Publication date: Sept 2012, 2013, 2014
Publisher: Random House for Young Readers
Category: Young Adult - Fantasy/Parnormal
Source: Purchased
Summary: Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head. But all that changes when the Lynburns return. The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him? (goodreads.com)
The good
The Lynburn Legacy is one of the most underrated series I've ever read. I'm absolutely shocked that it isn't more popular and widely-read because wow, I haven't been entertained by a series like this in a very, very long time. It follows Kami Glass, who isn't like most girls, and she lives in a town that isn't like most towns. All her life Kami has heard the voice of a boy named Jared in her head. In fact, almost everyone knows about her imaginary friend which makes most people look at her strangely. But Kami doesn't let it bother her. She has a great family, a best friend named Angela and a love of uncovering the truth. It's those journalism skills that lead her to find out all she can about her hometown Sorry-in-the-Vale, which is plagued with stories about the mysterious Lynburns and whatever power they used to hold over this place. Then the Lynburns return, including two boys Jared and Ash, and it drives Kami more than ever to find out what their secret is.
Now I want to share 5 reasons why you need to read this series.
1. Kami Glass, heroine extraordinaire.
Kami Glass is like a Veronica Mars trapped in a fantasy world. Which okay, doesn't that just sound amazing? She's smart, witty and cares about the truth. She has a vulnerable side she often doesn't like to show others but is deeply devoted to the people in her life. Whether she's with her friends, one of the guys who I'm sure you can guess play a romantic role at one point or another, or her family – she's full of heart (and quips). I can't tell you how many times this girl made me laugh. With everything going on around her, she never fails to fall back on her humor, her intelligence or need to do what's right. She is easily one of my favorite heroines ever.
2. Detailed world-building.
Sorry-in-the-Vale came alive through Brennan's writing. The town, the history and most of all its characters (from the main to the support cast) felt so real. It's a huge part of the reason why it was easy to get absorbed in the books and feel invested in what was happening. Each book (there are three in total) continuously revealed more layers to the mythology and to the complexity of its characters. It constantly kept me guessing!
3. Get ready for the swoons.
The romance in this book was a rollercoaster ride in itself. I admittedly wasn't always crazy about the back and forth. But the fact that I constantly wanted to yell at the book, "just kiss already!" or "I hate how (fill in name here) is acting but I still love him!" is a sign that I was rooting for Kami and said guy to get it together.
4. The Scooby Gang + Family.
I love when a heroine has a group of friends supporting her along the way a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer and again, Veronica Mars. No one ever wants to go at it alone and the friends in this series provide moments of laughter, bravery and so much more. Kami needed her friends not only to fight but to give her a reason to keep fighting even in her moments of despair. And the other motivation for most of these characters was definitely family as well. Family is a huge theme in this book for a number of people, not just Kami. The moments that made me tear up in the last book were definitely the ones with either parents or siblings.
5. Well-written series.
Just overall, this series is incredibly well-written and well-paced. There's no sophomore slump or series ender disappointment here. Each book is a strong addition and only gets better and better. I was happy with it from start to finish.
2. Detailed world-building.
Sorry-in-the-Vale came alive through Brennan's writing. The town, the history and most of all its characters (from the main to the support cast) felt so real. It's a huge part of the reason why it was easy to get absorbed in the books and feel invested in what was happening. Each book (there are three in total) continuously revealed more layers to the mythology and to the complexity of its characters. It constantly kept me guessing!
3. Get ready for the swoons.
The romance in this book was a rollercoaster ride in itself. I admittedly wasn't always crazy about the back and forth. But the fact that I constantly wanted to yell at the book, "just kiss already!" or "I hate how (fill in name here) is acting but I still love him!" is a sign that I was rooting for Kami and said guy to get it together.
4. The Scooby Gang + Family.
I love when a heroine has a group of friends supporting her along the way a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer and again, Veronica Mars. No one ever wants to go at it alone and the friends in this series provide moments of laughter, bravery and so much more. Kami needed her friends not only to fight but to give her a reason to keep fighting even in her moments of despair. And the other motivation for most of these characters was definitely family as well. Family is a huge theme in this book for a number of people, not just Kami. The moments that made me tear up in the last book were definitely the ones with either parents or siblings.
5. Well-written series.
Just overall, this series is incredibly well-written and well-paced. There's no sophomore slump or series ender disappointment here. Each book is a strong addition and only gets better and better. I was happy with it from start to finish.
Do I recommend?
Obviously the answer is a big, fat YES! Whether you're into fantasy/paranormal or not, I would highly recommend checking out this series. And once you're done (and love it as much as I do), make sure to pass the word along!
Okay, let's get real, this is one of my favorite book series. It's laugh out loud funny and has such strong characters (even secondary ones) and the relationship between Kami and Jared, while it frustrated me endlessly) was so well rendered. I really loved them both together and apart and even though I was like OKAY GUYS JUST SAY THINGS TO EACH OTHER SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, I really liked how scared they were of screwing everything up. And the magic in this series was top notch and I loved the world of Sorry-In-The-Vale and the mythology surrounding it. I'm sad more people haven't read these books because they're so good. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI AM SO PLEASED THAT I'VE PASSED ON MY LYNBURN LEGACY ADDICTION. Because seriously, how fabulous is this series? It's so underrated, and that's SO sad to me because it's brilliant. Excellent characters, setting + story, with a hefty dose of sarcasm and humor - what more could you ask for?
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