Author: Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: BookExpo 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: July 31st 2018
Summary:
Five years after the destruction of the so-called rehabilitation camps that imprisoned her and countless other Psi kids, seventeen-year-old Suzume "Zu" Kimura has assumed the role of spokesperson for the interim government, fighting for the rights of Psi kids against a growing tide of misinformation and prejudice. But when she is accused of committing a horrifying act, she is forced to go on the run once more in order to stay alive. Determined to clear her name, Zu finds herself in an uncomfortable alliance with Roman and Priyanka, two mysterious Psi who could either help her prove her innocence or betray her before she gets the chance. But as they travel in search of safety and answers, and Zu grows closer to the people she knows she shouldn't trust, they uncover even darker things roiling beneath the veneer of the country's recovery. With her future-and the future of all Psi-on the line, Zu must use her powerful voice to fight back against forces that seek to drive the Psi into the shadows and save the friends who were once her protectors. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a harrowing story of resilience, resistance, and reckoning that will thrill loyal fans and new readers alike.
I am not sure where I am going to start with this review but I am going to start with this: Typically I LOVE when an author decides to add on to a series they completed and I was ecstatic when I learned about The Darkest Legacy. From the end of In The Afterlight, Bracken left her a crew in a good spot, their story was wrapped up and everyone was seemingly happy. That is what I thought until I began The Darkest Legacy. What ever image you managed to create after initially completing the series is probably not their reality at all. As nervous as I was to start this book and the emotional roller coaster it brought me on, it is actually my favorite in the series so far. Get ready for everything you've known about this world to be turned inside out.
I received The Darkest Legacy at Disney's booth at BookExpo 2018 where I also met Alexandra Bracken, who is the sweetest person I ever met and talked to me and a few other people on line about the upcoming movie adaption of The Darkest Minds. When we asked her about The Darkest Legacy she said how it was a big book (The ARC was 570 pages!) and the hoped there was nothing in it that considered to be filler. I hope she realizes that nothing in this book was filler. The Darkest Legacy was 570 pages of action, adventure, heart break and the true meaning of finding yourself and your voice.
I was really nice getting to see the crew after five years. I knew this book was in Zu's POV so I knew that some of the series favorites would be making appearances. I always wondered where they would end up considering the end of the series. There weren't many loose ends but there was enough to make you wonder. Seeing everyone growth over the time frame was incredible, these aren't the same characters that I fell in love with before, but they are something more now.
Bracken's world building play a huge factor in this installment. After five years the government is still being rebuilt after an epidemic that all but destroyed their country. A half of decade later and the country is slowly rebuilding, But history always has a way of repeating itself. With the introduction of Roman and Priya we see how IAAN took hold in other parts of the world and in the human trafficking ring.
With the introduction of two new characters and a whole knew story line I wasn't sure which direction this was going to take. But I loved it. My biggest concern was the romance, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Bracken did an amazing job in the previous books but I wasn't overly concerned. But there was very little romance in this book, Bracken worried more about the plot. Which I liked since this book didn't NEED the romance aspect to survive.
After the ending my biggest question is whether or not Bracken and Disney are going to decide to give Zu her own series. The Darkest Legacy didn't do the best job at wrapping itself up, there are still a good chunk of things that are left open and unexplained. It has me crossing my fingers that this means more. But even if this is it, I am glad to see where all of my favorite characters ended up and that they are all still going to be together in the end.
I still haven't read The Darkest Minds trilogy. I really need to get around to it, especially since there is a movie coming out soon. This book sounds so interesting and I can't wait to eventually get to it once I've actually read the original trilogy of course. Thanks for sharing your review.
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