Legion Lost by K.C. Finn is supposedly the first in a series of stories based on the mythical Legion, although on checking I do note the second book in the series, Legion Found has yet to be released.
I always have some trouble with defining genres and Legion Lost is no exception. Clearly it is a dystopian world, set in the future, sometime around 2160, if I remember rightly, but it could also be classified as a young adult or even new adult novel. Regardless of the genre, the book fulfills well the role it set out to.
We follow the journey of a fifteen-year-old girl, whose entire life has been as part of a family living underground, hiding from the dreaded System, who now rule the surface of the country, if not the planet. When their peaceful, if relatively boring existence is destroyed by infiltrators from the surface, it is she that is sent to run and escape. Alone and lost on the surface for the very first time, and pursued by soldiers from the System, she adopts the persona of a young boy and names herself Raja.
It quickly becomes apparent to Raja the only place to seek any sort of security, until she can figure out how to rescue her family is within the forbidding walls of the Legion. The Legion is, not unlike the Foreign Legion, a place where people can leave their pasts behind and start a new life, except this Legion is exclusively for children. The System promises that youngsters prepared to subjugate themselves to the Legion will be granted full citizen status within the System on attaining the age of 20.
Much of the book focuses on Raja's friendships and burgeoning love with her fellow rejects in the Legion's South Tower. If I'm totally honest, though, I did find some of the characterisations just a little overdrawn to the point where they became caricatures rather than characters. Some suspension of belief was required at certain points also, but that having been said it was an enjoyable and easy read.
It becomes apparent that this dystopian world the story is set in is, in fact, the British Isles. The main rebel group, being Highlanders and led by some warriors with particularly Scottish names. There is some excellent writing of the conflict scenes and Finn builds tension well, especially toward the end of the book. I would admit that by the time I finished the story, I was ready to start Book 2, although it would appear Book 2, is not ready for me yet.
I note from her Amazon page K.C. Finn is particularly prolific and I have no doubt I will try something else of hers in the future. If you like strong, young, very vivid characters, fighting and dying in an adult Dystopian war, then I'm sure you will enjoy Legion Lost.
I'm comfortable with giving Legion Lost three and half stars, but as always happy to round that up to four. A pleasant, if not outstanding read.
Check out more of Finn's books here: http://amzn.to/1MuESMd
I always have some trouble with defining genres and Legion Lost is no exception. Clearly it is a dystopian world, set in the future, sometime around 2160, if I remember rightly, but it could also be classified as a young adult or even new adult novel. Regardless of the genre, the book fulfills well the role it set out to.
We follow the journey of a fifteen-year-old girl, whose entire life has been as part of a family living underground, hiding from the dreaded System, who now rule the surface of the country, if not the planet. When their peaceful, if relatively boring existence is destroyed by infiltrators from the surface, it is she that is sent to run and escape. Alone and lost on the surface for the very first time, and pursued by soldiers from the System, she adopts the persona of a young boy and names herself Raja.
It quickly becomes apparent to Raja the only place to seek any sort of security, until she can figure out how to rescue her family is within the forbidding walls of the Legion. The Legion is, not unlike the Foreign Legion, a place where people can leave their pasts behind and start a new life, except this Legion is exclusively for children. The System promises that youngsters prepared to subjugate themselves to the Legion will be granted full citizen status within the System on attaining the age of 20.
Much of the book focuses on Raja's friendships and burgeoning love with her fellow rejects in the Legion's South Tower. If I'm totally honest, though, I did find some of the characterisations just a little overdrawn to the point where they became caricatures rather than characters. Some suspension of belief was required at certain points also, but that having been said it was an enjoyable and easy read.
It becomes apparent that this dystopian world the story is set in is, in fact, the British Isles. The main rebel group, being Highlanders and led by some warriors with particularly Scottish names. There is some excellent writing of the conflict scenes and Finn builds tension well, especially toward the end of the book. I would admit that by the time I finished the story, I was ready to start Book 2, although it would appear Book 2, is not ready for me yet.
I note from her Amazon page K.C. Finn is particularly prolific and I have no doubt I will try something else of hers in the future. If you like strong, young, very vivid characters, fighting and dying in an adult Dystopian war, then I'm sure you will enjoy Legion Lost.
I'm comfortable with giving Legion Lost three and half stars, but as always happy to round that up to four. A pleasant, if not outstanding read.
Check out more of Finn's books here: http://amzn.to/1MuESMd
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