Defy by Sara B. Larson
Defy bk 1. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9780545695466
(Age: 13+) Fantasy. Romance. After her parents have been brutally
killed, Alexa Hollen is forced to disguise herself as a boy so that
she will not be taken by the King's army. She is an excellent
fighter and soon earns a spot on the prince's elite guard, but even
her skills are not enough to prevent a sorcerer from abducting her,
Prince Damian and Rylan, her companion guard. Forced together as
captives it soon becomes apparent that she is not the only one
hiding a secret.
This fantasy is sure to appeal to young girls who enjoy the idea of
a heroine who has the ability to fight for the welfare of the
country that she loves while having to subdue the feminine side of
herself to avoid the king's wrath. Of course there is a love
triangle and that too will have immediate appeal to the target
audience. What young girl wouldn't want a prince to fall in love
with her?
Defy, the first in the series, (followed by Ignite
(2014) and Endure (2016)) is an easy to read book that could
be offered to readers who want something similar to The Hunger
Games or the Divergent series.
Pat Pledger