ARC Review--Defiance by C.J. Redwine

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.

I received this ARC from the publishers via Edelweiss for review

C.J. Redwine's Defiance was a pretty good read. I admit to not being totally enthralled with it, but still, I enjoyed it pretty well. The "monster" is what really made me decide to read this, alongside the totally awesome cover! Rachel looks totally fierce! What I really enjoyed about the book was that it was told from both Rachel and Logan's point of view. I loved going back and forth between them and getting inside their heads.

In all honesty I wasn't thrilled with the pacing in this book either. The first half of the book is Rachel and Logan preparing to go into the Wasteland. They make plans, things happen, they change plans, then more things happen. I was wondering when or if they would ever make it to the Wasteland.

The second half of the novel is when Rachel is in the Wasteland, trying to find the mysterious package, and her father. But the Wasteland is still a dangerous place to roam. Highwaymen and other town members from a neighboring town lurk in the shadows. Rachel being from Baalboden, she may not be well liked for that matter alone. There's also the fact that the monster lives in the Wasteland somewhere.

I still don't know which genre this falls into, the time period is unknown, but since there doesn't appear to be electricity or indoor plumbing--you know it's some other time or century ago, yet there's all this tech that they use that seems pretty advance. I'm not sure if this is necessarily a steampunk or not.

The characters were definitely awesome! Rachel was fierce and determined. She believed readily in her father, and that he was alive, waiting for her. Logan was loyal and kind and has his own past that haunts him. Their romance was a little typical. Rachel admitted her love for Logan when she was 15 (2 years ago from the start of the story) and he turned her down. Pretty much right away you know that they will end up falling in love again or whatever. And we do learn Logan's reasons behind why he turned her away.

There are some shocking surprises along the way in the story! Most of them in the second half, with a little bit of extra action about midway during the whole transition from being in Baalboden to being in the Wasteland. 

By the end, I found myself being on the fence with this book. While it wasn't what I expected I found that I did enjoy it, just not as much as I thought I would. So, for me at least, this is really just sort of an average book. Perhaps I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would due to the lack of paranormal elements, although the monster--a dragon like creature--was enough to entice me to try this one out!

While this may not have been the read for me, I still highly recommend it! Defiance is an engaging story with well developed characters who still have room to grow and can surprise you at a moment's notice! There were even a few chuckle moments, I'll admit!

Overall rating 3.5/5 stars

Defiance releases August 28, 2012