Ignite by Sara B. Larsen

Published: December 30th,  2014

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 289

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

Curlypow's thoughts:

'Ignite' is the follow-up novel to 'Defy' and I'm happy to say, did not disappoint, at least not very much.  On the whole I really enjoyed 'Ignite'.  The great characters were there, and were fleshed out nicely for the most part and the action was constant and engrossing.  Romance, yep it was still there, with some of the usual second book hiccups, but ended much as I was expecting.

So what did disappoint me?  Well Alexa is the King's guard and she's supposed to be this kick-ass fighter who is a better swordsman than anyone else and she's strong and capable - and she keeps bursting into tears!  It seems to me that since folks discovered in the first book that she's a girl and not the boy she was pretending to be, she has suddenly turned into this over-emotional wimp.  Every time I thought I was getting to like her again, she seemed to have another crying jag!  Now I suspect I may be exaggerating just a little here, but you get my drift.  It overshadowed the rest  of the story for me unfortunately.

And poor Riley is still getting the short end of the stick and he's such a nice guy and so faithful to her as well. However, despite this nagging point for me, the story in itself is quite a lot of fun and there is a fair bit of excitement and danger.  I'm curious to know if I'm the only one bothered by Alexa's tears?

Defy by Sara B. Larsen

 

Published: January 7th, 2014

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 336

Copy: Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

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 particularly enjoyed the main character in this novel.  Alexa seemed to me to be the kind of person I would like to meet.  She works hard, trains harder and all the while she has to hide the fact that she is actually a girl. 

Now I thought that her reactions when she discovers that her 'secret' isn't so much of a secret after all were pretty realistic.  I don't know about you, but I can keep going through a crisis until it is all over and then I let myself fall apart.  So her minor melt downs seemed pretty reasonable to me.  But I don't understand why she would suddenly start blushing!  I think that was my big complaint.  Either you blush or you don't. You don't suddenly start blushing just because people find out you are a girl.

Other than that, I loved the story.  I loved the two male protagonists, Rylan and  Damian.  They were both so different and both vying for Alexa's affection.  Now for myself I'd go for Damian - give me bad boys every time.  I liked his air of mystery and sarcastic humour.  Whether Alexa ends up with him or Rylan though, you'll have to find out for yourself.  Exciting, mysterious, adventurous and romantic.  A little bit of everything for everyone.