Release Date: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: ARC (SBB ARC Tours)
Age Group: Young Adult
Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
When I first read about Defiance, I didn't add it to my TBR and I never intended to read it. Not because I thought it sounded bad, but because this isn't the type of story I typically read. It's not that I don't like fantasy, I just don't prefer it. So I'm sure you are thinking, why did you read it if it's not your style? Well, I kept seeing people insisting that this story was so well written and so different, that it was a must read. I read some early reviews on it, re-read the synopsis and perused the authors website a bit. I decided that it's good to step outside of your reading comfort zone from time to time and that I really did need to read this story.
Well, let me tell you, after reading Defiance, I will definitely be picking up more books like this in the future. This book was good. The writing was excellent and kept me glued to the pages. Fantasy still isn't my favorite genre, but if the story is cool enough, I'll be giving more of them a shot. C.J. Redwin has also created some excellent characters. Rachel is fiercely independent and so, so stubborn, but she's also seriously loyal and totally badass. As villains go, Commander Chase was one seriously evil SOB. He intimidated me and I was just reading about him, so I can only imagine what the people in Baalboden felt around him. I also kind of loved him, though, because he certainly kept things interesting and had Rachel and Logan constantly on their toes. And Logan, how do I love thee, you beautiful, noble boy. He looked up to and loved Rachel's father like he was his own, so he took his role as Rachel's protector very seriously. This was made slightly more complicated, by the fact that he was seriously repressing his feelings for her. I loved reading when the two of them were together, but I also liked that a lot of the story took place inside their heads when they were seperated.
I will definitely be picking up the next installment of this series, after that ending, I am seriously curious about where things are going to go from here.
