Defiance by C.J. Redwine – Review

Posted 16 July, 2012 by Danny in Blog, Danny, Danny's Book Review / 55 Comments

Defiance

Book I in theĀ DefianceĀ Series
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Fantasy
publication: August 28th 2012 by Balzer + Bray
copy received from publisher
format: Hardcover, eBookĀ 
Rating:
Defiance by C.J. Redwine (synopsis fromĀ goodreads):Ā Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the cityā€™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 fatherā€™s apprentice, Loganā€”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 fatherā€™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 cityā€™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 mentorā€™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 canā€™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.
As it happens to me quite often lately, Defiance was not what I expected! I sure didn’t expect this colorful blend of genres and had no clue, the story was set in a Dystopian world! However, I was instantly hooked after just the first few pages…

Mix Dystopian with Fantasy and a little Steampunk

One thing, I love in literature is a mix of genres, since this often leads to a unique exhilarating storyline. In Defiance, I found a rather great mix and even more, something I didnā€™t expect! The world Rachel and Logan live in can be seen as a Dystopian version, however exactly when and where the story takes place is not revealed. Personally, this is something that never bothered me. I can get lost in a story without having an idea where and when I am! To this dystopian ground concept add a little bit of fantasy and steampunk ā€“ although this is probably a wrong definition, so donā€™t hold me on this!

 

Rachelā€™s and Loganā€™s POV in an effortless mix of storytelling

Recently, we find more and more shared POV stories in YA literature and there is definitely a great value to this. Firs, you can connect in a deeper way to both main characters, second you never feel left out and we find ourselves rarely confused with story loops. Defiance comes with Rachel and Logan and I truly believe this story needed both POV dearly. It was easy to fall in love both with strong, stubborn determined Rachel as well as charismatic, smart and deeply loyal Logan.

 

Kick Ass heroine? Kick Ass Hero? We get both!

One of the most alluring aspects of Defiance is the kick-assery of both protagonists! Neither Rachel, nor Logan would ever be considered as a victim or as weak! Loving both was easy and instant. However, both have the fair share of flaws, but together they match perfectly and equal they flaws are even stronger and more awesome!

 

The Romance, The Love and The Butterflies

Knowing me, you know that I am a big sucker for love and romance. I donā€™t need much but I need a little! I can happily report that the romance in Defiance is sweet, adorable and strong! There is not an instant love connection here, but they do see very soon how perfect they are for each other and I loved to follow their thoughts when they both realize how important and necessary the other part became for their survivorā€¦ Did I get the Butterflies, yes I did! Not epically with sunshine and angels music but enough to satisfy the romantic heart!

Bewitched Rating

 

Bottom Line

Defiance comes with a colorful blending of genres and offers action, romance and mystery! Combined with an incredible kick-ass duo of heros,Ā DefianceĀ is definitely a book you shouldn’t miss! The romance is sweet with two main characters who are both strong, loyal and flawed at the same time!
Ā Ā Ā 

Additional Notes

Since this story is told from both POV’s Defiance definitely counts for the All Male Challenge we are hosting right now! C.J Redwine has a PinterestĀ board for the Defiance Trilogy! You truly should check this out, there are some amazing pictures! Just a little Teaser how she envisions Rachel and Logan (Chris Pine!)

Image source : Kitten en ClassĀ 

Note: Images link to source!

Love this picture so much!!!! That’s absolutely the perfect Rachel and the perfect swoon worthy Logan!!! Check our her board from more inspiration! I so love when authors have a pinterest board for their books!!!

Much Love,

 

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55 Responses to “Defiance by C.J. Redwine – Review”

  1. Oooh, I like how this has a mix of genres too! I’m excited for this book. I’m really glad the dual POVs work, I know they’re becoming more popular in YA but they can be a hit or miss. Also whoo to both protagonists kicking ass. Great review! šŸ˜€
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Yes I see those dual POV more often and I kind of like it!! I know how badly I missed Edwards POV in Twilight! Here, it even is important, I don’t think this story could have only been told by one POV!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  2. I love genres are mixed as well. Like you said, it can really make the book exciting. I have an e-ARC of this book from Edelweiss, so I’m hoping I’ll enjoy it as much as you did. The romance seems really sweet. šŸ™‚
    Great review, Danny ! šŸ™‚

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    Danny 7/16/2012

    OOO then go and read it!!! I truly loved it – and yes the romance was honest and real šŸ™‚
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  3. Great review, Danny! I’m so glad to see you liked this. I always need to have a little romance in my books too so I’m pleased to hear there is some in this book and it’s satisfying. šŸ˜‰ I’m interested to see how the dual point of view works out too. I’m not always a fan of multiple points of view but I’m glad to hear it works well in this case. šŸ™‚
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Yep I agree – sometimes too many POV can be distracting and it’s easy to get lost in many POV. Here, it was important since the two were not always together and I think the story wouldn’t have worked with only one side of the story! Plus, it was so cute seeing those two realizing how much they love each other!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  4. Gah this sounds super awesome! I can’t wait to get to it! I love dual POVs and the protagonists sound like my type of kick assness! šŸ˜€ Great review, Love! Love the cast images! Those people are hot!

