The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken

8/6/2018

SYNOPSIS

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.

Synopsis from Amazon

PERSONAL REVIEW

Has there ever been a book that you’ve been so excited for, you actually started to get really nervous when it was time to read it? That was The Darkest Legacy for me. I’d loved the original series so much and couldn’t wait for more, but was nervous that this new book wouldn’t live up to my hopes for it. I am incredibly happy to say that my nerves were unfounded, and that I fell in love with this book as much as I did with the original series. Zu’s story turned out so different than the way I thought it would, but it was still an amazing journey.

Loved Zu’s POV
Zia was only 13-years-old in the original series and we are finally given the chance to see how she, and the original characters, have grown up. No pun intended, but Zu quite literally found her voice in this novel (the pun only makes sense if you’ve read the originals) and I thought she was amazing! At 18, Zu is strong and controlled, but is no longer the wide-eyed optimist of the past. She comes to realize that she will need to get her hands dirty to protect those she loves and her journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Again and again, we relive her childhood with her but Zu does not let it break her. I’m incredibly happy with ho Bracken told her story and that she chose to write it from Zu’s POV.

Amazing New Characters
While I was dying to meet the original characters again, Bracken introduced us to some new ones that I ended up falling in love with. Between Roman’s strength, Priyanka’s loyalty, and Max’s struggle to find peace, this new group are equal partners in Zu’s journey. It was also wonderful to get a view of Zu from characters that didn’t know her when she was young; they trust her abilities and expect her to support them, not simply be someone they need to protect. The difference between these characters and the original Betty gang is that these are all teenagers who have experienced the very worst from the adults in their lives, and that sense of hope and optimism is not as prevalent. In the original series, Zu and Liam were those optimistic people, but this time Zu, Roman and Pri are much more aware that the peaceful world they hoped for does yet exist.

Seeing Old Friends
We got to see Ruby, Liam, Chubs and Vida again, this time from Zu’s perspective — and I loved it! After living in Ruby’s head for the first three books, it was really cool to see her and the others from a new perspective. I feel like I definitely had a crush on Liam at the end of The Darkest Minds, so it was great to see him and Chubs again, especially from Zu’s perspective since she travelled with them for so long when she was young and they were very much big brothers to her. I liked getting to see how their relationships have changed and how they have grown up into these more mature adults. Obviously Vida is as kick-ass as always, and Ruby comes off much softer than I think I originally pictured her from when we were in her head in the original series.

This was such a great companion novel to the original series and I’m so incredibly happy that Bracken decided to write this story. There are so many questions at the end of In the Afteright and I really feel like The Darkest Legacy gave us some answers, even if they weren’t be happy ones that we were looking for. I‘m really hopeful that she might decide to come out with another book or two from Zu’s perspective, because I still feel like there’s so much more to read about. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone!

FINAL RATING: 5/5