Release Date: January 2014Genre: Fantasy
Protagonist: Alexa (Alex) Hollen, 17 years old
The Story: After the violent death of her parents, Alexa hides her gender, changes her identity, and joins her twin brother as a member of the king's army. Alex's talent with a sword and her incredible ability to fight land her a special place as a member of Prince Damien's guard. In extreme proximity to the prince, Alex learns that she is not the only one living a lie. Along with the prince and a fellow guardsman, Alex is abducted by a powerful sorcerer who is determined to use the prince as a way to coerce the king into changing the outcome of the war between two kingdoms. Alex's identity becomes increasingly more difficult to hide as works to ensure the safety of the prince and the kingdom.
Reaction: Likely to be classified as high fantasy, Defy is what I like to call "light" fantasy; the structure of the tale has a lot of similarities to "high" fantasy novels, including magic, a quest, and a coming-of-age theme. Much of the plot focuses on romance, which detracts from some of these "high fantasy" elements. Despite the heavy handedness with romance, Defy is not a book to be missed by fans of the YA/Fantasy genre. Reader beware: this book is written from a female perspective and addresses romance the same way; if you don't want to read about abs and kisses, in addition to sorcerers and magic, look elsewhere. Defy is not so much about an epic physical journey, but instead is about Alex's epic emotional journey as she learns to accept all aspects of herself. Alex is a serious, kick-butt heroine who is a star of all the action scenes. Both male protagonists are interesting in different ways, making the love triangle aspect highly engaging.
If You Liked... Graceling, Incarceron, Dragonfly, or Grave Mercy, then Defy is a must-read.
Rating: 5 stars
Teacher Notes: This book contains misogynistic characters and abuse towards women. References to abuse towards women are prevalent. Recommended for grades 8 and up.
No comments:
Post a Comment