Book Review - Deception by C.J. Redwine

Baalboden has been destroyed. The commanders whereabouts are unknown and Rachel, grief stricken - needs Logan now more than ever. With a ragged group of survivors, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need and abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the wasteland. But someone is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The uncertainty of each day puts Rachel and Logan's relationship through unbearable strain and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering and to make matters worse - the commander will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Can they make it out of the wasteland alive?

Okay so after reading this, I have a correction to make. After I read the first book Defiance and wrote my review which you can find here, I stated that due to the lack of information given as to what time frame and where they actually were in the world, I had to guess the century they were in, I guessed the 20th, but I was wrong. Throughout the book and Rachel and Logan's journey, you uncover bits and pieces of the old civilisation which in the book, was 60 years beforehand and from some of the items and such that they find, I now state that they are in America and are in the 21st Century - but anyway, onto the review!

After reading defiance, I knew this book was going to have one heck of a plot and a story and I was right. From the very beginning there's suspense, drama, romance and of course a few battles. The overall plot of the book was amazing. A traitor among their own ranks? The commander and army after them? A hidden tracker following their every move? And lets not forget about Rachel and Logan's blooming romance - I mean, it could've went wrong in so many ways but it didn't. There was excitement, suspense that kept me on the tip of my toes dying to turn the page, there were a few sad moments again and I'll admit I got teary eyed (I'm an emotional reader lol) but the story just kept going! Deception is the best title and most fitting title for the book because that's the main plot in it. 

Rachel again in this book is in her shell. She is just a shadow of her former self and is really just being the cause of it. I know she's only 16 and whatnot, but there are a hundred odd people depending on her and Logan and yet all she can do will wallow in her own guilt - that's a big no no for me - rub some dirt on it and move on. I will admit though toward the end she started to focus on what really matters, and let go of her guilt in order to get things done which I liked.

Logan is just, well, he's something else. At 19 - he's an amazing leader. He plans out everything in explicable detail and knows what to do and how to do with every possible scenario and outcome covered - I mean, I was dumbfounded. He knows Rachel isn't right and that puts a strain on their relationship because she won't let him in, but he doesn't give up - he loves her too much. You also find out a lot about Logan's past which did leave me open mouthed - I was definitely not expecting it but at the same time - you can understand and even see how some of the things that happened and were said in Defiance, could lead this conclusion.

All of the other characters have been really well developed and each had a good impact on the story. I loved how you got an insight into Quinn and Willow's background because it's always been so mysterious - they've really grown on me over the story.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It was a great sequel to Defiance and definitely didn't lack in action. This is a must read and with the ending - I'm definitely hoping the next book won't disappoint!  

Book Review - Defiance by C.J Redwine

Instead of learning to dance and sew within the walls of Baalboden, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. When Rachel's father fails to return from a mission and is declared dead, the cities commander sets Rachel a new protector, Logan - her fathers apprentice and the boy she declared her love too. With the fierce belief her father's survival, Rachel decided to escape and find him herself. 

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 first heard of this book by Rachel over at Booktastic Reviews and I was instantly intrigued. It sounded like something I've never read before though it did kind of remind me of Angelfall by Susan Ee which I have also done a review (if you want to read you can click here) 

After reading a few chapters, I was instantly drawn in, I loved so many things about it. The first thing was the writing style - I love how C.J alternated each chapter between Rachel and Logan and we were able to see from both of their points of view. 

I loved the relationship that was shown between Rachel and Logan - you can tell from the beginning that there's some underlying tension which you recently find out a bit later which just made everything understandable. 

Rachel as a lead character is awesome. She is only 16 but yet she's so strong, confident and has a backbone - in other words, she speaks her mind and doesn't care what anyone thinks. She is so loyal to those she loves and will do whatever it takes to make sure they're safe - which is why she goes after her father. I will say though that she does have quite drastic mood changes which makes you step back and think "waow, calm the f*** down girl" It did annoy me quite a bit.

Logan is also amazingggg - he's extremely smart, strong and courageous. Throughout the book he goes through so much and you find out a bit about his past which gives you a huge insight into why he hates the Commander so bad, and you can't help but cheer him on throughout the challenges he faces during the book. He was Jared's apprentice (Rachel's father) so he is trained to be a tracker and he also is incredibly smart and can make incredible gadgets which help throughout their journey. 

The other charactes such as Oliver - Rachel's friend/adopted grandfather is also involved a lot and you get a good insight into his relationship with Rachel and also Logan which is really good.

The bad thing about this book is that, you don't get any detail of where this takes place, yes it's in Baalboden, but where in the world is that - and you don't get any idea of the time frame of in what year this takes place which annoyed me. Though considering that there is no high tech gadgets/technology apart from what Logan makes - no one has an idea of what it is - I'd guess the book is placed in the 20th Century and even the dress sense and the language used suggests that it was in a different/older time.

Overall, I really liked this book - it was different and definitely not something that I would usually read which is the main reason I wanted to read it. I will definitely be purchasing the second book :) If you want something different to read, I would definitely purchase this book.