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Defender
Defier
Everything Sierra once held as true has been turned on its head. Yet, amidst the chaos and uncertainty, one constant Hawke, the boy she grew up with. When he takes her to his world, she gets to experience Draegona in all its glory for the first time. But with another attack, they find themselves in a race against time.
Hawke's world and Sierra's world are on a collision course with the relentless advance of the Kerjorn Kingdom, a threat that could spell disaster for both kingdoms. Their only hope lies in bridging the gap between two vastly different people groups and uniting their forces.
Together, Hawke and Sierra must navigate a treacherous path, balancing their deepening feelings towards each other with their mission to bring the two worlds together. Through grit and determination and the unbreakable bond of friendship turned into so much more, Hawke and Sierra lead the way and prove that love can defy all the odds. This is a full-length, closed-door romance.
Hawke's world and Sierra's world are on a collision course with the relentless advance of the Kerjorn Kingdom, a threat that could spell disaster for both kingdoms. Their only hope lies in bridging the gap between two vastly different people groups and uniting their forces.
Together, Hawke and Sierra must navigate a treacherous path, balancing their deepening feelings towards each other with their mission to bring the two worlds together. Through grit and determination and the unbreakable bond of friendship turned into so much more, Hawke and Sierra lead the way and prove that love can defy all the odds. This is a full-length, closed-door romance.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2023
About the author
A.J. Manney
32 books176 followersA. J. Manney lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and four kids. Some of her favorite things to do include reading, family days, being a pastor's wife, and watching football on Sunday afternoons with her family
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 22, 2025
The last 100 pages redeemed this book.
Book 1 - 5 stars
Book 2 - 3.5 stars
The story does have the usual tropes but this book is unique.
Dragons
Soul mates
Chosen ones
My favourite part is the story about Sierra and her best friend she calls boy. Sierra was not a loved child and was abused by her father. This friendship was an anchor for her from age 6 and has a huge part to play in who she becomes.
Sierra drew dragons from a very young age, this was vehemently discouraged by all the adults in her life, the only person who doesn’t belittle her is boy.
When she is summoned to join the cadets on the wall she finally makes some friends who play a considerable role in her training and growth at the camp.
She experiences great betrayal at the hands of a close friend. This impacts her relationships later on.
The dragons are portrayed differently, they each have their own gifts and do not all breathe fire. They have vulnerabilities and need to be protected. I absolutely loved the first book. The second took a strange detour but I am glad I stuck with it.
I would highly recommend.
Book 1 - 5 stars
Book 2 - 3.5 stars
The story does have the usual tropes but this book is unique.
Dragons
Soul mates
Chosen ones
My favourite part is the story about Sierra and her best friend she calls boy. Sierra was not a loved child and was abused by her father. This friendship was an anchor for her from age 6 and has a huge part to play in who she becomes.
Sierra drew dragons from a very young age, this was vehemently discouraged by all the adults in her life, the only person who doesn’t belittle her is boy.
When she is summoned to join the cadets on the wall she finally makes some friends who play a considerable role in her training and growth at the camp.
She experiences great betrayal at the hands of a close friend. This impacts her relationships later on.
The dragons are portrayed differently, they each have their own gifts and do not all breathe fire. They have vulnerabilities and need to be protected. I absolutely loved the first book. The second took a strange detour but I am glad I stuck with it.
I would highly recommend.
September 8, 2024
light read
The story reminded me of “Divergnet”. It is a light read. The plot was not strong, but it kept me engaged. What I found annoying is the timeline which was contradictory. For example, Casey helped getting Sierra out of prison and they reconciled, then later, she seemed to be still holding a grudge against Sierra. I wish the author read the story again and fixed these errors.
The story reminded me of “Divergnet”. It is a light read. The plot was not strong, but it kept me engaged. What I found annoying is the timeline which was contradictory. For example, Casey helped getting Sierra out of prison and they reconciled, then later, she seemed to be still holding a grudge against Sierra. I wish the author read the story again and fixed these errors.
November 30, 2023
I ❤️ Hawke
I enjoyed it, love the way Hawke treats Sierra. Even if her lack of following orders does drive the rule follower in me crazy 🤣. I really enjoy AJ Manney books and am hoping she writes the stories on a few of the side characters.
I enjoyed it, love the way Hawke treats Sierra. Even if her lack of following orders does drive the rule follower in me crazy 🤣. I really enjoy AJ Manney books and am hoping she writes the stories on a few of the side characters.
Did Not Finish
March 10, 2026DNF 17%
I was struggling with Sierra a lot here. Her character was so different than what she started out as in book 1, but it wasn’t necessarily good growth. Sierra was so cocky and now her skills are exceptional, she’s shooting arrows off the back of a dragon for the first time, and still hitting every target. She’s threatening a guy that she’ll kill him if he lays a hand on her, but she wasn’t even ever able to win a sparring match. Book one was much more believable.
And she is cousin to the princess, she should have been much more respectful speaking to the Queen of Dragonia. But then she goes in and thanks the kitchen staff?? She never thanked the staff at the training camp?? It seemed like that was just thrown in to make her seem like a better person.
And her refusing to listen to Hawke in anything was frustrating. It should be obvious that she’d put herself and others in unnecessary risk by going back to a country that she is a wanted criminal, but Sierra HAS to check on her friends that are more skilled than her, and check on a city that can’t survive without her??? It was so frustrating reading, because Sierra started out as such a likable, relatable character in book 1.
I was willing to overlook Sierra’s character flaws because the worldbuilding is so interesting, and the plot had me very curious how everything is going to play out…but by 17% I had come across 4 typos and if I pay for an ebook I think I should get a quality worth paying for. So I returned Defier, but if it ever gets a good editing done I would try this book again.
To end on a good note, the writing itself is nice, it has a good flow, and is easy to read. The author also has created a very interesting world.
Content up to 17%: no swearing, no spice, some violence but nondescript.
I was struggling with Sierra a lot here. Her character was so different than what she started out as in book 1, but it wasn’t necessarily good growth. Sierra was so cocky and now her skills are exceptional, she’s shooting arrows off the back of a dragon for the first time, and still hitting every target. She’s threatening a guy that she’ll kill him if he lays a hand on her, but she wasn’t even ever able to win a sparring match. Book one was much more believable.
And she is cousin to the princess, she should have been much more respectful speaking to the Queen of Dragonia. But then she goes in and thanks the kitchen staff?? She never thanked the staff at the training camp?? It seemed like that was just thrown in to make her seem like a better person.
And her refusing to listen to Hawke in anything was frustrating. It should be obvious that she’d put herself and others in unnecessary risk by going back to a country that she is a wanted criminal, but Sierra HAS to check on her friends that are more skilled than her, and check on a city that can’t survive without her??? It was so frustrating reading, because Sierra started out as such a likable, relatable character in book 1.
I was willing to overlook Sierra’s character flaws because the worldbuilding is so interesting, and the plot had me very curious how everything is going to play out…but by 17% I had come across 4 typos and if I pay for an ebook I think I should get a quality worth paying for. So I returned Defier, but if it ever gets a good editing done I would try this book again.
To end on a good note, the writing itself is nice, it has a good flow, and is easy to read. The author also has created a very interesting world.
Content up to 17%: no swearing, no spice, some violence but nondescript.
September 27, 2024
This duology is a perfect blend of cozy fantasy romance yet epic, action-packed. This duology is a light, fun, and easy to read. These books are brimming with slow burn, clean, sweet, swoony, closed-door romance. Yes, all those adjectives fit Sierra and Hawke’s journey to love.
Hawke is the grumpy-to-less grumpy type of MMC with touch her and die vibes. I absolutely loved the dragons, and the mind speak. It gets me hooked every time. Sierra is a typical 18-year-old and in book one, a lot of the dialogue reflected her age, but her character arc was great. She was brave, determined and funny. I loved her “did I say that out loud?” moments. Lol I also enjoyed the mystery of finding out who Sierra’s true parents were. I just loved how that turned out (it’s hard for me to talk about it without spoiling it!).
Rating: 4.5/5
Hawke is the grumpy-to-less grumpy type of MMC with touch her and die vibes. I absolutely loved the dragons, and the mind speak. It gets me hooked every time. Sierra is a typical 18-year-old and in book one, a lot of the dialogue reflected her age, but her character arc was great. She was brave, determined and funny. I loved her “did I say that out loud?” moments. Lol I also enjoyed the mystery of finding out who Sierra’s true parents were. I just loved how that turned out (it’s hard for me to talk about it without spoiling it!).
Rating: 4.5/5
February 3, 2026
Incredible Continuation
Defier was an incredible continuation of the Defender series and completely lived up to the first book. This clean romantasy delivers everything I love—dragons, action, loyalty, and deep emotional growth. Watching Sierra’s healing journey was especially powerful. The way her relationships with her friends and family evolved felt authentic and meaningful, adding so much heart to the story.
