The Midnight Star

by Marie Lu

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $24.50 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu was published in 2016 by SPEAK.

Page Count: 368 pages (paperback) 336 (hardcover) 330 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 09 hrs 07 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters) 

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, and German)

Summary of Book:

“Adelina Amouteru has turned her back on those who have betrayed her.

Her reign has been a triumphant one. But with each new conquest, her cruelty only grows, threatening to destroy all she has gained.

When a new danger appears, Adelina is forced to put not only herself but every Elite at risk.

Now Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest in order to persevere her empire–though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.” -SPEAK

Author Biography:

“Marie Lu is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Young Elites, as well as the blockbuster bestselling Legend series. Warcross is her newest book. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis -SPEAK

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

When I picked up The Midnight Star, I was hesitant. The Rose Society already had me questioning Adelina, so to some extend I was already confused about what I really wanted. I didn’t know if I was going to like or dislike Adelina in this final installment in The Young Elites series. I had to take some time to think after reading The Rose Society before picking up The Midnight Star. This series had me questioning so much.

Once I started reading this novel, my fears came to life. Lu created a narrator that I did not like whatsoever, and I think this is a very tricky thing to do. The way she creates this narrative, one will either support or be against Adelina. I grew myself disliking her as the story progressed. However, my disliking her did not make me want to stop reading any less. This is why this series confuses me. I don’t know how Lu does it, but she somehow created a series that had me questioning my alliance to the narrator so much! Yet, I still want to keep reading more. Perhaps it is my wanting to know if my alliance to change that kept me so invested in this series.

However, I will admit that I did not change my alliance. I disliked Adelina throughout. Now I can see how others would have liked/disliked her at times but in the end be satisfied with her. But to me, I don’t know. I guess she didn’t meet up to the standards Professor Snape set. I mean he’s the only character I know that I dislike the whole series until the end. Adelina’s actions in the end did not (in my opinion) reach enough of a redeeming quality to have me change mt mind in the end. I HIGHLY recommend your reading this final novel in the series to make your own judgement. To me, the ending was satisfying enough, but my dislike for Adelina reigned through the whole series.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Carla Corvo and Lannon Killea

Corvo and Killea do an amazing job in bringing this third novel to life. I really enjoy when the same narrators tell the same series. I form such a connection from the original narrator that it kind of throws me off when different narrators are used in the same series. Corvo and Killea do excellent narrating the entire series. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 2.0 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  3.0 speed to be the best speeds. 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Batman: Nightwalker

Legend Series

• Legend
• Prodigy
• Champion

The Young Elites Series

• The Young Elites 
• The Rose Society
• The Midnight Star

Warcross Duology

• Warcross
• Wildcard

The Rose Society

by Marie Lu

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $24.50 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

The Rose Society by Marie Lu was published in 2015 by SPEAK.

Page Count: 395 pages (paperback) 416 (hardcover) 412 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 11 hrs 07 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters) 

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, and German)

Summary of Book:

“Now Adelina Amouteru is turning down the bitter path of revenge. Knowing and feared as the White Wolf, she searches for other Young Elites to build up her own army. Her goal: strike down the Inquisition Axis who nearly killed her.

But make no mistake–Adelina is no heroine. Her powers are growing beyond her control and she trusts no one.

Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her.

But now can she be good when her very existence depends on darkness?” -SPEAK

Author Biography:

“Marie Lu is the author of the#1 New York Times bestselling series the Young Elites, the blockbuster bestselling Legend series, and Warcross. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis” -SPEAK

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I was very excited to read this novel. After reading The Young Elites, I could not wait to jump into the second book in the series. I could not wait to see what was in store fore Adelina at the end of the first novel. I could tell something big was going to happen to Adelina in The Rose Society. The ending of The Young Elites signaled the beginning of Adelina’s revenge and journey to discover her power to become the powerful leader lurking inside.

Lu once more takes the reader into Adelina’s dark mind as she forms new alliances to take on the forces against her. There is an interesting twist in the story that I will not discuss to avoid any spoilers, but all I can say is that it took by surprise. I was not expecting that to happen in the novel.

I’ve stressed my fascination with Marie Lu’s writing before. This novel did not disappoint. However, I did find myself having conflicting emotions. I did not know how to feel in the end toward the fate of Adelina at the end of the novel and am fairly worried to see what happens in the third novel, The Midnight Star.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Carla Corvo and Lannon Killea

Corvo and Killea do an amazing job in the second part of The Rose Society series. I enjoyed their first collaboration for The Young Elites and was excited to find out that the same narrators would be narrating this one as well. As with the first novel, I was completely satisfied with their narration of the second book in the series. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Batman: Nightwalker

Legend Series

• Legend
• Prodigy
• Champion

The Young Elites Series

• The Young Elites 
• The Rose Society
• The Midnight Star

Warcross Duology

• Warcross
• Wildcard

The Young Elites

by Marie Lu

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $12.98

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $29.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

The Young Elites by Marie Lu was published in 2014 by SPEAK.

Page Count: 355 pages (paperback) 368 (hardcover) 370 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 10 hrs 03 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters) 

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, and German)

Summary of Book:

“A decade ago, a deadly blood fever swept through the nation. Most of the infected perished, but some survivors were left with strange markings, rumored to signify powerful gifts for those who possess them. And though their identities remain secret, this group of survivors has come to be called THE YOUNG ELITES.

The Inquisition Axis seeks to destroy them. The Dagger Society aims to find them before they Inquisition Axis. And Adelina Amouteru just wants to be left alone. But two truths will soon surface: ADELINA’S POWERS ARE FAR MORE ORDINARY . . . AND SHE IS NOT TO BE CROSSED” -SPEAK

Author Biography:

“Marie Lu is the author of the#1 New York Times bestselling Legend series, and Warcross. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis” -SPEAK

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

This was a very different read for me. I was warned before starting the novel by a friend who stated that it was “dark.” I was interested just how “dark” this novel was and was very surprised from the very first chapter. The opening chapters made me feel so many different emotions that it took me a while to actually attach myself to the main character, Adelina Amouteru. I could not decide if I liked her or if I should keep my distance from her. I do admit that I was not fully drawn into the story until about twenty to thirty pages in. I believe that that is the result of reading such a different story than I am used to.

I read The Young Elites after having read Lu’s Legend series and Warcross duology. Be warned that The Young Elites is indeed a “darker” novel when compared to Lu’s other novels. However, I do not say that in a negative tone. I loved the difference! I enjoyed reading something different, not only from what I had recently read but also different from the same author.

Marie Lu is an amazing author, and I love all of her novels so far. I may be biased in this review, but her writing simply fascinates me. The Young Elites was not a disappointment whatsoever, and I am eager to read the next part of the series, The Rose Society. I cannot wait to see what more Marie Lu publishes and will anxiously await her next projects.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Carla Corvo and Lannon Killea

Corvo and Killea do an amazing job in bringing this novel to life. I really enjoy the switching in narration and their voices compliment each other in a way that draws the listener in. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Batman: Nightwalker

Legend Series

• Legend
• Prodigy
• Champion

The Young Elites Series

• The Young Elites 
• The Rose Society
• The Midnight Star

Warcross Duology

• Warcross
• Wildcard