Friday, December 27, 2013

ARC Review: Defy (Defy, #1)

Author: Sara B. Larson
Series: Defy, #1
Publisher: Scholastic
Release: Jan 7th 2014
Source: NetGalley
Pages: 336 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )
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?

I saw a good deal of mixed reviews regarding Defy before I finally started reading it. Naturally, I was a bit cautious when I flipped through the book, maybe even overthinking the details sometimes. Now that I have finished it, I'm glad to say that Defy was quite an entertaining read! It indeed has its own flaws and imperfections, but those did not stop me from enjoying it at all.
Initially, I was expecting something to the effect of Mulan 2.0, but the more I read it the more I thought of the BBC TV series Merlin. The world in Defy is similar to what it is in Merlin. There is magic and there is sorcery. Antion, a land ruled under the tyranny of King Hector, is a land that outlawed magic, just like how King Uther Pendragon banned magic in Camelot. However, King Hector is far crueler when comparing to Uther and the people of Antion suffered so much worse than one can ever imagine. The long-lasting war between Antion and Blevon brought pain and loss to both nations and that is where our journey begins. 

Alexa Hollen, an orphaned girl who was forced to pretend to be a boy under the name "Alex", is one of those suffered Antionese and also the protagonist of the story. She is brave and strong, a fierce fighter and a loyal friend. I adored her from the beginning. Her courage and determination throughout the book moved me deeply. Time after time, she was thrown into dangerous situations or given impossible tasks to accomplish, but she never gave up nor did she ever fail. It is not often that I see a female character who is as tough or kick-ass as Alexa. Her relationship with Marcel, her twin brother, is also one of my favorite dynamics in the book. Though I was a little disappointed at how Sara Larson handled the character, I thought she could have done more with it and exploit Marcel's full potential.

The other more controversial relationship in Defy is the love triangle between Alexa, prince Damian, and one of her fellow guards, Rylan. The setup for the romance is somewhat conventional. Two incredibly handsome guys: One who always appears distant and cold but is actually kind and caring under the surface; One who is more approachable and has always been there for the girl. Defy is not any different from this standard formula, though I enjoyed the characterizations of prince Damian and Rylan regardless of their predictabilities. The only complaint I have is the excessive and repeating descriptions about how muscular and toned Damian's and Rylan's bodies are. It gets a little annoying after a while. I would much prefer less tells on their physical attractiveness but more shows on how they are attractive as a person respectively. 

At the end of Defy, the first book in the series, some closures were found but there are still a lot more issues and challenges remaining for Alexa, Damian, and Rylan. I am curious to see what other adventures and tasks Alexa will take on in the future and how her relationships with Damian and Rylan would progress into. Hopefully, the sequel won't keep me waiting for too long. 


My Rating: ★★★★ (4 stars)

(A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

10 comments:

  1. I didn't have such a good time with this book. I LOVED Alex/Alexa...and then (I felt) she got rather weak after everyone learnt she was a girl. If she's the BEST fighter in the kingdom, why did Damian and Rylan suddenly have to throw themselves between her and any danger? She should whoop them all! *ahem* But I did enjoy the setting. It was pretty fresh and unique I thought. Agreed with all the gushy about Damian/Rylan's physique. Great review!!

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    1. Thanks! I think how I see it is that although she is incredible at flighting, she is still human and has limitations. Plus Rylan and Damian like her, so they definitely want to protect her, almost as if it's instinct. I liked how Alexa was aware about it sometimes and yelled them for treating her like a girl :P

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  2. Mulan came into my mind when I read the blurb and I was immediately intrigued when you mentioned Merlin. Mulan + Merlin, should be an interesting read! I wonder who Alexa will pick... Thanks for sharing your review! :)

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    1. You are welcome! Hope you will enjoy it. I love Merlin and the world in those Arthurian tales. I think YA high fantasy is probably my thing :D

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  3. I think I am going to add it to my to-read list :)

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  4. From just your description, it sounds like The Song of the Lioness series (girl does off to be the best warrior and has two best friends: the prince and another guy) + a bit of the Vampire Diaries (Stephan, caring guy, Damon, mean yet secretly caring guy). But mostly exactly like Alanna. Have you read that series; how does it compare? It has a good 20 years on this book, but to be fair a lot of the best books have the same stories.

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    1. I haven't read that series yet, but it sounds pretty cool. I will probably check it out on Goodreads. I agree with you that a lot of books nowadays sort of have the same elements as the other, whether books published in the past or not. However, the ways different authors execute those elements are different, so does the writing. For me, it's those details and intricacies that draw me in and make me fall in love with them. I can't say that Defy is completely original, but I think there are certain things to it that I really enjoy and I hope you would too if you decide to read it :) Thanks a lot for stopping by Lauren!

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  5. I felt that Defy was a very entertaining read and am looking forward to the next book. I liked how the main story was wrapped up but left a lot open (but no cliff-hangers) for the next book. Wonderful review!

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    1. I know! The ending felt complete and nothing was intentionally dragged on. I think now that Antion is semi-stable-ish, I want to see more interactions between the 3 kingdoms (Antion, Blevon, Desii). The world building in this book is kind of limited, so hopefully we will get to know more in the next one!

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