Review: Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Publish date: 2012
Source: Classroom Library
Format: Hardcover
Length: 403 pages
"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." (Goodreads)

The cover and blurb of Defiance make it seem like a completely awesome book. Rachel is looking pretty sweet in her cloak on the cover, she's off to search for her father, the village has a wacky name like Baalboden...seems like a fun fantasy, right? Well, it wasn't. I honestly don't know if it was fantasy or a sci-fi/dystopian and I was not satisfied with the plot.

It took me until about halfway through Defiance to be actually interested in the plot. I'd read some good reviews, so I wanted to keep going and just push through the beginning to get to the action, but it still took about 200 pages for me to be invested in the story. Rachel was a likable character for the first few chapters, but after she was interacting with Logan...it all went downhill. Normally I like romance in stories, but I just didn't understand Logan and Rachel. No chemistry at all and Rachel turned into a different person.

The one thing I did like about Defiance was the writing itself. CJ Redwine is a great writer and that really shines here. The writing was basically the reason I finished the book. Great word choice and descriptions, just not enough of them! Definitely not enough world building for me to even know what genre this is.

I really wanted to like this, since it seems like my kind of book, but it just didn't click for me. Obviously other people liked/loved it, just from looking at Goodreads, but I don't know if I'll be recommending it. Have you read it? Thoughts?