Review: The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu

The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu

Published: October 11, 2016

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all she’s gained.

When a new danger appears, Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds, putting not only herself at risk, but every Elite. In order to preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger. 

My Thoughts
“There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.”

Fantastical conclusion to an explosive series! The Midnight Star is just another example of Marie Lu’s exceptional ability to take her readers on a quest that is nothing short of high octane adventure and mind-blowing intrigue. YA Fantasy at its BEST!

In this final installment to The Young Elites, we journey with Adelina Amouteru has she continues to spiral down a dark path with both her powers and reign as queen. She faces her enemies head on with her ability to wield dark illusions and suffering, and she’s gained the fear of her people. The only one she can trust is Magiano, and even he can’t keep her safe from the threats she faces at every turn. When the world begins to show signs of destruction, Adelina must align with her enemies and rejoin the Elites as they travel to the Realm of Gods to save her people from the darkness that lies ahead.

Marie Lu definitely made some bold decisions in this story with both her characters and plot direction. The Midnight Star takes us down a dark path that Adelina experiences, and it was definitely an emotional exercise. It did not escape my notice that despite having the story told in multiple perspectives, where we heard from Raffaele, Maeve, Magiano, Teren and Violetta, the only first person narrative was from Adelina. It was like Marie Lu was forcing her audience to experience Adelina’s darkness firsthand. Great perspective that added a dark edge to the story.

Also, I loved how Lu was daring enough to make some bold sacrifices throughout her story with both characters and plot direction. Despite not wanting to lose some of the characters I connected with, it added credibility and substance to the story. I applaud Marie Lu for making the decisions she made, and I truly sensed she did it to advance the story and not for shock value. Well done!

As far as the emotional strength in this story, I would rate it a TEN! I’m not a crier when it comes to reading, but let me tell you… there were some moments that I felt the familiar tightening of my jaw and sting in my eyes. That only goes to show how completely I connected with the story and characters. What an experience!

Overall, it’s no secret I’m a huge fan of YA Fantasy, but only when it’s exceptional to the likes of Rowling, Marchetta and Lu. I’m willing to invest my time in this genre when I trust the author has the ability to create a fantastical journey, and Marie Lu is up there with the best in this genre. Loved it much!

5 Snowflakes