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

Author Event & Signed Book Giveaway: Marie Lu Author of The Young Elites

Author Event: Marie Lu Author of The Rose Society

Vromans Bookstore Pasadena, CA

October 2015

I always enjoy attending author events at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, CA.  Last week, I shared a spotlight of this bookstore that highlights why I love attending their events. To view my post on Vroman’s Bookstore, you can go HERE. 

 So when I heard Marie Lu would be promoting her newest release The Rose Society, I was excited to meet my long-time partner in book crime Rachel from The Readers Den for the event.   To make this evening even more exciting, we learned that it was being recorded for a popular podcast, First Draft Live with Sarah Enni, so I encourage you to go to iTunes and look up the podcast First Draft Live to hear the full interview of the event.

Joining Marie Lu for a discussion on the scary side of YA literature was Margaret Stohl, Anna Carey and Kali Wallace.  They all showed up dressed in their Halloween best.  One of Lu’s fans dressed as the character of The Young Elites, Adelina Amouteru.

This event was filled with all sorts of fun moments including a raffle of some of Marie Lu’s favorite things, as well as 10 ARC giveaways of Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace, which Rachel was lucky enough to win! Congrats Rachel! Also, there were authors in the audience including the writers of Illuminae, Amie Kaufmanand Jay Kristoff!

Overall, it was fun to hear how the authors responded to questions about writing scary stories and villainous characters.  So to hear the entire interview, be sure to check out First Draft with Sarah Enni.

Lastly, I was fortunate enough to get my copies of The Young Elites, The Rose Society and Legend signed by Marie Lu.  I also bought an additional paperback copy of The Young Elites by Marie Lu to giveaway here! This giveaway is open to US Residents only. Be sure to fill out the rafflecopter and share a thoughtful comment about this post. Happy reading.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: The Young Elites Series by Marie Lu & WinterHaven's Villain Post

Image Rights: Yahoo Images

Today, we’re excited to join Penguin Random House for Marie Lu & the Villain Squad tour! We have a lot to share about Marie Lu’s most recent series The Young Elites, and we also wanted to join in on the fun as I transform into a villain right before your eyes! Well not really a bad villain because well… that’s not my style, but if given the opportunity, I could pull out some superpowers that could bring down my enemy! So check this out!

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

Published October 7, 2014
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Purchase Links:  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

My Thoughts

Brilliant and Fantastical Journey!

I applaud Marie Lu for flexing a new muscle in writing The Young Elites, where she takes her readers into a fantasy world filled with a cast of complex characters and a plot that continually builds momentum from beginning to end. Lu continues to play to her strengths, which we first saw in her dystopia series Legend, where she weaves political turmoil alongside layered agendas among her characters.

Click here for my original review post.

4 Snowflakes

The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu
Expected publication: October 13, 2015
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

From New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes the second book in the exhilarating Young Elites series

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers that murdered her love, the Crown Prince Enzo Valenciano.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

My Thoughts

Absolute perfection!! 

Where most second installments suffer from middle book syndrome, The Rose Society carries no such affliction. This book is a perfect blend of intrigue, dark fantasy and rival forces that have the reader sitting at the edge of their seat!

Click here for my original review post.

5 Snowflakes

And now for the fun!! As part of this blog tour we were asked to turn ourselves into a villain. For those of you who have read The Rose Society, we saw Adeline tap into the darker side of her character and she was known and feared as The White Wolf.

In the spirit of tapping into my inner villain and residing in WinterHaven's world, I would call myself SnowStorm.

My superpower would consist of blizzarating my enemies through my reading glasses and creating snowstorms that drive everyone to seek shelter indoors to their reading nooks. 

If I had to call on my villain squad I'd have my roomies Amber, Britt, Crystal, Milka and Tina help me bring down my enemies. #squadgoals!!

 GIVEAWAY TIME!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Upcoming Release (Review & Giveaway): The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

Expected publication: October 7, 2014

Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers 

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

My Thoughts 
Book quote from an ARC edition: Embellish your flaws. They will turn into your assets. And if you become one of us, I will teach you to wield them like an assassin wields a knife. So. Tell me little wolf. Do you want to punish those that have wronged you?

Brilliant and Fantastical Journey!

I applaud Marie Lu for flexing a new muscle in writing The Young Elites, where she takes her readers into a fantasy world filled with a cast of complex characters and a plot that continually builds momentum from beginning to end. Lu continues to play to her strengths, which we first saw in her dystopia series Legend, where she weaves political turmoil alongside layered agendas among her characters.

Adelina Amouteru is a Young Elite recruit that has the power of illusion and the ability to trick one’s perception of reality. She was plagued with the blood fever at an early age, which cost her an eye and a scar running across her face, as well as bright silver hair that puts the final touches on her malfetto status. To be considered a malfetto is an abomination because the people of Kenettra believe those that were plagued with the fever, scared and later prove to have special abilities were bad luck and should be eliminated.

Book quote from an ARC edition: Some hate us, think us outlaws to hang at the gallows. Some fear us, think us demons to burn at the stake. Some worship us, think us children of the gods. But all know us.

Throughout the novel, I sensed Adelina’s bitterness and rage. What captivated me most was how she used those emotions to wield her powers and at times destroy her surroundings. From the moment I came across this character, I had no issues in sympathizing with her despite some of her dark moments.

Enzo Valenciano is the leader of the Dagger Society of Young Elites that has the power to ignite fire. He’s the rightful prince to the crown but was banished by his sister because of his malfetto status. Enzo, along with his Dagger recruits, train endlessly to hone their abilities and someday take over the thrown and restore safety to all malfettos.

Enzo was an extremely easy character to fall for. His reserved nature and strong presence marked him as a player to keep my eye on.

Teren Santoro is the leader of the Inquisition, who despite his malfetto status has aligned with the queen to destroy The Young Elites and maintain power.

Normally, Teren would be the character I quickly align with because of his anti-hero status, but I’m still struggling to gather any sympathy for him. That’s not to say it won’t happen, but I’m not quite there yet.

In The Young Elites, we enter a world that feels both magical and powerful as Marie Lu once again proves that she can hypnotize her readers with her writing and world building. I can’t wait to dive into the second installment of this series to continue the journey.

Song Choice Ugly Side

4 Snowflakes

Be sure to enter our ALA Giveaway that includes an ARC edition of The Young Elites by Marie Lu along with two other books!
You can click HERE to view the ALA post and giveaway details, and below is the rafflecopter to enter to win. Remember, this giveaway is for US Residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday, #55

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

Here's my selection for this week...

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu
Expected publication: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

I'm a huge fan of Marie Lu, and I was facinated by her Legend series from beginning to end..   I just know her upcoming series, The Young Elites will be just as captivating, so I can't wait to get my hands on this novel.

With any luck, I might just land one this weekend when my lovelies Crystal (my roomie here at WinterHaven and Rachel (one of my book besties at The Reader's Den) will be meeting for a fun time in  Las Vegas this weekend for the 2014 Annual ALA Convention. I'm sure I speak for my cronies as well when I say, we are so excited to get the chance to talk to publishers and meet some of our favorite authors. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and share the event with everyone when we return. So stay tuned!!!

Sooo, what book are you waiting on???