Curse of the Bibliophile
Defy by Sara B. Larson
Author: Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5 Stars
Synopsis:
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.
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?
A brilliant new adventure full of exotic locales, magic spells, daring sword fights, and a devilishly handsome prince!
The setting and world building was brilliant. Set in the jungle with deadly opponents on all sides this story really keeps you on edge. You soon find though that that the most deadly enemies lurk from within. The descriptions and action scenes had a deadly beautiful quality to them. I was easily lost in this world of romance, danger, and friendship.
So many memorable characters in this book, but some of my favorites are Marcel, Damian, Rylan, and of course Alex (Alexa).
Alexa didn't have an easy life and from a young age she had to make some tough decisions. Which is why she came to be among the Prince's Guard disguised as a boy. I really admired her determination and strength. Keeping such a secret for so long would be unimaginably hard. Luckily she is able to make some friends and gets to do the one thing she loves most, fight. She is good at it and throughout the book it is the on thing she holds onto even when everything else seems so uncertain.
Marcel is Alexa's twin brother and the one who came up with the plan to disguise her as a boy. He has been there for Alexa through everything and it is plain to see how much these two care for one another. He was sweet character that I wished I could have seen more of.
Rylan is one of my absolute favorite characters in this story. He is so sweet and kind. As well as extremely loyal and fiercely dedicated. He always knew what to do to cheer Alexa up. He was the kind of friend you always want by your side.
Last, but certainly not least is Damian, the prince. He was a little hard to figure out at first, but once you got to know him he was so much more than what he appeared. He was definitely one of the more interesting characters in the book with a lot of passion, intelligence, and secrets. I loved his banter with Alexa and found these two hilarious to watch.
I could not put the book down and am just sad that I will have to wait a long while for the next installment. A big thanks to this debut author for writing this new and addicting series!!
I love writing, reading, and dessert--but the order varies by the day. I wrote my first book in second grade about a woman who had a premature baby, complete with a "to scale" drawing of the baby's size--while my mom was pregnant. To say I was a bit precocious is putting it lightly. Now that I'm an adult, I write books for teens that have magic and romance and kick-butt girls (and very few premature babies). I live in Utah with my husband, two young sons and baby girl. 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 January '14 from Scholastic!