Defy

December 16, 2013
In debut novelist's Larson's riveting fantasy, the tropical nation of Antion is at war, and 17-year-old Alexa has disguised herself as a boy in Prince Damian's royal guard to avoid the nightmarish "breeding houses" that await her as a girl. When a visiting sorcerer kidnaps the prince in hopes of ending the war, Alexa becomes collateral damage. Learning of the dangerous hypocrisy of the nation's leaders, Alexa relies on her extraordinary fighting abilities to protect both the country and the prince she is beginning to love. An additional romantic entanglement contributes little, but Alexa is nothing if not resourceful. As a fighter surviving in a brutal world in which magic plays a sinister role, she relies on her own skills, perceptions, and determination to battle her way to the book's cinematic finale. Alexa's desire to reclaim her gender identity under her own terms ("I still wished things could be different. I wished I could be a member of the guard and a girl") gives the story much of its emotional sincerity and psychological depth. Ages 12âup. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary.

November 15, 2013
Disguises, love triangles and magical battles are classic tropes in fantasy for teens, but this debut fails to lift them beyond the tiresome. Alex, the youngest and deadliest warrior in Prince Damian's guard, has a secret: "He" is actually Alexa, hiding her sex to avoid the horrific "breeding houses" that supply fodder for Antion's endless war. Damian also has a secret: He isn't really a selfish brat, and he enlists Alexa in a dangerous game of intrigue, deception and betrayal. While she bemoans that pretending to be a boy has become second nature, Alexa's behavior is stereotypically--unpleasantly--"girly": throwing tantrums, crying, pouting, cowering, obsessing over her romantic prospects and (despite her vaunted fighting prowess) constantly needing rescue by men, all of whom see through her masquerade. The secondary characters are mere plot puppets; the villains are ludicrously evil-for-evil's-sake, and the heroes exist only to be desperately in love with Alexa, if never articulating any reason for their devotion. The worldbuilding is equally sketchy; while the dank fecundity of tropical Antion is sensuously conveyed, the narrative timeline is confusing, the magical system arbitrary and the political structure nonsensical. Several subplots go nowhere. It takes more than good guys and bad guys to create an epic adventure; more than heated smooches to portray a resonant romance; and more than acting badass with a sword to be a strong female protagonist. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-In Alexa's world, young men are soldiers and young women are the means to breed new ones. There is no alternative. So when Alexa's parents are killed and their home destroyed by a sorcerer, Alexa cuts her hair and enrolls in the army to save herself from the breeding house. Trained by their father and polished by the army, "Alex" and her twin, Marcel, earn places in the prince's guard as the best swordsmen in the kingdom. But the palace is full of secrets and as the story continues to build in suspense, it's clear that Prince Damian has more than most. Alex is a bold heroine whose priorities are protecting her prince and her people, but the lines between good and evil blur as she gleans more truth about the royal family she serves. Her destiny is revealed when her own power comes to fruition, a power that could end the greatest corruption of all. Larson's debut is full of passion and adventure, urging readers to cheer and weep simultaneously at Alexa's astounding courage. Those interested in strong female characters, such as Katniss from Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, will find new affinity in Defy.-Jamie-Lee Schombs, Loyola School, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2013
Grades 9-12 When a war changed her life, Alexa (known as Alex among the prince's guard) narrowly escaped being separated from her twin brother, Marcel. Now, in a secret known only to Marcel, she lives as a man among the King of Antion's army and finds herself trapped between two men, two sides of a war, and two sides of her identity. She guards herself closely against her attraction to Prince Damian and fellow guard Rylan, until the three of them are kidnapped and held captive by opposing forces. Alexa is physically strong and determined, but in her mind, she is not as confident, wondering who she is, what she wants, and what the war really means to her. Mature concepts, such as breeding houses, and slightly stilted language reserve this historical fantasy for older readers. Though the first half of Larson's debut suffers from a somewhat slow pace, it picks up considerably after the kidnapping, imbuing the plot with grand adventure, romance, and thrilling political intrigue.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Seventeen-year-old Alexa Hollen has spent years pretending to be a boy in Prince Damian's army. When tragedy strikes, "Alex" must battle an enemy army, sorcerers, and her own growing attraction to certain men in her life before order can be restored to the kingdom. Larson's debut novel is a rapidly paced adventure that fans of high fantasy will enjoy.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)