Legacy Review

The first boy disappeared on the day of his birth, on a night when the pale yellow moon of the nighttime sky turned red and bathed the heavens in the ghastly color of blood, on the same night the Kingdom of Cokyri abruptly ceased its merciless attack.
Across the land of Hytanica, under the shadow of the crimson moon, infant boys continued to vanish. Not until the blood had faded from the sky did the disappearances stop and the bodies of the murdered infants were found outside the gates of the city, a final word from the greatest enemy Hytanica had ever known. For the next sixteen years, peace reigned, but one mystery remained unsolved. The Cokyrians had abducted forty-nine newborns, but returned only forty-eight bodies.
Now, as seventeen-year-old Princess Alera of Hytanica is besieged from all sides by suitors vying for the Throne, a teenage Cokyrian boy, Narian, is encountered within the walls of her Kingdom, a boy who will show Alera a world where women serve a purpose and not just a husband. As Narian helps Alera find her voice, she struggles against an arranged marriage that will shatter the life she has scarcely begun to live. And when Narian's shocking past is uncovered, and war with Cokyri looms once more, he must fight to defy a fate ordained at his birth.

REVIEW:
One important thing i feel like needs to be point out is, that Cayla Kluver wrote the book when she was 14 year old! I know wow!

I will describe Legacy as a good "epic" fantasy story. I don't know if it's YA, i'm always confused with all those genres. The writing is something between simple and something more. You can see it's written by someone young but that doesn't mean it wasn't nice. Kluver managed to write about the life of 17-year old in another world without being that age yet in a believable way. It's carefully written and detailed without being tiresome. Great landscapes and environment accompanied with a really interesting story. Even if it's a bit cliche with the prophecies, etc it can keep you interested til the end. And i believe that mostly happens since the kingdom treat the women like "they are good wives and take care of the family. They don't take part in important decisions, etc" and we actually see the story of a girl's POV.

The characters doesn't have much depth but they are acceptable. They were written a bit childish. And all the relationships between them, from friends to lovers or family, they are nothing new to see. You see what's coming from the very start. I believe that was the biggest negative of the book. Sometimes, it was so predictable that i was annoyed. On the positive note, the last chapters of the book was a good surprise! No matter, how much you had predict how it will go it changed in a really interesting way! What i can say...i didn't see that coming XD The rest was so..ordinary and i thought it will go like that.

As i said, no matter the negative parts of it, still is a really good and enjoyable and i think you will like it. Keep in mind it's part of series and the 2nd isn't released yet. If it was written by someone older, i would be a lot harsher but for a girl at that age i can only feel admiration.

Challenges: Into The Old World, Wish I'd Read That, 350+ Pages Books, 100 Books in 2011