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Defiance #2
Deception
In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan and Rachel to become the leaders they need. Under constant threat from rival armies and no place to call their own, the group decides to take their chances in the Wasteland, despite the deadly risk of The Cursed One. But soon their problems begin: someone - possibly inside their ranks - is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. They begin to question whether the price of freedom may be too great. And whether their band of survivors, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, can make it out of the Wasteland alive... and whether Rachel and Logan can survive these trials together.
468 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2013
266 people are currently reading
12737 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Redwine
17 books4,036 followers**Please read my FAQ before sending any requests: http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/p/faq.html **
C.J. Redwine loves fairy tales, Harry Potter, and going to the movies. If the novel writing gig ever falls through, she’ll join the Avengers and wear a cape to work every day. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at www.cjredwine.com
C.J. Redwine loves fairy tales, Harry Potter, and going to the movies. If the novel writing gig ever falls through, she’ll join the Avengers and wear a cape to work every day. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at www.cjredwine.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 694 reviews
September 9, 2013
I can't wait to read this book. I can't believe people would leave such insulting remarks. If you disliked the first book so much why bother commenting on the next one if its not worth your time?
I've waited a long time to read this and I really enjoyed it. I once again fell in love with Logan and felt so bad for him, having the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I loved the duo POV, swapping between Rachel and Logan. Although I really liked Rachel I wished she would just open up a little. There was so much sadness and loss in their lives that I admire their strength and survival instincts. I don't think I would be strong enough to endure all of that and stay mentally stable.
C.J. Redwine is an incredible story teller and I found myself hooked into her world. I cried with their losses and I wanted so badly for them to find happiness. I'm dying to read the next book!!!
I've waited a long time to read this and I really enjoyed it. I once again fell in love with Logan and felt so bad for him, having the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I loved the duo POV, swapping between Rachel and Logan. Although I really liked Rachel I wished she would just open up a little. There was so much sadness and loss in their lives that I admire their strength and survival instincts. I don't think I would be strong enough to endure all of that and stay mentally stable.
C.J. Redwine is an incredible story teller and I found myself hooked into her world. I cried with their losses and I wanted so badly for them to find happiness. I'm dying to read the next book!!!
June 26, 2017
2.5 stars
Review to come?
Ok ....
so I have rants on this book and they mostly revolve around the nothingness of oh about 70% of this book! Seriously I feel like this series has been stretched out to make it 3 books when it should have been 2.
The good news? The last 30% of this book was an EASY 4 star rating. Unfortunately the first 70% was a 2 at best (because nothing happened!). I think they just needed to talk less, travel faster, and condense this into a duology and this would have been a great series!
ARG it just bothers me so much when books waste their potential!!!!!
Review to come?
Ok ....
so I have rants on this book and they mostly revolve around the nothingness of oh about 70% of this book! Seriously I feel like this series has been stretched out to make it 3 books when it should have been 2.
The good news? The last 30% of this book was an EASY 4 star rating. Unfortunately the first 70% was a 2 at best (because nothing happened!). I think they just needed to talk less, travel faster, and condense this into a duology and this would have been a great series!
ARG it just bothers me so much when books waste their potential!!!!!
October 28, 2013
Spoilers
Meh, just another below average YA book. Everything was so predictable — there was nothing original about the plot, the characters, the relationships, or the world building.
-The world building lacked imagination and originality. It was the same old dystopian world that's present in other YA books — there was a city (Baalboden) surrounded by a wall to keep out some really bad thing, there was the stereotypical evul-power-hungry-commander guy in charge, there were secrets about how the world came to be so fucked up, etc. It was all so bloody boring.
-Most of the book was spent with Logan, Rachel, and the rest of the Baalboden survivors running/hiding from the bad guys/evul commander/army/other bad guys. Every few chapters Rachel, Logan and co would find out the army were right behind them and they'd quickly pack up and go — it was the same scenario over and over again, and all it did was make things even more repetitive and dull.
-Rachel was a rubbish main character, she was like every other annoying YA heroine. She was boring, self-involved, up herself, obsessed with her love interest, and reckless.
Ugh, I rolled my eyes at Rachel being 'different' from all the other girls she grew up with… It only made her less likeable.
It was weird how Rachel felt so guilty about killing someone in the first book but in this one she was happily killing loads of people.
-Logan was a dull character, he was meant to be some kind of genius and natural leader but it never read like he was. There was nothing endearing, clever or commanding about him.
-Logan and Rachel's POV's were so repetitive. Rachel kept banging on about how broken she was, how guilty she felt after killing someone, how she wanted vengeance, how nobody could understand her feelings, and how she couldn't open up to anyone. There was no growth in her character whatsoever — her thoughts stayed the same throughout. And all Logan did was moan and whine about all his responsibilities.
-Why would the Baalboden people elect Logan as their leader? He was the one that caused the destruction of Baalboden in the first place, plus he was only nineteen years old. It was bullshit that there wasn't one single older character that had the intelligence and ability to lead.
-Why were the Commander/Rowansmark desperate for the device (to call/control the beast-serpent thing) that Logan had when they appeared to have other means to call and control them?
-I did like that there were no silly love triangles, I'm sick of those (I don't mind a love triangle as long as its well written, and they rarely are). The secondary characters were quite good… Especially Quinn, Sylph, Willow, and Ian… Although, Ian did turn really cartoony and over the top at the end.
All in all, I didn't find it entertaining… There needed to be more twists and turns, and less cliches.
Meh, just another below average YA book. Everything was so predictable — there was nothing original about the plot, the characters, the relationships, or the world building.
-The world building lacked imagination and originality. It was the same old dystopian world that's present in other YA books — there was a city (Baalboden) surrounded by a wall to keep out some really bad thing, there was the stereotypical evul-power-hungry-commander guy in charge, there were secrets about how the world came to be so fucked up, etc. It was all so bloody boring.
-Most of the book was spent with Logan, Rachel, and the rest of the Baalboden survivors running/hiding from the bad guys/evul commander/army/other bad guys. Every few chapters Rachel, Logan and co would find out the army were right behind them and they'd quickly pack up and go — it was the same scenario over and over again, and all it did was make things even more repetitive and dull.
-Rachel was a rubbish main character, she was like every other annoying YA heroine. She was boring, self-involved, up herself, obsessed with her love interest, and reckless.
Ugh, I rolled my eyes at Rachel being 'different' from all the other girls she grew up with… It only made her less likeable.
It was weird how Rachel felt so guilty about killing someone in the first book but in this one she was happily killing loads of people.
-Logan was a dull character, he was meant to be some kind of genius and natural leader but it never read like he was. There was nothing endearing, clever or commanding about him.
-Logan and Rachel's POV's were so repetitive. Rachel kept banging on about how broken she was, how guilty she felt after killing someone, how she wanted vengeance, how nobody could understand her feelings, and how she couldn't open up to anyone. There was no growth in her character whatsoever — her thoughts stayed the same throughout. And all Logan did was moan and whine about all his responsibilities.
-Why would the Baalboden people elect Logan as their leader? He was the one that caused the destruction of Baalboden in the first place, plus he was only nineteen years old. It was bullshit that there wasn't one single older character that had the intelligence and ability to lead.
-Why were the Commander/Rowansmark desperate for the device (to call/control the beast-serpent thing) that Logan had when they appeared to have other means to call and control them?
-I did like that there were no silly love triangles, I'm sick of those (I don't mind a love triangle as long as its well written, and they rarely are). The secondary characters were quite good… Especially Quinn, Sylph, Willow, and Ian… Although, Ian did turn really cartoony and over the top at the end.
All in all, I didn't find it entertaining… There needed to be more twists and turns, and less cliches.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2013
This was not a book about Rachel. Yes, I know she’s on the cover and I know the blurb goes on and on about her. But this was not Rachel’s book. This was Logan’s book. Rachel spent the majority of the book going on about being broken and basically hollowing herself of all emotions and being a shell of a character that just floated through the plot. She was utterly unremarkable. Logan, on the other hand, had all the angst and all the drama and all the action and all the backstory and all the character growth. It was his book, his story, and Rachel just tagged along and said “I am nothing” a lot.
Which really irritated me, considering they’ve been through pretty much the same thing. The people who died last book were Logan’s family, too. And yet instead of falling into a black hole of non-character, Logan gets to have some really interesting angst as he stumbles forward and does his best to operate anyway. Only the female character gets crushed into a non-entity by her tragedy, I guess.
Deception was at once better and worse than Defiance. It had a more compelling story line and better emotional issues, and things were more cohesive as a whole. Watching Logan deal with the stress of being a ‘leader’ and try to keep it together while everything is falling apart, that was just fascinating.
The storytelling part of the book was perfectly executed, excellent pacing and tension that kept me reading long after I meant to stop. The fact that we dealt with a small group of people instead of a whole nonsense culture helped, too. There was very little worldbuilding, but there didn’t need to be, because it was just 150-ish people in the woods, and that worked. The narrower focus allowed the characters to just be characters, instead of making them be cogs in a city that makes no sense.
On the other hand, this book took a serious nose-dive in the logic department. I think every page had some basic factual fail that had me rolling my eyes. Like how the book doesn’t seem to understand that all the dirt from digging a tunnel has to go somewhere, or using a battering ram against a pile of rubble. Yeah, they did that. Pretty much every time Logan opened his mouth to talk about science, I had to stop and watch reruns of Bill Nye to feel clean again.
But all that was just eye-roll-worthy, and I can deal with it. The cringe-worthy stuff came about with the introduction of the bad-guy army. They’re basically mooks that came out of nowhere to give the good guys someone to kill. They try and justify it by saying that those mooks ‘chose their leader’ and therefore…it’s okay to kill them? One feature that was harped on through both books was that Baalboden people don’t know anything about the other city states besides a few broad basics, so how do they know that every single person in that army is cool with following the bad guy? Also, one of Rachel’s running issues is that she killed someone who didn’t deserve it last book, but this book…yeah, no second thought about stabbing army guys. Nevermind the fact that the person she killed last book was also just following orders, nope, doesn’t even make her hesitate. Every single man in that other army uniformly decided to become evil, and therefore no emotional hang-ups need arise from murdering the fuck out of as many of them as possible. Just arbitrarily declare that they brought this on themselves, despite the fact that you have no way of knowing that, and then get to stabbing.
So creepy.
Which really irritated me, considering they’ve been through pretty much the same thing. The people who died last book were Logan’s family, too. And yet instead of falling into a black hole of non-character, Logan gets to have some really interesting angst as he stumbles forward and does his best to operate anyway. Only the female character gets crushed into a non-entity by her tragedy, I guess.
Deception was at once better and worse than Defiance. It had a more compelling story line and better emotional issues, and things were more cohesive as a whole. Watching Logan deal with the stress of being a ‘leader’ and try to keep it together while everything is falling apart, that was just fascinating.
The storytelling part of the book was perfectly executed, excellent pacing and tension that kept me reading long after I meant to stop. The fact that we dealt with a small group of people instead of a whole nonsense culture helped, too. There was very little worldbuilding, but there didn’t need to be, because it was just 150-ish people in the woods, and that worked. The narrower focus allowed the characters to just be characters, instead of making them be cogs in a city that makes no sense.
