Deliverance by C J Redwine

Published: August 26th, 2014

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Pages: 480

Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One.

Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.

Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark’s power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may be just the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.

But as Rowansmark bears down and uneasy alliances are tested, will Rachel and Logan’s love for each other be enough to surmount the unbelievable odds against them

As a whole I have really enjoyed this trilogy, but if I'm honest I have to admit that this final book, while enjoyable, didn't grip me the same way as the others and seemed just a little long.  I still love all of the characters and watching their growth, but  some of the magic was missing.

I remember reading on another blog - sorry I don't remember which one - that the fact that the two main characters were apart for most of the book was disruptive to the romance, and I'm beginning to think that I agree, I think. Whatever the reason, I wasn't in any rush to finish Deliverance and just muddled my way through it.  

It's hard trying to analyse exactly what didn't work for me and as daft as this may sound, I think the fact that I read it electronically had something to do with it.  Does anyone else have that problem?  I'm finding that if I'm reading something on my Ipad, I find it much easier to just put it down and read a 'real' book, especially if it hasn't gripped me immediately.  I know it's irrational, but there is something about having real pages in your hand and having a page already half-turned before you reach the end of it that adds to the excitement of a great book, and epub copies just don't have that!

After all that, Deliverance was a fairly satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy and I would recommend it if you've enjoyed the previous two Defiance and Deception, but it didn't quite measure up to my expectations after Deception, which for me was the stand-out of the three.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One.

Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.

Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark’s power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may be just the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.

But as Rowansmark bears down and uneasy alliances are tested, will Rachel and Logan’s love for each other be enough to surmount the unbelievable odds against them?(less)

Deception by C J Redwine

 

Published: August 2013

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Pages: 480

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

There are some series that we read without rushing into them, This Defiance series by C J Redwine is one of those for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed Defiance, but was in no hurry to read this sequel.  When I eventually picked it up a few weeks ago, I couldn't for the life of me work out why it had taken me so long to pick it up - it was just so good.

The story continues almost immediately after the end of the first book, about 2 weeks later.  The characters are still reeling from what has happened and are struggling with what to do next.  When they are forced to flee, we follow the characters through continued growth and boundless determination.  Rachel is such a broken character - so strong outwardly, yet inside she is just falling to pieces.  She experiences tragedy after tragedy and each one makes it harder for her to cope.  I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion.

Logan, who is only 19, is in charge and is determined to get his people to safety.  I just love the 'tech' aspect of things that are so definitely his forte.  We find out that many years previously, miners tunnelled into something/somewhere and unleashed subterranean 'dragons' which destroyed everything.  At this point in the story, only one 'dragon' is left and the 'tech' that Logan is trying so desperately to protect is what can control it.

The deception from the title was absolutely brilliant.  In hindsight, I should have picked up on the several clues, but I missed them all, so I was pretty much taken completely by surprise.  I don't think there is anything about this series so far that I dislike and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book 'Deliverance' which comes out around August 26th.  I don't think I'll be waiting so long to read it.  In the mean time we can look forward to a short novella (96 pages) called Outcast, that is due out in July.  Just a little something to whet the appetite. It's about Quinn, one of the more mysterious and enigmatic characters, and also one of my personal favourites.

Deception is a tense and suspenseful journey with a host of captivating characters. There is a slight fantasy feel to this basically dystopian series that I will be recommending with delight.  If you haven't tried it yet, you have time to read Defiance and Deception before August.

Defiance by C J Redwine

 

Published: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: Balzar and Bray

Pages: 403

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

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.

I LOVED Defiance.  It was such a wonderful blend of post apocalyptic/dystopian/medieval fantasy, with a touch of outlawed technology thrown in for good measure.    It reads a little like a fantasy, but it is more in tone than in substance.  There is no magic, other than that of 'old' technology. Sound strange, well it wasn't, it worked on every level.

Rachel and Logan were marvellous protagonists.  Both were resourceful and smart, but oh, the trials they had to bear.   There is a lovely romance between the two of them that is more the realization of an existing love than something new, which worked for me. As for bad guys, well The Commander was rather a nasty villain  - one of those guys who has let power really go to his head.  Towards the end of the story we begin to realize that he is even more of a bastard than we think, and this bodes well, or ill perhaps, for future books.

The story is written from dual POV's, that of Rachel and Logan, which was easy to follow, with my only complaint being that some of the chapters were a bit short.  (That's really just a personal dislike, it didn't affect the story in any way.)  There's lots of exciting things going on - like nasty fire breathing dragon-like wormy creatures - but not everything works out the way we hope it will.  Of course, this leaves the way open for books 2 and 3 - yep Defiance is the first in a  trilogy, with #2 coming out next fall. Great romance, great characters, great action, interesting story - I loved it.