The Young Elites Series

The Young Elites

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.

Not even going to try explaining what this is about. The description is right here, so you can read that if you want to.

I loved that the main character, Adelina Amouteru, isn't perfect. She isn't traditionally "pretty" because of her marks and she has a bit of darkness in her. I enjoyed the way this book kept me turning the pages. I wanted to see what happened with the young elites. There were a few twists that really surprised me but they weren't so far out there as to be unbelievable.

Not sure there was anything I didn't like about this book. The descriptions were so good that I could imagine that world. The characters that you got to know had some depth to them. They weren't just space holders. You learned to like them or at least respect their character.

Overall I would give this book 5 stars. It was good enough for me to put books two and three on my "to read" list before even finishing book one.

The Rose Society

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 flees Kenettra with her sister 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 who nearly killed her.

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?

Bestselling author Marie Lu delivers another heart-pounding adventure in this exhilarating sequel to The Young Elites.

I am having a really difficult time figuring out what to write about this story. I hate the person that Adelina is becoming. I would most definitely call her an anti-hero now. The terror she is reigning down on the people who wronged her, I can empathize with it. Loved that her sister is now at her side. Loved how descriptive Lu is with the characters. I can see them in my mind, but there aren't so many details that you get bogged down in it. I have book three ready to go and just have to finish a couple that are due sooner. The suspense is killing me! What's going to happen!?

The Midnight Star

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.

What a conclusion to this amazing series. 

This takes the previous two and wraps up the entire story into a nice neat package. I love the ending (no worries, I won't spoil it!) 

You see Adelina continue to be tormented by the voices in her head. Will she do what is best for herself, or what is best for the world. I love this quote from Adelina's sister: You cannot harden your heart to the future just because of your past. You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others. Sums up how I was feeling about her at the end of book two. If you are looking for a new series to read, totally look this one up. Check out all three at once because once you get started, you aren't going to want to stop.