The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young Review

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Title: The Last Legacy

Series: N/A (it’s a standalone)

Author: Adrienne Young

Publisher: Titan Books

Pages: 368 (UK)

Release Date: 18 January 2022 (UK)

Since joining the bookstagram/book blogging/ reading community I’ve yet to meet a single person who hasn’t enjoyed Adrienne Young’s books, be it her bestselling Fable Duology or her equally as popular historical Viking Duology, Sky and Sea. I’ve seen soo many good reviews from readers who absolutely adore her writing so, when given the opportunity to review her newest YA release I literally jumped at the chance. With it’s Victorian-esque, Peaky Blinders premise and wonderfully endearing protagonist —I’m soo unbelievably happy I did!

Summary

When a letter from her uncle Henrik arrives on Bryn Roth's eighteenth birthday, summoning her back to Bastian, Bryn is eager to prove herself and finally take her place in her long-lost family.

Henrik has plans for Bryn, but she must win everyone’s trust if she wants to hold any power in the delicate architecture of the family. It doesn’t take long for her to see that the Roths are entangled in shadows. Despite their growing influence in upscale Bastian, their hands are still in the kind of dirty business that got Bryn’s parents killed years ago. With a forbidden romance to contend with and dangerous work ahead, the cost of being accepted into the Roths may be more than Bryn can pay.

New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with The Last Legacy, a captivating standalone about family and blood ties, reinventing yourself, and controlling your own destiny.

Review

With an exceptionally strong heroine and incredibly entertaining plot, I absolutely loved Adrienne’s newest work. lt’s set in the same world as Fable and Namesake but, it is a standalone and, aside from a couple of mentions of characters Holland and Auster—who hails from the Roth family—there’s not much connecting them.

So, if (like me) you’re new to Young’s books you can enjoy this without having read Fable or Namesake. But, if you’re eager to see more of you’re favourite characters you’re going to sorely disappointed as they don’t feature prominently in the plot.

That being said, reading this was a really enjoyable experience! It’s fast paced with the plot’s emphasis on social climbing, illicit dealings and a rather enjoyable though straight forward forbidden romance. I loved the premise (girl learning how to survive in a family of criminals trying to go legit).

The world building was wonderfully descriptive and the rules of Bastian are set out almost immediately after Bryn steps off the boat (though it felt rather organic rather than exposition-y) and I was instantly immersed in the lives of the Roth family and the underhanded dealings.

The Roths themselves gave off huge Peaky Blinders vibes, which I loved, but Bryn was definitely my favourite. She’s smart, fearless and is willing to do anything it takes to make sure her future is her choice, and hers alone.

I loved the writing, which was exceptionally good (I loved the reading experience of this one) and with quotable gems such as “It was a city of stories. But not all of them had happy endings.” I literally couldn’t help but devour it. The pace is also pretty fast despite the plot being more intrigue than adventure but nonetheless, I really enjoyed it.

Overall, The Last Legacy’s a really entertaining and scandal filled standalone that has me incredibly excited to check out Young’s other books. It’d make the perfect weekend read for Historical YA lovers or fans Adrienne Young.

Also, a huge thank you to Titan books and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

About The Author

Adrienne Young is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, sipping wine over long dinners or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Sky in the Deep duology and the Fable duology.

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