Review: An Edgy New Adult Post Apocalyptic Romance!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2013
My Thoughts:Defiance, by Stephanie Tyler, is vastly different from anything I've read thus far. It hooked me with a dark, twisted, and crazy reality. It had a post-apocalyptic setting, where both war, and natural disasters have ravaged the land, causing a shortage in the necessities of living. The sun was no longer making an appearance, and the world had taken on a "survival of the fittest" mentality, ruled by motorcycle clubs, outlaws, and corruption. Women bartered sex for power, while men fought one another for respect. When a man chose a mate, they became "bonded," for life, and would each get a brand or tattoo on them identifying that they were taken. Women wanted to be bonded, as this was their protection from the outside world. Women deemed not worthy of being bonded with were used, and abused by men.Defiance is told in three points of view. Tru, was born in to the Defiance Motorcycle Club, and her father was the enforcer, and second in command to the corrupt leader Lance. Tru was treated with respect, because of her father's position within the Motorcycle Club (MC), by everyone but her father, Hugh. He beat Tru's mother, and then as Tru got older, he started beating her. Nobody stood up to him, as he was a strong, powerful, and dangerous man who was both feared and well-respected within their community. Tru dated one of Lance's son's, Silas, and was expected to eventually become bonded with him. However, she had been in love with Casper, (Cas) since she was a young girl. Cas was the illegitimate son of Lance, and was treated horribly, as he was growing up, until he earned respect through his fighting skills. Cas was the ultimate alpha male, and he was extremely sexy! He had always had a thing for Tru, but believed that she was too good for him, and would bond with Silas. Cas & amp; Tru end up having one night of passion, and go there separate ways as Cas joins the Navy (which is expected of every Defiance man), and Tru runs away from her father after he beats her, and attempts to rape her. Tru ends up returning to the rival MC for protection, but refuses to bond with the leader of the club. He returns her to Defiance, and it is expected that in order to show respect for the other MC, Tru must be publicly raped, and then killed for embarrasing the rival MC's leader. Instead, Tru makes it known that she wants to bond with Cas, who is now the current enforcer, having taken the place of Hugh when he died. It is up to Cas whether he accepts her bond, or does what's expected of him in order to prevent a war between the two MC's. In the meantime, we are introduced to Mathias, and his sidekick Bishop (Bish), both highly skilled Military Men on the run, who have information for Cas, and both become loyal, protective, and close friends of Cas and Tru. We get a well-rounded perspective of the story as Tru, Cas, and Mathias tell their points of view in the story.Cas and Tru have a hot and heavy relationship filled with sexual tension. It is obvious to the reader how they feel about one another, but they are both stubborn, and have both miscommunications and lack of communication at times. I enjoyed Tru's character! She was strong, brave, intelligent, courageous, and loyal. She was the perfect mate for Cas, and really stood up for him, and what she thought was right. I enjoyed getting to know some of the secondary characters, especially Mathias, (who was mute) and Bish. These two guys became a part of Tru and Cas' surrogate family. Defiance, deals with a lot of dark subject matter, and themes such as abuse, rape, murder, anarchy, corruption, and the post apocalypse. It also deals with love, passion, chemistry, loyalty, healing, standing up of those weaker than yourself, and making a change in the world you live in. If you are looking for a fast-paced, whirlwind of non-stop action, passion, adventure, and an alternate reality, Defiance, is a great read for A Bookish Escape!My Rating:I give Defiance by Stephanie Tyler 4 Action-Packed, Sexually Charged, Transformative, and Courageous Stars! Ms. Tyler drew me in to a frightening future, where chaos, and anarchy reigned supreme, sex was used for power, and only the strong survived! The erotic chemistry between the alpha male Casper (Cas), and the sexy MC's princess, Tru was explosive! You will feel their need and desire for one another, turn in to love and loyalty. Cas got Tru to stand with him in the war to take down the corrupt leader, Lance, and make living conditions better for both the men and women in the Defiance Motorcycle Club. Read Defiance for a fun, Post Apocalyptic New Adult read that has action, adventure, romance, and sex! You will definitely get lost in this story!My Favorite Quotes:"The bottom line was, she loved him, with everything she had. It wasn't about being ashamed of needing protection. It was about loving him enough to accept that certain things would always be a compromise. (eARC, pg. 171)~Tru"I knew and I made her mine, Silas. Took her out of here, made love to her under the stars and made goddamned good and sure to ruin her for anyone else. Tru's mine. Always was. And trust me, she didn't fight me at all." (eARC, pg. 186)~Cas*To Read More Book Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape!