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    Defiance
    Defiance
    Defiance
    Audiobook11 hours

    Defiance

    Written by C. J. Redwine

    Narrated by Renée Chambliss

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice.

    When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan-the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 30, 2015
    ISBN9781494580995
    Author

    C. J. Redwine

    C.J. Redwine is a New York Times bestselling author of speculative fiction, a diehard lover of going to the movies, and a believer in fairytales. She keeps a six-foot tall Loki figure in her office and will argue the merits of Batman vs. Superman with anyone she meets. She once accidentally punched herself in the face on a ride at Disneyland. She doesn’t recommend it.

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    Reviews for Defiance

    3.5/5

    242 ratings45 reviews

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    • 2/5
      This book was just okay. There was nothing super special about it. There were parts of the book that seemed forced and different characters' behaviors were not as expected based on characterizations.

      I like the idea and the world of this book, I just don't think it was executed well. I may or may not continue the series.
    • 5/5
      Defiance was everything I was expecting and more. It was action packed from start to finish, never a dull moment. Rachel was kick *ss! Logan, what can I not say about Logan.....

      I don't want to give anything away, just know if you enjoy great scenes, action and a kick butt heroine....this is your book.

      I would like to thank Netgalley and Balzer Bray for the opportunity to read and review this book.

      I had to own a copy for my Home Library, such a beautiful cover. It's better in person.
    • 3/5
      3.5, erring on the side of sadness and hope, for one specific reason. This book is terribly written for the first 40% of itself, before it hits The Claiming and then becomes the most amazing, can't be put down, awesome for the next 60% of the book. I knew that going into it so I knew to hold out, to keep holding out when I felt like there was dirt in my teeth and annoyance coating my story.

      Because it was worth it once you cross that line. And I could barely put it down then. When all the twists and turns start happeing, when the two main characters have the most amazing first "I love you's" ever, when they don't get alone, fight, and talk, and its proven by a YA book you can still do this. When all of the worst things happen.

      I am literally dying for the next book, and I honestly think there's no way the sequel won't be a 4/5. This is the written proof of an author learning and growing, and getting better through the process. And I cannot wait to see where the author and all my characters are when Book Two comes out. Definitely a read I think any YA fan should make.
    • 4/5
      it took me longer than expected to get into the book, but it was worth the wait.
    • 2/5
      Lots of good dystopian elements, but I was irritated by the level of dramatic angst between the characters. Also, I like I strong female heroine -- but not when she consistently makes really dumb decisions.
    • 4/5
      Rachel is a strong and capable heroine in a city where girls are prized for being submissive and uneducated. Missing her father and wanting to find him pushes her into a tug-of-war with the leader of her city and propels her into the role of resistance fighter. The references to the old cities is interesting - and there are people who remember what it used to be like, so this disaster happened relatively recently in the history of this series.
    • 4/5
      I've owned this book for years and it just sat on my shelf. So glad I finally picked it up. I like books told with alternating narrators. Decent read. I'll read the next for sure.
    • 3/5
      The TL/DR;

      1) Started out slowly - very much so! About halfway through things finally got interesting.
      2) That said, be prepared for a lot of waiting and prep.
      3) There were a few things that happened that caused me to scratch my head and go, "but, wait, why?"
      4) There are certain tech in this world that raised questions as to how they worked exactly and why they weren't mass produced. Getting into this would be a bit of a spoiler.
      5) Overall, happy there was no love triangle, but I still found the overfocus on the romance distracting from the story.
      6) One of the biggest problems that I had with this book is that, even though we have a strong female protag, when she's around other females, she doesn't seem to care to have relationships with them, they aren't very fleshed out. Actually, I found it a little concerning that when she met a brother and sister - who both seemed like potentially strong characters - we only get to see her interactions with the brother (potential love triangle setup??) than the other strong female. It left me wanting more.