On the other hand, this book took a serious nose-dive in the logic department. I think every page had some basic factual fail that had me rolling my eyes. Like how the book doesn’t seem to understand that all the dirt from digging a tunnel has to go somewhere, or using a battering ram against a pile of rubble. Yeah, they did that. Pretty much every time Logan opened his mouth to talk about science, I had to stop and watch reruns of Bill Nye to feel clean again.
But all that was just eye-roll-worthy, and I can deal with it. The cringe-worthy stuff came about with the introduction of the bad-guy army. They’re basically mooks that came out of nowhere to give the good guys someone to kill. They try and justify it by saying that those mooks ‘chose their leader’ and therefore…it’s okay to kill them? One feature that was harped on through both books was that Baalboden people don’t know anything about the other city states besides a few broad basics, so how do they know that every single person in that army is cool with following the bad guy? Also, one of Rachel’s running issues is that she killed someone who didn’t deserve it last book, but this book…yeah, no second thought about stabbing army guys. Nevermind the fact that the person she killed last book was also just following orders, nope, doesn’t even make her hesitate. Every single man in that other army uniformly decided to become evil, and therefore no emotional hang-ups need arise from murdering the fuck out of as many of them as possible. Just arbitrarily declare that they brought this on themselves, despite the fact that you have no way of knowing that, and then get to stabbing.
So creepy.
January 14, 2014
Deception, how I love thee! Let me count the ways....oh wait too many to count! In all honesty this book was seriously to die for. After loving Defiance to death last year, this book was easily my most anticipated. And boy did Redwine deliver a powerful sequel. My mind is blown. To smithereens. Now floating in the atmosphere...okay you get the picture. Basically my worries about Deception having Second Book Syndrome? Blown to smithereens. Something is seriously wrong with me.
Just as in Defiance, Rachel is seriously kick-all-the-butt. Ha. She's as fierce, loyal and still insanely good with a sword. I loved that her character was still strong, despite all the demons raging within her. Speaking of, oh man. Rachel does go through the wringer emotionally. Just watching the after-affects of Defiance roll in combined with all the ups and downs of Deception? It's tough. It made me feel all the feels for Rachel. But she stayed strong and still kicked all the butt I could have wanted her too. Rachel FTW!
If we're talking character love, I totally cannot forget Logan [aka. my book boyfriend for LIFE]. He's still as ridiculously smart, scientific and swoony as he was in Defiance. Even moreso? He's got his own demons and issues and all the while he's the same voice you know and love! And love some more....
These two characters have the most beautifully broken lives and yet they still work! The romance works! Which brings me to the spot where I happily report that no stupid romance issues pop up! Proof of how un SBS this book is! Rachel and Logan? They just ROCK. And the rest of the cast is phenomenal! They rock so hard. You hate who you're supposed to hate, love who you're supposed to love, pity and sympathize with those who need it and just FEEL with them. It's so vivid. And wonderful.
This book was insanely action-packed. It starts off, starts a chugging and then we are on full speed ahead. Seriously. If yo uthink it's safe? It's not. Don't ever believe your brain. It's intense and the action comes in all shapes and sizes. Which I LOVED. There was variety, but there was never a dull moment! Sure there were downtimes, but there is always something happening to keep you excited and on your toes. And when there's an aura of mystery, she keeps you guessing and re-thinking yourself and the eventually surprising you to the point where you think you were an idiot for not getting it sooner.
Before I forget, I just have to mention the Cursed One. Becaue he's the freaking bomb. Although I was actually really sad we didn't see more of him..[her?]..in this book. Why I'm so obsessed with something that everyone in the book is afraid of I don't know. But I do know that what we saw the Cursed One was hecka legit. And that the things C. J. subtley mentioned about the Cursed One have me so excited and guessing and hoping that I can't stand it. If anything? Read for the Cursed One alone!
Of course with this kind of a book Redwine just has to kill our feels with an ending. An ending so unexpected and insane and yet so full of feels and anticipating and hope that there will be just one more page. An ending that makes you scream and shout with awesomeness. WAAAH. Feels. More feels. And more desperate need for the third book.
So because my brain can't think of anything else to rave about I will wrap this up. I could NOT have asked for a better sequel. I expected, they were met. And more. And more! C. J. fulfilled the standard of a sequel while keeping it new, fresh and oh so exciting. I am in love with these books and HIGHLY recommend them. Keep your eyes peeled for Deception to hit stores this month and if you still haven't read Defiance? What are you waiting for?
Rating: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
**For more reviews, visit Book Haven Extraordinaire**
Just as in Defiance, Rachel is seriously kick-all-the-butt. Ha. She's as fierce, loyal and still insanely good with a sword. I loved that her character was still strong, despite all the demons raging within her. Speaking of, oh man. Rachel does go through the wringer emotionally. Just watching the after-affects of Defiance roll in combined with all the ups and downs of Deception? It's tough. It made me feel all the feels for Rachel. But she stayed strong and still kicked all the butt I could have wanted her too. Rachel FTW!
If we're talking character love, I totally cannot forget Logan [aka. my book boyfriend for LIFE]. He's still as ridiculously smart, scientific and swoony as he was in Defiance. Even moreso? He's got his own demons and issues and all the while he's the same voice you know and love! And love some more....
These two characters have the most beautifully broken lives and yet they still work! The romance works! Which brings me to the spot where I happily report that no stupid romance issues pop up! Proof of how un SBS this book is! Rachel and Logan? They just ROCK. And the rest of the cast is phenomenal! They rock so hard. You hate who you're supposed to hate, love who you're supposed to love, pity and sympathize with those who need it and just FEEL with them. It's so vivid. And wonderful.
This book was insanely action-packed. It starts off, starts a chugging and then we are on full speed ahead. Seriously. If yo uthink it's safe? It's not. Don't ever believe your brain. It's intense and the action comes in all shapes and sizes. Which I LOVED. There was variety, but there was never a dull moment! Sure there were downtimes, but there is always something happening to keep you excited and on your toes. And when there's an aura of mystery, she keeps you guessing and re-thinking yourself and the eventually surprising you to the point where you think you were an idiot for not getting it sooner.
Before I forget, I just have to mention the Cursed One. Becaue he's the freaking bomb. Although I was actually really sad we didn't see more of him..[her?]..in this book. Why I'm so obsessed with something that everyone in the book is afraid of I don't know. But I do know that what we saw the Cursed One was hecka legit. And that the things C. J. subtley mentioned about the Cursed One have me so excited and guessing and hoping that I can't stand it. If anything? Read for the Cursed One alone!
Of course with this kind of a book Redwine just has to kill our feels with an ending. An ending so unexpected and insane and yet so full of feels and anticipating and hope that there will be just one more page. An ending that makes you scream and shout with awesomeness. WAAAH. Feels. More feels. And more desperate need for the third book.
So because my brain can't think of anything else to rave about I will wrap this up. I could NOT have asked for a better sequel. I expected, they were met. And more. And more! C. J. fulfilled the standard of a sequel while keeping it new, fresh and oh so exciting. I am in love with these books and HIGHLY recommend them. Keep your eyes peeled for Deception to hit stores this month and if you still haven't read Defiance? What are you waiting for?
Rating: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
**For more reviews, visit Book Haven Extraordinaire**
September 7, 2013
So... what happened?
I was really looking forward to reading this. After Defiance, I just know there's so much potential for this series. But boy, was I disappointed. First, let me say that I love books that focuses on... the humanity of people. No matter what plot there is, what action scenes or love scenes there are, it always goes back to "How do you hold on to being humane in spite of everything that's happening?". This kind of books almost always have a lot of me-time with the main protagonist's thoughts. And if others are bored with this, I particularly enjoy it.
And Deception would have delivered it. Logan exceptionally did well. But Rachel is an entirely different story altogether. It's not that I don't understand what she's going through. I do. But you can't tell me her rantings about silence and revenge and coldness and guilt and silence and silence and silence for 80% of the book did not annoy you. While it's heartbreaking that she has to go through all the bunch of craps that were thrown her way, this is still a book. And I need progress. It's already been established how much everything has hurt her and how she's refusing to deal with it. I'm not saying she has to move on fast, but the whole angry-for-everything does get repetitive after a while, and I find myself just skimming most of her chapter POVs. It really didn't help that half of the book was in her POV.
Logan, though. Logan dearie with all his worst case and best case scenarios. I so love being inside this man's mind. I'm actually jealous of him. Not of what's happening to them right now, but of his mind. I can barely think of a Plan B whenever I plan something, but the guy can think of Plan A-Z to Plan 1-1000.
We see a different Logan this time, too. He's now the leader of the Baalboden's survivors. And with Rowansmark and the Commander gunning for their lives, and a traitor in their midst, it definitely tested everything in him. And I like to say he passed. With flying colors. Or maybe not. *wink*
I did love the Logan-twist at the end, though. That and Logan himself each get a half-star for the final rating. I do hope we get a different Rachel in the next book. I pretty much had enough of this stone-cold Rachel, thank you very much.
This review also appeared on Amazon.
I was really looking forward to reading this. After Defiance, I just know there's so much potential for this series. But boy, was I disappointed. First, let me say that I love books that focuses on... the humanity of people. No matter what plot there is, what action scenes or love scenes there are, it always goes back to "How do you hold on to being humane in spite of everything that's happening?". This kind of books almost always have a lot of me-time with the main protagonist's thoughts. And if others are bored with this, I particularly enjoy it.
And Deception would have delivered it. Logan exceptionally did well. But Rachel is an entirely different story altogether. It's not that I don't understand what she's going through. I do. But you can't tell me her rantings about silence and revenge and coldness and guilt and silence and silence and silence for 80% of the book did not annoy you. While it's heartbreaking that she has to go through all the bunch of craps that were thrown her way, this is still a book. And I need progress. It's already been established how much everything has hurt her and how she's refusing to deal with it. I'm not saying she has to move on fast, but the whole angry-for-everything does get repetitive after a while, and I find myself just skimming most of her chapter POVs. It really didn't help that half of the book was in her POV.
Logan, though. Logan dearie with all his worst case and best case scenarios. I so love being inside this man's mind. I'm actually jealous of him. Not of what's happening to them right now, but of his mind. I can barely think of a Plan B whenever I plan something, but the guy can think of Plan A-Z to Plan 1-1000.
We see a different Logan this time, too. He's now the leader of the Baalboden's survivors. And with Rowansmark and the Commander gunning for their lives, and a traitor in their midst, it definitely tested everything in him. And I like to say he passed. With flying colors. Or maybe not. *wink*
I did love the Logan-twist at the end, though. That and Logan himself each get a half-star for the final rating. I do hope we get a different Rachel in the next book. I pretty much had enough of this stone-cold Rachel, thank you very much.
This review also appeared on Amazon.
November 12, 2013
These days, eight out of ten middle books in trilogies are complete letdowns, but as long as there are shining stars like Deception, I won’t stop hoping that more authors will find a way to make those second installments less clichéd and more interesting. Fortunately for me and her other readers, this is a lesson C. J. Redwine doesn’t need.
Deception picks up mere days after the end of Defiance. Logan was chosen as leader of their group, which consists of around a hundred Balbodeen survivors and two newcomers, Willow and her brother Quinn. With the device that controls the Cursed One in Logan’s possession, they are safe from the creature, but the real monster, their former leader, is right on their heels. Logan and Rachel work relentlessly to take their people to safety.
