In a world where Greek Gods rule over the Allegiance, Marylyn O’Conner struggles to survive. Marylyn is a rebel, forced to do the rebellion’s bidding until an unforgiving family debt is paid. A pawn in the war against the Allegiance, she is obligated to become a rebel spy, or her family will suffer. When word spreads that an Allegiant Prince, Ariston, has escaped rebel captivity vowing to hunt down rebel spies, Marylyn realizes her only hope is to escape Allegiant territory. While on the run, Ariston captures Marylyn, preventing her from any chance of returning home. Desperate, she knows she needs to escape her alluring captor or risk the safety of her family. But Marylyn can’t keep herself from falling for the mysterious prince as she finds that he can empathize with her troublesome past - a past no ally has understood before.
Erin McDermott was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated college with a bachelors degree in History. If she's not in her room writing, you may find her cruising around the Caribbean with her family.
She has been writing stories since the 3rd grade. It was not until after experiencing the fast-paced life New York City had to offer that she decided to finally take the plunge and finish her first book, CAPTIVE REBEL.
Most of her books involve Greek mythology, including her new series ATHANA CHRONICLES.
Delve into that series with book one - Hades' Deception.
A future world where unrest rules. Marilyn has had to grow up faster than a young girl should in a world ruled by two factious entities, the rebels and the Allegiants. Marilyn is a rebel spy ensconced in the Allegiants world as a servant girl. Her greatest desire is to escape the Allegiants world and return home to her parents. One night she attempts escape with other rebel forces only to get separated from them and caught by none other than an Allegiant's prince, Ariston. Ariston isn't the evil minion she imagines him to be. He actually is kind to her and when Ariston's father the king would have her killed Ariston steps in and protects her from his wrath. Marilyn is confused. How can this evil Allegiant prince be defending her? She can't help but develop feelings for him because no one has shown her such kindness. But when the chance to escape again presents itself will she leave to find her parents or stay with her prince who has become so very charming? Great little read. It engaged me from beginning to end. Good job Erin!
I was contacted by the author to review this book and then bought my own copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Destined to be enemies, bound by fate... Prince Ariston rules over the Allegiant - an elite faction favored by the Greek Gods. Separated from his family at a young age, he became a prisoner to the rebellion. Marylyn O'Conner is a rebel, forced to do the rebellion's bidding until an unforgiving family debt is paid. A pawn in the war for rebels to gain their freedom, she is obligated to become a spy, or her family will suffer. Driven by revenge after returning from captivity, Prince Ariston makes it his mission to hunt down rebel spies, capturing Marylyn O'Conner in the process. Desperate, Marylyn knows she needs to escape her alluring captor, or risk the safety of her family. A fast-paced romance that will have you fall in love with each character and keep you turning the pages for more! - Amazon.com
Can you imagine being seperated from your family and being put behind enemy lines? That's the reality faced in this exciting novel! In all honesty I thought the book was really good. The writing was extremely well done and it flowed very well throughout the whole book. The character development was fair and the plot and pacing were well done as well. The book didn't lag in any area from what I saw and there was a natural flow throughout the whole book.
However, I did have some slight nitpicky issues with the book. I didn't feel like there was enough world building in the novel and that the issues between the Alligence and the Rebels could have been better explained. I also felt that the book suffered from instaromance. I think if the book took time to build the characters relationship it would have been better and I don't find instalove believable in books. I also thought that some of the characters in this book could have been better developed, but there is time for improvement since this is the first book in a series.
Verdict: I thought this was an intriguing read with a realistic female character who cared more about her family throughout the novel then finding or keeping a love. I highly praise this book for that and recommend it for readers who love fantasy and are looking for a quick, good read.
As soon as I read the summary of this one, I knew I had to read it. Anytime the phrase 'rebel spy' is mentioned I'm immediately sold. Luckily, Captive Rebel proved to be not only a stunning debut but a fantastic start to a new series.
