Alexa Hollen and her twin brother Marcel watch as their parents are brutally murdered by a black sorcerer. To protect Alexa from being sent to the breeding houses, the twins disguise Alexa as a boy. Alexa and Marcel advance through the army to become part of Prince Damian's personal body guard, but her secret is about to catch up with her. A powerful sorcerer breaks into the palace and kidnaps Damian, Alexa, and fellow bodyguard Rylan. The enforced intimacy between the three soon reveals that her secret isn't the only one being kept. There are other secrets that are more dangerous. Secrets that could bring down a kingdom. Alexa must use every skill she has mastered to protect her prince, her kingdom, and her heart.

DEFY by Sara B. Larson is packed with adventure, romance, and magic. Alexa begins as a compelling character, one who is physically strong, intelligent, and conflicted. She is a young woman who must hide her identity and in doing so she has turned her back on that part of herself. She is forced to take other young girls to the breeding houses where they will be raped repeatedly until they become pregnant only to have their child taken away so it can fill the ranks of the King's army. while she is appalled at the degradation and filthy conditions, she doesn't do anything to change the circumstances for any of those young girls. She chooses self-preservation over what she feels is morally right, and she doesn't like herself for it. This is what makes great character and wonderful conflict. Unfortunately, that conflict is lost in an unnecessary love triangle between Alexa, Damian, and Rylan.

I'm not generally a fan of love triangles and this is no exception. By including this love triangle, Ms. Larson missed an opportunity to push the boundaries of what it means to by a strong and intelligent young woman who could become a leader and instead focused Alexa's internal conflict on her feelings for Damian and Rylan.

For three years, Alexa worked her way up the ranks to become the best fighter in the Prince's elite bodyguard. The necessary drive and dedication to become skilled and to prove herself is a part of her identity. As soon as she is revealed as a woman, she needs to be rescued by the prince, she can't control her physical reaction to a naked male chest, and she cries at the drop of a hat. None of those are necessarily bad reactions, but the drive that pushed her to excel as a 'male' solider disappears. There was little balance between both aspects of her character.

Alexa's character has the potential to become more than one point of a love triangle. The conclusion to DEFY does leave room for a continuation of the series and there are many aspects of this world that are compelling. I would love to see how Alexa copes with being outed and how she handles the prejudice that is bound to come her way. I would love to see how this kingdom begins to address the traditional roles of males and females. I would love to see Alexa develop a relationship with a female mentor. While the romance in DEFY didn't fulfill the promise of Alexa's character, the world and its problems are intriguing.

If you're a fan of adventure, romance, secret identities, and magic, DEFY is a fast-paced YA that has the potential to become an enchanting series that explores what it means to find confidence and self-acceptance for both sexes.

Book Summary

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and heart-racing romance.

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?