War is here and the stakes are higher, the character development is richer, and the world continues to expand in such an engaging way. The romance between several characters complemented the plot without overshadowing it. The ending was very satisfying and perfectly earned!
Defier was an incredible continuation of the Defender series and completely lived up to the first book. This clean romantasy delivers everything I love—dragons, action, loyalty, and deep emotional growth. Watching Sierra’s healing journey was especially powerful. The way her relationships with her friends and family evolved felt authentic and meaningful, adding so much heart to the story.
War is here and the stakes are higher, the character development is richer, and the world continues to expand in such an engaging way. The romance between several characters complemented the plot without overshadowing it. The ending was very satisfying and perfectly earned!
June 25, 2025
A 4.5 star average on this title is absurd to me. While certainly not the worst YA fantasy out there, it's rather dull. Defender was a little better and left me genuinely curious how the author would tie this story up, yet I was a bit disappointed. The romance aspect of this duology was way over done in Defier. Almost to the point where it took away from the entire story and did a complete 180 from the direction it ultimately should have gone. The fantasy aspects were cut far too short only to drag out the relationship between Sierra and Hawke - which was incredibly cringey. I found far too many grammar and spelling mistakes as well which leads me to believe this was far too rushed in publication. There wasn't a whole lot going for this story to begin with, but I was rather disappointed with how it wrapped up nonetheless.
March 17, 2025
Defier ( Defender series book 2 )
OUTSTANDING!! A strong storyline that grips you and does NOT let you go until the end!! Mind bending suspense that I assure you will not be predictable, just when you think you know how it’s going to end , goes brilliantly in a different direction. You laugh out loud!! You find yourself getting the tissues, you become extremely happy, definitely a must read .AJ Manney is a wonderful writer, her books are a must read
OUTSTANDING!! A strong storyline that grips you and does NOT let you go until the end!! Mind bending suspense that I assure you will not be predictable, just when you think you know how it’s going to end , goes brilliantly in a different direction. You laugh out loud!! You find yourself getting the tissues, you become extremely happy, definitely a must read .AJ Manney is a wonderful writer, her books are a must read
May 27, 2026
th only negative is its
Only a two book series. Again l left my wolf shifter addiction to fall into this world and I could not be happier. This world was amazing and left out the explicit sex encounters. It was full of laughter I smiled so much while in this world. The characters were detailed and amazing the story was a pleasant change from so many others. I believe this series had convinced me to move on from shifter only worlds. GREAT READ
Only a two book series. Again l left my wolf shifter addiction to fall into this world and I could not be happier. This world was amazing and left out the explicit sex encounters. It was full of laughter I smiled so much while in this world. The characters were detailed and amazing the story was a pleasant change from so many others. I believe this series had convinced me to move on from shifter only worlds. GREAT READ
November 18, 2024
Brilliant
AJ Manney is a master world builder. She once again creates a magical world where war is real and so are dragons. Love, war, loss and recovery, you feel it all while reading this book. I laughed and cried and sighed in relief. I was sad to put it down when I finished it, but I am so glad that I read it.
AJ Manney is a master world builder. She once again creates a magical world where war is real and so are dragons. Love, war, loss and recovery, you feel it all while reading this book. I laughed and cried and sighed in relief. I was sad to put it down when I finished it, but I am so glad that I read it.
December 27, 2024
Great End to a Super Story
I really enjoyed this duology. Great love story with plenty of action and slow build up. The author doesn’t rush the story but rather lets it build on its own. There are enough twists and turns to keep things exciting and the characters all reveal their motivation.
I really enjoyed this duology. Great love story with plenty of action and slow build up. The author doesn’t rush the story but rather lets it build on its own. There are enough twists and turns to keep things exciting and the characters all reveal their motivation.
June 10, 2025
Loved this series of hers, too! I'm in the process of reading all of A.J.'s books. In this set, she has a way of doing romance that is appropriate to the setting, hooks you in, but you don't have to suffer through all the gory details. Well done, I thought. Her dystopian world brings you just enough angst, balanced by friendship, love, and successful problem-solving.
March 13, 2026
Great fun romantasy
These books were a lot of fun but had some action and tension in them as well. I really enjoyed the romance between the H and h. I'd call it a clean romance that has closed doors scenes after marriage. I enjoyed the heriones tenacity and the frienemies to lovers. It was a lot of fun but woth a few moments on the edge of my seat. Definitely recommend it.