Aside from the ongoing war and the constant danger, Rachel’s spirit is constantly weighed down by PTSD and depression. She is full of quiet anger, hell bent on revenge against the Commander and always struggling to keep it together. Her traumas cause a reckless, almost suicidal behavior, which hurts and terrifies Logan. By finding the right balance between anger and sadness for Rachel in her situation, Redwine proved to be an excellent psychologist and a very insightful person.
For the most part, Redwine avoids the usual middle book issues, but only just. Unlike most middle books, Deception has admirable character growth and a strong, full plot. The issues between Rachel and Logan aren’t pointless, created only to build unnecessary and often excessive tension. They feel genuine, caused by their mutual grief, Rachel’s overwhelming sense of guilt and Logan’s new responsibilities. But even when they don’t communicate like they should, even when Rachel is self-destructive and Logan completely wrapped up in his own genius, we might question their future together, but never their love for each other.
My fingers curl over the flesh and bone that shelters his heart. A heart strong enough to keep moving forward even when he’s lost so much. Strong enough to lead even when he doesn’t want to. Strong enough to commit to me when I know I’m not an easy person to love.
Rachel’s and Logan’s voices are nothing alike. I imagine Logan was extremely difficult to write, what with his mathematical mind constantly working to come up with new inventions. Redwine was able to portray this distractedness combined with worry for Rachel and his people beautifully. Despite his many concerns, being inside his mind after dealing with Rachel’s constant anger was a soft and pleasurable experience.
Oh, but the secondary characters! Not many authors achieve such complexity in such a large cast of characters, and yet Redwine gave us Quinn, Willow, Ian, Adam and so many more intricately built individuals. Getting to know each of them was no easy task, but figuring out their motivations was a delight.
I am very much looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. I am not happy with the cliffhanger, but it’s just one flaw in an otherwise excellent book. One flaw can easily be forgiven, right?
Deception picks up mere days after the end of Defiance. Logan was chosen as leader of their group, which consists of around a hundred Balbodeen survivors and two newcomers, Willow and her brother Quinn. With the device that controls the Cursed One in Logan’s possession, they are safe from the creature, but the real monster, their former leader, is right on their heels. Logan and Rachel work relentlessly to take their people to safety.
Aside from the ongoing war and the constant danger, Rachel’s spirit is constantly weighed down by PTSD and depression. She is full of quiet anger, hell bent on revenge against the Commander and always struggling to keep it together. Her traumas cause a reckless, almost suicidal behavior, which hurts and terrifies Logan. By finding the right balance between anger and sadness for Rachel in her situation, Redwine proved to be an excellent psychologist and a very insightful person.
For the most part, Redwine avoids the usual middle book issues, but only just. Unlike most middle books, Deception has admirable character growth and a strong, full plot. The issues between Rachel and Logan aren’t pointless, created only to build unnecessary and often excessive tension. They feel genuine, caused by their mutual grief, Rachel’s overwhelming sense of guilt and Logan’s new responsibilities. But even when they don’t communicate like they should, even when Rachel is self-destructive and Logan completely wrapped up in his own genius, we might question their future together, but never their love for each other.
My fingers curl over the flesh and bone that shelters his heart. A heart strong enough to keep moving forward even when he’s lost so much. Strong enough to lead even when he doesn’t want to. Strong enough to commit to me when I know I’m not an easy person to love.
Rachel’s and Logan’s voices are nothing alike. I imagine Logan was extremely difficult to write, what with his mathematical mind constantly working to come up with new inventions. Redwine was able to portray this distractedness combined with worry for Rachel and his people beautifully. Despite his many concerns, being inside his mind after dealing with Rachel’s constant anger was a soft and pleasurable experience.
Oh, but the secondary characters! Not many authors achieve such complexity in such a large cast of characters, and yet Redwine gave us Quinn, Willow, Ian, Adam and so many more intricately built individuals. Getting to know each of them was no easy task, but figuring out their motivations was a delight.
I am very much looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. I am not happy with the cliffhanger, but it’s just one flaw in an otherwise excellent book. One flaw can easily be forgiven, right?
September 10, 2016
I don't know why it took me so long to pick up the sequel. When I'm reading these books I'm thoroughly enjoying them!
April 9, 2015
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! 4.5 stars
I cannot believe I was going to give up on this book. It was dragging on for the first 30% but then POW! I got sucker punched right into the story until I was freaking knee deep in it with no escape out until I read to the very end. And boy, oh boy, oh boy what an ending it was. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING AT ALL. Got me good and clean. This goes to show how much of an exceptional writer Redwine is. To not only weave such a suspenseful and plot twisting story, but a world that cannot be imagined and characters that just ooze such depth and emotions. The character building made me weep. It's a beautiful thing to experience. I cannot explain it to you without you taking the ride for yourself. Redwine literally thrusts a hand straight into your chest and rips your heart out. Bloody fantastic!
Deception, titled brilliantly, picks up exactly where it left off in Defiance with Baalbadon destroyed, Logan (our fearless and compassionate leader who takes everything to heart and blames himself for all the death and destruction) in charge and Rachel, (who needed to be smacked upside the head several times), on the verge of a complete and utter breakdown. She was so void of emotion and left so broken she actually made me cry, and I forgave her for it.
We are introduced to new characters, Ian and Adam (do we trust them or not?) and rejoined by old friends, like Quinn (oh how I love thee, let me take you in my arms and give you want you need), Willow (the embodiment of a true protagonist), and Thom and Drake (who are all loyal beyond words).
The Commander (would he freaking die already) is still relentlessly pursing them at whatever costs but there is a new threat that has them all on their toes and looking over their shoulder at every second. Sabotaging them with deadly results. There were so many questions, so much suspense, my mind was going to explode and I needed to know the answers. Alas, it unravelled in one spectacular ending, appeasing me, angering me, killing me and making me lose it completely, but finally, some clattery as to why. Why that a$&hole of a Commander was hell bent on getting Logan, why their was a traitor in their mist, and why everything that happened, did. At what cost, though? Their lives will never be the same and I only hope that they all get the ending they deserve, whether it be revenge, redemption or just learning to live with one self.
This remarkable second instalment is definitely a page turner that has you wondering, guessing, crying out loud, ripping your hair out and your heart. I cannot wait to read Deliverance because if the title is right, salvation is coming and they all better watch out.
I cannot believe I was going to give up on this book. It was dragging on for the first 30% but then POW! I got sucker punched right into the story until I was freaking knee deep in it with no escape out until I read to the very end. And boy, oh boy, oh boy what an ending it was. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING AT ALL. Got me good and clean. This goes to show how much of an exceptional writer Redwine is. To not only weave such a suspenseful and plot twisting story, but a world that cannot be imagined and characters that just ooze such depth and emotions. The character building made me weep. It's a beautiful thing to experience. I cannot explain it to you without you taking the ride for yourself. Redwine literally thrusts a hand straight into your chest and rips your heart out. Bloody fantastic!
Deception, titled brilliantly, picks up exactly where it left off in Defiance with Baalbadon destroyed, Logan (our fearless and compassionate leader who takes everything to heart and blames himself for all the death and destruction) in charge and Rachel, (who needed to be smacked upside the head several times), on the verge of a complete and utter breakdown. She was so void of emotion and left so broken she actually made me cry, and I forgave her for it.
We are introduced to new characters, Ian and Adam (do we trust them or not?) and rejoined by old friends, like Quinn (oh how I love thee, let me take you in my arms and give you want you need), Willow (the embodiment of a true protagonist), and Thom and Drake (who are all loyal beyond words).
The Commander (would he freaking die already) is still relentlessly pursing them at whatever costs but there is a new threat that has them all on their toes and looking over their shoulder at every second. Sabotaging them with deadly results. There were so many questions, so much suspense, my mind was going to explode and I needed to know the answers. Alas, it unravelled in one spectacular ending, appeasing me, angering me, killing me and making me lose it completely, but finally, some clattery as to why. Why that a$&hole of a Commander was hell bent on getting Logan, why their was a traitor in their mist, and why everything that happened, did. At what cost, though? Their lives will never be the same and I only hope that they all get the ending they deserve, whether it be revenge, redemption or just learning to live with one self.
This remarkable second instalment is definitely a page turner that has you wondering, guessing, crying out loud, ripping your hair out and your heart. I cannot wait to read Deliverance because if the title is right, salvation is coming and they all better watch out.
February 18, 2013
Loved it.
February 9, 2018
I can't decide if I like this book better than the first or not. It started out great then kind of sagged in the middle only to have a great last 25% or so. Also, despite Rachel being on the cover, this was more a Logan book - thank the heavens.
Picking up where the first left off, Rachel and Logan are trying to keep their people safe and at the same time find a way to stop the Commander. But nothing comes easy for our group as they are chased through the Wasteland by the Commanders army and also have to deal with sabotage on the inside. Not gonna lie, I totally called the sabotager from the beginning, so that wasn't a surprise, but at least the story surrounding them kind of was.
So what did I like? Well, I liked how Logan really became the roll of leader. It was something he didn't want, nor did he think he was equipped for it - but these things made him a good leader. He was smart and compassionate and quick thinking. Having to not only deal with his followers but with Rachel as well. I also liked the reveals that came at the end. I always wondered what the Commander hated about Logan and we actually found that out here. Yay, some questions were answered!
What I wasn't a huge fan of was the pacing, first off. It just seemed like too much travel with too much bad things happening that coincidentally no one ever saw. The game of cat and mouse got really played out toward the end there and really made no sense as to why it was dragged out. There was no point to the attacks on the people. And once I found out the real reason, petty jealousy came to mind which almost made it worse. Also, there's the lack of any real explanation of this world and where these cursed ones come from. This has only been touched on briefly throughout the two books and it's still really hard for me to picture the world that I live in now suddenly a wasteland that's terrorized by Tremors monsters (yup, I still picture them).
And finally, my main problem - Rachel. Oh Rachel. Just because you want to be strong doesn't mean you actually are. Hiding your feelings does not make you strong it makes you stupid. Especially when your hiding your nightmares and this is causing people to get hurt. When you freeze in battle, you get people killed. And a lot of people died here. Also, the woe is me attitude has no place here. Start thinking about other people besides yourself please.
This ended on more of a cliffhanger than the first so of course I'm going to read it. But I think I'll read the novella first because I saw that it's about Quinn and I am deeply fascinated by him and his sister.
Picking up where the first left off, Rachel and Logan are trying to keep their people safe and at the same time find a way to stop the Commander. But nothing comes easy for our group as they are chased through the Wasteland by the Commanders army and also have to deal with sabotage on the inside. Not gonna lie, I totally called the sabotager from the beginning, so that wasn't a surprise, but at least the story surrounding them kind of was.
So what did I like? Well, I liked how Logan really became the roll of leader. It was something he didn't want, nor did he think he was equipped for it - but these things made him a good leader. He was smart and compassionate and quick thinking. Having to not only deal with his followers but with Rachel as well. I also liked the reveals that came at the end. I always wondered what the Commander hated about Logan and we actually found that out here. Yay, some questions were answered!
