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Act of Defiance
Defiance Gray has never had to worry about the Apocalypse. Mainly because it came and went years before she was born. Under the puritan rule of the Church everyone has their place and those unwilling to conform find out all too quickly just how swift punishment can be.
But nothing, not even Priests, frightens Defiance more than the thought of being caught outside after dark. Because when night falls and the bells start to ring, the stone Gargoyles scattered throughout the city come to life and begin their hunt for human souls.
When she starts seeing the Marks, symbols predicting the death of all who wear them, Defiance realizes that the Gargoyles aren’t the only things she has to fear. Which proves to be especially true after she meets Uriel, a winged demon classifying himself as an ‘archangel’.
Defiance Gray has never had to worry about the Apocalypse.
Demons lost the Great War.
The battle was over.
She’d known these things her whole life…but what if she’d been wrong?
But nothing, not even Priests, frightens Defiance more than the thought of being caught outside after dark. Because when night falls and the bells start to ring, the stone Gargoyles scattered throughout the city come to life and begin their hunt for human souls.
When she starts seeing the Marks, symbols predicting the death of all who wear them, Defiance realizes that the Gargoyles aren’t the only things she has to fear. Which proves to be especially true after she meets Uriel, a winged demon classifying himself as an ‘archangel’.
Defiance Gray has never had to worry about the Apocalypse.
Demons lost the Great War.
The battle was over.
She’d known these things her whole life…but what if she’d been wrong?
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2014
28 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 14, 2019
Definitely good is evil and evil is good
It’s when demons win instead the angels. Shows you a world of tyranny and destruction but displayed in good. Uriel and defiance will change that.
It’s when demons win instead the angels. Shows you a world of tyranny and destruction but displayed in good. Uriel and defiance will change that.
February 4, 2015
I found this book well written and filled with beautiful imagery. It was darker than most YA I’ve read, but in a way that fit the story. It has some truly dark dystopian elements that wouldn’t have worked if they’d been taken more lightheartedly, so I appreciated the author taking the story to the places it needed to go. Parts were honestly scary, but each scene had a purpose.
This book has a really interesting religious element. It takes place in a dystopian world where demons have taken over the earth and the surviving humans all worship Satan. So much time has passed that living under the satanic church’s rule is all they’ve ever known. It took a little time to completely understand why the world was the way it was, but the pieces came together at a nice pace. It was interesting hearing the biblical stories I knew well from a demon’s perspective, and it was all written in a way that made it easy to understand why the people lived the way they did.
As for the main character I didn’t like Defiance’s name it just felt a little too obvious, especially when I loved the names of the other characters. It felt like the author put some thought into naming her characters and the places they visited. I did, however, like Defiance’s character. She’s trying to make her way in a world that doesn’t offer her many choices. She’s a little rebellious, but she has a big heart. I enjoyed watching her character develop and seeing her start to question all of the things she’d been taught growing up.
I also really liked Uriel and the comradely between him and Defiance, however I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between them. Near the end of the book, when they start to get to know one another better they felt closer, but for most the book it felt like they had more of a mentor/mentee type relationship. During the moments when they’re put in more romantic situations it just didn’t quite feel right to me, and considering Uriel is an archangel there was something that felt off about him kissing Defiance, especially when she still openly worshiped Satan. I hope with the second book that their relationship will develop more.
My main complaint with this book, and why it lost a star for me, was that it felt short, and ended in a spot that made it feel incomplete. The beginning was great and there was plenty of mystery to fuel the story and keep the plot moving forward, however it didn’t end with the main character meeting any of her goals. Knowing this is a series, obviously the overall plot isn’t going to be resolved, but it felt too much like the story just cut off.
For more reviews by Lauryn April go to LaurynApril.blogspot.com
This book has a really interesting religious element. It takes place in a dystopian world where demons have taken over the earth and the surviving humans all worship Satan. So much time has passed that living under the satanic church’s rule is all they’ve ever known. It took a little time to completely understand why the world was the way it was, but the pieces came together at a nice pace. It was interesting hearing the biblical stories I knew well from a demon’s perspective, and it was all written in a way that made it easy to understand why the people lived the way they did.
As for the main character I didn’t like Defiance’s name it just felt a little too obvious, especially when I loved the names of the other characters. It felt like the author put some thought into naming her characters and the places they visited. I did, however, like Defiance’s character. She’s trying to make her way in a world that doesn’t offer her many choices. She’s a little rebellious, but she has a big heart. I enjoyed watching her character develop and seeing her start to question all of the things she’d been taught growing up.
I also really liked Uriel and the comradely between him and Defiance, however I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between them. Near the end of the book, when they start to get to know one another better they felt closer, but for most the book it felt like they had more of a mentor/mentee type relationship. During the moments when they’re put in more romantic situations it just didn’t quite feel right to me, and considering Uriel is an archangel there was something that felt off about him kissing Defiance, especially when she still openly worshiped Satan. I hope with the second book that their relationship will develop more.
My main complaint with this book, and why it lost a star for me, was that it felt short, and ended in a spot that made it feel incomplete. The beginning was great and there was plenty of mystery to fuel the story and keep the plot moving forward, however it didn’t end with the main character meeting any of her goals. Knowing this is a series, obviously the overall plot isn’t going to be resolved, but it felt too much like the story just cut off.
