Defy by Sara B. Larson – Take Me Away… On the Pages of Your Story

e-ARC, 336 pages

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Published by: Scholastic Press

Ashes, #1

Source: NetGalley (A huge thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for providing me with this galley for a just and honest review.)

For fans of: Fantasy, YA, Romance

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?

MY THOUGHTS

I really feel like the black sheep in this one. Although I have seen a few reviews that said it wasn’t what they were expecting.

I chose to read this because I’m not a huge fan of fantasy and at first I had saw nothing but great things about it. And then when I saw I was approved, I was over the moon about it. But then when I got to reading it, I just couldn’t do it. There was absolutely no world-building. At first I couldn’t decide if I was ok with it not having any type of world-building because I wasn’t that big a fan of fantasy, or if I was mad because I normally love world-building. But as time went on, it started to get annoying. In my head it seemed like all the characters were doing the different events in front of a white screen. It just felt weird. I guess I’ll have to start with something else for my fantasy challenge.

And then it was the way the actual novel itself was written. I didn’t like it because it just seemed choppy. It jumped from scene to scene without any type of flow. I was very confused at so many different times and I only made it to about 35%. I just couldn’t do that.

With my first fantasy novel I am upset to say I didn’t quite like it. Hopefully the next one I will love…

Overall, I give this

*MY THOUGHTS*

Take Me Away

MY THOUGHTS