What I wasn't a huge fan of was the pacing, first off. It just seemed like too much travel with too much bad things happening that coincidentally no one ever saw. The game of cat and mouse got really played out toward the end there and really made no sense as to why it was dragged out. There was no point to the attacks on the people. And once I found out the real reason, petty jealousy came to mind which almost made it worse. Also, there's the lack of any real explanation of this world and where these cursed ones come from. This has only been touched on briefly throughout the two books and it's still really hard for me to picture the world that I live in now suddenly a wasteland that's terrorized by Tremors monsters (yup, I still picture them).
And finally, my main problem - Rachel. Oh Rachel. Just because you want to be strong doesn't mean you actually are. Hiding your feelings does not make you strong it makes you stupid. Especially when your hiding your nightmares and this is causing people to get hurt. When you freeze in battle, you get people killed. And a lot of people died here. Also, the woe is me attitude has no place here. Start thinking about other people besides yourself please.
This ended on more of a cliffhanger than the first so of course I'm going to read it. But I think I'll read the novella first because I saw that it's about Quinn and I am deeply fascinated by him and his sister.
August 14, 2013
Deception is full of exactly that--Deception. Who can you trust when the greed for power takes precedence over loyalty? The ruthless Commander is back to claim the tech device and he has paired up with another city-state.
Logan and Rachel have their hands full. Not only does Logan have the weight of leading the remaining Baalboden citizens, but he is constantly having to reassure them that he is a nineteen-year-old fit for the job, even if he questions it himself at times. He doesn’t want to disappoint the people who have lost so much already at the hands of their former Commander, and to the Cursed One. Obstacles of inexperience and age are just a few minor implications against a much larger picture. Besides the fact that the Commander is after them, Rowansmark want what they believe was stolen from them, so the Baalboden survivors high-tail it to Lankenshire, in hopes that they can form an alliance and help against those that are coming after them.
The Wasteland proves to be vicious. Not only are there landscape hindrances, but Highwayman, an army, and the threat of the Cursed One at their feet. Deception is the perfect title for this story, as there is deception at every turn. Not only are they being tracked by a Rowansmark tracker, one of their own is hiding a secret as well. Who is the traitor amongst them is the big question.
Rachel is facing her own demons with difficulty. Even a strong willed woman can’t shake the hurt, betrayal, death, and thirst for revenge. It claws away and beats her up mentally. Loss has become second nature, but the effects have hindered her judgment. Her loyalty to the people and to Logan, exceptionally to Logan as he is the one thing she has left to live for, keeps her in line. Sylph is another that Rachel loves. Even through the most difficult of times, she keeps a smile on her face and spreads her love across her friends and the others. Her humor and kindness was a light in the dark.
“You aren’t unfeminine. You just stink at setting a nice table or sewing a decent dress.”
“It’s nice to have my differences be an asset instead of something that makes me the most unfeminine girl in the room.”
I was on edge as the story unfolded and trying to figure out who was the traitor. I cheered the group on while they were facing difficult passages, and waiting to see if they would even make it was driving me mad! The story flowed well but at one point I was beginning to wonder if there was a bigger bomb waiting to be dropped. AND let me tell you…you will be shocked when it does. I was totally blindsided by it.
These characters really grew on me. A few particular really stole the show in my opinion. I just love Willow and Quinn. The brother and sister duo fighting machines. Willow is fierce and says what’s on her mind. She is the one who will tell you what you don’t want to hear, but need to hear. She says it how it is and I just loved her for that. Quinn…sigh…He is the epitome of a knight in shining armor. Talk about a swoonworthy character! He is smart, strong, a great listener, and sooo much more. The relationship between Willow and her brother is strong and I just love how they are there to protect one another.
I loved the action and suspense and those twists that threw me for a loop time and time again. Logan and Rachel are so sweet together, but man, they had so much on their shoulders. Both of them had a lot to work through as individuals, but knowing they had one another to lean on, kept their hopes up and that everything would work out in time.
I usually get a tad bit annoyed when a character constantly is fighting an inner battle, complain about it, push it aside, then dwells on it more. I know Rachel was dealing with a lot, but it did get a little old. I wish she would have just been forthright with Logan the whole time instead of bottling it up. But when she had a conversation with Quinn, I couldn’t help but feel admiration for him, and sorrow for her. Always the tough girl and expected to be just that, it was time for Rachel to feel the natural emotions instead of pushing them away and face them.
I enjoyed Deception. I loved the action, the pacing and the characters. This left off on a little cliffy, and I cannot wait to see what will transpire in the next book.
*Quote taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.
Logan and Rachel have their hands full. Not only does Logan have the weight of leading the remaining Baalboden citizens, but he is constantly having to reassure them that he is a nineteen-year-old fit for the job, even if he questions it himself at times. He doesn’t want to disappoint the people who have lost so much already at the hands of their former Commander, and to the Cursed One. Obstacles of inexperience and age are just a few minor implications against a much larger picture. Besides the fact that the Commander is after them, Rowansmark want what they believe was stolen from them, so the Baalboden survivors high-tail it to Lankenshire, in hopes that they can form an alliance and help against those that are coming after them.
The Wasteland proves to be vicious. Not only are there landscape hindrances, but Highwayman, an army, and the threat of the Cursed One at their feet. Deception is the perfect title for this story, as there is deception at every turn. Not only are they being tracked by a Rowansmark tracker, one of their own is hiding a secret as well. Who is the traitor amongst them is the big question.
Rachel is facing her own demons with difficulty. Even a strong willed woman can’t shake the hurt, betrayal, death, and thirst for revenge. It claws away and beats her up mentally. Loss has become second nature, but the effects have hindered her judgment. Her loyalty to the people and to Logan, exceptionally to Logan as he is the one thing she has left to live for, keeps her in line. Sylph is another that Rachel loves. Even through the most difficult of times, she keeps a smile on her face and spreads her love across her friends and the others. Her humor and kindness was a light in the dark.
“You aren’t unfeminine. You just stink at setting a nice table or sewing a decent dress.”
“It’s nice to have my differences be an asset instead of something that makes me the most unfeminine girl in the room.”
I was on edge as the story unfolded and trying to figure out who was the traitor. I cheered the group on while they were facing difficult passages, and waiting to see if they would even make it was driving me mad! The story flowed well but at one point I was beginning to wonder if there was a bigger bomb waiting to be dropped. AND let me tell you…you will be shocked when it does. I was totally blindsided by it.
These characters really grew on me. A few particular really stole the show in my opinion. I just love Willow and Quinn. The brother and sister duo fighting machines. Willow is fierce and says what’s on her mind. She is the one who will tell you what you don’t want to hear, but need to hear. She says it how it is and I just loved her for that. Quinn…sigh…He is the epitome of a knight in shining armor. Talk about a swoonworthy character! He is smart, strong, a great listener, and sooo much more. The relationship between Willow and her brother is strong and I just love how they are there to protect one another.
I loved the action and suspense and those twists that threw me for a loop time and time again. Logan and Rachel are so sweet together, but man, they had so much on their shoulders. Both of them had a lot to work through as individuals, but knowing they had one another to lean on, kept their hopes up and that everything would work out in time.
I usually get a tad bit annoyed when a character constantly is fighting an inner battle, complain about it, push it aside, then dwells on it more. I know Rachel was dealing with a lot, but it did get a little old. I wish she would have just been forthright with Logan the whole time instead of bottling it up. But when she had a conversation with Quinn, I couldn’t help but feel admiration for him, and sorrow for her. Always the tough girl and expected to be just that, it was time for Rachel to feel the natural emotions instead of pushing them away and face them.
I enjoyed Deception. I loved the action, the pacing and the characters. This left off on a little cliffy, and I cannot wait to see what will transpire in the next book.
*Quote taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.
Want to read
May 5, 2013OH.MY.GAWD. I read defiance in less than 3 hours and I was a crazy person in my house trying to convince my sisters how good the book was. I seriously cannot wait to see the LOVE in this book, ^-^ the couple in defiance was seriously freaking A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E, ugh -_- but i really hope there isn't a love triangle...and for those of you who have absolutely no idea what i'm talking about here is the preview.
Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.
But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.
In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.
Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.
But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.
In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.
February 23, 2014
When I read Defiance, I just couldn't stop reading it. This book series is WAY better than the Hunger Games. This is how dystopian YA books should be written. The plot is genius, the characters amazing. Not to mention she added a monster that could possibly be related to Godzilla. What more could you want. I am dying to read this book, and can't wait for it to come out. This series is definitely a must-read.
I am adding this second part of of the review because now I have actually read the book. This book is genius! I love the plot of this one, and how they are traveling and escaping. Then add the suspense of looking for hidden killer. This book made me laugh, cry, and kept at the edge of my seat until the very end. When I finished this book I was like," OMG I can't believe this I have to read the third one!". I totally recommend reading this book, I would give 10 stars if I could. You MUST read this book if you love Defiance, it's prequel, or any other dystopian novel. This nook is AWESOME!!!
I am adding this second part of of the review because now I have actually read the book. This book is genius! I love the plot of this one, and how they are traveling and escaping. Then add the suspense of looking for hidden killer. This book made me laugh, cry, and kept at the edge of my seat until the very end. When I finished this book I was like," OMG I can't believe this I have to read the third one!". I totally recommend reading this book, I would give 10 stars if I could. You MUST read this book if you love Defiance, it's prequel, or any other dystopian novel. This nook is AWESOME!!!
Want to read
February 6, 2013WHY ISN'T THIS IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW? I♥Logan!
July 2, 2018
*4.5*
I REALLY enjoyed this book! I loved it a lot more then I expected and a lot more then book one even though that was a good enough book. In general the plot felt much deeper and more interesting. We get to know so many new characters and get to know our orgional characters even more as well.
I've noticed in a lot of fantasy and dystopian sequels I read they tend to be able to fall into the survival category. They're betrayed, or kicked out or disowned and left to survive in the wild. For whatever reason I find I just really don't like that trope and find myself dragging through them. I feel like Deception falls into that category but I didn't feel like that at all. I was thoroughly interested and hooked the entire book.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book is how Rachel deals with grief. I feel it's extremely realistic and it's something that haunts her. Her actions haunt her and I appreciate how well written that was.
Probably one of my favorite things about this series and specifically this book is Logan and Rachel and their relationship and interactions. I just love them so much. 😭 And can I say how freaking NICE and REFRESHING it is to have a YA couple that has relatively healthy communication and relationship? They don't push each other away with one little misunderstanding and there always there for each other and that's so important. It just annoys me so much when couples in books have all this drama surrounding something that could so EASILY be fixed with communication.
So overall I really enjoyed Deception! Again, the world is nothing mind blowing or spectacular and it's an older book, so can be pretty typical YA but despite all that I loved it! Great characters, writing and story.
I REALLY enjoyed this book! I loved it a lot more then I expected and a lot more then book one even though that was a good enough book. In general the plot felt much deeper and more interesting. We get to know so many new characters and get to know our orgional characters even more as well.
I've noticed in a lot of fantasy and dystopian sequels I read they tend to be able to fall into the survival category. They're betrayed, or kicked out or disowned and left to survive in the wild. For whatever reason I find I just really don't like that trope and find myself dragging through them. I feel like Deception falls into that category but I didn't feel like that at all. I was thoroughly interested and hooked the entire book.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book is how Rachel deals with grief. I feel it's extremely realistic and it's something that haunts her. Her actions haunt her and I appreciate how well written that was.
