Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her. At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
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.
Step aside Kristin Cashore, move out of the way Maria V. Snyder, a new fantasy legend has entered the scene. Defiance, Redwine's debut novel is an amazing fantasy and is one that I would definitely recommend you check out, especially if you're a fan of the awesome fantasy author that I listed up there.
Can I tell you how much of a relief it is to have a female character who is not only kick ass but also multi-layered. Rachel is kick-ass and touch but she isn't a ruthless killing machine, she has feeling and cares a lot for people. Rachel is definitely a protangonist for people that liked Graceling's Katsa. I loved Logan as well, I loved that the romance was already there as these two had a past and that despite that there was still a slow burn. though the romance was quite prominent it did take a backseat to the action and story when it needed to which worked. I came to care for many of the characters and hated the deaths in the book becaus ethey tugged my heartstrings and one particular death close to the beginning actually had me in tears. Any author who can make you care about a character that quickly is extremely talented.
The storyline was fantastic. The whole 'traversing the wasteland in search for something/someone' is actually used quite ofted, but it was very well executed. The descriptions were vivid and The Cursed One added a sense of danger to the book as another bad guy. The Commander absolutely terrified me and I loved the world in this book, I liked the idea that women had no rights (Oh... that sounded wrong, what I meant is that it added something to the book) and had to be 'owned' by a man, it made Rachel's defiance stand out and made her a very independent character.
I'm going to stop here. This book is so awesome I could write about if for hours, but you probably stopped reading like two paragraphs ago... so here is the long and short of it:
This book is awesome.
Buy it.
Or I will sic The Cursed One on you.
I'm not lying.
Overall Rating: A+
Book released August 28th by Balzer and Bray (US) and September 6th by Atom (UK)
Cover used above is US
eBook received via Edelweiss for review
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