      I picked this up because I was interested in another book by C.J. Redwine and wanted to see what her style was like, while I'm not sure I'll be continuing this trilogy, I'll definitely be reading The Shadow Queen.
    • 4/5
      Mini Review 3.8I read this book a while back and I really enjoyed it. I ended up reading it again and I enjoyed just as much if not more. My favorite thing from this book were the characters. Rachel was impulsive and loyal to the core. She had many good qualities but she had her flaws. She was a frustrating character, always ready to throw herself into action without a real plan. Luckily, she had Logan who was as cautious a grandma. They complemented each very well. My only problem with her was her realization of her feelings towards Logan. She suddenly realizes that she never stopped loving him. It didn’t bother me that much because I get that in order to get over being rejected by him, she had to suppress her feelings towards him. They were there all along, just very well hidden. Despite this, I think the whole situation could have been handled better.Logan was my love. Really, we need more guys like him in ya. I liked the way Redwine portrayed his logical analytical mind. I love the scene where he sees her in a tight dress and his mind goes blank.Rachel dresses in the bathroom, and when she enters the living room, I take one look at her and feel as though all the oxygen has been suddenly sucked out of the air.The dress fits her. The neckline dips down and curves over breasts I didn’t realize until just this minute were so … substantial. I force my eyes to scrape over her trim waist, but in seconds I’m staring once more at the way the glittering line of thread along her neckline barely contains her.Every man who sees her will be paying attention.Me included.I don’t want to admit my attraction to her is strong enough to rise above my grief and my sense of responsibility, but they’re breasts. And they’re nearly spilling out the top of her dress. I look around for a scarf or some other piece of cloth to cover her up, but all I have is a scrap of a kitchen towel, and I already know she’d never agree to it.Which settles it. I’ll have to stand in front of her the entire time.It’s just hilarious and very accurate. Even smart Guys like Logan aren’t immune to boobs!The book is told in dual point of view. I enjoyed being in both of their heads but I liked Logan’s a little more. I don’t have a particular reason, I just tend to enjoy reading from the males p.o.v..The plot was good. Frustrating at points because it was their mistakes that moved it forward but it was interesting . It felt sort of slow when they were apart but it picked up towards the end. That ending, though. Really? I’m still mad at Rachel and Logan for what their actions caused, but I’m excited to see how the author is going to move forward with the storyline.Bottom line: This book isn’t perfect but it’s highly enjoyable. It’s a solid start for the series. I haven’t read the rest but I hope it doesn’t disappoint.
    • 4/5
      I've been wanting to read this book for some time now, especially after hearing such good things about the series. I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed, Defiance was as good as I'd hoped. I really enjoyed, it had a lot of the qualities I like in a book, especially a YA book. Most importantly a badass heroine and a guy who isn't a total jerk. Although, female characters in YA Fantasy/Paranormal are always badasses and Defiance was no different.

      Rachel and Logan live in Baalboden, a city created to contain and protect it's citizen who live under a strict regime by a Commander who rules with an iron fist. In Baalboden women are treated as inferior to men, women are not allowed to travel alone and only have to look forward to being passed on to another man when they come of age and continue the cycle of life in the walled in city. Rachel was not raised like all the other girls in Baalboden. No tea parties or learning to be the dutiful housewife. Rachel was taught by her father how to wield a weapon and to find her way through the treacherous terrain of her world.

      When Rachel's father did not return from a mission out in the wasteland her custody was handed over to her father's apprentice Logan, who she hasn't spoken to in years, ever since he didn't return her declaration of her love for him. Seeing Rachel and Logan bumble and fumble, through their situation was adorable and very funny. These are the times where Logan gave the few comic relief moments found in the story. He was as clueless as any guy on how to talk to a girl about, anything really. He thinks about what he want's to say, but what comes out is a mess and he ends up pissing off Rachel because whatever he says comes out more like an insult rather than what he wanted to say in the first place. This fumbling of his just cracks me up and I end up feeling sorry for the guy.

      Rachel eventually decides she will go out into the wasteland to find her father and bring him home. This is how Rachel differs from Logan. She doesn't really think things through first, she just acts and says whatever comes to mind. Logan's analytical and logical thinking drives her crazy most of the time, but I liked that she acknowledges her act first think later attitude against Logan's logical thinking.