Probably one of my favorite things about this series and specifically this book is Logan and Rachel and their relationship and interactions. I just love them so much. 😭 And can I say how freaking NICE and REFRESHING it is to have a YA couple that has relatively healthy communication and relationship? They don't push each other away with one little misunderstanding and there always there for each other and that's so important. It just annoys me so much when couples in books have all this drama surrounding something that could so EASILY be fixed with communication.
So overall I really enjoyed Deception! Again, the world is nothing mind blowing or spectacular and it's an older book, so can be pretty typical YA but despite all that I loved it! Great characters, writing and story.
April 5, 2023
I really struggled to read this book. It took me forever and some it comes from me getting into a TV watching mood partway through the book. But another part of it, is that Rachel and the way she was acting majorly annoyed me. Especially in the first half of the book where she just would not for the life of her talk to Logan. I would have to put the book down to come back to later because of how annoyed I'd get with her. Overall, the book was okay to good. I totally called who the traitor was the moment we were introduced to their character but did not see the plot twist at the ending coming. I am interested in seeing what happens in the next book but I may read a couple books in between before I pick it up just because I don't want it to feel like it took me ages to read the whole series.
July 6, 2017
3.25 stars
I feel utmost obliged to appreciate how wonderfully C.J Redwine writes. Damn, the feels tho
As for the plot, I felt it was quite dragged... I was bored till the 50% of this book. Only few parts were interesting. Redwine was stretching the book, honestly. Thus it took me a while to finish...
However, after 50-60% the story got intriguing! I was at the edge of my seat! Damn! The pain of the characters is so amazingly described. And the some secrets were discovered, quite unexpected really.
Furthermore, I was worried about Quinn becoming Rachel's love interest and a bloody love triangle but thankfully this situation was flawlessly handled. It was humourous too :D
Gotta go read the third one, hoping it's not too long!
P.S: wait...I just realized... This is like book one all over again; Rachel kidnapped, Logan imprisoned. What.
I feel utmost obliged to appreciate how wonderfully C.J Redwine writes. Damn, the feels tho
As for the plot, I felt it was quite dragged... I was bored till the 50% of this book. Only few parts were interesting. Redwine was stretching the book, honestly. Thus it took me a while to finish...
However, after 50-60% the story got intriguing! I was at the edge of my seat! Damn! The pain of the characters is so amazingly described. And the some secrets were discovered, quite unexpected really.
Furthermore, I was worried about Quinn becoming Rachel's love interest and a bloody love triangle but thankfully this situation was flawlessly handled. It was humourous too :D
Gotta go read the third one, hoping it's not too long!
P.S: wait...I just realized... This is like book one all over again; Rachel kidnapped, Logan imprisoned. What.
January 19, 2014
Meh. That's all I can say at the moment, meh. I wasn't expecting much and as predicted, I didn't receive much.
Deception picks off right where Defiance ends. Baalboden has been burned to the ground and Rachel and Logan must lead their people to refuge. But by doing so, they must travel through the dangerous Wasteland. Like the shady surroundings around them, there's some sketchy stuff going on. With a traitor among them and a battalion racing behind them, the stakes are high, and no one will be sparred any hardship.
I don't know about you, but after reading that summary I feel kinda turned off. I hate a lot of things. I hate Mondays, I hate paranormal romances, and most of all, I hate books set in the middle of the wilderness. Because do you know what happens??? The book turns into a full out camping trip with campfire sing alongs and lions and tigers and bears oh my, well in this case, it's just a weird dragon serpent hybrid, but still. Nothing freaking happens in this book. The whole plot is as follows: yay adventure! What's for lunch! Yay adventure! Hey wanna make out? Yay adventure! French the freaking llama there's a traitor among us! Yay adventure! And so on and so on and so on. I didn't invest 2 weeks up my time to read about a 19 year old trying to lead a group of refuges into the wilderness!!! On another note: Redwine stinks at writing a mystery novel. It's so obvious who the traitor is that my dog could've figured it out.
The characters are so screwed up it's laughable. Both Rachel and Logan sound like hormonal teenage girls who really need to get their priorities straight. I swear if I have to read one more chapter about how "broken" Rachel is I'm going to, excuse my usage of Harry Potter Wizard Swears, crap a castle!!! I know, it sucks. Your whole life is torn apart and everything, but Rachel refuses to be helped out of sheer stubbornness. Logan is going through the exact same thing. He thinks he's so great but really the two need each other to work out their issues, which is where their relationship fails. The two other side kicks, Quinn and Willow, could be kinda awesome if they weren't complete rip offs of Gale and Katniss. Quinn is the warm hearted guy who's life goal is to protect Rachel and blah blah blah. Willow is pretty much Katniss. Olive skin, wears hair in a braid, sarcastic, brilliant with a bow and arrow.... Woah how did the Defiance crew make it into District 12?
Also what's up with the supposed love triangle? Quinn so has intimate feelings for Rachel but then it's passed off as nothing. Yeah, I'm glad that Redwine decided against a love triangle, because it would've been way to obvious who gets Rachel, but why invest time in setting one up if it's not going to happen?
Redwine has slightly improved concerning her writing abilities. She has made her characters more realistic instead of like teenage superheroes, the downfall is that both are whiny teens! The dual POV continues to be a challenge. Rachel and Logan continue to sound exactly the same, so much so that I spent a full chapter reading from Logan's POV thinking that it was Rachel's POV.
Don't let the beautiful covers fool you, these books are masters of deception.
Deception picks off right where Defiance ends. Baalboden has been burned to the ground and Rachel and Logan must lead their people to refuge. But by doing so, they must travel through the dangerous Wasteland. Like the shady surroundings around them, there's some sketchy stuff going on. With a traitor among them and a battalion racing behind them, the stakes are high, and no one will be sparred any hardship.
I don't know about you, but after reading that summary I feel kinda turned off. I hate a lot of things. I hate Mondays, I hate paranormal romances, and most of all, I hate books set in the middle of the wilderness. Because do you know what happens??? The book turns into a full out camping trip with campfire sing alongs and lions and tigers and bears oh my, well in this case, it's just a weird dragon serpent hybrid, but still. Nothing freaking happens in this book. The whole plot is as follows: yay adventure! What's for lunch! Yay adventure! Hey wanna make out? Yay adventure! French the freaking llama there's a traitor among us! Yay adventure! And so on and so on and so on. I didn't invest 2 weeks up my time to read about a 19 year old trying to lead a group of refuges into the wilderness!!! On another note: Redwine stinks at writing a mystery novel. It's so obvious who the traitor is that my dog could've figured it out.
The characters are so screwed up it's laughable. Both Rachel and Logan sound like hormonal teenage girls who really need to get their priorities straight. I swear if I have to read one more chapter about how "broken" Rachel is I'm going to, excuse my usage of Harry Potter Wizard Swears, crap a castle!!! I know, it sucks. Your whole life is torn apart and everything, but Rachel refuses to be helped out of sheer stubbornness. Logan is going through the exact same thing. He thinks he's so great but really the two need each other to work out their issues, which is where their relationship fails. The two other side kicks, Quinn and Willow, could be kinda awesome if they weren't complete rip offs of Gale and Katniss. Quinn is the warm hearted guy who's life goal is to protect Rachel and blah blah blah. Willow is pretty much Katniss. Olive skin, wears hair in a braid, sarcastic, brilliant with a bow and arrow.... Woah how did the Defiance crew make it into District 12?
Also what's up with the supposed love triangle? Quinn so has intimate feelings for Rachel but then it's passed off as nothing. Yeah, I'm glad that Redwine decided against a love triangle, because it would've been way to obvious who gets Rachel, but why invest time in setting one up if it's not going to happen?
Redwine has slightly improved concerning her writing abilities. She has made her characters more realistic instead of like teenage superheroes, the downfall is that both are whiny teens! The dual POV continues to be a challenge. Rachel and Logan continue to sound exactly the same, so much so that I spent a full chapter reading from Logan's POV thinking that it was Rachel's POV.
Don't let the beautiful covers fool you, these books are masters of deception.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2013
I loved this follow up to Defiance and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I loved being back with Rachel and Logan and loved them both as much as I remembered from Defiance. Deception is full of action, emotions, small steamy scenes, healing, friendship, betrayal, secrets and fighting against all odds. This is in no way a filler book, and I loved every second.
Revenge is a big theme in this one, and we see how it drives so many of the survivors. They all have lost people and their homes, and while continued survival and freedom are their biggest motivators, you can also see how revenge helps them to move on. But we all see how it can debilitate and add to the burdens already heavy on their shoulders when they don't funnel it properly. The same with grief. Especially through Rachel in this one. Her nightmares are chasing her into the daytime, and all of the things that she has done and regretted are piling on her shoulders and she is only stuffing it down and not dealing with it. We get to see her breaking and it was so hard to watch. Her source of comfort and her way out of the grief and guilt comes from someone that I didn't quite expect it from, but I loved it and painted such a beautiful picture of friendship and of support.
It was awesome to watch Logan grow into a leader and really take on the responsibility for the survivors. He is so thoughtful and thinks through everything. He takes seriously that the survivors chose him as their leader and I don't think they could have chosen a more smart and capable and driven person. I also loved the moments with him and Rachel. To see how in love they were, and how they supported each other. They both have so many responsibilities and try to protect the other. It is awesome and leaning on each other is how they get through it all.
Quinn and Willow are by far my favorite secondary characters. They bring so much depth to the story. Their rich back story, their sibling love and protectiveness, how devoted they are to Rachel and Logan, and the knowledge and power they bring with their friendship and alliance. I lived for each moment where they stole the scene with their fierceness or loyalty, as well as learning about their past even when it is so dark.
And wow at the twists in the plot. Oh my goodness, I didn't see some of them coming, and some of the things that took place showed such sacrifice, brought such pain, and others just made my eyes bug out because I never considered it a possibility. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series and find out what happens next.
Bottom Line: Amazing story from first page to last.
Revenge is a big theme in this one, and we see how it drives so many of the survivors. They all have lost people and their homes, and while continued survival and freedom are their biggest motivators, you can also see how revenge helps them to move on. But we all see how it can debilitate and add to the burdens already heavy on their shoulders when they don't funnel it properly. The same with grief. Especially through Rachel in this one. Her nightmares are chasing her into the daytime, and all of the things that she has done and regretted are piling on her shoulders and she is only stuffing it down and not dealing with it. We get to see her breaking and it was so hard to watch. Her source of comfort and her way out of the grief and guilt comes from someone that I didn't quite expect it from, but I loved it and painted such a beautiful picture of friendship and of support.
It was awesome to watch Logan grow into a leader and really take on the responsibility for the survivors. He is so thoughtful and thinks through everything. He takes seriously that the survivors chose him as their leader and I don't think they could have chosen a more smart and capable and driven person. I also loved the moments with him and Rachel. To see how in love they were, and how they supported each other. They both have so many responsibilities and try to protect the other. It is awesome and leaning on each other is how they get through it all.
Quinn and Willow are by far my favorite secondary characters. They bring so much depth to the story. Their rich back story, their sibling love and protectiveness, how devoted they are to Rachel and Logan, and the knowledge and power they bring with their friendship and alliance. I lived for each moment where they stole the scene with their fierceness or loyalty, as well as learning about their past even when it is so dark.
And wow at the twists in the plot. Oh my goodness, I didn't see some of them coming, and some of the things that took place showed such sacrifice, brought such pain, and others just made my eyes bug out because I never considered it a possibility. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series and find out what happens next.
Bottom Line: Amazing story from first page to last.
Want to read
February 14, 2013Is that ash falling off the sky?
*squints*
Interesting. I just like the cover. Why must I get cover biased every. single. time? I mean, I had such great problems with Defiance so my instincts SCREAM I should stay away from this but...
Pretty Cover, fuck it.
Hmp. If I read this, what could go wrong? Really guys, give me options.
Could it be possible that this book defies all the logical conception of mathematics & goes upward (unlike its predecessor)...?
Nah. Don't think so.
At all. As long as Rachel & stuff remains, & that blurb do not hint good things.
*squints*
Interesting. I just like the cover. Why must I get cover biased every. single. time? I mean, I had such great problems with Defiance so my instincts SCREAM I should stay away from this but...
Pretty Cover, fuck it.
Hmp. If I read this, what could go wrong? Really guys, give me options.
Could it be possible that this book defies all the logical conception of mathematics & goes upward (unlike its predecessor)...?
Nah. Don't think so.
At all. As long as Rachel & stuff remains, & that blurb do not hint good things.
September 29, 2013
Here's my favorite thing about this sequel: Rachel sort of loses her stuff. I love that. How many books have we read where the main character kicks butt -- but almost in a machine-like manner. Rachel's a pretty kick-butt heroine, but she's so humanized in this book in that she's racked with grief and guilt and breaks down pretty majorly.
It was hard to read (and sacrificed some of the romance I loved in the first book, booo), but it was really refreshing!
Check out AnnaReads.com for the full review: http://www.annareads.com/2013/09/dece...
It was hard to read (and sacrificed some of the romance I loved in the first book, booo), but it was really refreshing!
Check out AnnaReads.com for the full review: http://www.annareads.com/2013/09/dece...
May 12, 2017
Well call me pleasantly surprised by this one. I'll be honest, the first 30% of it was pretty slow. I had to make myself continue on with the hope that it would eventually pay off in the end and boy did it pay off! Big time. The twists and turns and surprises were bigger and better than I anticipated. I can honestly say that I was leafing through the pages lick a mad woman through the last quarter of this book. Will definitely be reading the last book in this trilogy for sure.
July 17, 2016
WOW. If I had one word to describe this thrilling sequel to Defiance, it would be INTENSE.
Goodness, where do I start? This book picked up right where the first left off, with Baalboden destroyed and the Commander escaped. It jumped right into the action with the survivors setting out into the Wasteland. And from there on, the story grabbed me and didn’t let go! The pacing was fast and action-packed, with danger at every turn. They couldn’t get a break! With the Carrington army breathing down their necks, the Cursed One lying in wait, a traitor in their midst, and a Rowensmark tracker stalking them, I was engrossed!
Something I love about C.J. Redwine’s style is that her writing is cinematic. I had no problem picturing everything in my head, and felt like I was in the story. And the characters felt so real and convincing that at times I felt like they were people I knew! I became very attached to all of them, even the minor characters. They were all fleshed out and complex. Plus, Redwine is fabulous at writing relationships and can bring human nature to life. Because interactions with people aren’t always easy, and sometimes they’re strained and stressful. I don’t really know how else to put it into words, but this isn’t something that you see very often in books. Also, the humor! I found myself giggling out loud quite often. I love a book that can make me laugh!
“You reminded me of fire – brilliant, warm, and strong. And every time you brushed against me, I felt like I’d swallowed some of that fire.”
I loved Rachel in Defiance. The sequel was no exception, but I must say there were times when she annoyed me; I had some mixed feelings about her. She was still the badass, headstrong girl that I knew from before, yet at times she was a bit too stubborn. I mean, I’m stubborn, but even my stubbornness has limits! She was also very damaged after killing Melkin and losing so many loved ones. She was broken and dark, and that darkness was eating away at her. She lashed out at people that cared about her when she was hurt to protect herself, and was a bit obtuse in her stubbornness sometimes. She tried SO hard to look strong, to be strong, that she forgot it was okay to cry sometimes. She refused to show any weakness (as she perceived it), even in front of those who would understand. Even in front of Logan. That was what irked me about her, is that she expected him to share everything with her, yet shared nothing in return when he could have helped her. But, because she had those flaws, I found it easier to relate to her.
She smiles, but her eyes are fierce. “I love that you always think five steps ahead.”
“I seem to recall you once comparing my plans to an overly cautious grandmother crossing Central Square.”
Logan. Sweet, practical, overprotective Logan. I rather admired him for his perseverance. I kept forgetting that he was only 19, though – he had so much responsibility on his shoulders, yet stayed mature and kept his head no matter what. He still looked at everything from a practical angle, and his constant Worst Case vs. Best Case Scenarios cracked me up!
He just makes me feel almost whole. Almost better. Like if I could just get close enough to him, everything else would fade away and never come back.
I still enjoyed the romance between Logan and Rachel. It wasn’t front and center, but was kind of a driving point in this book, because their love for each other made them stronger and at times kept them going. It was also fraught with trials. They both did things they knew the other wouldn’t approve of behind each others’ backs. They hurt each other at times. But in the end, they were always there for one another. It did irk me a couple times how hypocritical and stubborn they were when it came to each other! She deliberately put herself in danger and he got pissed at her for it, then turned around and put himself in danger…and of course, she got pissed at him for it. I understand that they don’t want to see each other get hurt, but under their circumstances, it was unavoidable sometimes.
I loooved Quinn and Willow. Especially Quinn! I think I loved him more than Logan. He was stoic, but he was gentle, brave, and honorable, and put his life on the line to keep Logan and Rachel safe. He was the voice of reason for Rachel when she refused to listen to anyone else. Willow was fierce and a bit scary sometimes, although she was loyal and protective of her brother and was a great friend.
I felt connected with all of the characters, even the minor ones like Sylph, Thom, even Frankie and Adam, who were buttheads in the beginning but slowly grew on me.
There was some mention of the old world and what it used to be…I didn’t realize until now that it’s a futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting. Either I forgot that from the first book, or there was nothing mentioned. I had been taking it as high fantasy with its own world, so that was a big surprise! I was intrigued by the way they talked about the old railroad tracks (and how they were fascinated by the idea of a train instead of horses) and the American flag and the 50 states. Very cool!
Something else I feel the need to mention: This book made me cry. That is usually really hard for me! And under the circumstances, I never thought those parts would affect me so much, so the depth of emotion I felt totally caught me by surprise. Either I’m turning into a total softy, or CJ’s writing is just that good. I think we all know which one it is, since I’d never admit to the other ;D
I did find the mystery to be a bit predictable…I guessed it right away from a very obvious reason (that the characters didn’t even think of), but thought because it was the obvious choice that I could be wrong. So I wasn’t 100% sure. When it was revealed, though, I wasn’t surprised and didn’t feel the shock that I probably should have. Thankfully it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the journey with the characters in finding out the truth! And there was a pretty good twist at the end regarding Logan that I never saw coming!
AND THE ENDING. How could you leave it like that, CJ? Howww?! Things were left completely wide open! And through talking to her on twitter, I’ve come to find that book 3 doesn’t come out until AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. OF NEXT YEAR. *cries*
Favorite quotes:
[He] stares at me like I’m up on the Claiming stage until I tell him that if he can’t find something better to do with his eyes, I’ll remove them from his face.
“Don’t screw it up.” He winks at me.
“If your eyelid twitches one more time while you’re looking at me, I’m going to remove it and feed it to the birds.”
Did I mention I love Rachel?
Sylph’s fingers are much gentler than Rachel’s. She treats my cut like a new friend she’s just getting to know while Rachel treats wounds like challenges that must be overcome through sheer strength and tenacity.
Lmao! Sounds like Rachel :p
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Plot: 5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World-building: 4.5/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 4.5/5
June 3, 2025
I’ll admit, I was pretty skeptical going into this book because book 1 wasn’t a huge hit for me, but I ended up really enjoying it. The cat-and-mouse game plot was really interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat, and there’s a lot of really great character development in this one. This book also touched a lot of trauma and how the characters dealt with it in their own different ways felt very real and relatable.
After this one, I’m really excited to see how this trilogy is going to wrap up! It definitely reads like an older YA dystopian fantasy series, but these books are still pretty good. I think they’re worth reading!
After this one, I’m really excited to see how this trilogy is going to wrap up! It definitely reads like an older YA dystopian fantasy series, but these books are still pretty good. I think they’re worth reading!
August 17, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty:Beautiful story with amazing characters, wonderful romance, and heart pounding adventure! There were a few times I lost a little interest in the story, but overall this was an amazing read!
Opening Sentence:“What are you going to tell them?”
The Review:
With their home destroyed and nowhere else to go, the people of Baalboden decide to follow Logan and Rachel to a new home. They set out into the wilderness to travel to a neighboring city where they hope to find safety. But the dreaded commander has recruited an army and is in hot pursuit of their little group. He wants what Logan stole from him and he will stop at nothing to get it back. While racing across the wilderness the small group of survivors learns to fight and there is hope that maybe they will make it to safety, but then disaster strikes.
There is a traitor among them that has started killing off people one by one. Logan and Rachel don’t know who they can trust and soon all the pressure starts to take a toll on them. Will their love be able to survive this new obstacle? Will they be able to protect the ones they love or will they have to watch more people they care about die?
Rachel is racked with guilt from what she has done not only to the people she loves but also the people she has killed. I completely adored Rachel in the first book and sadly I felt a slight disconnect with her in this one. She is still a strong intelligent girl, but she lets her feeling of guilt and revenge drive her to make stupid decisions. I get that she is trying to deal with everything and it would be overwhelming, but I felt she takes things a little too far. She starts to push Logan away which made me mad, but it added the contention the story needed. But I am happy to say that by the end of the story, the Rachel I loved does make a reappearance and I am very hopeful that I will be able to fully reconnect with her again in the next book.
Logan is as cute as ever, but he has lost some of the confidence that I loved about him so much. Becoming the leader of their small group was very stressful for him and he wasn’t quite ready for the responsibility that was thrown at him. I felt that even though he made a lot of mistakes he did the best that he could and that made me admire him even more. He is very charming and the way he treats Rachel is so sweet. I love that he is smart and driven yet full of compassion and courage. I also really enjoyed that we got to know a lot more about his background, it made his story make a lot more sense! Logan captured my heart in Defiance and my love for him just grew more in this book.
This was a beautifully written story with non-stop action, adorable romance, and bitter betrayal. From the very first page you are thrown right back into the story and the pacing never seemed to falter. Even though this book had all these great elements, I still found myself losing interest at certain points in the book. I can’t really pinpoint exactly what it was that made me want to put the book down but there were a few times where I just didn’t feel like reading this book. Honestly, it may have been that I just wasn’t in the mood for a fantasy book or the fact that the book was rather depressing at times. Because of this it took me a very long time to get through this story, but once I picked it back up the final time, I finished it in one sitting. So with all that being said, I still really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the last book in the series! Redwine has amazing and captivating writing that is very fun to get lost in! I would highly recommend this series to anyone that is looking for a fantasy series with a dystopian type world!
