Defy - Review

	Title Defy (Defy #1) Author Sara B. Larson Genre YA Fantasy, High Fantasy Publisher  Scholastic Press Publishing Date January 7th, 2014 How I Got This Book XXX Paperback 336 Stand alone or Series Defy #1    My Average 20 pg/day    Reading Difficulty 2 (on a scale of 1-5 5 = dictionary vernacular)
My Hero... I mean Heroin

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?
 
This book might just have it all. A kick-ass female lead, loads of fight scenes and a love triangle that will make your heart ache.

"I'm not trying to act like your brother, Alexa. Has it ever occurred to you that I might care about you? That maybe I've been fighting an attraction to you that I couldn't let anyone know about, least of all you, for years? I had to make sure I never looked at you too long or reached out to touch you, even though I wanted to. So many times, I can't even count."
-Rylan

Side note: someone on Goodreads called this novel a romance, not a fantasy/action. I completely disagree. There was romance, but it was not the center of the plot. The characters had their own agendas and reasons for existing inside the novel without the romance. You could remove it and there would still be an interesting story.

Woohoo!:
This book had everything I love, a kick ass female lead struggling to be herself, a fast pace plot & a first chapter that drags you into the story.

There were so many layers in this novel that I can't wait to peal those layers in the next book.

I was thankful the main character didn't just fall head over heals for the love interest. There was defiantly a blossoming of the feelings and a struggle about them once realized.

Meeh:
There were times when I felt like the main character could have been a little stronger. She looked like too much of a weakling for the character portrayed. Also, The book blurb doesn't really accurately describe this book. The "big reveal" was a big FLOP for me. I felt like there was this big build up, then nothing.

As for the love triangle... well it could be better. It's pretty much one sided. I want the characters to struggle with their feelings, to not just KNOW how they feel. There was defiantly some inner struggle with the main character, but I wanted more.

Rating:A

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About the Author
Sara B. Larson

My debut YA fantasy DEFY was published on January 7, 2014! I'm represented by Josh Adams. Mommy of three. Lover of chocolate, desserts of all kinds, and Swedish Fish. Also good books.

Due to time constraints, I'm not on goodreads very often and can't usually check all my messages. But I AM active on Twitter, FB, and my blog! All requests for interviews/guest posts/etc. need to go through my publicist, Sheila Marie Everett at Scholastic. Please email her at severett (at) scholastic (dot) com and she will get back to you as soon as she can!