Captive Rebel introduces us to Marylyn O'Conner, one of three rebel spies in the Allegiant. Maralyn was likable as well as easy to root for. At the start of the story, Marylyn is not-so-much weak- because it does take strength to be a rebel spy, especially in the place of someone else - but more go-with-the-flow, not-asking-too-many questions. She doesn't forge friendships or relationships. Instead, she's making her time atoning for her brother's deceit, taking orders/directions, and dreaming of the day where she can finally be reunited with her mom and dad.
In the beginning, there were so many times I wanted to scream, "Marylyn, ask questions, make a scene! Don't always go with what's said so easily!" However, as the book progressed, a transformation was shown in Marylyn. She went from this to a strong, don't-take-your-sh&t kind of character and I loved that transformation. There is one pivotal scene at the end of the book (I won't say too much so I don't spoil anything) where I was so incredibly proud of her. She finally stood up for herself, and I'm now excited to see how she continues to grow in further books.
In addition to Marylyn, there was a plethora of other characters I came to enjoy reading about over the course of Captive Rebel. One of the most surprising was Prince Ariston. At first, I thought he was going to be ruthless and cruel, but it turned out Prince Ariston had a lot of heart and kindness to him. I always enjoyed reading about his interactions with Marylyn, especially when they inspired her to think about certain things in a new light. He was a key point in her transformation. I also liked the addition of Orion, Charles and Alice, and am excited to see what roles they play in book 2.
The plot of this was adventurous and slightly romantic. I enjoyed how the plot took us to so many different places - tiny towns, the castle, and the open sea. Each setting was easy to visualize, and I also enjoyed the thrills and challenges each presented to the story. Additionally, I really enjoyed learning more about the Allegiant, especially given the ties to the Greek Gods (I don't know about you all but I love greek mythology so any time that's involved I'm a happy reader!). The romance in this was also enjoyable. It actually wasn't rushed nor insta-love; instead, it developed steadily over the course of the book.
My only problem? I felt that certain aspects weren't incredibly well developed. For instance, Marylyn mentions her Statue of Liberty necklace, and I was confused as to how this played in. What happened to the US? I knew the Allegiant was now the ruling power but what exactly happened to have that occur? Additionally, I would've liked some more details about problems between the rebels and the Allegiant. Hopefully, both of these will get some answers in the sequel!
Full of adventure, suspense, and romance, Erin McDermott's Captive Rebel is a must read. I can't wait to see what crazy adventure the characters get themselves involved in next!
One thing that I enjoyed about this book is that Marylyn wasn’t the typical young adult heroine. Her main agenda is to complete this mission and be reunited with her parents. I appreciated that change of pace. A lot of the YA books I pick up anymore feel the same. Marylyn has been trained to fight, which is evident and well used, but there is no savior complex. She felt a lot more human to me than other YA heroines.
The other part of this story I appreciated was that there was no clear “good guy vs. bad guy.” As the story progressed, I didn’t find myself rooting solely for the Rebels nor did my sympathies switch to the Allegiant. There were clearly “bad guys” in both Rebel and Allegiant camps with neither side absolved of atrocities committed against each other.
This book was enjoyable, but I wanted a little bit more. This book has a lot of potential. The premise of the story and the world that McDermott has created is interesting, but I would have loved some more exposition about the world this series is built in. I love world building and was a little sad we didn't get more.
The other part of this story I would have loved to be explored more is the romance. This is kind of an insta-attraction story and I honestly would have loved if Marylyn and Ariston spent a bit more time getting to know each other. However, considering how fast a read it was, the romance worked given everything else that happens.
This has a sweet romance, a capable and intelligent heroine, a compassionate prince, and a larger, multi-series plot. If you want a quick read with hints of Greek mythology, grab this book. I think you’ll enjoy it.
For more on this book, visit womandevoursbooks.com I was contacted by the author to write an honest review.
So a young woman who is hanging around with rebels and thieves, needs to steer clear of a prince called Ariston, yet runs into him everywhere she goes, gets captured, taken aboard ship, develops Stockholm syndrome and starts to question her loyalties before arriving at his father's palace. At great length with many oddities, like why the prince doesn't just have her killed or flogged as a lesson to other rebels. Why he takes her from a dungeon just to boast and have conversations; he'd surely have men around him for that purpose. Why he doesn't have his wicked way with her (did he put her in his bed and sleep on the floor? Was that someone else?) and various terms which don't fit a medieval style fantasy, like intel.
I did lose interest when much time passed with nothing happening; and I didn't see any evidence for the Greek gods referred to occasionally. The author could do a better job of explaining her world to us and who or why the rebels are rebelling. Other readers may of course enjoy this more. However, the text is pretty clean of typos. This is an unbiased review.
What a great debut for this author! Captive Rebel has it all, friendship,action, angst and romance. We meet Marylyn O'Conner and immediately recognize a strong minded, fierce, opinionated, young woman, who underneath her persona is really so lonely and scared. Even Marylyn isn't aware of her own vulnerabilities. She has had to stay strong and brave for so long she doesn't know how to be anything but. Prince Ariston, her sworn enemy, is introduced into her life and Marylyn starts to question everything she has ever believed. The story is told from the point of view of Marylyn, a spy for the rebellion against the Allegiant. She is steadfast in her beliefs that the Allegiant is to be despised. She is eventually captured by the Allegiant Prince Ariston, who she finds is not at all what she has always believed an Allegiant to be. Besides being kind and very attractive, she recognizes he has also experienced pain and despair, as she has. You can feel her connection to her sworn enemy slowly build throughout the story. Captive Rebel demonstrates how there can be good in everyone, even those we are taught to hate. It is an uplifting, romantic, emotional tale that demonstrates that not all is as it seems. Bravo to this new author on her debut novel! Looking forward to the next book in the series.
“‘I may be an Allegiant, and you a rebel, but those are only meaningless words in the grand scheme of things. They don’t determine who we are.’” -Erin McDermott, Captive Rebel
Are you a Rebel or a part of the Allegiant? Imagine that you are a rebel spy living in the royal palace as the prince is being held captive; and now he’s headed home earlier than expected. Now you must run before you are caught or risk yours and your parent’s lives. Erin McDermott, author of Captive Rebel, takes you on a wild chase and captivity as you follow Marylyn O’Conner on her journey away from the Allegiants. Marylyn O’Conner is a Rebel spy living in the royal palace and the prince, Ariston is to arrive any day. But when the princess threatens that he will be home sooner than later, Marylyn must leave immediately or be caught. She leaves with her fellow spies but right behind them is the prince. Prince Ariston makes it his mission to find the Rebel spies and therefore captures Marylyn. Read the book to find out the ending! I would recommend this book to any readers that like Young Adult Fantasy & Romance. It is a quick read as the book is really easy to follow. At some moments I felt like it was going too quickly and wanted more detail, plot and character building. McDermott’s writing is in my opinion, similar to Sarah J. Maas. As this is the first book in The Allegiance series, the second book, Immortal Rebel, will be released November 4th, 2017. I will most likely be following this series as I enjoyed reading this book.
Note: I was asked by the author to read and give an honest review for this book. To read more of my reviews, visit InkTeller.com!
Title: Captive Rebel Author: Erin McDermott Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance Format: Ebook Pages: 164 Rating: 5 Heat: 1
Thoughts: Wow!! Can I have book 2 like right now?? Other than Prince Ariston seeming to fall in love with Marylyn way too quickly, which gets explained much later in the book, I had so much fun reading this. I could barely put it down (which is why it was read in one day)!! So very glad this is a series, otherwise I’d be very upset that so many things were left hanging. I consider this somewhat dystopian because the Greek Gods, with the help of their followers (humans), have wiped out most of the world’s population. The rebels don’t worship Zeus or Poseidon so they were forced to go into hiding to survive. It’s also kinda Romeo & Juliet, Prince Ariston is with the Allegiant, those that worship Zeus and Poseidon while Marylyn is a rebel and worships Hades. There are also sea nymphs and I can’t wait to find out what other mythical creatures will appear.
I liked it but I didn't love it! I wanted to read this book because the synopsis of this book really intrigued me. This was an enjoyable read but I wish this was a bit longer because the story felt rushed including the romance between the two main characters. There's no brief background story which made it difficult to understand the world. I liked the greek mythology aspect in this story where the rebellions prays to the Hades for protection and the Allegiants Prays to the sea gods like Poseidon. The plot is decent but it could've been better executed. Except for some grammatical errors, the writing is okay but needs improvement. Overall, it was good read for a debut but I hope the next book is even better.
Captive Rebel is the first book in The Allegiance Series by Erin McDermott and takes place in the future. The world as we know it, is gone. The world is ruled by an elite group called The Allegient. They are favored by Zeus and Poseidon. However, a group of rebels, who live in the mountains are desperate for their freedom.
Due to a grave mistake made by her brother, Marylyn O’Conner must serve the rebellion to free her family. She is trained as a warrior and goes to live in the Allegient King’s household as a spy. However, Ariston, Prince of the Allegient, escapes from rebel captivity and seeks out the rebels who have infiltrated the castle. Marylyn makes a valiant effort as she flees but is captured.
Ariston treats his captive with kindness. They bond over their history and the pain they have endured over time. However, despite Marylyn’s growing feelings for Ariston, she has to escape. Her family’s lives depend on it.
This fast-paced dystopian fiction novel is mixed with fantasy, mythology and romance! It was such a unique blend of genres. I automatically became fascinated in the world and time period. I really wish there was a little more back story. They mention The Wars, which I assume ended modern society. Marylyn has a necklace that her mother gave her and on it is the Statue of Liberty. So the author definitely lays hints about the past. With this being the first book in the series, I can’t wait to see how the world came to this point. I also want to know how they came to worship Greek Gods. I love Greek mythology and this just made more interesting but created even more questions about this fascinating world.
I loved the two main characters. They aren’t perfect but they are both strong and determined. I love how their experiences create empathy towards each other, which then grows into something more. I love the introduction to this sweet, blossoming romance.
This book left me with wanting more. I want to know more about the history of the world and how it came to be. I also want to know more about the characters and their families. However, Book 2 of The Allegiance Series comes out November 4th 2017 and is called Immortal Rebel. I hope lots of the questions I have will get answered in Immortal Rebel. But overall, definitely a great debut novel and I will be waiting for the next installment!
I won a paperback copy of this book in a giveaway last year, and I finally got around to reading it about a week ago. I've been reading a bit each night, and I just finished.
Marylyn is a strong woman, and I really admired her drive to save her family and not give in to her captors. She was awesome and I loved her, even though she was impulsive at times.
Ariston was sweet, and I liked him. He was clearly willing to fight for Marylyn.
The side characters (Charles, Fanny, Ian, Orion, etc.) were alright. Nobody was very fleshed out, which was probably because of the size of the book (less than 200 pages).
As for the plot, it was fast paced and exciting, which I really enjoyed. You got action from page one, with occasional sweet, slower moments, and it really kept my attention.
Overall, this book had several compelling elements, and I enjoyed it. My one complaint was the slightly iffy editing in places - there were consistently capitalized letters where there shouldn't have been after commas (i.e. "I love you," He said. Which was instead of "I love you," he said.) Other than that, I really liked Captive Rebel. I might read the next one, depending on the price.
Captive Rebel by Erin McDermott was a fun short read. I really liked the premise of the book, ancient Greek Gods going to war with humans, destroying what is our world and creating a new one where there are rebels, those that do not pray to Zeus or Poseidon and the Allegiant, those who do pray to Zeus and Poseidon. The Allegiant are the rulers of the world and rebels are what is leftover from a time gone by (our time, like 2018). The story is set hundreds of years into the future and the rebels are barely hanging on to survival.
