Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Review: Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine

Title: Defiance (Defiance #1)
Author: C.J. Redwine
Release Date: August 28th 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars

Defiance is one of the books I've been highly anticipating to read this year. So you can just imagine how ecstatic I was when I got approved for an ARC of it, I almost started jumping up and down like a three-year old kid. And I'm more than happy to find out and tell you that this book really did not disappoint. It wasn't flawless but it was certainly good. The plot, twist and character blend it effectively to make a really interesting, thrilling and gripping action-packed story.

I love heroines who fights and knows her ways when it comes to weapons. And Rachel was absolutely like that. She was a strong-willed, confident and impressive character. However I thought she was a bit frustrating, narrow-minded and childish during the earlier parts. Which caused me to have a hard time liking her right away. Fortunately, she didn't stay that long and her character developed remarkably fast and good. And soon, I found myself warming into her and loving her kick-ass personality.

Logan wasn't what I was actually expecting. I was expecting the bad boy type but he was actually more of the nice guy. Still he easily took a place in my heart with his really caring but also strong personality. His most notable quality was that he fights with his brain too. His brain was his most effective weapon and he did prove it a lot of times in the story.

I love how these two developed and grew through the unexpected situations they were thrown into and discovered new things about their selves. C.J. Redwine really did an amazing job in showing the significance of each of Rachel and Logan's roles in the story and showing each of their journeys through their own povs. Both were made to be the main characters equally.

The world-building was great though I wouldn't say it was completely original. Still it offered things that were really intriguing, entertaining and refreshing. My only problem was that I got really confused whether I'm reading a dystopia or a steampunk. Did I went to the future or went back to the past? The setting gave off the overall feel of a historical period but the constant reminders of the developed civilization before the Cursed Ones arrived kept me thinking that this was indeed a dytopia novel.

The romance, although during the first parts felt a bit awkward for me soon turned out to be a really sweet one. The development of their relationship felt natural and genuine. And I just love how the realizations of their feelings came to them.

The plot was great and action-packed, the twist were thrilling and exciting and the characters were all remarkable and amazing. It wasn't perfect but still it provides a great and wonderful reading experience for me. I recommend this.

*Thanks to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for providing an ARC of this book!

17 comments:

  1. This is up next on my to-read list and I honestly can't wait. Your review has gotten me even more excited. I love heroines who are strong as well, so I can't wait to meet Rachel. Plus, the plot is action-packed, so I know I'm going to love it.
    Thanks for the great review, Eunice ! :)
    So happy you liked it. :D

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  2. This is one of my highly anticipated books too! I'm really looking foward to when I can read this. I'm definitely pleased that Rachel grows into a stronger character, her original faults would not have been appealing. I love that she can handle weapons and knows what she's doing. And great world-building and loads of action make it even more appealing. I guess in that sense it lives up to the cover. ;) Wonderful review, E! :)

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  3. Awesome review :) I just found your blog and will definitely be following it from now on! I recently started my new blog on reading if you want to take a look: http://heartisinthewriteplace.blogspot.com/

    Thanks again!

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  4. In spite of of your qualms, I'm still pleased that you enjoyed this! Defiance surely attracted many readers, but from the majority reviews that I've seen said this book was only mediocre. It's a shame, as the cover is stunning! Lovely review Eunice. :) Most likely I'll check this out of curiosity. :)

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  5. I should be reading this very soon so I'm pleased to see you liked it! Even though the main character was difficult to really appreciate at first, I'm glad to hear she improves greatly and becomes a kick-ass heroine. Logan sounds quite lovely too. Great review, Eunice! :)

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  6. Wow! This novel sounds uh-may-ZING. Kick-ass heroines for the win! I adore character development in novels so I am psyched to hear that there's a substantial amount here.

    Inspired review, Ate Eunice! :D

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  7. I think the brain is the best weapon a person can have. I've read some pretty good reviews for this one - I'll be picking it up soon. Great review!

    Hafsah @ IceyBooks

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  8. It's good to know you enjoyed this one too! I can't wait to tackle this and What's Left of Me now, with a gorgeous cover and a plot that's awesome too? I really hope I love this too! Gorgeous review Eunice! :)

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  9. I'm so thrilled that you ended up really enjoying this, Eunice because I'm to start reading this next. I'm excited that you were happy with the romance and how it developed. Can't wait to meet Rachel (ha!) and Logan. Excellent review. :)

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  10. LOOL, I know that feeling you described in the first paragraph! And, YES! A kick-ass heroin is always the best way forward.<3 The romance sounds so cute, other than the awkward bits.<3

    Thanks for a wonderful review, Eunice!

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  11. Wonderful review Eunice! I am so excited for this book! I'm glad you liked Defiance and its character and story! I am also a little confused about the genre of this book. before all the reviews about it being dystopia, I thought it was going to be historical fiction from the summary. Well, I'll read D no matter what genre it is.

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  12. LOVELY REVIEW, EUNICE!!! OMG you are so lucky you got an ARC of this!! I can't wait to read it. EEEEP! LOOOGGAAAAN <333 Can't wait to meet him. ;) I love books with a strong, powerful heroine, because they are just so empowering! I can't stand books where the girl is all needy and dependent and stuff. I'm a huge sucker for a cute romance, so sign me up! I love how it's a bit awkward at first though... no real relationship is perfect right from the very start!! GREAT review, Eunice sweetie!! <33

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  13. YAY EUNICE!!! So glad you enjoyed this one too! I was definitely expecting Logan to be a bit more of a bad boy as well, especially after reading the synopsis and hearing he rejected Rachel years ago. I loved the person he turned out to be though, and their romance was really cute I thought. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

    Fabulous review:)

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  14. Even though the setting was not the most original, I am glad to see that it is, at the very least, articulately described. Rachel and Logan's relationship seemed to be weaved pretty well into the story, and I loved it when you said, "The plot was great and action-packed, the twist were thrilling and exciting..." Looking forward to reading this book! Awesome review!

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  15. Great review!!! This sounds so awesome!!! The characters all seem super engaging and romance sounds so sweet!!!! I am really looking forward to the release of this one. Thanks for sharing!!!


    SeeitORreadit

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  16. Yay, I'm so glad you liked this one! I've been reading a lot of mixed reviews for it, but you've made me excited about its release once again! I think the romance in this one sounds original and interesting and I'm glad Rachel is such a kick-ass protagonist! Amazing review, Eunice! :D

    ~Keertana
    Ivy Book Bindings

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  17. I've had this book since September but still haven't read it. But everybody keeps talking about how awesome it is. I NEED to read it!!

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