      One of the things I liked about this story was that there wasn't that instalove you see in a lot of books. We get to see that love grow from admiration on Logan's part, and on Rachel's part in realizing what it really means to truly love. I'm cool with instalove in books as long as long as I'm given a good reason and it feels genuine. But with Rachel and Logan their love grew from an eventual understanding, and trust and the writing clearly showed this progression of their feelings for each other.

      I so appreciated it that Logan was not the playing hard to get jerk, he was the seemingly unruffled, and extremely loyal hero. I liked seeing how he calculates and evaluates his choices before he takes action, he tries to envision the outcome of a particular choice before acting. Oh, and this book is written in Dual POV first person which I did appreciate. It's really great when I can peek inside the head of the other person.

      Defiance was a great read, I liked that I had a hero and heroine I could root for. The building of the world was intriguing and I want to know more about it. I can now say I wholeheartedly agree that this was a fantastic beginning to a what I hope will be an epic series.

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    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed Defiance, C.J.Redwine's debut novel! It was full of action, suspense, romance, and a well crafted world. I stayed up a number of nights, later then I should have, reading it.Rachel is not your typical Baalboden female. She's been taught by her father to use a knife and other weapons rather then sewing and the other womanly arts. She's beautiful, strong and brave and was raised that way by her father. It's being scared and insecure that doesn't come naturally to her, but she's that way for a good portion of the book. Her life has been turned upside down and she is doing all she can to survive. Life will never be the same for her and she is forced to accept that. She must face the new life she's given, with events that would have broken a lesser person. With the help of Logan, she learns how to have hope for the future. She's definitely a kick-ass heroine that readers will fall in love with from the start. Logan, who's named Rachael's "Protector", is a bundle of contradictions that readers will love trying to figure out. He's a Tracker taught by Rachael's Dad, yes, but also a Scientist and a Tinker. He's smart, brave, strong, and above all, kind. He doesn't know how to deal with Emotions and he's so much more than a typical love interest. I enjoyed how the author has developed the characters of both Rachael and Logan, and how their love story develops through the book. The secondary characters were a pretty good mix, although some then could have used some development. Oliver's a doting grandfather type to both Rachel and Logan. Parts of his story are told, yet some are left unexplained. Sylph is a loyal friend to Rachel but she is kept in the dark regarding most things. The Commander is a bully is a perfect villan, who I came to hate from the start. He has no remorse and no heart. I got pulled into this fantasy world and got hooked from the start. I certainly look forward to the next book. Jack Murphy
    • 5/5
      5 Fiery Stars
      I didn't think it would be this AWESOME when I picked it up. nuff said
    • 3/5
      When I first came across Defiance a few years ago I knew it would be right up my alley. I had just starting reading, and obsession over, dystopian books so it really was a no brainer whether or not I was going to read this book. However, for whatever reason, I put it off for a long time. When I first heard that Amanda was going to be doing a read-a-thon, and that this was one of the books I knew I was going to take part, if not only to finally get around to reading it. I wish I could say it was worth the wait, but for whatever reason me and book just did not get along.It had everything I normal love in a dystipian book. The city controlled by a viscous dictator, people thinking for their self and not swallowing everything they were told, a sense of community and family. So why did I not become hooked like I normally do?. I love multiply POV in books, when done right of course. But the whole point of different point of views is because the people have different personalities and different things they can bring to the book, right? Well sadly I didn't get that from this one. It felt like Rachel and Logan not only had the same sort of thoughts but as they were on the same path and both had the same goals, I didn't feel like different POV was really needed in this bookThe characters in this book just didn't grip me either. I didn't really anything towards Rachel. I liked Logan, but I think my biggest grievance was with the Commander. I know he was suppose to be horrible, stop at nothing to get what he