It's been a nice, quiet day inside. I spent a significant portion of it curled up on an armchair, reading. I worked my way through an entire series, mostly because I couldn't put it down. Since I had all three books with me, I couldn't bear to leave the story unfinished. And so an entire afternoon passed by pleasantly..
...SPOILERS...
There
was something appealing about Legacy that made me take the time to read its
sequel. I think it was the unresolved ending, the dramatic cliffhanger that
convinced me to pick up Allegiance. After finally reading it, I found myself
conflicted about my thoughts and feelings on this sequel. The plot is as good
as ever, with plenty of thrilling twists and turns. There is high-tension and
drama unfolding, with the threat of a looming war and impending wedding.
However, the protagonist Alera seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Her
thoughts are selfish and her actions resemble those of a petulant teenager.
Where is the strong(er)-willed heroine of Legacy? While Alera was never truly a
take-charge character, her passiveness and misery reaches a new level in this
novel. Even with a disastrous war on the brink, she is still only concerned
with Narian, the boy she loves (who happens to be the commander of enemy
forces, by the way). The obsession is unhealthy, especially considering she is
married to another. Instead of giving her husband the barest of chances, she pines away after Narian. This
may have been acceptable in another scenario, but as a queen, Alera is expected
to be less self-serving. To make matters worse, she gives no thought to her
kingdom or doing right by her people; she acts childishly as she sneaks away
from the palace to meet Narian. The story ends with Steldor returning his
wedding ring to Alera and promising an annulment for her happiness. This ending
especially put a bitter taste in my mouth regarding my respect towards Alera. Mixed
in with my resentment towards her immaturity, there is still a certain level of
empathy. After all, she is a teenager who deserves happiness; I just wish she
could achieve it through more noble means. I've digressed on her character, but returning to the story, I found it much improved in writing style. Kluver has learned to achieve balance with details, avoiding the superfluous descriptions on clothing that her first book had. There is a better ratio of plot to detail, and the whole novel was an enjoyable read.
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