Title: Defy
Author: Sara B. Larson
Series: 1st
Pages: 336
Published: January 7th 2014
by Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780545597586
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Description: 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?
I Give This ...
This book held so much potential. And the story really could have been very interesting had it been done correctly. But sadly, the characters fall very short of their mark for me.
I was excited about the idea of a kick-ass girl hiding in plain sight as a boy. Who would ever believe who she really was? And I completely understood her reasoning behind wanting to do so. The problem is that she's not very convincing to the reader. If she's not fooling me, who is she fooling? Oh wait....no one. And that's a huge part of this story that bugged the crap out of me. Turns out everybody important in the story has basically known all along that she's a girl. What was the point then? I also disliked how indecisive she was when it comes to Rylan and Damien. She's had this crush on Rylan forever, but all of a sudden Damien shows a slight interest in her and she's all over that.
Our two male leads are slightly better. Rylan has known for quite some time that Alexa is not a boy but has gone above and beyond to protect the secret. It does make me wonder if that allure is part of the attraction. Damien has known since the moment he meet her because he's got a secret of his own. He only reveals the truth when it benefits him which really makes me question his true motives and the depths of he feelings.
It's sad that the characters overshadow the storyline because there is a lot here that could have been great. A power hungry king that is abusing his nation, sorcerers, rebels, and everything in between. I may read the next one because it seems everything is out in the open now, but I'm not sure.
I had high hopes for it...and then the reviews started coming in and it plummeted, so I haven't even read it, unless I'm desperate for something to read (which, lest be honest, is not going to happen) I won't read it. I kept hearing about how as soon as it's revealed that she's a boy, she starts suddenly acting overly girly. I mean, if you've been pretending to be a guy for years, you're not just suddenly going to be all feminine right away. But, I didn't know the characters all secretly knew she was a girl? Okay, yeah, what was the whole point of that part of the story? Ugh, I'm really staying clear of it now.
ReplyDeleteKirsty @ StudioReads
I was trying to decide if that fact was a huge spoiler or not. But, to me it was so obvious that others knew. Plus it was such a huge part of the story that bothered me that I decided it didn't matter.
ReplyDelete