Marie Lu’s The Young Elites reimagines fantasy through a dark, morally complex lens, following Adelina Amouteru, a scarred survivor of the blood fever that ravaged her kingdom. Marked as a malfetto and abused by her father, Adelina discovers she belongs to the Young Elites—a feared group of survivors who wield supernatural abilities born from the fever. Her power to weave illusions draws the attention of the Dagger Society, a rebel faction led by the enigmatic Enzo Valenciano, who seeks to overthrow the oppressive Inquisition Axis.
But Adelina is no traditional heroine. As she trains with the Elites, her trauma fuels a growing darkness, blurring the line between justice and vengeance. Lu crafts a gripping descent into antihero territory, where Adelina’s rage and ambition threaten to eclipse her humanity. The novel’s lush, Renaissance-inspired setting contrasts with its brutal stakes, as alliances fracture and the Inquisition’s witch hunts escalate.
A fresh take on power and corruption, The Young Elites asks: Can broken things ever heal—or are they destined to cut?
“Not all survivors become heroes. Some become legends—or monsters.”
