Review Detail

The saga continues! I've really been enjoying these editions of the Avatar. First Kyoshi, now Yangchen. I think what I like about them is that it gives a part of their story and not their whole life. Kyoshi was about believing in herself and not comparing to others. Yangchen is about believing in herself while still trying to honor the Air Nomad beliefs. And the book perfectly portrays that. During Yangchen's time, the corruption of the Earth Kingdom is rampant and Yangchen is trying to help control it. However, after the events of the last book and her role as Avatar, a peacekeeper, she has to be careful. I felt like this book didn't have all the plotting and intrigue the first one did but it kept true to the story. The back and forth of Yangchen's morals is prevalent and definitely the focus of this book. The ending of this duet was satisfying and a good way to end this chapter on Yangchen.

Yangchen is still a great character. Yee did a great job on really narrating the decisions Yangchen had to make and the effects they were taking on her. She wants to be able to stop corruption but has to do it the Avatar way, which is not the easiest. After the betrayal from the previous book, she is weary and it's easy to see that she wants to rely on herself. But in true Avatar fashion, her power and the people she surrounds herself with help her. Yangchen's personal growth was inspiring in these books.

Overall, The Legacy of Yangchen by FC Yee was a great closing on this duet. Even though the first part felt like it moved faster with the plot, this one showed more of the internal struggle. I think this book intrigued me more because of the politics of being an Avatar which isn't really explored before, until now. This is what makes this book successful. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of the Avatar series and have enjoyed these installments. A word of advice though, if it has been a bit since you read the first book and don't remember much - do yourself a favor and reread it. A lot of the events are not summarized in the second book and usually while I enjoy that, it made remembering past events harder.