Title: Defy
Author: Sara B. Larson
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Buy it on Amazon, hardcover or kindle edition
Book Description:
“A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and heart-racing romance.
Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king’s army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince’s guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can’t prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.
The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she’s sworn to protect?”
Book Review:
A little reminiscent of Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series, this debut novel definitely doesn’t disappoint. I love the intrigue and the plot surprises.
Although I really enjoyed reading it, there are a few hiccups. I feel like some events happened way too quickly. For example, toward the end there’s a climax event and I felt like the grandeur or size of the event was dwarfed by the glossed over details. I imagined it to be some big drawn out process but it seemed like it was over way too quickly (and easily for that matter). It’s a little hard for me to explain without giving anything away, but you’ll understand what I mean when you read it. Another thing I didn’t like was the love triangle. Or supposed love triangle. I feel there’s no basis for either relationship that Alexa has and I wish there had been more character and relationship development. All that being said, I will definitely be reading the next one in this series (I can only imagine with the author’s debut novel being this good, her writing can only get better, right?).
