Published: August 28, 2012
Pages: 416
Source: For Review from HarperCollins/Edelweiss
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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.
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.
In short: Though Defiance by C.J. Redwine was missing certain aspects that kept it from being truly amazing, it was still an exciting and enjoyable read.
The strength of Defiance comes from C.J. Redwine's beautiful and gripping writing, especially with respect to scenes of grief. Emotions aren't just glossed over, but fully realized and explored in her characters in these scenes, and I really appreciated that the time was taken to do so. Defiance is written effectively as a dual narrative, with love interests Rachel and Logan getting equal page time. Rachel and Logan were both likeable characters in their own way - Rachel with her stubborn fierceness and Logan with his logical and steadfast demeanour - and I thought they were perfectly compatible and their romance was nice and sweet.
Still, likeable characters and a nice romance doesn't exactly translate to amazing and memorable, and therein lies my biggest fault with Defiance. I was missing that "Wow Factor" that would have really elevated Defiance from being a good read to an absolutely fantastic one. The characters were strong and enjoyable, but were lacking a certain specialness that would have set them apart and made them truly memorable in my mind. The romance was awfully sweet and nice, which I love, but because it developed quite early on and was pretty predictable, it was lacking that romantic tension that makes the chemistry sizzle off the page. The premise was intriguing for sure, but the world building needed to be more developed to be truly impressive.
Overall, I really did like Defiance and I think this first book sets up great potential for the series at large. C.J. Redwine is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more from her. Though parts of Defiance were missing that je ne sais quoi, it was still an exciting story and one that I look forward to continuing in the sequels still to come.
Other Reviews:
Katie's Book Blog
Pure Imagination
Supernatural Snark
Author Links:
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Great review, I get that some characters are good but not really fantastic, which sucks a little, especially when the writing is.
ReplyDeleteI think my expectations for characterization have grown since I've become a book blogger, so they were only good, but not amazing.
DeleteAwwww, sorry you didn't love this one quite as much as I did Aylee! I was just in the mood for everything this book gave me and I loved it. You make some good points though, and I'm sure Rachel and Logan won't stand out as much for everyone. Glad you're going to continue on with the series though, I'm excited to see what book 2 has in store for us!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the link to my review, I really appreciate it!
Aw, you're welcome, Jenny! I think not being quite in the mood for something like this was probably a fairly significant problem with this one. I wasn't feeling it as much as I maybe could've... maybe I'll change my mind come the sequel!
DeleteWhat a shame that you didn't love it so much as many other people did, but I'm glad that you want to read more. That means there was still enough going on to entertain you :) Besides the missing 'wow factor' I really like the sound of this book and I'm definitely going to read it. Thanks for your honest review.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that really does speak volumes that I want to continue on with the story! I am definitely invested in the story and I hope you like it, too!
DeleteI have been really excited for this book, I'm glad to hear that the premise is intriguing but I'm sad to hear that this book seems to be missing a little something that you just can't put your finger on. I think this is one I will still check out, your review still highlights a lot of great things about this book!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I definitely recommend still! The little faults that I had with it might very well not bother anyone else!
DeleteGreat review. I'm glad I'm not the only one not gushing about this one. I fond the characters so annoying, especially Logan's personality drove me up the wall! I did like the premise and what we did get of the world building was pretty fascinating though so it kept me entertained nonetheless so it wasn't a complete fail.
ReplyDeleteI can see how the personalities might get on some people's nerves. For the most part though, I just felt "meh" about them. Definitely not a complete fail, no.
DeleteAylee, I haven't really seen any negative reviews for this one yet (and since I got declined for it on Edelweiss :(), I'm looking forward to reading it even if it's more okay than amazing. It's hard to find books that have a strong female MC who can kick ass.
ReplyDeleteAw, bummer you were declined! I still look forward to reading your review anyway!
DeleteGreat review!!
ReplyDeleteYour review was awesome but I think this book lost me when you said it was dystopian fantasy :(
I can deal with high fantasy but dystopia just doesn't do it for me.
Aw, Alex. One day I'll have to try to find a dystopian that you like!
DeleteI'm with you the premise sounds phenomenal and very different. Dystopian/fantasy is an enticing mix. I think I may enjoy this one, its just too bad the characters didn't have that extra layer of depth needed to make it special for you.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that not all the elements were there to make this read amazing, I still enjoyed it and recommend it!
DeleteAw, I'm sorry that it was missing the wow factor! I hate it when the book is almost there but not quite. The writing does seem really beautiful though and potential is always good. Fantastic review. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame because it always feels as though the author was so close to getting it right and then just didn't manage it.
DeleteVery nice review. Too bad it was missing that extra wow-factor, because it does sound fascinating. Glad that Redwine doesn't gloss over the emotional aspects, though!
ReplyDeleteThere were enough good aspects that I would still recommend it, definitely!
DeleteI think the explorations of the grief and emotions would have been the wow factor for me, I love when that stuff isn't glossed over! But you are right, sometimes, even that isn't enough. Still the premise does sound pretty unique.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it was definitely appreciated, don't get me wrong! It was just that the characters weren't everything they could be, I guess.
DeleteThis one does sound like it has great potential. I really need a wow factor, too, but I still think I'll read it because I've liked the historical fantasy stories that have come out...so far this year.
ReplyDeleteThat is the reason I wanted to read this one, as well. Historical fantasy seems to be my new fav genre! But now I've started to expect a certain amount from them.
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