The Young Elites by Marie Lu Series: The Young Elites #1
Published by Putnam Juvenile on October 7, 2014
Genres: Fantasy YA, Young Adult
Pages: 355
Format: Hardcover
Also by this author: Legend
Source: Bought it
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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.
As you all might know, Marie Lu is one of my favorite authors. I thought her Legend series was pretty stellar, ESPECIALLY the concluding volume, CHAMPION. When I found out that she was starting a new fantasy series set in a world that has a Renaissance Venice vibe with secret societies and young people with superpowers, I basically was drooling immediately. THE YOUNG ELITES sounded so excellent: the dark gifts bestowed upon survivors of the deadly blood fever, the Inquisition Axis’ determination to eliminate those survivors, and the Dagger Society (HELLO, BEST NAME)–a secret sect of fever survivors trying to save as many of the gifted as they can. I was like, *NEEDS*. THE YOUNG ELITES is such a great beginning to a series that I’m REALLY stoked about.
So as I mentioned, THE YOUNG ELITES is about a few things. We see this world through the eyes of a troubled young fever survivor named Adelina Amouteru. She has some pretty scary gifts, a lingering mark of the fever. Her family life sucks: Her father is trying to pawn her off to another man so that he can make as much money off of her as possible, her mother is dead, and her younger sister is the apple of her father’s eye. When Adelina unwittingly uses her gift to do something pretty horrible, albeit deserved, she’s taken by the Inquisitor and prepared for execution. Until, that is, the Dagger Society comes to her rescue and she meets Enzo, their leader. The Daggers want to train Adelina to harness her gift, but they’re also wary of her and a little afraid. Her gift isn’t like anything else they’ve ever seen. Discovering her gift and learning the full reach of her power will lead to all kinds of dangerous, deadly, frightening things.
First of all, Adelina. This girl is tortured, and you could honestly say that she’s tortured figuratively and literally. Her father is a bear, mistreating Adelina constantly, and as a result of this horrible treatment, Adelina is broken. Her society looks down on fever survivors, and that’s putting it mildly. They are feared, hated, and are the targets of the Inquisition Axis. Adelina remembers a better time before the fever when her mother was alive and she and her sister were closer and her family wasn’t on the brink of financial ruin. But now, she’s just trying to get out from under her father’s nasty thumb. Adelina is dark, you guys. Vengeful and angry and unpredictable. She’s bitter and lonely. None of this is good when you combine it with her gift and her inability to control it. It’s really interesting to see a world through the eyes of someone like Adelina. It gives THE YOUNG ELITES a distinctly disturbing feeling. You know that, over the course of her training with the Daggers that something bad is going to happen. That makes for a very gripping story, and Adelina is one of those characters that you pity and want to slap at the same time. Except you’re kind of scared of her so mostly you just feel bad and have panic attacks.
There are a few major moving parts in THE YOUNG ELITES: Adelina, the Dagger Society, and Teren Santoro. I have to say, THE YOUNG ELITES suffers just a bit from “first book in a fantasy series” syndrome. Which is to say that the characters are excellent–Marie Lu always has very well-realized characters–but that the world building has some rough patches. Since there only seems to be those three major groups though (for now, at least, and that’s part of what’s keeping me so excited for book 2), it all works. I’m very, VERY intrigued by Teren Santoro, who’s boffing the queen and is just full of self-hatred and secrets. The Daggers and Enzo are really fantastic as well, and the way things end up with them and Adelina is heartbreaking. Adelina herself is in a BAD place when THE YOUNG ELITES ends. But the foundations of a really intriguing world are here, and that mixed with the great characters makes me a happy girl.
One of the reasons that things end up so devastatingly for Adelina is that she begins to make connections–connections without fear–with the other Daggers. Because of her treatment at the hands of her father, she’s wary always of being used, and that’s something that she continues to struggle with as she grows closer to all the Daggers, but especially to Raffaelle, Adelina’s main instructor and a courtesan (seriously, LOVE HIM), and Enzo, the leader of the Daggers. Her relationships with these two guys are different, but wonderful and sad as well. Raffaelle is the closest thing Adelina has to a friend and she comes to rely on his calming presence. Enzo, on the other hand, is enigmatic and serious and his relationship with Adelina is fraught with that “we shouldn’t but I can’t fight it anymore!” feeling. All of this combines to make me heartsick for Adelina by the time THE YOUNG ELITES draws to a close.
Speaking of that close, GIMME BOOK 2 NOW. There’s something about fantasies that I love and that’s the expansion of the world in which our story takes place. Take me–and the characters–to someplace we’ve never seen before. Make their world bigger, and therefore the stakes higher. Marie Lu does that at the end of THE YOUNG ELITES. If this series is anything like Legend, the books are only going to get better, and I can’t wait.
While I didn’t love The Young Elites as much as you did, I do think that there’s something intriguing about the pieces of Lu’s latest series starter – the secret society, the concept of malfettos, Teren. I’m a little wary, but I do think I might give book 2 a shot when it does come out. I’m happy you enjoyed it though!
I was sort of on the fence on this one after seeing some mixed reviews. I’m definitely going to be looking at this book thanks to your review! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 I actually haven’t read Lu before but I know that she has a lot of fans. I’m sure they’re well earned fans too.
I can’t wait to give this fantasy series a try!