Defy (Defy #1) by Sara B. Larson

MILD SPOILERS!

3.5 Stars

Date Released: 7th January 2014
Pages: 336
Author: Sara B. Larson
Blurb: 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?

*I was given a free copy of Defy by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*

The first thing which drew me to Defy, before the eye-catching title and intriguing description, was the cover. I'll be honest here, I am totally one of those people who love to judge a book by its cover. Sometimes incorrectly, as the book is really amazing,*cough* Bloodlines *cough*, but when I see a cover like Defy's, I HAVE to check it out - it looks so badass! 

Although it did remind of some other covers, all with vaguely similar concepts; 

All very nice covers (in case you haven't already realized, I am a sucker for a beautiful cover!).

Although I found the start of the book to be quite slow, the majority of Defy was fast paced, action packed and an easy, enjoyable read. Particularly as I was reading a proof copy, it was very well edited, the only thing wrong was the way the paragraphs had been set out so that they would 

randomly 

stop like this

in a few of the sentences. It was irritating, but easy to ignore, and was probably only there because I was reading it as an Ebook.

Now, onto the three main characters:

Alexa/Alex: I did love Alexa at the start; she was strong, but loving, the relationship between Alexa and her brother was sweet. She was fearless, and yet her reaction to the horrific breeding houses brought actual tears to my eyes. I already loved Alexa by the beginning of the Defy, so it was that much more disappointing when she turned out to be just another by-obsessed idiot, betraying me and crushing my dreams. 

Prince Damian: I got the feeling in Defy that I was supposed to love Damian and root for him, but I just... didn't. The mysterious, tortured, forbidden prince? No thanks. He lied too much, and was seriously just confused me. Sorry.

Rylan: Here! Here is a character that I can actually like, and understand (well apart from Marcel, Alexa's twin brother). Rylan seemed to actually like Alexa for valid reasons, and there was no instalove like there was between Damian and Alexa. He was just a nice guy that got treated like shit - although I must admit, his name did bother me a little; Rylan. Rylan? A bit modern for a book set years ago, with peasants and swords, but whatever, I'll go with it...

Overall, do not be surprised when you find that Defy is focused almost completely on the romance, it does say in the first line of the blurb "a thrilling love triangle"! However, do be pleasantly surprised by how well written this book is, and, although it may not be the most unique plot in the world, Defy is definitely an interesting and satisfying read for those looking for a romantic fantasy.

The Keeper and the Alabaster Chalice by Paige W. Pendleton

SPOILER FREE!

4 Stars.

Date Released: 29th May 2013
Pages: 208
Author: Paige W. Pendleton 
Blurb: He’d bonded with the child. It was foretold, and so it would be.

Black Ledge is inhabited again, but not everyone in the Realm is pleased. As the Driscolls settle into their new home they meet magical Beings, discover secrets, and exasperate the Elven Guard. They’re having a great time.

Charm turns to alarm when they meet Doris, the Acadian Water Witch, who's removed the Alabaster Chalice from its watery grave. The Noctivagi, drawn by the artifact's Water Magyk, seek the Chalice for their own nefarious purpose, and mayhem ensues.

Eleanor, Rob, Jack, and Flora fight time and tide to return the Alabaster Chalice to the Undine Prince before the darkness steals it

I was given a copy of this book on kindle in return for an honest review.

I was very pleased when I started The Keeper and the Alabaster Chalice that it was just as fast paced and easy to get into as the first book. In fact, this book has much more action and a lot more going on than in the first book. Straight away, the mystery surrounding the Alabaster Chalice intrigued me, and I found myself feeling much more involved in this book rather than the first.

To be honest the whole plotline of The Keeper and the Alabaster was much more interesting, but it would have been nothing without my favourite characters - Gunnr and Eleanor. It was sweet how they both looked out for each other and I absolutely love their conversations. And Gunnr and Camedon help Eleanor to find out more about her powers, which was one of the highlights of the book for me because it was just so damn cool. As well as that, its nice to find another strong female character that stands up for herself.
Mary Sues are so 2012.

There are also several delightful new characters, including a dragon called Nob (yes, i admit to giggling a little bit at the name at first, but he actually does turn out to be fairly scary) and a seal called Seaton that I couldn't help but get a slightly British feel from...

And finally I would just like to add that as well as an engaging story, there were a few charming drawings of some of the scenes/characters, drawn by Thomas Block, which really did bring the story to life.

I will definitely be waiting eagerly when book 3 is released. 

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The Keeper and the Rune Stone (The Black Ledge Series #1) by Paige W. Pendleton

SPOILER FREE!

Free on Kindle!

3.5 Stars

Date Released: 31st October 2012 (first published 1st January 2012)
Pages: 200
Blurb: An unholy ritual, a ticking clock. Four children discover there are things that go bump in the night ...

Centuries ago a group of Elves committed an unholy ritual. But the ritual was a spectacular failure. It transformed the Elves into the Noctivagi - the beings we know as vampires.

Striving to maintain a fragile peace, the ancient Elves and Dwarves negotiated an Accord, which they've renewed every year on the Summer Solstice. The ceremony depends on the magical Rune Stone, but it's missing. If it is not found—and quickly—the consequences could be dire, and not just for Elves and Dwarves.

Four children, Rob, Jack, Eleanor, and Flora, stumble into a world of magic and mayhem when they move into Black Ledge, the old estate on the Maine coast, and discover they aren't the only ones who live there.

I was given a copy of this book on kindle by the author in return for an honest review.

I love how the cover actually relates to the book, and how mysterious it is (the colours really go with the colour scheme of the blog - its as if I was meant to read this book... xD)! The detailed map at the start of The Keeper and the Rune Stone was another element that made the book much more unique than others i`ve read - it helped that it was pretty as well!

Right from the start The Keeper and the Rune Stone was very easy to get in to, as it was very fast paced. And, although it is not something I would usually pick up, I was sucked into the fascinating world of Dwarves Light Elves and Dark Elves (and those are just a few of the beings in the book!).

It was certainly a nice change to read about such interesting creatures, as not many fantasy novels out there at the moment include beings like Elves or Dwarves.
I especially loved Ms Pendleton`s take on vampires, instead calling them Noctivagi - boy is that hard to pronounce - Elves that performed a ritual, which involved drinking the blood of a sacrifice or two....

Which leads me on to my next point. I expected, after reading around 50 %, The Keeper and the Rune Stone to be very, very tame in the violence department. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by how dark things got near the end of the book.

My favorite characters were definitely Gunnr because he was so mysterious and Camedon with his strange yet hilarious sense of humor. However, although the book is from the four siblings point of view, they do seem a bit too mature to be children, but I still loved Eleanor.

Although The Black Ledge series seems to be aimed at children, I would recommend it to everyone!

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