ARC Review: Defiance

Title: Defiance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 28th

See it at Goodreads

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.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Defiance was a bit addictive in a strange way. There were things I loved, and things I didn’t like so much. I’m a bit on the fence about it…but at the same time, I know I’ll continue on with this story because I want to know what happens next.

I turned the pages easily since the action was there. The switching of different views between Logan and Rachel didn’t bother me. In fact, I think it helped me understand them both a bit better as characters as the story progressed. I didn’t particularly like Logan’s view sometimes though. He was always overanalyzing with best case-worst case scenarios, and this often annoyed me.

When it came to the world building, I was slightly confused in the beginning. I had been led to believe this was a dystopian, a future earth, but I felt this was more of a fantasy instead. I don’t know why I thought it wasn’t fantasy in the first place. There wasn’t much background and I would have liked more insight into how some things happened. The detail and imagery were there. The writing was solid. But something was lacking that I can’t quite place my finger on. I also would have liked to know more about the customs of their world, which I felt was touched on so minimally, but that’s alright. Maybe I’m just being too picky here.

What I really enjoyed was the integration of old and new. It seemed medieval at times, but mixed some interesting technology throughout. Oliver came across as a character that everyone could like--the grandfather type--and Rachel is a tough, and sometimes reckless, heroine. Hey, and she's redhead, so bonus points from me. I also loved the building tension of being confined within the walls of a city because of an underground dragon-like creature. And there’s tree people. I would have liked to learn so much more about things and people in this book, but I felt it was a little short. I couldn’t quite get interested in the romance--mostly because it started right from the beginning and seemed awkward through the entire story up until the end, but I can see where other readers will be swooning and rooting over this couple.

Defiance is certainly an entertaining read. I know I’ll read the next.