***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: sara b. larson

Title: Defy
Author: Sara B. Larson
Series: Defy, book #1
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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?

This book had serious potential, and although saying that at the beginning of my review makes it sound like the book didn't meet expectations, I want to be clear that this book was good. The story, albeit the first in a series, has a lot of promise, and it's well-written. For whatever reason, though, I thought Defy was a stand-alone, which is my fault not the book's, but I have to admit that this fact did hinder my enjoyment somewhat. Like I said, though, that's my fault, so I'm not deducting points or whatever for it.

I'm a sucker for a story about a tough girl masquerading as a boy, and I always like to discover the why behind the deception. Alexa/Alex was no different, but her story may have garnered more sympathy than most. And it made me like her brother immediately, even if he didn't get all that much page time. In fact, I rather found all of the characters in this fantasy story pretty likable, despite all of their secrets and duplicity.

The love interests both proved likable, too, but honestly, I never felt that the love triangle hinted at in the synopsis was really a true triangle. Alex started off with "feelings" for one boy, who didn't know she was a boy and then developed feelings for another who may or may not know she's not a boy. I usually pull for the boy who's been friends with the protagonist forever over the newcomer, but in this case, I just never felt the draw to the first guy on the scene. And I usually don't like the guy who's keeping secrets from the girl, but in this case, both had their secrets and their reasons, so I was able to reason away the deceptions on both sides. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, though.

I enjoyed the addition of magic and sorcerers to the story, but even so, the story still felt fantasy-lite to me. It held my attention well enough, but I never felt immersed in this world. It's proving very difficult for me to pinpoint exactly why I couldn't connect with this story because I liked the plot, the pacing, the characters...I just needed more of something, I guess.

If it weren't for having read some seriously epic YA fantasies like the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas or the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo or the Fire and Thorns books by Rae Carson, I might have been inclined to rate this higher. As it stands, I think it's more of a 3 1/2 star read, but I don't have a graphic for that and I'm too lazy to make one, so I'm rounding down. Nothing against the book, but it doesn't really warrant rounding up. I really hope the sequel proves me wrong, though.

GIF it to me straight:

Meh in a good way...those seeking a jaunty little adventure will find lots to enjoy.

About the author:

I love writing, reading, and dessert--but the order varies by the day. I write books that have magic and romance and kick-butt girls and a whole lot more. My husband and I live in Utah with our three children. I write during naptime and the hours when most people are sleeping. My husband claims I should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." On occasion you will find me hiding in a bubble bath with a book and some Swedish Fish. I am represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary and my YA debut DEFY is coming Spring 14 from Scholastic!

Find Sara:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Labels: defy, fantasy, reviews, sara b. larson, scholastic

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's what I'm teasing this week:

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 teaser:

"If you come willingly, this will go much better for you. I promised to bring you alive--but I never specified how alive you'd be."

- Loc 1355, 40% of galley

Uh oh! That sounds menacing! I haven't gotten as far as I'd have liked with this one yet due to preparations for the upcoming holiday -- which is to say, I've been cleaning my house like a mad woman because company's coming -- so I don't know who says this yet, but I can't wait to find out! =)

What are you teasing this week? Share it in the comments or leave a link so I can visit!