Our female MC, Marylyn O'Conner, is a rebel spy on a mission to gather intelligence at the royal palace. She is aided by two other spies, Charles and Ian. Our male MC, Prince Ariston, was a captured prince and is returning to the palace after five years in rebel hands. Marylyn, Charles and Ian have been found out and decide to leave the palace before Prince Ariston returns because he knows about them and he is hell bent on vengeance.
I enjoyed this book there was political intrigue, there was romance, there was action. BUT! and this is a big BUT, I really, really wish this book was longer. I wanted more of Marylyn and Ariston. I wanted more backstory, I wanted their romance to play out a little longer, and I wanted more rebel v. Allegiant time. I feel that there is a lot more to Marylyn and Ariston's story and that this could of been a full epic length fantasy novel. I understand there are more books in this series but they focus on Ariston's sister and Charles.
Maybe the author will one day come back to Marylyn and Ariston's story and fill it out more, give us some more backstory and flush out their characters a little more. I would enjoy that book.
I really enjoyed this quaint romance that pitted "good" vs. "evil" in the guise of warring factions. The elites and the downtrodden have guided their populations so far from one another that everyone believes they are either an Allegiant or a Rebel, based on their religious preferences (Greek Gods).
This is how rebel Marylyn (Mary) finds her own thinking until she meets the Allegiant Prince Ariston and immediately finds comfort with him. She spent her life always believing that she could never be loved and that she needed to sacrifice all of her own happiness for the Rebel cause.
A great coming-of-age romance story for young and older alike, Captive Rebel is sure to be a favorite for those that like historical romance without any steamy details. There is gentle kissing and hand-holding, but nothing that would inappropriate for younger readers. The romance in this story is focused more on emotional connections and how two people that have been badly hurt in their lives, can find peace with each other.
Erin McDermott is a promising writer and I cannot wait to read more of her work.
I received a complementary copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. Captive Rebel is the first book in The Allegiance series (or rather the first prequel, as there is a second prequel after this one). In Captive Rebel, we meet Marylyn O’Conner, a teenage rebel who has spent the last few years spying on the enemy camp, the Allegiant, by infiltrating the Allegiant King’s castle and working there as a servant. Marylyn was assigned this mission after her brother betrayed the rebels, and this is her chance to finally clear her family’s name and be reunited with her parents. Unfortunately, the arrival of the Allegiant Prince Ariston, who had been kept prisoner by the rebels for the last decade and has suddenly been released, will put a spanner in the works of Marylyn’s mission. This book was very enjoyable to read and I did like it. As you know by now, historical fiction is right up my street so I knew I would enjoy it. However, I did notice some discrepancies, the main one being the presence of anachronisms.
When saw the Greek Gods mention in the detail of the story, I had to read to see if they were just mentioned or do they get to play a part in the story. Half way through, all I see is statues of the Greek gods or Marylyn begging for their help. Which seems to never come. Marylyn’s character makes me think of an older version of Arya Stark from Game of Thrones. No clue why, just do. Marylyn character is very likable and pulls you into wanting to know more about her rebel side. The marks on her back was a shock on who gave them to her. Ariston character is very likable as well, the prince shows his soft side for Marylyn. The two kiss a couple of times. I thought the story was well written. I loved the story. The author has pulled me into wanting to stalk their shelves for books from them.
When looking for a kindle book to read I saw Captive Rebel was free to download and intrigued by the blurb which spoke of Greek Gods decided to read it and it was so good with interesting characters and a unique premise. Captive rebel tells the story of two groups of people, the Allegiants and the rebels who have been divided for many years. While the Allegiants are loyal to the Gods Zeus and Poseidon who tried to destroy humanity, the rebels are loyal to Hades who saved the surviving people. Enter Marilyn, a strong, take no nonsense rebel girl who is part of a mission to gather information for her people within the castle of Prince Ariston unaware how this will change her life forever. It doesnt seem like the author's first book because of how well written it is and I recommend it to anyone looking for an original fantasy read. Cant wait to read the second part of the Allegiance series.
