Champion (novel)

Champion

Champion
Author	Marie Lu
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Legend series
Genre	Dystopian, young adult
Published	November 5, 2013
Publisher	G. P. Putnam's Sons
Media type	Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book
Pages	369 pp.[1]
ISBN	978-0-399-25677-6
OCLC	855507153
LC Class	PZ7.L96768 Ch 2013[1]
Preceded by	Prodigy

Champion is a dystopian young adult novel and the third and final book in the Legend trilogy written by American novelist Marie Lu.^[2] It was released on 5 November 2013.^[3]

Plot

After the events of Prodigy, Daniel "Day" Altan Wing now lives as a free citizen in San Francisco with his younger brother, Eden Bataar. Following several months of no communication, Day is contacted by June Iparis about a "feast" held by Anden Stavropoulos, the young Elector of the Republic, for him and Eden at Denver. In reality, Anden wants Day to hand over Eden as part of the Republic's search for a cure for their man-made virus, wreaking havoc upon the Colonies, causing the latter to give an ultimatum for the cure, lest they and Africa will invade the Republic. Day denies the request, and the Republic's cause is further eroded when traitor soldiers Thomas Bryant and Commander Jameson, both in death row for the attempted coup, escape. The next day, Day collapses due to his illness and is rushed to the hospital. The following day, Day tells June about his terminal illness, whose diagnoses include retrograde amnesia, just before the city is attacked by the Colonies' airships. While the population is being evacuated to Los Angeles, Day works with the Patriot organization in hijacking the Colonies' airships. During the event, Thomas abruptly appears and sacrifices himself to save Day from a fatal shot.

Day is sent to the Los Angeles Central Hospital due to another massive flare-up of his illness and is contacted by the Chancellor of the Colonies, who blackmails him into defecting to the Colonies and convincing the masses to do so, or else he will kill June and Eden if the Colonies win the war. He gives him three days to consider the offer. Day remains unconvinced and instead spreads messages through graffiti to make the Republic's population support Anden against the Colonies. He also decides to let Eden to volunteer himself as a test subject to find a cure for the biological diseases spreading in the Colonies. Meanwhile, June accompanies Anden to meet with the President of Antarctica to request help for the war. The President of Antarctica refuses aid for the present, stating that the Republic was infested with disease, and that he would aid Anden only if a cure to the disease was found along with several plots of land as payment. She is informed by Day about his decision once she returns back; the two promptly have intercourse. The next morning, June tells Anden her refusal for nomination for the Elector Princeps position.

The Colonies has conquered Denver and is now landing their airships near the Los Angeles harbor. Day meets with the Chancellor of the Colonies to give an answer for the blackmail: a resolute no. He escapes as the Colonies starts attacking Los Angeles. With the war ensuing in the streets of the city, June speeds up the search for the cure when she offers her blood to be tested, as she realizes that she is the missing link required to patch up Eden's blood. Once the testing is done, she assists the Republic's cause. She confronts Jameson, who has shot Day in the stomach, and lets her get shot by a Republic soldier and fall to her death. Though the invasion is finally ended with Antarctica's help, June sees Day fatally wounded and prays for his survival in exchange for "anything." Day almost dies of blood loss, and June cries in sadness. Later, June learns that Day has survived, but he has lost all memory of the people and events of the previous year, and does not remember June. While June is devastated, she accepts this and lets him go, believing he will be happier without remembering all the grief she has caused him.

In the epilogue, June narrates the events afterward: the Republic manages to neutralize the virus as well as opening up and establishing relations with the Colonies by building transborder cities; June continues to serve in the Republic's military, rekindles her friendship with Tess, and briefly dates Anden; while Day, now known by his given name, Daniel, leaves the Republic to accompany Eden to attend military academy in Antarctica after the latter has regained his eyesight. Ten years after the invasion, June is about to have dinner with Tess when she hears that Day and Eden are coming back to Republic. Just as she dashes her hope to meet Day, June accidentally stumbles on him and Eden, realizing that Tess has deliberately made them reunite. Day stops June thinking that he recognizes her. He does not remember her at first, but then he begins to recover some memories, though they are scattered and in pieces. He wants to know her further and introduces himself, an action foreshadowed in Prodigy, and June responds back to him.

Characters

June Iparis- A seventeen-year-old prodigy, who scored a 1500 (the maximum score) on her Trial. She decides at the end of the book to not tell Day whom she is, as she thinks that his suffering and pain is caused by her. When he appears dying, she pleas for his survival. She then lets go of Day, telling herself that it is for the best. She is good at appealing to other's emotions and understanding people's backgrounds, as well as observing things around her. In the epilogue, Day and June meet again, when they are both twenty-seven, and re-introduce themselves in hopes of becoming friends again.

Daniel (Day) Altan Wing- A seventeen-year-old boy, who is also a prodigy but is mostly considered the "Legend " and "Champion" of the Republic, who also scores a 1500 as well, but he didn't know this. Throughout the book, he experiences several excruciatingly painful headaches, which comes from the experimentation on him when he was ten done by the Republic. During the ending sequence, he is shot twice. He ends up in a coma for five months, as he also needs surgery on his hippocampus.

Eden Bataar Wing- Day's younger brother, who Day will do anything to protect. Day is adamant of not letting the Republic experiment on Eden again, but Eden agrees to do it.

Captain Thomas Alexander Bryant- A very loyal soldier to the Republic; however he is too loyal and follows his commander's orders exactly, which results in placing him as a traitor in an assassination plot against the Elector. He is killed by Colony soldiers.

Anden Stavropoulos- The young leader/elector of the Republic. He is attracted to June.

Tess- An orphan girl whom Day took in, and is becoming attracted to Day. She joins the Patriot organization as a Medic.

Commander Natasha Jameson- Important antagonist in the series who is a murderer and attempted to kill Anden

Pascao- A member of the Patriots, and leader of the Runners.

Chancellor of the Colonies- The antagonist of the story, he commands the Colonies and wages war against the Republic.

Reception

Critical reception to Champion was favorable and gained a favorable review from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.^[4] Commonsensemedia gave the work four stars, writing that "Action-packed sci-fi series reaches rousing conclusion."^[5] Publishers Weekly gave the work a starred review, comparing Lu to Charlotte Brontë.^[6]

References