Becoming A Legend/Winning The Legend by B. Kristin McMichael-a review
Becoming A Legend
The Blue Eyes Trilogy #2 (YA)
by B. Kristin McMichael
ABOUT THE BOOK: June 14, 2013
Arianna Grace is about to turn seventeen and her life has been very complicated lately. She is the leader of four clans of night humans: dearg-dul, baku, tengu, and lycan. While the four clans seem to get along better with each other, there is internal conflict on both sides of her family, not to mention the three boys vying for her attention.
Edward Lucan is making a chase for the power to lead the baku clans and is playing his cards by using his nephew Andrew to lure Arianna into a trap. Unfortunately for Lucan, Andrew has his own plans. He has spent the last year waiting for Arianna to see him as more than a friend, and he now finds it necessary to make a move for her affection, despite his uncle.
In the dearg-dul estate, Arianna discovers that the ambitious Lord Seeger has been laying his own strategies for power and is slowly poisoning her. After getting away with her grandfather’s murder, he is setting his sights on her. Luckily for Arianna, her team is on to all of the plans and is making some plans of their own. Will it be enough to keep Arianna safe? Several people close to Arianna have been keeping secrets. If Arianna is to take power and control of the night, she will need to know the truth. Will someone finally tell her what it truly means to become the legend everyone is waiting for, before it is too late to turn back?
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REVIEW: When we last visited with Arianna, everyone wanted a piece of her. Current status: EVERYONE STILL WANTS HER…even if it means going to war! Let’s step back into the world of day and night humans in the sequel, Becoming a Legend, by B. Kristen McMichael.
Arianna has now spent a year in this world, primarily under the guidance and tutelage of her Great Uncle, Gabriel (Baku from her father’s side), and Devin, the sole day human who represents Arianna’s now deceased maternal grandfather, Lord Randolph (Dearg-dul). Together, they protect her from those clans wishing to claim her (to produce offspring — yikes, she’s only 17!) and prepare her for adhering to the rules of the legend. Problem is? No one quite knows the legend! Every clan (13 in all) knows bits and pieces, each a piece of the larger puzzle if you will, but only Lord Randolph knew how to compile the facts and enact it: The legend stated she must have a keeper of each race to gain power over all the clans. Problem is (and there are many), Lord Randolph never intended for Arianna to embrace the legend. But the disarray following his death (and the fact that it’s a year later and the clans agree Arianna is far from completing the prophecy), their thirst for power, and how can they get it from Ari, overrides their patience. As a consequence of her refusal to marry (again, she’s only 17!), the clans collectively unite against Ari and declare war. In an effort to placate them, Ari agrees to a Tournament of Champions as a compromise. Each clan will send a representative to fight for her hand.
Now it was time for her to fight to be free to live her own life. Arianna had one month to prepare to meet her fate. She would either save the night human world or destroy it.
Aside from the unreasonableness of the competing clans, Ari has to contend with her own keepers (those who will supply blood for her sustenance and become irreversibly connected to her), the emotional intensity of those relationships, sabotage, physical and mental training, and her own maturity with developing powers. I liked Ari more in the sequel because I believe she is a gentle person who is trying to survive in a world of contention. The attachments aren’t a YA-love triangle convention that bore us to death. Becoming a Legend delves deeper into the WHY of it all and allowed me to feel empathy for Arianna. I couldn’t help but compare her plight to that of Merida from Brave and even to mild-mannered Jean Grey who transforms into the Dark Phoenix when her powers are released. Awesome women, right? There is so much world building HERE; you really must read from the beginning of the series to understand the terminology, but you’ll be glad you did.
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Winning the Legend
The Blue Eyes Trilogy #3 (YA)
by B. Kristin McMichael
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 31, 2013
Arianna has gathered the outside clans to decide her fate in marriage. A tournament will be held, and she is the prize, whether she wants to be or not. The only thing she can do is watch men fight over her, or is that all she can do? Thanks to her team’s well-made plans Arianna has other strategies in place, and hopefully one just might get her freedom.
As the men gather and she learns more about the night human world, there are new allies to keep close and more enemies to keep even closer. Some even hold more secrets to her legend and possibly the actual reason to her existence. Now Arianna must decide what to do with the fate she has been dealt. Time has come to step out of the shadows of the men who protect her, and into her own power. The time is now for Arianna to take control, and fight for the destiny she wants to live
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REVIEW: In keeping with my visceral reactions, book 3, Winning the Legend, translated to Hunger Games meets X-MEN! The tournament to compete for Arianna (aka the ultimate prize) is on, but fluctuations of many sorts are changing the course for all involved. The fabled legend may not be so idyllic. Ari is either to become an unrivaled peacemaker…or the harbinger of death!
She didn’t want to have the contest, but it was her choice to go through with it to protect everyone she loved. By having this competition, her clans avoided all-out war.
And so the contestants entered her estate to begin the process of elimination (by ranking lost matches). The competition takes center stage for this book, but I have to admit that my complaint was the competition manipulation. While some clans hid nefarious plots to win (regardless of rules), most of the participants were intent on winning Arianna’s affections. At the end of Becoming a Legend, Ari complies with part of the legend’s promise (I didn’t want to spoil it, but it’s necessary for this to make sense): Ari drank the blood of her keepers to fortify her strengths and prevent disease. Arianna trained during the 1 month lapse in time for the tournament, but she really threw her own name into the ring (remember the Merida reference?) because of the effect/potency of drinking the blood. I’d say that’s advantageous. But it didn’t end there. A few select members of her guard joined the competition as well. Needless to say, they collaborated to minimize the competitors’ chances. The Sidhe king became a major player in the challenge, but also the main proponent to win Arianna by any means necessary. I understand that each clan had its own agenda, but Arianna was just as duplicitous…and that left a bad taste in my mouth.
I admired Arianna’s tenacity and willingness to defend and unite her clans, but there were too many fundamental inequities that prevented fair play. Arianna MATED to one of her keepers! Not disclosing that knowledge…well…let me move on. Not all results are perfect, however. Arianna becomes the veritable guinea pig (picture Rogue from X-MEN) at the recommendation of an uneasy alliance when plans go astray. Catastrophes are avoided, but Ms. McMichael does provide a healthy dose of pain and loss. Love is tested, loyalty is questioned, and suspicions become a necessary warning system.
I’ve indulged in several YA stories, but this series is designed for a genuinely young audience. My lack of patience doesn’t care much for “hand-holding” writing (where I’m being directly led/told rather than follow/assume a natural progression of storyline). On the other hand, there were explanations or issues that could have used more detail or another pair of eyes to minimize inaccuracies. I’m convinced there were a few contradictions.
Arianna is thrust into an incomprehensible world at the age of 16, but quickly realizes her role cannot be taken lightly and demands her active participation. The journey is not an easy one; she has to adapt to a new environment as a leader (pretty heady responsibility!), but she’s surrounded by a devoted cast of characters who figure it out alongside her. Discover the sights and sounds (and a diet that thankfully got easier!) of this supernatural world. Hear Arianna roar as she gains confidence! I wasn’t jumping-for-joy happy with the culmination of the story, as I so favored one character in particular, but Ms. McMichael treated us to some insight at the end of Winning the Legend: Stay tuned for a spin-off!
Reviewed by Carmen
Copies supplied by the author.
