Book Review | Defiance by CJ Redwine

Title: Defiance 

Author: C.J. Redwine

Publication: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Source: Bought it

Rating: 5 out 5 stars

Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Synopsis: Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, 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 boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but 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. 

Review: I have a hard time starting this review without just diving into the book and all its goodness, so we're just going to dive in. 

I loved the different elements that come to play in this novel.  There's fantasy and dystopian, which are two of my favorite genres. You have a dystopian in the world that they live in, there's poverty, monsters outside of the wall built around the city, and a strong militia presence enforcing strict societal regulations. There's fantasy in the quest that Rachel and Logan set out on to find her father. There's romance between Logan and Rachel that starts off in a very different spot. So let's talk about the romance.

In a few other reviews that I have read, some people had a real problem with Logan. They thought that Logan was a battering-type. A few certain phrases come up, such as when Logan talks about locking Rachel up or when he talk about killing her. I viewed the situation where he expresses these differently, did I think they were okay? NO. But I think he was thinking of Rachel in those moments as a little sister. Often siblings fight, they threaten each other, in the beginning of this novel I think Logan viewed Rachel as a little sister because he felt he had to. As the novel moves on you see the shift in the way he thinks about her and the different way he treats her because he has developed feelings for her. 

I grew frustrated with Rachel easily in the beginning of the novel. I thought she was making rather stupid decisions and acted rather selfishly immature. However, I enjoyed watching her grow strength and maturity throughout the novel as she went on her quest to find her father. I think she was humbled through what she encountered on her quest and her strength started to show through. The growth of both her and Logan was an aspect of this novel that I really enjoyed. 

I don't want to go too much into depth on the world that is within this book. I think it's best going in not knowing what to expect, because there are so many awesome surprising elements. The world building was done fanastically, I didn't have anything to question (other than things that were supposed to be questioned) and I was completely enthralled in what was going to happen or the potential for something big to be happening at every moment. 

This amazing hybrid of a book is one that I would strongly recommend to those that are fans of fantasy and dystopian. But not only that, I think this book has something in it for everyone to enjoy. I can't wait to pick up the second book in the series and see what it takes me. 

Have you read this one and if so, what did you think of it? What did you think of Logan and Rachel's relationship? What about the world and different elements of multiple genres included? Are there any hybrid genre books that you have read lately and loved?