Alexa Hollen and her twin brother Marcel watch as their
parents are brutally murdered by a black sorcerer. To
protect Alexa from being sent to the breeding houses, the
twins disguise Alexa as a boy. Alexa and Marcel advance
through the army to become part of Prince Damian's personal
body guard, but her secret is about to catch up with her. A
powerful sorcerer breaks into the palace and kidnaps Damian,
Alexa, and fellow bodyguard Rylan. The enforced intimacy
between the three soon reveals that her secret isn't the
only one being kept. There are other secrets that are more
dangerous. Secrets that could bring down a kingdom. Alexa
must use every skill she has mastered to protect her prince,
her kingdom, and her heart.
DEFY by Sara B. Larson is packed with adventure, romance,
and magic. Alexa begins as a compelling character, one who
is physically strong, intelligent, and conflicted. She is a
young woman who must hide her identity and in doing so she
has turned her back on that part of herself. She is forced
to take other young girls to the breeding houses where they
will be raped repeatedly until they become pregnant only to
have their child taken away so it can fill the ranks of the
King's army. while she is appalled at the degradation and
filthy conditions, she doesn't do anything to change the
circumstances for any of those young girls. She chooses
self-preservation over what she feels is morally right, and
she doesn't like herself for it. This is what makes great
character and wonderful conflict. Unfortunately, that
conflict is lost in an unnecessary love triangle between
Alexa, Damian, and Rylan.
I'm not generally a fan of love
triangles and this is no exception. By including this love
triangle, Ms. Larson missed an opportunity to push the
boundaries of what it means to by a strong and intelligent
young woman who could become a leader and instead focused
Alexa's internal conflict on her feelings for Damian and
Rylan.
For three years, Alexa worked her way up the ranks to
become the best fighter in the Prince's elite bodyguard. The
necessary drive and dedication to become skilled and to
prove herself is a part of her identity. As soon as she is
revealed as a woman, she needs to be rescued by the prince,
she can't control her physical reaction to a naked male
chest, and she cries at the drop of a hat. None of those are
necessarily bad reactions, but the drive that pushed her to
excel as a 'male' solider disappears. There was little
balance between both aspects of her character.
Alexa's character has the potential to become more than one
point of a love triangle. The conclusion to DEFY does leave
room for a continuation of the series and there are many
aspects of this world that are compelling. I would love to
see how Alexa copes with being outed and how she handles the
prejudice that is bound to come her way. I would love to see
how this kingdom begins to address the traditional roles of
males and females. I would love to see Alexa develop a
relationship with a female mentor. While the romance in DEFY
didn't fulfill the promise of Alexa's character, the world
and its problems are intriguing.
If you're a fan of
adventure, romance, secret identities, and magic, DEFY is a
fast-paced YA that has the potential to become an enchanting
series that explores what it means to find confidence and
self-acceptance for both sexes.
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action,
intrigue, and heart-racing romance.
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?
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