The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
5
The Last Legacy Book Cover The Last Legacy
Adrienne Young
YA Fantasy Romance
Wednesday Books
September 7, 2021
ebook
336

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.

I was a Roth, but I was made of breakable things, after all. 

The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young is a spin-off series set in the same world as her famous Fable Duology.  We return to the Nameless Sea filled with merchants and gem traders to get better acquainted with the Roth family who enamored fans in just a few pages.    

Following the death of her parents Brynn was sent away to live with her Great Aunt to learn the ways of high society but has now returned to take her place among the infamous Roths, the most notorious crime family in Bastien. While not unaware of her family’s reputation she initially struggles to find a way to contribute to their intricate underground operations.   After holding her own through a few business dealings she is finally given her first official task, she must help the seedy Roths integrate with the Basiten elite, quite a job indeed! As she begins undertaking the societal make-over of her rough and tumble uncles and cousins she learns that she has only seen a small piece of what turns out to be a complex scheme that is bigger and more personal than she could have imagined. 

As we get to know them, Brynn’s uncles and cousins each make their case that they are worthy of their own story, and I hope that Ms. Young may bring them to us one day.  They’ve all grown up in the underground gem trade and are numb to the lies and violence that come with operating outside of the law. As Brynn inserts herself into their lives she helps them understand that just because it is what they are used to does not necessarily mean that’s how it should be. 

I’ve delayed bringing up Ezra because he deserves his own space.  He is one of the only members of the crew that is not family, but his talents as a silversmith make him a key player in their operation.  When Brynn first arrives, there is no love lost between the two and it is increasingly obvious that he does not want her there and even more, does not want her involved in the family’s dealings. What is it about a broody man who is good with his hands that just makes the pages combust?  As Brynn and Ezra get to know each other’s secrets they grow close knowing that they are both trapped with impossible decisions in their future.  Their connection goes from tense to inevitable and Brynn must take drastic steps to ensure their future. 

What I loved about the Fable duology and now The Last Legacy is that there are no accidents or coincidences.  The characters work five steps ahead of the reader and as the truths are revealed you can’t help but marvel at how Adrienne Young is able to place seemingly innocuous plot points that result in revelations that change the course of the story.  This is one to be read and then reread to fully appreciate all the details.  Adrienne Young has created a world that is easy to lose yourself in and harder to leave.  I’m sure I am not alone in hoping that this series has many more to come.   

The Last Legacy is proof once again that Adrienne Young has solidified herself as a one-click author.   Congrats on another amazing release!