long as it did to finish. It has nothing to do with how good the book is, it was only because I’ve not been able to find the time to sit and enjoy it.

After reading Legend I was excited to see that it was going to be a trilogy, especially because of where the last one ended. In this installment we see June and Day doing what they can to fight against the Republic in order to defend their rights and take back what was stolen from them. This novel explores more of the differences between how they’ve been living their lives; you get an insight to how opposite they are but also how the Republic manages to bring them together. I found myself doubting whether they worked as a couple (which I didn’t in the first) although there are still moments where you’re reminded why they fit together too. Not only are there characters who we know from the last book, but there are plenty of new ones which provide interesting twists in the novel. For me the most interesting new(ish) character was Anden; we got to see a lot more of him this time and he was a character (like Razor) who kept you on your toes and guessing where his loyalties lie.

Now Day and June are together and willing to fight against the Republic life for them both is much more dangerous. Unlike Legend I didn’t have a preference as to whose story that I was reading; there were times when both sides were equally interesting as they were split up. Not only did you get to see what the Patriots were up to but you also got a look into the Republic under the new Elector Primo. For a while reading the book you assume you know what’s going to happen and how it’s going to end. Whatever you feel will happen, will most likely be thrown out in the last four chapters of the novel (and even before then for some other cases). That’s what I love about Lu’s writing, you’re in a familiar territory for so long but there will be something to shake it towards the end - leaving you gagging for the next (and last) book. The ending left me feeling sad and unsure as to how I’m going to feel reading the last book. From what I can gather it will definitely be emotional. Then again, for me finishing a series is always emotional.

One thing that I noticed more so in Prodigy than I did in Legend is the excessive use of the word “goddy.” I understand that has been used as a curse to replace more explicit ones and that it shows a change in culture and time - but after a few uses it started to become tiring and grated on me. However I believe that this is the only thing that I didn’t enjoy about the book; there were a couple of times when things were fast paced and I had to re-read what I had read however this wasn’t a big problem.

To read this book I would advise to just clear a day or so and just sit and read it. That way you can absorb everything and really be consumed by the desperate times that these people find themselves in. I personally found this to have a very exciting plot and a great follow up to what was a wonderful debut - I am confident that it will be kept up for the third one!