wants no matter who he has to kill to get there person. But I'll be honest with you, at times it felt like the author had tried too hard to make him do awful things, that in the end he just came across as ridiculous and annoying to me. It's not like with President Snow from The Hunger Games, he was one twisted mofo but he did it in style. Snow was this intelligent man who would do anything for power, but he truly believed in what he was doing. That everything he did to get the was justified. The Commander on the other hand didn't seem to feel anything other than brutality.I know that it seems like all I'm doing is complaining, but overall this book wasn't terribly and I'm hoping it gets better. The world building was good and I liked the concept behind it. I just didn't connect with the characters, and that's one thing that puts me, and a lot of people, off books. I tried to feel more for them, I really did. But maybe when the series continue I'll find myself drawn more to them. This book had a lot of action and adventure and it had a lot of potential. It's not the first time I disliked the characters in the first only to fall deeply and madly in love with them as it went on, hell I didn't like Rose or many of the other characters in the Vampire Academy, I thought the bitchiness of it was stupid and too much like high school and was not at all sure I was going to bother finishing the series. But I did, and it ended up being one of my all time favourite's. So that's what I'm hoping for this book. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me
    • 4/5
      Set in a dystopian future in which humans live in isolated city-states where they are protected from monsters known as the Cursed Ones, Defiance chronicles the tale of Rachel, a young girl who defied tradition by learning tracking and fighting skills from her father. But Rachel's father has gone missing and Rachel's determination to find him is tempered by the restrictive society she inhabits, which forbids woman from even going out in public with a male Protector. Fortunately, Rachel's protector is equally determined to assist her in locating her father and the two team up to take down the city's commander. Fun reading, a must-read for fans of YA dystopian novels!
    • 3/5
      Predictable, but interesting enough to make me finish, and despite that my pulse was racing almost the entire book. Although, I am aggravated that these days it seems all books, particularly dystopian ones, HAVE to be a trilogy. Not everyone can write a book worth becoming a trilogy. Why can't writers accept this?
    • 5/5
      Amazing!!! Loved everything about it and cant wait for book 2 :)
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Wonderful story with action-packed adventure, beautiful romance, and a fascinating setting. There was a great blend of high fantasy and dystopian elements, so this is sure to be a great read for fans of both genres.Opening Sentence: The weight of their pity is like a stone tied about my neck.The Review:Rachel Adams lives in the city of Baalboden, where girls aren’t allowed to travel the streets by themselves, learn to fight, or be defiant in anyway, but Rachel happens to do all of those things. Her father is the best courier in the city and he has taught her to be independent and to think for herself, which is dangerous in a city run by a tyrant. When her father doesn’t return from one of his missions he is declared dead and Rachel is assigned a new protector. Logan is her father’s apprentice and two years ago Rachel thought she was in love with him. But when she told him her feelings, he kindly said he wasn’t interested. She has lived with the humiliation of that day all this time and now she will have to live under the same roof as Logan. Rachel doesn’t think that her father is really dead and he equipped her with the skills to travel the dangerous wastelands. So she will stop at nothing to escape the city to find him, but that would be treason, and committing treason comes at a steep price.Logan McEntire has lived his whole life in the city of Baalboden and he has hated most of it. He never knew the identity of his father and his mother was killed when he was a boy for breaking one of the commander’s rules. Left as an orphan and an outcast there were very few people who were kind to him growing up. Jared, the city’s courier, took him in as his apprentice, which will eventually give Logan the opportunity to one day leave the city behind forever. But his plans change when Jared goes missing and he is named Rachel’s guardian. He will do anything to protect her, even if it means giving his life. He has always appreciated Rachel’s beauty and fiery attitude, but the more time he spends with her the more his feelings start to go down a road he never expected.Rachel is such a great heroine. She has a feisty attitude and likes to speak before she