For more reviews by Lauryn April go to LaurynApril.blogspot.com
June 14, 2014
Act of Defiance by Adrianne Brooks well it is simply amazing a must read I picked this book up as a suggestion from a friend I always give a book at least the first two chapters before I make a decision whether to continue or not but this book had me hooked from the first few pages and read straight through I couldn't put it down it had me so intrigued I was reading and so into the book that I lost track of time
This story is set a millennium after the apocalypse and the four horseman's ride well you know what they say the winners write the history books or Bible in this case and if your told a lie long enough it becomes your truth the story is centered around Defiance Gray and her protector Uriel an archangel Defiance has been taught all her life to worship the horned god but something dose not feel right when she says her prayers it's painful she has a choice to make she dose not want to be bound to the church or become a breeder then she begins to see things marks one people that signify other death then on one fated night when her friend Nuri warns her to leave she runs how to the orphanage only to find her friend dead realizing what she must do she leaves with Nuri's body alone except for statues Defiance is attacked when all of asuden she is saved by Uriel after he saves her he explains he has been asleep since the great war they then set out on a treck to were the saint's are buried believing the saints are the horseman as the go along and meet up with others the two grow closer and become dependent on each other as they fight to survive i can not wait till mid June when the second book comes out this is a wonderfully written series and a knew take on the apocalypses aftermath Adrianne Brooks has brilliant mind and I can not wait to see what she writes next if when you purchase this book if the others are out get them you will be wanting to know how it ends
This story is set a millennium after the apocalypse and the four horseman's ride well you know what they say the winners write the history books or Bible in this case and if your told a lie long enough it becomes your truth the story is centered around Defiance Gray and her protector Uriel an archangel Defiance has been taught all her life to worship the horned god but something dose not feel right when she says her prayers it's painful she has a choice to make she dose not want to be bound to the church or become a breeder then she begins to see things marks one people that signify other death then on one fated night when her friend Nuri warns her to leave she runs how to the orphanage only to find her friend dead realizing what she must do she leaves with Nuri's body alone except for statues Defiance is attacked when all of asuden she is saved by Uriel after he saves her he explains he has been asleep since the great war they then set out on a treck to were the saint's are buried believing the saints are the horseman as the go along and meet up with others the two grow closer and become dependent on each other as they fight to survive i can not wait till mid June when the second book comes out this is a wonderfully written series and a knew take on the apocalypses aftermath Adrianne Brooks has brilliant mind and I can not wait to see what she writes next if when you purchase this book if the others are out get them you will be wanting to know how it ends
April 22, 2015
3.5* What would the fate of humanity be if the battle between Good and Evil was won by ....?
Act of Defiance is tense, absorbing Post-Apocalyptic read with an interesting spin. The canvas of the story, is bleak, disturbing and in times terrifying, but is created by both bold and intricate strokes of vivid prose. The writing is flowing, highly imaginative and I have enjoyed the authors “voice”. There are some editorial errors that to me were more of a marginal annoyance then serious distractions. My 2 issues are not with what was delivered on creative side, but with conceptual side. First, I really dislike serialization – call it petty, but for me 156 double-spaced pages does not constitute a book, even if the title does not commit to words book or part (Defiance Grey #1 is pretty ambiguous). And my second issue is that while I thought that the book is interesting and well written, it was on subject that I have no great deal of interest in. In saying that, if Angels vs. Demons dystopia with heavy religious connotation is your cup of tea, I would recommend this book for your consideration. It was a good, well written book; just not “me” book.
Act of Defiance is tense, absorbing Post-Apocalyptic read with an interesting spin. The canvas of the story, is bleak, disturbing and in times terrifying, but is created by both bold and intricate strokes of vivid prose. The writing is flowing, highly imaginative and I have enjoyed the authors “voice”. There are some editorial errors that to me were more of a marginal annoyance then serious distractions. My 2 issues are not with what was delivered on creative side, but with conceptual side. First, I really dislike serialization – call it petty, but for me 156 double-spaced pages does not constitute a book, even if the title does not commit to words book or part (Defiance Grey #1 is pretty ambiguous). And my second issue is that while I thought that the book is interesting and well written, it was on subject that I have no great deal of interest in. In saying that, if Angels vs. Demons dystopia with heavy religious connotation is your cup of tea, I would recommend this book for your consideration. It was a good, well written book; just not “me” book.
August 18, 2014
Read this after reading the first book in a different series by Adrianne as this had demons in it, which always pulls me in.
But come on... The plot is so horribly obvious. I liked the setting of the world though.
*Spoiler*
It wasn't horribly written or anything, it just wasn't my cup of tea and I felt a bit tricked.
But come on... The plot is so horribly obvious. I liked the setting of the world though.
*Spoiler*
It wasn't horribly written or anything, it just wasn't my cup of tea and I felt a bit tricked.
September 2, 2014
This was a crazy post apocalyptic story, where the battle of Revelations ended with Evil as the victor and the Four Horsemen rule the world. Defiance is a girl who hasn't fully bought into the new religion that worships the evil ones and vilifies the angels that once protected mankind. When she leaves the supposed safety of the compounds, she befriend an angel, though she is afraid of the beings she has grown up believing are evil. I loved the story, and Defiance and Uriel are definitely an unlikely pair of heroes. It will be interesting to see where this story goes.
July 3, 2014
This book was pretty good. I really liked the twist with the religious aspect, I will be looking for the next one in this series!
October 4, 2014
All the ingredients. Angels, demons, vampires, apocalypse, sexy bodyguards and a hint of love to come.
February 5, 2017
Enjoyed the book, but it's a 3-parter and don't want to buy the other two to finish it. Didn't enjoy it that much.
April 11, 2017
I rather liked this book and found the whole religious reversal rather interesting.
February 10, 2019
This has been one of my favorite books for years now.
This book is simple, but also makes you think. I like when fantasy books keep you wondering what's going to happen. And this book did that. I honestly love all of the books in this series. I have read them so many times. The last book is my favorite.
This book is simple, but also makes you think. I like when fantasy books keep you wondering what's going to happen. And this book did that. I honestly love all of the books in this series. I have read them so many times. The last book is my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews