Unbreakable (Legion: Book One)
Written By Kami Garcia
Published in Australia 01 October 2014
320 Pages
Thank you to Simon And Schuster Australia
Kennedy Waters didn't believe in ghosts, until one tried to kill her.
When Kennedy finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn't know that evil forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her house and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon - a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.
Now Kennedy has to take her mother's place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon - battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.
Eighteen year old Kennedy has never believed in ghosts, but when cat Elvis is lost within the cemetery gates, no amount of reasoning can explain the barefooted girl in the nightgown. Looking back, that should have been a sign that all hell was about to break loose... Literally. Arriving home before curfew, Kennedy discovers the house in darkness, a cold chill emanating from upstairs. Her mother lays motionless on her bed, with Kennedy's cat Elvis perched upon her chest. The doctor's believe her mother died of heart failure, and with no other family to speak of but a distant aunt and an absent father who walked out when she was only five years old, Kennedy finds herself packing up her life and spending one last night in the house that holds her mother's memory... Until she wakes with Elvis perched on her chest.
Sucking in air, the girl in the nightgown standing at the foot of her bed, when two boys no older than herself storm her bedroom, possibly saving her life. Lukas and Jared Lockhart, identical twins and part of a secret inner circle known as the Legion. Claiming that Kennedy's life is in grave danger of a demon who wants her dead. Overwhelming the grief stricken girl with a story about the Catholic Church, the Illuminati and former priests who call themselves the Legion of the Black Dove, the house begins to shake, knifes seemingly being wielded by unseen hands, the three barely escape with their lives before Kennedy's house self implodes. Now the brothers have her attention.
Brandishing weapons, they insist Kennedy is a descendant of the Legion. Five members of a generation to carry on the legacy of protecting the world against the demon Andras and his vengeance spirits, and along with Priest and Alara, they believe that Kennedy is the fifth member they've been searching for, their guardians all dying on the same night, all in the same circumstances. Kennedy doesn't want to be a part of any secret society of spirit fighters, all she wants is her mother back. She isn't skilled with weapons, nor does she know how to fight, her only skill is her photographic memory and the ability to create art. And unless she can banish a spirit with charcoal and a sketch pad, then the group are looking in the wrong direction.
With only an ancient written text to guide them, Kennedy is lured into a world of following clues to find glass discs that accompany a sketch believed to stop the demon who is already wreaking havoc in the world, the must first get through the spirits guarding each location. From the little girl with the doll, the disformed woman guarding the bottom of the well, to the murdered children in the orphanage, Kennedy finds herself torn between Lukas who isn't shy about his attraction to their newest member, to his twin Jared, who will fiercely protect her with his life. But with Kennedy being reported as missing, feared kidnapped while Jared harbors a secret that may split the Legion apart.
Sucking in air, the girl in the nightgown standing at the foot of her bed, when two boys no older than herself storm her bedroom, possibly saving her life. Lukas and Jared Lockhart, identical twins and part of a secret inner circle known as the Legion. Claiming that Kennedy's life is in grave danger of a demon who wants her dead. Overwhelming the grief stricken girl with a story about the Catholic Church, the Illuminati and former priests who call themselves the Legion of the Black Dove, the house begins to shake, knifes seemingly being wielded by unseen hands, the three barely escape with their lives before Kennedy's house self implodes. Now the brothers have her attention.
Brandishing weapons, they insist Kennedy is a descendant of the Legion. Five members of a generation to carry on the legacy of protecting the world against the demon Andras and his vengeance spirits, and along with Priest and Alara, they believe that Kennedy is the fifth member they've been searching for, their guardians all dying on the same night, all in the same circumstances. Kennedy doesn't want to be a part of any secret society of spirit fighters, all she wants is her mother back. She isn't skilled with weapons, nor does she know how to fight, her only skill is her photographic memory and the ability to create art. And unless she can banish a spirit with charcoal and a sketch pad, then the group are looking in the wrong direction.
With only an ancient written text to guide them, Kennedy is lured into a world of following clues to find glass discs that accompany a sketch believed to stop the demon who is already wreaking havoc in the world, the must first get through the spirits guarding each location. From the little girl with the doll, the disformed woman guarding the bottom of the well, to the murdered children in the orphanage, Kennedy finds herself torn between Lukas who isn't shy about his attraction to their newest member, to his twin Jared, who will fiercely protect her with his life. But with Kennedy being reported as missing, feared kidnapped while Jared harbors a secret that may split the Legion apart.
My Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed Unbreakable. It was the perfect mix of intensity, adventure and the paranormal. Kennedy is a likable character, she's naive and unaware, but takes each situation in her stride, despite her fear. Unlike the other four members of the Legion, Kennedy has never been trained and up until the death of her mother, she was just another blissfully unaware teen who's biggest fear was facing her former boyfriend. She's forced from her home by a poltergeist, on the run with a group of strangers and fearing the demon hunting her just may track her down. The police believe she's been taken and she can't let anyone know where she is, never mind who's she's with. But she's tough and refuses to become a liability.
There is a love triangle involved, with twins Lukas and Jared both vying for her affections. As different as day and night, Lukas is the joker, flirtatious and fun, while Jared is the strong silent type. Kennedy finds herself more attracted to one twin than the other, against her better judgement. Like most young adult, the multiple love interests only cause unnecessary tension between the characters, and the two brother already had issues with one another before Kennedy entered the picture. But as far as the love triangle is concerned, it doesn't subtract from the storyline whatsoever.
My favourite character by far is Priest. The fifteen year old boy genius who can create weapons and defies the laws of logic. He's quirky and off beat and brings a sense of fun to the group. Unbreakable is a quick read considering it's 320 pages, my only gripe is that it's overflowing with too many explanations of the Legion and it's ancestry and it can be a little too much to fully comprehend. An introduction novella perhaps from the twins point of view would ease readers into the action. Just a thought.
This sounds exciting and interesting! I don't think it's my usual time of read...but I think I'll check it out on Goodreads. I like the sound of super cool twins...if not the idea of the love-triangle. >_<
ReplyDeleteHey Cait. The love triangle isn't too bad, considering they both seem to like her but one she chooses and the other just seems to be an attraction. The history of the Legion is a tad overwhelming, but it's a pretty creepy which more than makes up for it.
DeleteI wanted to like this book, but the love triangle and the guys being head over heels for Kennedy was so annoying. I do agree that Priest is an awesome character though, but yeah I wish there was more action and less about which boy wants Kennedy.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more Jeann, but sadly I think that's one of those traits of young adult that's here to stay. I really just block out the romance side of young adult when it involves a triangle. Especially in this case, it wasn't necessary and the storyline would have benefited without it. But purely for the creepiness and adventure aspects, I really enjoyed it.
DeleteI was kinda bothered with the insta-love and brewing love triangle. But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its adventure and thrilling intense discoveries!
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Kelly!
Me too Abby. It was pretty creepy actually, which surprised me. Instant love aside, I really enjoyed it too. Thanks for stopping by.
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