Review: Defiance by Stephanie Tyler

Title: Defiance
Author: Stephanie Tyler
Series: Defiance #1
Release Date: June 10th, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

Rebelling against her legacy as the MC's princess, Tru Tennyson escaped the ruthless, male-dominated culture of the Defiance motorcycle club. Three years later, her newfound freedom is ripped away, thanks to a massive hybrid storm that killed millions. Now, in the post-Chaos world of semi-darkness and near-total anarchy where gangs rule, she discovers the dangerous world of Defiance may be the one thing that can keep her safe.

Tru is at the MC's mercy when she's dragged back to her former home … and to the only man she's ever pictured a future with. Caspar is the bastard son of the club's leader, her safe haven when life got rough — and her onetime lover the night she left. When Tru refuses to trade sex for power and be claimed by a rival club leader, she also dares to announce she wants Caspar instead, throwing the MC into turmoil.

Tru's brazen revolt could start a gang war and destroy the club from within. Now both Tru and the MC must wait for Caspar's response … and the inevitable fallout.

NA hasn’t been a very favorable ‘genre’ (I put the quotation marks because I know there has been some debate as to what classifies as a genre and what not) for me. Most of my experiences have been pretty bad. This book however piqued my interest. A post-apocalyptic book that focuses on a motorcycle club? Count me in.

Okay so I only read this because the strange combination of the two was pretty intriguing. So many things could have gone wrong! It could have been filled with TSTL horny characters whose lives revolve around each other and nothing else (which does happen a lot of NA so you cannot blame me). But as it turns out this book was pretty good.

I haven’t read a lot of motorcycle club books nor do I watch the famous “Sons of Anarchy”.  So my knowledge is next to nothing when it comes to the whole Motorcycle Club thing. Even with my inexperience it felt like the author did a pretty good job with it. The reasoning, how it all started, what it had become, everything. The world of Defiance seemed pretty real to me.

The post-apocalyptic part however could have used a lot more development. For the most part I was a little confused about what had actually happened. Oh it was mentioned but it just seemed more like a pillar than part of the story. I also happen to be a little confused about what happened in the 3 years she was away.

The main characters were actually WAIT FOR IT the best part of the book and I mean this in a good way. I was pleasantly surprised by the two, by their maturity. They are both pretty young but they act like adults, a lot of this can of course be contributed to their childhoods (is that a word?) but I just love how they aren’t just angst filled characters.

Tru was forced to run away from home at the age of 16. It was either stay or die at the hands of her father. She had finally had enough and so with the help of Caspar she ran away. She is returned by the rival MC beaten up three years later, after her father has died. Right off the bat things start going crazy with her return. She spent the past (year?) with the rival club so people are vary of her but since her father was well respected they don’t kick her out immediately, instead preparations are made for her mating with the president’s youngest son. To escape that horrid fate, she asks Caspar to be her mate. That was when I first started appreciating her; I always like a main character who can stand up for herself. Weak, Tru was not. It’s evident in all her actions, she is not afraid to stand up if it means backing up what she believes in.

Caspar was a pretty mysterious character. Half of the time you don’t even know his motifs. What is he planning inside that big brain of his? He’s pretty elusive. One of his best qualities is how passionate he is about the club. He wants to change things for the better but even he knows that everything cannot change, some things will remain the way they are.

Them together makes for a good romance. It isn’t an angst filled relationship.  It’s kind of clear even in the beginning that the two have strong feelings for each other but they need to work on trusting one another and so the unravel each other, learning the others secrets and being supportive.

I am not exactly sure about the plot though, the book itself was a quick read but the plot could have used some work. Half of the time I wasn’t even sure what the whole thing was about.

In the end, the book makes for a hell of a journey and was just what I needed after attempting to read a book that didn’t work so well for me. 

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Title: Defiance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Defiance #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Date Published: August 28, 2012

Goodreads Summary

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan–the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

I cannot write a proper review like thing for this. This is going to be mainly thoughts and a rant of sorts.

I liked the idea of this book but this book didn’t work out for me. I feel so disappointed! I was excited to read this book.. so excited and all my hopes for this book were shoved down a hole and buried alive.

Everything about this book appealed to me when I read the summary. It sounded so perfect! But after a few chapters, I had to force myself to get through the book.

For starters the romance popped out of nowhere, I don’t mean that they aren’t perfect for each other or anything. It’s just that it was so random. There was no time for it to develop. They both come to a creepy realization that they are in love, this happens when they are away from each other. Don’t ask me how that works. I don’t know. The short time they are together in the beginning of the book, Rachel hates him, because of course she told him she loved him (this was when she was 15) and he told her to get lost (not literally but you get the idea).

First we are told Logan rejected her and then Logan says he has always liked her. Confusing. Logan wasn’t that bad actually, he was pretty clever and nerdy and I always love reading about nerdy love interests, but oh my god, he was creepy. He was threatening her SO MUCH! Like what is she? 5 years old? She can take care of herself thank you very much. For example:

“No. You’re lucky I’m not wringing your neck.”

You say stuff like that and then claim to love her, I don’t see how that works. Also the feminist me screams at how women are shown in this world, always looked down upon.

The author may have been trying to achieve the whole kickass female lead with Rachel by making her different and willing to break the rules but Rachel was seriously annoying. There is this point in the book where Rachel is whining about loss, I get the point but she should have been stronger instead of trying to sink into a hole. She thought she could be angry and avoid the pain. She did some of the most horrible things in that period of time without thinking twice.

I had actually kind of liked Logan in the beginning like I mentioned but then there was the creepy thing. There was also the jealousy thing. That pissed me off because I was hoping that Logan would be the sane guy (seeing that Rachel has nothing better to do then whine about loss and couldn’t even make her mind up about anything except her HATE) and appreciate Quinn and Willow’s help but instead he is jealous *face palm*. Doesn’t even thank them.

The plot wasn’t that bad but I would have been able to appreciate it more had the characters been better. There were some interesting things going on but it wasn’t much of a dystopia.

I get the feeling the sequel will have a love triangle in it but seeing how this book turned out, I don’t think I’ll read the sequel.

Don’t let my opinion about this book keep you from reading it though, a lot of people loved it as well.