thinks, which tends to get her into trouble quite a bit. But she also has a heart of gold and the few people in her life that she cares about mean the world to her. Rachel has a very strong will and when she sets her mind to something she accomplishes it no matter what the cost. I really admired and respected Rachel. She was by no means perfect but when she made a mistake she always tried to make up for it. It was really easy for me to connect with her as well, and I think that is mostly because I possess a lot of the same qualities that she does. I am also super stubborn, but the people in my life are the most important things to me. I can’t wait to continue reading her story in the future books.Logan is such a great guy. He is super smart and spends the majority of his time inventing all sorts of gadgets. He is very confident in all aspects of his life except when it comes to woman. He has never really had much time for girls and honestly he likes it that way, so when he leaves the city there is nothing for him to go back to. Ever since Rachel claimed to be in love with him things have been very awkward between the two of them, and Logan doesn’t really know how to change that. I loved everything about Logan, he is completely swoon worthy and has quickly become one of my favorite book boys.Defiance is filled with non-stop action, romance, and suspense. From the first page you are thrown into this captivating world and heart-stopping adventure. I had a hard time putting this book down and loved every minute of it. I love how Redwine intertwined high fantasy elements with a dystopian setting. The plot has so many great surprises and keeps you intrigued the whole way through. The romance was the sweet, slow burning kind, which is my favorite type. The characters were very engaging and easy to love. This book was a huge hit for me and I would highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys high fantasy or dystopian books.Notable Scene:Some of my fury leaks into my tone, and I raise my chin. I don’t care. Let him know I’m angry. Let him see the bloodlust on my face. Let him look into my eyes and discover the girl he thought he understood is gone and in her place stands a weapon of his creation.He turns his head slowly to stare at me, his scar pulling his lips into a snarl, and lets go of my arm to backhand me across the face.I tumble to the floor and see Logan, sword raised, face ablaze, charge the commander.FTC Advisory: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Defiance. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 3/5
      This book had a very strong female character who was motivated to break the rules in order to find her father who had gone out on a messenger trip and hadn't returned. The romance in this book is okay. The pace moved pretty quickly and was action packed, but the ending wasn't very fulfilling to me; it clearly sets up a sequel. I started and stopped this book many times before finally finishing it. So, I never gave up on the book but wasn't exactly thrilled to keep reading it.
    • 4/5
      Overview of DEFIANCE From BN.com:"While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice."When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan—the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself."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."There is a lot to like about CJ Redwine's debut novel. I appreciate a book with strong female characters, and Rachel is fierce and headstrong. She's also likeable--most of the time. Logan has intelligence and strength. The action in the book is constant, and Redwine writes those scenes really well. The world is an interesting one, and the premise is good.There are a few things that bothered me about the book though. The romance between Rachel and Logan was just too much. I got bored with it quickly, and I resented when that aspect of the story interrupted the good parts. There were also some gaps in the story, and I would have liked more background about the world, but I hope that the rest of the books in the series fill in those holes for me.All in all, this is a solid first book, and I look forward to more from the author.
    • 3/5
      Great! Well, until the last few chapters. Just got cheesy. And I started to dislike the main character. That kinda killed it.
    • 4/5
      Rachel is a young woman coming of age in a land tormented by a unpredictable monster and ruled by a violent and tyrannical man, where women have no rights and must have protectors, be it a father or husband or someone to act in their stead. When her father goes missing she is unexpectedly assigned his young apprentice as her protector, and they must learn to work together in order to set things straight. Both of the main characters are smart, strong, resourceful, and independent.
    • 2/5
      This is more two and half borderline 3 stars for me -