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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Aren’t those images hot???? I LOVED how the author pictures her characters and I have to say Chris Pine is PERFECT for Logan! this is exactly how I saw him!! šŸ™‚
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  5. Defiance sounds super good! I love the mixing of genres and of course romance šŸ˜€ Both of the characters are kick ass too? This is definitely a book that i will be putting on my TBR and buying for my tablet! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, great review!
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    YES thy are both kick ass!!! And I initally thought it was just Rachel who was kick ass – but then .. WOOOT Logan came!!
    Definitely a must buy!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  6. Oh, this has been on my wishlist for the longest time! The cover is fabulous and I love that the story inside matches. Like you, I do so adore when authors mix genres (big fan of Steampunk lately, too!) and you know how I love a good kick-ass character! Woot!
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    I first loved the cover ( yes I’m shallow like this), then the synopsis and then the book šŸ™‚

    I truly need to dig in some more Steampunk – you must tell me which one to read because I need a REALLY good one!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  7. YAY for kick ass heroes and heroines!!! I read this book a few weeks ago and I loved it too! I loved that it was kick ass and very complex, with all those fantasy, dystopian, romantic etc elements in it. <3 Oh, and bonus points for 2 POVs!

    Awesome review!;)

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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Yep you nailed it! It had everything a good story needs and then some more! Cannot wait for the next one! Glad you liked it too!
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  8. Awesome! I can’t wait to read this one. I have an interivew with CJ Redwine coming up next week about Defiance! Great to see a good review for the book šŸ™‚
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    OOOOO Have to read this Interview!!! She clearly is an awesome author and I cannot wait to read her next book!
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  9. I really like how authors have been mixing genres lately. This is one I have been SO excited for! I am a little worried about time and place, sometimes its something that just sits unsettled in my stomach, like I NEED to know. But if the fantasy aspects are strong enough it may not bother me. Super excited to read this though!

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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Oh Candace! I totally remember you had problems with Under The Never Sky because it was the same problem: No idea, where and when! You will have the same feeling here..
    But, I hope it won’t bother you so much here! Truly – it was so damn awesome!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  10. I am actually reading this one right now! I thought i would be totally blown away by it, and so far I’m not but I am really enjoying it. I am really liking the dual point of view’s and have found more and more of them in YA. One of my fave genre mixes has been sci-fi and thriller. LOVE it!!! I can’t seem to get enough. hehe Great review! Can’t wait to finish reading Defiance. Maybe today…

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    Danny 7/16/2012

    I remember it took me some time to really got sucked into the story! I hope that happens for you too!!! It’s way it wasn’t a full 5 star for me! Love the dual POV and truly want more of these!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  11. I LOVE reading a mix of genres in books too, so I’m ecstatic about this one! I was only expecting dystopian when I added this to my TBR-ASAP pile, but the fact that it also has a bit of fantasy and steampunk makes it even cooler! I love that both Rachel and Logan are kick-butt and strong on their own, and even more perfect together. ALSO: Any boy who can be played by Chris Pine must be an epic guy! :’)

    Absolutely amazing review, Danny! SO pumped to read this!!! <3
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    See??? At least you expected Dystopian unlike me! lool I esepcially loved Rachel and Logan and even though they were apart for a large part of the book, I begun to get to know each of them better and love them just more like this!!

    And Chris Pine is EXACTLY how I see Logan! When I saw that the author picked him, I was squealing at the monitor saying YES that’s LOGAN!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  12. Oh My!!
    you blew me away with this review my dear! I had no idea it was such a mix of genres! plus I had no idea it was told in dual pov. OMG! that is actually my favorite storytelling style since I read Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. I, as a reader, feel so much closer to the characters and of course, it is so rewarding to know what the love interest is thinking XDDDD (I would sell a kidney to read TMI from Jace’s pov lol) and hell!! Fantasy plus Dystopian and Steampunk O_O! whoa! I need my hardcopy now!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
    gorgeous review Danny ^.^ me loves you even more! <3333333333
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Ha!! That makes me happy!!! And … between you and me , sometimes I like my reviews and sometimes they are just ..meh… this one I really like :))

    Yes, it’s easy to feel close when you are in the head and see the story unfold from their eyes, I love this!! Sometimes I miss it when it’s just one POV! And LOOOL Jace POV??!?! YES .. maybe not a Kidney but.. A LOT!!!

    *hugs*
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  13. Excellent so many things I am excited to read about, blending of genres, alternating male and female lead POVs and kick bitt characters! Love all of that and add in a great romance, sounds like this is one to add to the pile!
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    YEs it indeed sounds like a book you might love!!!!! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did :))
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  14. Whoever that redhead is, she’s gorgeous!