Notable Scene:
Without waiting for a response, I walk away. Across the clearing. Through the eastern edge of camp and deep into the shadowy depths of the wasteland with its scrubby ferns and spongy moss, its reverent stillness and its well-kept secrets. I keep my head held high and my shoulders straight, though there’s no one left to see it. I won’t look weak and broken again. Not for Quinn. Not for anyone.
FTC Advisory: Balzer + Bray/Harper Teen provided me with a copy of Deception. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty:Beautiful story with amazing characters, wonderful romance, and heart pounding adventure! There were a few times I lost a little interest in the story, but overall this was an amazing read!
Opening Sentence:“What are you going to tell them?”
The Review:
With their home destroyed and nowhere else to go, the people of Baalboden decide to follow Logan and Rachel to a new home. They set out into the wilderness to travel to a neighboring city where they hope to find safety. But the dreaded commander has recruited an army and is in hot pursuit of their little group. He wants what Logan stole from him and he will stop at nothing to get it back. While racing across the wilderness the small group of survivors learns to fight and there is hope that maybe they will make it to safety, but then disaster strikes.
There is a traitor among them that has started killing off people one by one. Logan and Rachel don’t know who they can trust and soon all the pressure starts to take a toll on them. Will their love be able to survive this new obstacle? Will they be able to protect the ones they love or will they have to watch more people they care about die?
Rachel is racked with guilt from what she has done not only to the people she loves but also the people she has killed. I completely adored Rachel in the first book and sadly I felt a slight disconnect with her in this one. She is still a strong intelligent girl, but she lets her feeling of guilt and revenge drive her to make stupid decisions. I get that she is trying to deal with everything and it would be overwhelming, but I felt she takes things a little too far. She starts to push Logan away which made me mad, but it added the contention the story needed. But I am happy to say that by the end of the story, the Rachel I loved does make a reappearance and I am very hopeful that I will be able to fully reconnect with her again in the next book.
Logan is as cute as ever, but he has lost some of the confidence that I loved about him so much. Becoming the leader of their small group was very stressful for him and he wasn’t quite ready for the responsibility that was thrown at him. I felt that even though he made a lot of mistakes he did the best that he could and that made me admire him even more. He is very charming and the way he treats Rachel is so sweet. I love that he is smart and driven yet full of compassion and courage. I also really enjoyed that we got to know a lot more about his background, it made his story make a lot more sense! Logan captured my heart in Defiance and my love for him just grew more in this book.
This was a beautifully written story with non-stop action, adorable romance, and bitter betrayal. From the very first page you are thrown right back into the story and the pacing never seemed to falter. Even though this book had all these great elements, I still found myself losing interest at certain points in the book. I can’t really pinpoint exactly what it was that made me want to put the book down but there were a few times where I just didn’t feel like reading this book. Honestly, it may have been that I just wasn’t in the mood for a fantasy book or the fact that the book was rather depressing at times. Because of this it took me a very long time to get through this story, but once I picked it back up the final time, I finished it in one sitting. So with all that being said, I still really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the last book in the series! Redwine has amazing and captivating writing that is very fun to get lost in! I would highly recommend this series to anyone that is looking for a fantasy series with a dystopian type world!
Notable Scene:
Without waiting for a response, I walk away. Across the clearing. Through the eastern edge of camp and deep into the shadowy depths of the wasteland with its scrubby ferns and spongy moss, its reverent stillness and its well-kept secrets. I keep my head held high and my shoulders straight, though there’s no one left to see it. I won’t look weak and broken again. Not for Quinn. Not for anyone.
FTC Advisory: Balzer + Bray/Harper Teen provided me with a copy of Deception. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
June 24, 2014
It's rare that there are second books in YA trilogies that do not suffer from any form of sophomore book syndrome. Deception, fortunately, strays away from any kind of second-book syndrome and managed to stand strong next to it's predecessor, Defiance, one of my favorite reads of 2012. Redwine weaved together a story with strong characters without falling into holes of cliches. For me, Deception was quite the exceptional read!
Rachel and Logan were both spectacular main characters in Defiance. I didn't know it was possible to flesh them out further, but C.J Redwine crafted them into even more beautiful characters. Typically, multiple POVs rarely work for me, but this series is one example where I feel like the dual POVs of Rachel and Logan strengthens the story. They are so different from each other, but at the same time their shared goals and emotional strength makes them so similar. Rachel has always been the fiery, strong and determined one in the relationship. She's still the same in Deception. There are times when she makes decisions without thinking through the possible consequences. It was infuriating at times and I needed Rachel to not be so impulsive. She was blinded by her revenge and I'm not going to lie, there were times I was almost ready to get into the book and shake her by the shoulders! Thankfully, Logan was there to ground her. He was the more thoughtful and sensible one in the relationship. He suffers from a lot of self-doubt in Deception because he has to lead this huge group of people and every time someone dies, we see how the guilt almost shreds and torments him internally. Their differences are what makes them so perfect for each other though because they fit and stabilize like two pieces of a puzzle. Their romance was the shining star of the book for me. Deception was a dark and angsty book, but the sweet and touching moments between the two of them were like spotlights that calmed me down throughout the story and gave me hope.
C.J Redwine also went to lengths to develop her secondary characters. We get to know them as much as the main characters, which is fascinating because not many authors can do that, especially in a dystopian novel where much of the focus tends to remain on the world-building and the plot. Quinn and Willow were my favorites. This brother-sister duo had gone through a lot of heartache and they aren't readily accepted by the group and often time had to go through lengths to seek their approval, but I couldn't help but admire their resilience in face of everything. My only disappointment when it comes to the characters is the absence of the Commander for most of the book. He was a crazy bastard who gave me the chills in the first book, so I was a little let down that he wasn't as present in the story despite the whole plot being propelled by him. The plot had two parts to it: a mystery involving murders within Logan's group and their journey in finding refuge from the Commander and his ever growing army. The mystery part I thought was quite predictable, but I seem to think that of every YA mystery for some reason. Despite that, I couldn't help but feel betrayed by the character when my suspicions were confirmed. Deception was quite the hefty read, but C.J Redwine managed to keep a tight leash on my attention throughout with the unexpected twists and turns that she kept throwing in the reader's face. In addition, I was tensed throughout the entire book because I cared so much for these character and anytime something remotely dangerous would happen, my heart would start palpitating. If that's not a positive sign of an entertaining and action-packed book, then I don't know what is.
Deception does end in a quite painful cliffhanger and I'm glad I actually waited to have the final book in my hands before I started this, but this series in general is a solid, entertaining and well-crafted one that shouldn't be missed out by fans of the genre. The emotional intensity that the book is written with makes it worth the money and the time. Hopefully, the third book will end with a loud and resonating bang!
May 31, 2014
Deception has become one of my new favorite books of the year, if not ever! It has lived up to all the hype and more!
This was wonderfully suspenseful, amazingly crafted, masterpiece, by no other then C.J Redwine herself. She has grown in her writing, and it drew me in and grabbed me into her thick-plotted, action-packed, fight for survival, that left my heart pounding, hands shaking, and needing more! I loved every minute of it. Now I just need book three!
To be honest, Defiance the first book in this series was not my favorite book last year. But I still really liked, a lot! But let me tell you that Deception has surpassed any and all of the expectations I had, and has given any other book in its genre, a run for their money, because it literally blow me away! Seriously left me speechless!
The Plot:
This book picks up where Defiance left off. With Baalboden destroyed by the Cursed Ones and the commander missing in action after his failed attempt to obtain the device that controls the Cursed Ones from Logan and Rachel.
The commander has ripped Rachel and Logan's life to shreds. He has abused is powers as the commander and ruler of their once little city of Baalboden. He helped burn it to the ground, then abandoned his people to the Cursed Ones to die. After aiding in the destruction of their City, most of his followers turned to the only man to ever stand up to the commander, Logan, the 19 year old that was branded, labeled an outcast by the commander when he was a small child. He is now their leader as they fight for freedom and opportunity!
The commander will stop at nothing to get the very thing to gain him unlimited control, power over not only his followers, but the rest of the city's combined! And he's determined to get it from Rachel and Logan no matter the cost!
Rachel and Logan would rather die then hand over anything to the commander. And their going too see to it that it never lands in his hands. Better yet, their going to see to it that he doesn't make it out alive so he never has the opportunity to hurt anyone again! But the commander is the least of their worries, as someone is lurking within their group, posing as one of them, and killing their people by the dozens, turning it into a cat and mouse game by leaving insane notes behind demanding a pain atonement to be paid, a sacrifice for their sins. And it says it will be paid in blood, a lot of blood...
But if we know one thing about Rachel and Logan, its that they're not going down without a fight. And they're determined to find the traitor within their group, and take out the commander that's hot on their trail, and make them all pay for their crimes! Rachel will not rest until the commanders head is on a stick and the traitor is 6 feet under ground!
I loved all the characters in this book. They were highly developed with enough depth and thought in each one, that it was like they all had a story to tell. And Rachel....oh, Rachel, she was a broken! This poor girl never got a break. My heart went out to her. She had things and death and pain of the ones she loved around every corner. She was lost, detached, and in a lot of pain. And more just kept coming!
Overall, Deception was so much more then I could of imagined. I loved everything about Deception and wouldn't change any of it! It was perfect the way it was, and I will be long awaiting for the 3rd and final book to be in my happy little hands! C.J. Redwine you have blown this book out of the water!
February 25, 2019
A very solid follow up to a strong first book, this book took what was created in the first installment, expanded on it, and took us on a new adventure.
The same elements that I enjoyed so much about the last book were still present here. The characters were deep, the action was enthralling, and Redwine wasn’t afraid to make the hard choices. After all the bloodshed and misery in the first book, I thought she might let up a bit in this one, but nope. She most definitely did not. Somehow, despite the fact that the group is simply traveling across the Wasteland, Redwine managed to keep the reader’s attention as well as continue to develop the characters. Rachel was already incredibly well-developed in the previous book, but she went even deeper in this book. She really hit rock bottom. It was all so emotional and vivid, which is a testament to Redwine’s way with words. She can paint a beautifully terrible scene like no one else, and we, the reader, really feel the pain and suffering.
There were a lot of different dynamics going on in this book. We had Rachel and Logan, Rachel and Quinn, Rachel and Willow, Willow and Quinn, Willow and Logan, Rachel and Slyph.This book was so incredibly character driven, and it was so effortless. The way they all interacted, were motivated by their love for each other, influenced and helped each other, made it so easy for the reader to become invested in them. They all interacted in such unique ways, and I loved the conflict or collaboration between them. Redwine had several opportunities to completely mess everything up. She could have created drama between Logan and Rachel, she could have put Logan and Willow together or Quinn and Rachel, but she was having none of that. They all love each other deeply and are very close, both physically and mentally, but there was never even a hint of anything more. They love each other platonically, and there’s no room for anything else. And I love that it was presented that way, that it was fact that they love each other, but nobody felt weird about it. I loved their relationships and how, just like in the previous book, the storyline was driven by love.