      Full review to be posted soon:

      This book held so much promise with its premise but the main plot and some issues with the characterisation fell flat for me. Whilst I liked the idea of autocratic city states where women have no status and have to rely on male protectors such as family members or husbands. I wished this was expanded on how this came to be because it was glossed over. I also had trouble getting into the story and the pace was pretty plodding in the beginning.

      I wasn't entirely keen on Rachel's character in the beginning and I found her annoying whilst I quite liked Logan who is more methodical and logical in contrast to her being hot headed and impulsive. The romance was also a bit problematic because I felt there was forced obstacles and it got very tiring but I liked how it ended which seems to have solved some of their issues. The climax of the book also made up for slow pace but it did feel the main plot really got going.
    • 1/5
      Well, this book was thoroughly "meh." I kept expecting it to improve, but it just... didn't. The first-person-perspective-switching was bad enough to start with, but there was a point at which I realized that the description completely misrepresents the actual plot, and then it just CONTINUED DOWNHILL. Each of the protagonists was an utter Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu; the world-building wasn't even sure what GENRE it wanted to be; the magic/tech system (like I said -- no definitive genre) broke its own rules at the end; the romance was trite; the pacing was confusing, to say the least; and the Big Bad had no actual reasons for behaving so cruelly to the protagonists. I mean, a lot of these issues MAY be resolved in a sequel, but there isn't any mention of a sequel coming out, and honestly I'm just not willing to sit through another bore-fest of a read. One star. Grump.
    • 2/5
      Though I really wanted to like Defiance - especially after falling in love with that gorgeous cover - I was ultimately disappointed by this debut offering from C.J. Redwine.For me, the lack of world building in Defiance was the leading cause of my negative feelings. There are plenty of fantasy books that have gotten away with successfully with avoiding much world building (Poison by Bridget Zinn comes to mind), but I felt there were too many events and motivations in Defiance that didn't make sense due to the lack of world building. Things simply happened with no explanation... things that didn't seem to fit the other information I'd already been given or the world I thought was taking shape and I had no explanation as to why these things were possible. The setting in Defiance seems pretty old-fashioned, perhaps bordering medieval, yet Rachel and James have access to some rather advanced technology... technology that no body else seemed to have access to. Additionally, the characters seemed to get quite worked up things - everything was very dramatic - but I couldn't help but think they were overacting or feel that the solutions were a bit too simple for how dire things were supposed to be.I'm not against violence in YA by any means because I find that it usually has a point, but the violence in Defiance sometimes bordered on gratuitous. I really didn't understand Rachel's willingness to kill anything and anyone that stood in her way. She seemed to have so much anger all the time and truly could not see any other solution to her problems other than aggression. This was very odd to me, especially when I felt that there were definitely other options to explore. Instead of coming across as headstrong and determined, she came across as rather daft. I wanted her to think with her head, not with her fists!Though I didn't particularly like Rachel's violent tendencies, I did appreciate that Redwine wasn't afraid to kill off characters when it benefited the plot. There are a couple characters that I really liked and was sad to see go, but I could see the necessity of their deaths. Defiance didn't work for me, but I've read multiple positive reviews, so, if you're intrigued by the premise and can overlook the gaps in the world building, I think it could be worth a read. Readers who are concerned with world building and a prefer more complex fantasy worlds, however, would be better off reading something by Juliet Marillier, Kristin Cashore, Alexandra Bracken, or Tamora Pierce.
    • 5/5
      WHY didn't I read this sooner???? No, here is a better question: WHY did it take me so long to get into the story?Here's the answer: I have pretty much no idea. Hence the five star rating. I loved the characters, in fact I was amazed at how much I liked both sides of the dual point of view. The only reason I groaned when I saw the next chapter was from the other character's point of view was because I didn't want that bit to end. Rachael was such a great protagonist because she was brave and strong and....believable. There are quite a few books out there with strong heroines like her but some of them literally have the emotional extent as a wall. But Rachael? No, she actually thought and had feelings.At first I wasn't sold on the idea of the story. I was kind of thinking along the lines of (this is after reading the synopsis) how can C. J. Redwine draw this out into 400 pages? But she managed extraordinarily well, producing a fast pace novel with a great plot and fantastic characters.I found this to be fairly unpredictable. You'd think something, it would leave your mind under the thought that it would just be too cruel or good, then it would happen. Out of nowhere. Just like that *snaps fingers*. Would I recommend this? Um, yes! To teens and above! Will I be reading the sequel? YES!!!!
    • 1/5
      Couldn't get into it. Honestly, I hated it... :(
    • 4/5
      C.J. Redwine deftly blends light fantasy elements and a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world to create an impressive debut novel. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of world-building – we have no idea what time period this could have taken place in and we aren’t given very much in terms of history.

      Defiance alternates between Rachel and Logan’s perspectives however aside from a few key differences – Rachel’s stubborn, often irrational behaviour and Logan’s methodical, logical approach to everything – these characters are given the same “voice.” Despite this, the characters themselves are quite likable, and nicely balance each other out.

