I finished a book on my TBR!
This is a spoiler free review!
Defy
Written by Sara B. Larson
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Pages: 336
Source: Library
Recommended Age: 12 and up!
Summary:
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?
Review:
So, this book was a great read and I feel like it shouldn’t have taken me as long as it did to read it. (procrastination strikes again!)
This book seems like it’s sort of a Mulan retelling. Except it’s not. It’s an original book all in its own. Sure, it does have some elements of novels written before but doesn’t every book?
The world building for this book was done pretty well. Some of the conditions the people are in are awful. Such as there is a breeding house for young girls in order to get more soldiers. Yes, that grossed and terrified me.
I loved most of the characters. Alexa was a good kickass heroine though she could have done a little more fighting rather than having one of the men do things. Damien was the prince and he seemed pretty rude at the beginning but he turns his whole act around. Rylan was Alexa’s best friend and I really liked him. And then there were other characters…
The plot was good except at times a little predictable. I like being surprised by what is going to happen and that only happened a couple times when I was reading this book.
And yes, there was a freaking love triangle but honestly I’m not sure which books don’t have one now. It’s really hard to escape them. Even my own book has one of these. (Yep, following the crowd. *silent slow clap*) It was pretty obvious who would get the girl but I wasn’t very happy with it. I just hope things improve within the next few books, love triangle wise of course.
Overall I thought this book was pretty good, the world building was done well, the characters were good, and the plot was okay.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Crowns.
