They're both great guys with their own pros and cons. Both Damian and Rylan are developed characters. Not only is it hard for Alex to choose between the two, it will be hard for readers as well. This triangle had the drama, but it's also more fleshed-out. They often aren't developed well and are lopsided, and lead to too much drama (And you know how I hate all the drama). There's a really big love triangle that develops between Alexa, Prince Damian, and fellow bodyguard Rylan, after her identify is revealed. There's also a lot of romance in the series, which, at times, creates drama and leads to the action taking a back seat. I really enjoyed the story elements that evolved through world-building and was eager to know the backstory of all the aspects being introduced. Strengths in Kristin Cashore's GRACELING. It isn't arbitrary, either, but makes sense in context and is believable in the same way that, through context, we understand Katsa's Unlike in THE CADET OF TILDOR by Alex Lidell, where the main character isn't as strong as the boys and must keep up in other ways, in DEFY, she is the strongest of them all. She trains long and hard to be good, and was trained all her life by her powerful father. Being a girl doesn't hinder Alexa's abilities to fight. Who can she trust in this high stakes game brought on by war?ĭEFY is perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce's Alanna books.

After Marcel is murdered in an attempt on the prince's life, Alex suddenly risks having her carefully concealed secret exposed. Alex and Marcel rise through the ranks fast, and are soon personal bodyguards to Prince Damian. It's either join the army as a male or enter the breeding houses to produce as many future male soldiers as possible.

When her parents are killed during a war, her twin brother Marcel chops off her hair to disguise her gender. I'm going to review both books today, but it's so hard to talk about IGNITE without spoilers, so I'm going to focus more on the first book, DEFY.Īlex is hiding a deep, dark secret: Her true name is Alexa and she is female.

I'm looking forward to doing so in the new year!!!) (Note: At this point, the final book in the series, ENDURE, is out next week! I just haven't had a chance to finish reading it. Now that the second book in the trilogy, IGNITE, is newly out, it's time to play catch up! But oh, how I wanted to! A girl disguised as a guy, one who can fight better than anyone else? And kingdom politics? SIGN ME UP.

Larson a year ago and never had time to read it. One thing I love about blog tours is the way they give me an excuse to read books I've been coveting, since I read more review books than I do my own purchased copies.

Endure sara b larson