      Overall, a strong female lead, plenty of action, romance that doesn’t take over the plot, believable character development, and beautifully written prose make Defiance a book that is definitely worth reading.
    • 5/5
      Action-packed, fast-paced, well-written read with a sweet romance and a strong, independent, self-sufficient female protagonist.What more can a girl ask for???
    • 5/5
      Defiance was everything I was expecting and more. It was action packed from start to finish, never a dull moment. Rachel was kick *ss! Logan, what can I not say about Logan.....

      I don't want to give anything away, just know if you enjoy great scenes, action and a kick butt heroine....this is your book.

      I would like to thank Netgalley and Balzer Bray for the opportunity to read and review this book.

      I had to own a copy for my Home Library, such a beautiful cover. It's better in person.
    • 4/5
      Originally reviewed here.


      Defiance has been on my radar ever since I saw the cover. Seriously, this is, without a doubt, one of my favorite covers. Having read the book, I also like that it seems to make sense for the book. Rachel does have hair like that, and both the forest and the walled city are important settings for the plot. While this may not have much to do with the quality of the book, I just had to express my obsessive love for this cover.

      With all of those expectations in play, I was really afraid I would turn out to hate Defiance. Good news: I didn't! In fact, I was impressed with Redwine's writing early on. Her sentences are complex and I just love her syntax and diction. Nor does her writing ever seem forced, like she was writing with a thesaurus to sound smarter. Basically, it felt natural and worked well with the story.

      I would rank Defiance as more of a fantasy than a science fiction novel. Personally, I think dystopias can go either way, and I have trouble really seeing our world evolving into this one. This is not to say that the dystopian society is not reminiscent of certain terrible elements in cultures I'm familiar with, particularly the past. The state of women in Baalboden, and perhaps other city states is horrific. Women must be constantly with their Protector, either father, substitute guardian, or husband. Girls are married off (Claimed) at 17 years of age, and have no say in who claims them, unless their Protector chooses to indulge their wishes.

      Of course, Baalboden isn't scary just for that, although I must admit that would be the most immediately grating thing for me were I to live there. The town is ruled over by the Commander, a creepy dictator who does what despots like to do: whatever he wants. He manipulates people into doing his bidding by threatening them, and their loved ones with violence, and he certainly is willing, perhaps wanting, to follow through.

      He came to power because he is one of the only men in the world (the others have their own city states to rule) who can defend against The Cursed One, a monster that emerged from deep in the earth when people dug down too far. To imagine the terrifyingness of this monster, picture a Balrog crossed with a dragon. And yet, scary as this creature is, the humans in the book are definitely the most fierce. I would rather face a quick death by fiery monster than by the Commander.

      I loved the characters of Rachel and Logan individually. Rachel refuses to be put into a box (or a fancy dress); she learned to fight and to survive from her father. The fact that no one expects strength from a mere woman makes her even more powerful, because they won't know what hit them. Logan is brilliant and protective, but also wise enough to know that just because you want to protect someone doesn't necessarily mean you can or should.

      The tension in their relationship at the beginning, when he finds himself appointed Protector of a girl just a couple years his junior who once confessed her love to him, is so awkward, which is precisely perfect. The whole situation could not be otherwise. I wonder why her father would appoint Logan, although my only answer is that perhaps he knew Logan's feelings better than Logan did and was extending his blessing in a way. As they came to respect and trust one another again, I loved their verbal sparring and, again, the awkwardness of it. Once they start recognizing their feelings, I was a bit less interested. For once, I am actually looking forward to the subtly hinted prospect of a love triangle to shake things up a bit.

      My one issue with the book was in the use of multiple points of view. Telling Logan's and Rachel's narration apart was difficult. If I didn't read the name at the top of the chapter, I would have no idea whose head I was in until I flipped back, the other person appeared, or the location made it apparent. Rachel and Logan are quite different characters, which is apparent in the dialog. I think the difficulty is that the non-dialog writing is all in the same style. It seems unlikely Logan and Rachel would think so similarly.

      All things considered, Defiance is a powerful, action-packed debut that would make an intense movie, something like The Hunger Games meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I am so looking forward to the next installment!