Just last week, I read and reviewed Becoming, the first book in this author's other series. I adored it. I loved the characters, the plot, the writing and the world. So, naturally, I was very excited to get started on Defy. This book is set in the same world as the Daughters of Saraquel series but it's a separate series. There was a glossary at the start of the book to get readers up to speed on the world and the terms used within it. I really enjoyed the start of this new series and I'm glad I got the chance to read it!

Defy is about a 17 year old girl named Tate and her life which is becoming increasingly complicated and dangerous! I actually found Tate's name a bit confusing at the start (I've only seen it on boys before) but that's a tiny complaint really. I was drawn into this book from the start and just had to find out more about the characters and what was going to happen to them. I find the whole Estilorian world absolutely fascinating and it's a pleasure to read about it and get lost in it.

This whole book was incredibly intense and had me eager for more. I had to set aside a few hours in a row so I could just sit and devour this whole book in one sitting! I really love the writing style. It's simple yet effective. I loved being dragged along on Tate's journey and meeting so many intriguing and entertaining characters throughout it. This book definitely wasn't predictable and there were boring points for me. I just liked it all!

That said, I'd probably recommend reading the Daughters of Saraquel series first. You can read the Firstborn series first and it's fine that way but I genuinely think the experience would be better if you already knew the world and knew of the characters. It just makes it more exciting that way and you don't have to try to adjust yourself to the world and learn about the Estilorians for the first time. Overall, it was an enjoyable book and I'm sure it'll be an enjoyable series. ( )

MY REVIEW

My initial reaction when approaching this book was trepidation, as its a sister series to the Daughters of Saraqael, I thought maybe I would have to have read that series first. Then I saw the Glossary at the beginning of the book and thought "oh no I will never remember all these facts when reading the book" but I was pleasantly surprised as you don't really need lots of those facts retained as everything is explained in the actual book as the story progresses.
I loved all the characters, the unrequited love between Sophia and Quincy, the sibling love and rivalry between Tate and Tiege, as well as the brotherly/sisterly love between all the cousins. It is a believable story too, you believe that Tate's character would sneak off even though she was told not to.
I enjoyed how the story unfolded and was told from more than one perspective, it flowed brilliantly.
The ending is left in such away that we know that there is much more to come...and that's a great thing too.
So did I enjoy the book? YES Would I recommend it? YES Would I read more by Raine Thomas and more of this series? Yes I plan on reading the Daughters Of Saraqael Series and if I had book 2 of the Firstborn Series I would read it right now!
So don't just put it on your wishlists put it on your buy it list!

Available 30th April 2012. ( )