Ignite

Author: Sara B. Larson
Series: Defy #2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: December 30, 2014

Summary: Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

Review: Well . . . this one was definitely better than its predecessor, but not by much. I had a very love/hate relationship. If you haven't read my review of Defy, I suggest you do so before reading the rest of this one.

So, even though I was pretty neutral when it came to my like/dislike of Defy, I decided to still give Ignite a chance because you never know! The second book in a series could turn out totally AWESOME and kick the first book into the ground!

Like so:

But . . . um . . . well . . . that didn't necessarily play out in real life as I had envisioned in my mind. I did like the overall story in Ignite better, but that ending . . . I couldn't handle it. It's another cliffhanger #shocker and I honestly felt that it didn't need to be. The bad guys were totally defeated!! And . . . well, I'll leave it at that as to not spoil it for any of you future readers! Anyway, Larson made sure that one of our very own was CAPTURED leaving the perfect segue for another book. Two books was more than enough!! Larson, why must you torment me so!?

Okay, don't get me wrong, this was still quite the book. It had romance, epic battles, and a pretty wicked cat fight! (Like to girls fighting . . . not actual cats . . . although that would have made for a pretty interesting conversation . . .)

The writing was better than the first installment in the Defy Trilogy (?), although not quite up to par with the other things that I've been reading lately. I will say that after reading Ignite, I did feel the need/want to go and re-read Defy because of where the story headed.

Ignite is an extremely quick, decent read. (I pounded it out in a few short hours.) I'd totally recommend giving this series a try! It wasn't one of my personal favorites, but I don't regret reading it!

Defy

Author: Sara B. Larson
Series: Defy #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Summary: 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?
Review: Where do I start?!?! Okay, so I ended up having a major love/hate relationship with this book. When I first read the synopsis it reminded me a little bit of Throne of Glass (which I absolutely adored btw). Needless to say, I was more than excited. So I went to the library and put it on hold and waited....and waited.....and waited.

Finally sick of waiting I went to the local bookstore and they had a SIGNED copy of the book on their bargain table.. SAY WHA?! Immediately grabbing it and hugging it to my chest I mentally shouted praises for this small miracle.

I get home and crack it open. Immediately drawn in. Alexa, to me, was such a strong and fairly well-written (if stupid sometimes) main character. She was tough, intellectual, and at times, witty. Overall, her characteristics were extremely similar to those of Celaena in Throne of Glass. From there, I started seeing more and more similarities between Defy and Throne of Glass. 1) A main character who unusually excels in fighting 2) Rylan: a captain of the guard who is in love with her 3) Damian: a prince who is also in love with her (Can we say LOVE TRIANGLE!!!)   4) An evil king... the list goes on. Much to my dismay, the book started going downhill a couple chapters in because there were so many similarities between the two books. I constantly felt that Alexa was making a stupid decision by not actually choosing between Rylan and Damian and just hovering somewhere in no man's land between them. #frustrating

Let's talk about that ending shall we?!  I liked it, but hated it because . . .!! I won't elaborate anymore because I don't want to spoil it . . .but GAH!! *HUGE SIGH* Overall, I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it. Since I loved Throne of Glass so much and this book was so similar I often found myself having a hard time appreciating what I was reading, but I also felt slightly disappointed with where the story ended up going and also that it was lacking a uniqueness I so desperately craved. If you have read and enjoyed Defy I strongly suggest looking into Throne of Glass or vice versa.