Redwine had this almost sixth sense where she could tell just when the reader was kind of losing interest in the story and that’s when she would strike and add in some action. I would start to get bored and then BOOM. Action. The pacing was kind of stop and start, it would pick up and then taper off, then pick up again, but I didn’t mind too much, it still worked. The fact that she managed to make a trip across the Wasteland so interesting is truly impressive. I expected the story to simply be about the group running from the Commander, but it was so much more. I love how she threw in the extra mystery of an assassin. The ambiguity of who he was and what he wanted really added suspense and spice to the story. I was trying to figure it all out but I was genuinely stumped. I couldn't figure out the motive or the guy, even though I had my suspicions on the guy. The way it was revealed was a bit easy, but once it was out, it made sense.
I remember in my last review I said Redwine had been dropping hints about Logan that she hadn’t followed up on in that book and would probably address in the future. Well, here we are, in the future, and they have definitely been addressed. Logan was developed a lot in this book, and I really liked that. We all already knew he had a sharp mind and loved Rachel, but now there’s more to him. We know he’s the kind of person who would put aside a life’s worth of torment to help the very people who cast him aside. We know he loved his people and was driven to save them, at any cost. And it was really cool to see his people finally accept him. He had his doubters, people who didn't want to listen to his leadership and actively tried to undermine it, but he earned their respect and, when it came down to it, they defended him. He had fought and suffered beside them, he had taken the lead when no one else could, and he had kept them alive. That acceptance, respect, and loyalty must have meant the world to him, and it was so cool to see, espeically because of everything he did for them. We know he is selfless to a fault (which was also very annoying because so is Rachel but he would get soooo mad when she would risk her life, but then would do the same thing in the next scene). I really loved how he interacted with Rachel. They spent so much time apart in the last book, now they get to be together. But the thing is, both of them are still suffering. Like, Rachel is having a meltdown and he is too busy to really, truly help her even though he can’t because it’s something Rachel has to go through herself. But I love that he tried. I love that he was aware of her, that he wanted her to talk to him, to let it out. That’s what so many people don’t do, they don’t try to solve problems by talking. He wanted her to confide in him, but he understood when she couldn’t. Most people don't care enough to even make that effort. I really respected that.
It was absolutely genius, such a smart twist on a seemingly basic plot point. It really added in some oomph, some pain and emotion, and it was just damn clever. Honestly, it was truly evil, which I loved. This book really didn’t hold back at all, there were serious issues addressed, there were disturbing scenes, and people died. There was a lot of blood and pain, and that’s what I really enjoyed about it. Granted, there was some dialogue that was rather cringey and could have been done better, but whatever.
The ending. Oh my god. Dammit, Redwine got me good with that one. But I loved that ending and what it sets up in the next book. Honestly, this was one of the strongest sequels I think I’ve ever read. It developed the story further from the first book and then handed off the baton to the next book. The ending set up the third and final book perfectly, and even though I never intended to finish this series, now I want to. These books aren’t the best in the world, they’re not perfectly written or expertly planned out. It isn’t an incredibly complex story, it’s just enjoyable. There is something special about this story, about these characters, that has me really invested. On to the next book!
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Emily's Crammed Bookshelf
The same elements that I enjoyed so much about the last book were still present here. The characters were deep, the action was enthralling, and Redwine wasn’t afraid to make the hard choices. After all the bloodshed and misery in the first book, I thought she might let up a bit in this one, but nope. She most definitely did not. Somehow, despite the fact that the group is simply traveling across the Wasteland, Redwine managed to keep the reader’s attention as well as continue to develop the characters. Rachel was already incredibly well-developed in the previous book, but she went even deeper in this book. She really hit rock bottom. It was all so emotional and vivid, which is a testament to Redwine’s way with words. She can paint a beautifully terrible scene like no one else, and we, the reader, really feel the pain and suffering.
There were a lot of different dynamics going on in this book. We had Rachel and Logan, Rachel and Quinn, Rachel and Willow, Willow and Quinn, Willow and Logan, Rachel and Slyph.This book was so incredibly character driven, and it was so effortless. The way they all interacted, were motivated by their love for each other, influenced and helped each other, made it so easy for the reader to become invested in them. They all interacted in such unique ways, and I loved the conflict or collaboration between them. Redwine had several opportunities to completely mess everything up. She could have created drama between Logan and Rachel, she could have put Logan and Willow together or Quinn and Rachel, but she was having none of that. They all love each other deeply and are very close, both physically and mentally, but there was never even a hint of anything more. They love each other platonically, and there’s no room for anything else. And I love that it was presented that way, that it was fact that they love each other, but nobody felt weird about it. I loved their relationships and how, just like in the previous book, the storyline was driven by love.
Redwine had this almost sixth sense where she could tell just when the reader was kind of losing interest in the story and that’s when she would strike and add in some action. I would start to get bored and then BOOM. Action. The pacing was kind of stop and start, it would pick up and then taper off, then pick up again, but I didn’t mind too much, it still worked. The fact that she managed to make a trip across the Wasteland so interesting is truly impressive. I expected the story to simply be about the group running from the Commander, but it was so much more. I love how she threw in the extra mystery of an assassin. The ambiguity of who he was and what he wanted really added suspense and spice to the story. I was trying to figure it all out but I was genuinely stumped. I couldn't figure out the motive or the guy, even though I had my suspicions on the guy. The way it was revealed was a bit easy, but once it was out, it made sense.
I remember in my last review I said Redwine had been dropping hints about Logan that she hadn’t followed up on in that book and would probably address in the future. Well, here we are, in the future, and they have definitely been addressed. Logan was developed a lot in this book, and I really liked that. We all already knew he had a sharp mind and loved Rachel, but now there’s more to him. We know he’s the kind of person who would put aside a life’s worth of torment to help the very people who cast him aside. We know he loved his people and was driven to save them, at any cost. And it was really cool to see his people finally accept him. He had his doubters, people who didn't want to listen to his leadership and actively tried to undermine it, but he earned their respect and, when it came down to it, they defended him. He had fought and suffered beside them, he had taken the lead when no one else could, and he had kept them alive. That acceptance, respect, and loyalty must have meant the world to him, and it was so cool to see, espeically because of everything he did for them. We know he is selfless to a fault (which was also very annoying because so is Rachel but he would get soooo mad when she would risk her life, but then would do the same thing in the next scene). I really loved how he interacted with Rachel. They spent so much time apart in the last book, now they get to be together. But the thing is, both of them are still suffering. Like, Rachel is having a meltdown and he is too busy to really, truly help her even though he can’t because it’s something Rachel has to go through herself. But I love that he tried. I love that he was aware of her, that he wanted her to talk to him, to let it out. That’s what so many people don’t do, they don’t try to solve problems by talking. He wanted her to confide in him, but he understood when she couldn’t. Most people don't care enough to even make that effort. I really respected that.
It was absolutely genius, such a smart twist on a seemingly basic plot point. It really added in some oomph, some pain and emotion, and it was just damn clever. Honestly, it was truly evil, which I loved. This book really didn’t hold back at all, there were serious issues addressed, there were disturbing scenes, and people died. There was a lot of blood and pain, and that’s what I really enjoyed about it. Granted, there was some dialogue that was rather cringey and could have been done better, but whatever.
The ending. Oh my god. Dammit, Redwine got me good with that one. But I loved that ending and what it sets up in the next book. Honestly, this was one of the strongest sequels I think I’ve ever read. It developed the story further from the first book and then handed off the baton to the next book. The ending set up the third and final book perfectly, and even though I never intended to finish this series, now I want to. These books aren’t the best in the world, they’re not perfectly written or expertly planned out. It isn’t an incredibly complex story, it’s just enjoyable. There is something special about this story, about these characters, that has me really invested. On to the next book!
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Emily's Crammed Bookshelf
November 11, 2015
Rating: 4 ½ Stars
Source: ARC Copy (requested by reviewer)
The engaging second installment in the Courier's Daughter series. At times unflinchingly brutal, and at other times...soul-touchingly profound.
Redwine shows notable growth from the previous book, weaving her story with breathless pacing, harmonious cadence, and dynamic prose. But by no means would I call this dark, epic-fantasy continuation an “easy read.” At some points, I thought the plot was beating me like I owed it money. The depraved potential of humanity comes through as savagely as the base drive for hope and survival against all odds. But any who've read the first book in the series should already realize this isn't a fluffy tale for the faint-of-heart. (The author does NOT shy away from a body count.)
Rachel may be one of the strongest heroines this reviewer has ever encountered. I was able to form a better understanding of her from the very start of this book, despite the character being trapped in a wearying feedback loop of self-recrimination. Those who've suffered mind-shattering trauma and loss will likely be best able to identify with the internal conflict Rachel struggles with throughout the story. In that way, it's almost therapeutic—working the reader through internal damage and frailty along with the heroine. Which segues into one of my favorite quotes:
“Maybe that's what love is. Giving others the power to hurt you and trusting that they'll use it to heal you instead.” - Rachel
By far, the most overall character advancement is seen in the ever-logical hero, Logan. With leadership thrust upon him by a desperate band of fleeing survivors, he's forced to take responsibility for the welfare of a broken people he's not sure he can save. Several side-characters come into their own in this book as well--siblings Quinn and Willow displaying the most intriguing and noteworthy development.
Though the identity of the killer is easy to narrow down to a handful of qualified possibilities, motives and identities are more nebulous than they may seem. And while the cliffhanger ending doesn't leave the kind of closure or satisfaction this reviewer might have preferred, it did leave me wanting more. (I probably wouldn't gripe so much if book 3 were already out.)
Source: ARC Copy (requested by reviewer)
The engaging second installment in the Courier's Daughter series. At times unflinchingly brutal, and at other times...soul-touchingly profound.
Redwine shows notable growth from the previous book, weaving her story with breathless pacing, harmonious cadence, and dynamic prose. But by no means would I call this dark, epic-fantasy continuation an “easy read.” At some points, I thought the plot was beating me like I owed it money. The depraved potential of humanity comes through as savagely as the base drive for hope and survival against all odds. But any who've read the first book in the series should already realize this isn't a fluffy tale for the faint-of-heart. (The author does NOT shy away from a body count.)
Rachel may be one of the strongest heroines this reviewer has ever encountered. I was able to form a better understanding of her from the very start of this book, despite the character being trapped in a wearying feedback loop of self-recrimination. Those who've suffered mind-shattering trauma and loss will likely be best able to identify with the internal conflict Rachel struggles with throughout the story. In that way, it's almost therapeutic—working the reader through internal damage and frailty along with the heroine. Which segues into one of my favorite quotes:
“Maybe that's what love is. Giving others the power to hurt you and trusting that they'll use it to heal you instead.” - Rachel
By far, the most overall character advancement is seen in the ever-logical hero, Logan. With leadership thrust upon him by a desperate band of fleeing survivors, he's forced to take responsibility for the welfare of a broken people he's not sure he can save. Several side-characters come into their own in this book as well--siblings Quinn and Willow displaying the most intriguing and noteworthy development.
Though the identity of the killer is easy to narrow down to a handful of qualified possibilities, motives and identities are more nebulous than they may seem. And while the cliffhanger ending doesn't leave the kind of closure or satisfaction this reviewer might have preferred, it did leave me wanting more. (I probably wouldn't gripe so much if book 3 were already out.)
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