Bookworm Blogger #YA: Review: Sacrifice (Legacy #3) by Cayla Kluver

Sacrifice (Legacy #3) by Cayla Kluver

Publishers: Harlequin Teen

Published Date: October 23rd 2012

From: NetGalley

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

This is not the time for the fight to end. Now is when the fight will begin. This is the time to regain what has been lost.

Alera - Queen of a fallen kingdom, secretly in love with the enemy.

Shaselle - Daughter of a murdered father, rebel with a cause.

One lives behind the former Hytanican palace walls and walks the razor's edge to keep the fragile peace in her beloved homeland. The other slips through the war-torn streets, seeking retribution for her family's tragedy, following whispers of insurgency.

Both face choices that will separate them from those they cannot help but love. As their stories intertwine, a conspiracy ignites that may end in slavery or death—or lead to freedom anew, if only each can face what must be sacrificed.

Review:
I couldn't help being slightly disappointed with Sacrifice. Mostly because Alera reverted back to being idiotic and dense, a little like she was in Legacy and the beginning of Allegiance. I didn't like the way she lost her edge, nicely gained in Allegiance when she cut her hair off, wore trousers and finally acted like a ruler. In Sacrifice she seemed to go backwards and just became queenly without really getting to grips with the major problems of her city with a hands on approach.
I especially didn't like the new POV from Shashelle. I can only think the author added this so we could get more of an idea what Steldor and Cannan were up to. Yes, she was a feisty tomboy who hated the idea of marriage. Especially the suitors her mother was chosing for her, and her bittersweet liaison with the Cokyrian soldier was short-lived.

I think as characters are concerned Steldor showed real growth. I didn't like him in the previous books but he seemed to put aside his arrogance and stand up to the treachery that was happening around him. I actually liked him more in the end.
Narian also seemed to lose his edge. He was still amazingly sweet to Alera and I did feel sad for him that his father turned his back on him, but glad that his mother wanted to be given a chance in his life.
All things considered the story did get wrapped up. There weren't any real wow moments, and the conclusion of the war between Cokyri and Hytanica was a little bit of a let down considering the high paced action of the previous book. It just eased itself out and suddenly Hytanica is okay again. Hmm.
If you've read the series then obviously you've got to read this one to finally put it to bed, but I wasn't as thrilled about this as the other two.
-CB