    Like you, I’m a big sucker for love and romance. Based on the way you described the characters, they seem like ones I’d totally support. And, I am definitely looking forward to checking this one out. I’m excited about the alternating POVs!

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    Danny 7/16/2012

    She is right? And I have sadly no idea who she is. I found her on C.J. pinterest and followed the link but couldn’t found out the name!

    The romance might not play the biggest role here, but enough to make my little heart happy:)
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  15. Yay I’m glad to hear that this one was such a great mix of everything! Normally mixing of POVs, genres, and all sorts of story elements can make a book difficult to read so I’m glad the author really pulled it off with this one. I always like seeing both POVs but lately I’ve been sorely disappointed in stories where the POVs are not different enough to make it sound like two different characters. I’m glad to see this pulled all of these hard elements off and I can’t wait to read my copy of this book.

    Thanks for another awesome review!
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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Yes I agre, the more genres the more you have to learn about the world and the harder is it to get into the book! Here, it was effortless and we slowly learned more and more about the dynamics and rules! Enjoy the book!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  16. WOO HOO!!!! So glad you loved this one too Danny! I couldn’t get enough of the dual point of view, you absolutely nailed it – it gives us a way to get to know both of them so much better instead of just seeing Logan through Rachel’s eyes. Can’t wait for more of their story, awesome review my friend:)

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    Danny 7/16/2012

    Jenny!! Of course you loved it just like me!! Truly.. we are book-soul-twins or something along those lines… you get my point…

    I think this story couldn’t have been told just from one POV – we needed to see what both Rachel and Logan are experiencing, what they have to face and feel! I loved seeing them realize that they love each other! *sigh*

    *hugs*
    I miss you..
    I always miss you!
    Danny recently posted..Defiance by C.J. Redwine – ReviewMy Profile

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  17. I really think this is a beautiful cover, and reading your excellent review has made me add it to my list. I love that both main characters are strong. I felt that way about Lu’s Legend — loved both of those characters, so I’m looking forward to experiencing this one. Thanks.
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    Danny 7/19/2012

    Oh yes Lu is a perfect example! I loved Legend and both characters were super strong! Here we have a similar situation and I truly enjoyed it!
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  18. I had not heard of this book before, so thank you for introducing me to it! It looks fantastic; kick-ass heroes and heroines are my favorite, and I LOVE it when a book has both. This book looks like an interesting blend of genres, too, so I’m intrigued by that. Overall, I’m super excited to read Defiance! Great review, and thanks again for bringing this book to my attention!
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    Danny 7/19/2012

    I am super happy I could introduce you to this book because it seriously is a perfect new shining beautiful addition to the world of dystopian:)

    I always prefer my heros or heroines to be kick ass and strong, when both protagonists are strong I in love! Specially when such strong characters work together and even fall in love! It’s great :))

    Hope you will pick it up and love it šŸ™‚
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  19. I so love genre-mixes as well! My favorite books are usually these–it’s just so wonderful! I’m definitely glad to hear it got some sweet romance in it, in addition to the awesome-sounding plot in general. šŸ˜‰ Gosh, I cannot wait to pick this one up! *want* Lovely review!
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    Danny 7/19/2012

    I absolutely love when an author surprises me by adding and meshing elements! It’s refreshing and entertaining! And here are truly some elements that surprised me :))

    *blows a kiss*
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  20. Awww, now I definitely need to get to it soon – if you liked it, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it, too. It sounds like such an awesome kick-ass read and thanks to your great review I’ll make sure to pick it up soon. Thanks for sharing!
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    Danny 7/19/2012

    You and me have different taste andI know I can always count on your recommendations! I hope you are going to have a fabulous vacation! Going to miss you!
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  21. I’ve been so curious about Defiance…now I need to read it more! šŸ˜‰

    Steampunk is one of my favorite genres, so that being included makes me even more interested.

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    Danny 7/19/2012

    It does not has a huge steampunk element and maybe it’s the wrong definition. So please do not expect too much Stempunk. But there is a great and wonderful mix of genres which is beautiful and unique!

    I hope you’ll enjoy it šŸ™‚
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  22. A great review, Danny! Iā€™m so glad to see you liked this one, I have seen it around a lot lately so might have to pick it up.

    I am enjoying the mix of genres we are seeing more recently and I adore a book with a sweet romance, kick-butt characters and alternating POV’s.

    Thank-you for sharing šŸ™‚

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  23. Typically I am hesitant about mixed genres, because I’d rather read books that master something, rather than are a jack of all trades, master of none, if you know what I mean.

    But WOW, you make Defiance sound freakin awesome.

    Totally here way of Fictionally Inclined which linked your review in hers. I have to say, good call on her for the link. Your review rocks!
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  24. We do accept each of the suggestions you have brought to this page. There’re pretty effective and will definitely get the job done. Even so, a blogposts are certainly small firstly. Could you desire stretch them a tad via next time? Many thanks for a write-up.

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