These books were a lot of fun but had some action and tension in them as well. I really enjoyed the romance between the H and h. I'd call it a clean romance that has closed doors scenes after marriage. I enjoyed the heriones tenacity and the frienemies to lovers. It was a lot of fun but woth a few moments on the edge of my seat. Definitely recommend it.
January 3, 2024
never a dull moment
Really great story with an epic love not lust. It was wholesome and kept me eagerly awaiting my next moments to catch up on the latest happenings in this wonderful romance.
Really great story with an epic love not lust. It was wholesome and kept me eagerly awaiting my next moments to catch up on the latest happenings in this wonderful romance.
March 8, 2024
Loved this duet!
You'll love this if you are looking for adventure, action and romance. Nothing too spicy just innuendo so I think it's safe for younger teen readers as well. Beautiful story!
You'll love this if you are looking for adventure, action and romance. Nothing too spicy just innuendo so I think it's safe for younger teen readers as well. Beautiful story!
March 20, 2024
I loved this duet! They were amazing books I finished them both in two days! I never write reviews but these books deserve a review. Hawke was one of my favorite MMC to date! I have read over 20 books this year and Defender and Defier were my favorites!
November 27, 2024
Thrilling story
I read both books in this series. They were wonderful. A. J. Manney is a great storyteller. I just wish all her books were better proofread. Mistakes like mixing up but and butt, to and too, etc drive me nuts.
I read both books in this series. They were wonderful. A. J. Manney is a great storyteller. I just wish all her books were better proofread. Mistakes like mixing up but and butt, to and too, etc drive me nuts.
August 24, 2025
great story
I fell in love with the characters and their camaraderie. Enjoyed the love and the laughter. And the hope of a woman and man who became more than the way they were raised. Loved the diversity, races, species unifying. Hope for our broken human world.
I fell in love with the characters and their camaraderie. Enjoyed the love and the laughter. And the hope of a woman and man who became more than the way they were raised. Loved the diversity, races, species unifying. Hope for our broken human world.
January 24, 2026
Good duology! I think the story really grew and developed in this book. I cared a lot more about our main characters. I would LOVE a spinoff series about Myna and the guard 🤭
I will always love dragons, especially when they have specific powers/abilities !
I will always love dragons, especially when they have specific powers/abilities !
December 8, 2023
the series
I loved this series. I started reading her books just this month. Really love them and I never leave reviews!
I loved this series. I started reading her books just this month. Really love them and I never leave reviews!
April 22, 2024
I enjoyed both of the books in this series, however, my only complaint is they are written more for a young adult crowd. The romance scenes are very muted.
April 26, 2024
Exciting!
This is one of the nest I've read . With adventure, romance and things to excite your mind and imagination! Simply wonderful, you hate to come to the end.
This is one of the nest I've read . With adventure, romance and things to excite your mind and imagination! Simply wonderful, you hate to come to the end.
April 28, 2024
Great read!!
I love this series. Just what I needed after Fourth Wing and Iron Flame!! Great characters. Hawke and Sierra, the hero’s.
I love this series. Just what I needed after Fourth Wing and Iron Flame!! Great characters. Hawke and Sierra, the hero’s.
July 8, 2024
This one was better than the first, more original.
October 13, 2024
The defender Series
Great series, For one person to go through so much , this book is full of action, love, tears, laughter, loyalty, betrayal. This is a great rad.
Great series, For one person to go through so much , this book is full of action, love, tears, laughter, loyalty, betrayal. This is a great rad.
March 31, 2025
A cute book, liked it way better than the first book, had to keep reading. Romantic.
By far not the best written novel or world building, but a nice quick read.
By far not the best written novel or world building, but a nice quick read.
June 6, 2025
Great story,
Great story line couldn’t put it down, would love to read more in the same style and setting
thank you
Great story line couldn’t put it down, would love to read more in the same style and setting
thank you
February 24, 2026
great
So many people with so many possible stories. Good vs evil, hate, forgiveness, betrayal, redemption. Lots of things happening. Clean! Wahoo!
So many people with so many possible stories. Good vs evil, hate, forgiveness, betrayal, redemption. Lots of things happening. Clean! Wahoo!
May 28, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️
Essa duologia é meu primeiro contato com essa autora.
Amei muito a conclusão do livro
Um das melhoras romantasias que li
Li pelo kindle unlimited
Essa duologia é meu primeiro contato com essa autora.
Amei muito a conclusão do livro
Um das melhoras romantasias que li
Li pelo kindle unlimited
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews