10 January 2014

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{Review} Defy - Sara B. Larson


Defy by Sara B. Larson
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: Jan 7 / 2014
Publisher: Scholastic
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.
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?


Thank you so much to Scholastic for providing a review copy!
This does not alter or change my review in any way.

I've read a few negative reviews before reading this myself but I must say it wasn't as horrible as I thought it'd be. Sure, some of the things others pointed out were true, but they were exaggerating a bit. Even with others' influences, I still managed to enjoy this book as best as I can.

At the start, we are introduced to Alex (Alexa) Hollen who disguises herself as a boy to escape the fate of being in the breeding house. She quickly advances as the best of the guards, keeping her secret of being a girl to herself. There was definitely lots of action going on and Alexa is pretty badass. Even though she's a girl, she manages to best all the men. The plot was mediocore. They want to overthrow the king. Nothing was unexpected and it played out fairly okay.

Now let's get to the romance. It was certainly annoying at times but it didn't get on nerves too much. I managed to focus most of my attention on the action and plot (which were both okay). But if you're the type that loves romance and action at the same time, you might pull your hair out at this love triangle. Enters the charming and handsome Prince Damian with oh-so-sexy blue eyes and the other guy which Alexa didn't really care about (as much), the fellow brother-like friend, Rylan, with the chocolate flecked eyes. It was obvious who she would go for in the end. Oh yes, don't let me forget about the end. That was absolutely unacceptable. How.. sacrificial of her to do what she did. Exactly what I cannot stand. If you haven't grasped my distaste for Alexa's romantic choices, well I don't like them. I don't have anything against Damian but I hated how Alexa never gave Rylan any time of the day. I also Rylan better just as a FYI. Rylan needs to find someone better than her. He even said he'll be there for her, waiting. I'm just like, you ain't pulling this crap on me, you can get someone better than this. That is basically my whole feeling towards this love triangle.

This novel promised amazing things and after hearing many negative reviews, the book didn't wow me but it didn't make me hate it either. Action was awesome; the romance was a bit annoying. So everything balanced out to it being quite mediocore. I would still recommend it if you don't focus too much on the romance because the action scenes and the whole gist of the plot was written well.

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