Pittacus Lore Strikes Again! (Book #16)

“The key to change is letting go of the fear.”

I've been waiting for Pittacus Lore's The Power of Six to come out since I finished I am Number Four a few months ago.  And boy was the wait worth it!  Personally, the second installation to the Lorien Legacies was so much better than the first in the series. 

The book starts by introducing a new member of the Garde, Marina.  Marina has been living in an orphanage in Spain with her Cepan, Adelina, for several years.  The two of them are at odds because of Adelina's attitude toward the role they have been destined to play since being shipped off of Lorien.  Because of this, Marina has constant questions about her legacies and the other members of the Garde and feels like she is completely alone in the fight to save her home planet.  Adelina has done nothing to assuage these fears and questions.

The reader is also taken back to where I am Number Four left off.  We see the journey of Six, John, and Sam.  We know what they're up against and that they are constantly on the move.  We discover what was in John's chest, what Henri's letter entailed, and a bit about Six's background.  We also find out a lot about Sam and his father.  In addition, Sarah almost acts as a ghost that floats throughout the entire novel.  She does appear in "person" once in the book and this has catastrophic consequences that set the climax of the novel into motion.

I really liked how this book was laid out.  Lore jumps back and forth between the two main story lines to show the progression in time and plot.  This gives the novel a sense of continued immediacy and puts you in the thick of all the action on two different continents.  Other great things about this novel are the discovery of yet another Garde member (Nine...who has AWESOME Legacies), a surprise tenth Garde member, and the introduction of the leader of the Mogadorian race (Yikes!).  Of course the book leaves so much left unsaid and you're almost in a state of panic over some of the unknown aspects and questions.  What's going to happen to Sam?  Where and who are Five and Seven?  Where do they go from here?  Needless to say, I CAN NOT WAIT for the next one to come out; there's speculation that it's in April or August of next year.  Sooner, please?!?

“I’ve done what Lorien has intended me to do, and that’s to undo damage that’s been inflicted on those who don’t deserve it.”