It’s unusual to characterize a dystopian novel as sweet, but this one certainly is, which is a testament to the author’s skill with a story line.
Marylyn is a rebel undercover in the King’s castle trying to gather intel for rebel forces. While her allegiance to those she loves is true, her reason for joining the rebellion is not so cut and dried. The escape of a prince who had been held by the rebels means that she and the other spies must flee to avoid recognition and possible capture. And that is only the beginning of her adventures.
The characters are well developed and believable. Marylyn is always torn between doing the right thing and staying true to the alliance. The plot has several interesting twists which kept me turning the pages. And the pace of the writing makes it a fast read.
I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series.
I loved reading this book!! When I first read the description I knew I had to read it! Girl falls for her captor? Yes please! I loved how fast paced this story was and how it didn't drag on. The writing was very fun and easy to read. Marylyn is brave girl and she knows she has to do whatever she can to save her family. Enter Prince Ariston and things gets complicated...You'll just have to wait and read to find out. The story follows a bit of a greek gods aspect, which was interesting. I loved how it was all action packed, but I wish there was a bit more story. This was definitely a quick read, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
From page one this book had me hooked! One of the many things I liked about this book is that it's pretty fast paced, there is action throughout its entirety so there are never any slow patches that can be boring. The characters compliment each other amazingly making you have a few favorite characters. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read but also want it to be a great story.
I loved this book. Once I started it I knew I would not be happy till I read it through. I enjoyed meeting the characters. They had qualities that were interesting and distinctive. Often times funny. The romance develops at a nice pace and Ariston and Marylyn's mental struggles add so much to the importance of the relationship. I find it captivating and Look forward to what happens to them. I hope there is more from the author.
The story kept me in suspense and eager to read as quickly as I could . The development of the characters had me rooting for them and was disappointed when it ended. I thought for a young writer Erin did a fantastic job keeping your interest in her heroine and feeling sympathy for her plight. Can't wait for November , I've pre-ordered Erin's continuation of the story. If you haven't read it yet, read it today!
I enjoyed reading this young adult romance/fantasy. I liked the mythological aspect of the story and I hope the author incorporates more of it as the series progresses. I really liked that Marylyn was brave and strong-willed and that she was willing to do anything to keep her parents safe. There were quite a few editing errors I noticed, that were kind of frustrating as a reader. However, I still enjoyed the story.
The premise of this book and series is a promising one. I gave this three and a half stars in total for a few reasons. Overall I did enjoy the storyline, however some of the writing and language choices did distract me from the story. There were also some small spelling and grammatical errors. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Young Adult Fantasy Romance books with fast paced action and Greek Mythology thrown in!
I really liked this book. It kept me interested and told the story very well. I could not put it down. The only negative thing I will say is that there seemed to be some background missing. I got the feeling there was something I didn't know. But then again, this is only book one so I guess I have to read the next ones to find out:)
I wish the Prince had been a little more forceful and his father really made me mad. Marilyn was not thinking very straight and their wasn't a lot of a story about either the allegiance or the rebels. I did enjoy the book but wanted more.
Rebels, spies and an attractive prince all gently mixed with romance, adventure, betrayal and hope. As one adventure ends, I suspect another is just approach ing the horizon. Where will the next lead? I do not know, but I hope to find out.
This is a bit of a light novella in certain places, the characters could have been a bit more developed. The only one that sort of stood out; was Ian Ramos, but even he could have been developed a little more. I would have liked to know the story behind his vendetta. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Creative story - interesting concept. Some characters are well developed. Sometimes distracting grammatical errors & repetitive language - perhaps this 1st edition did not have the benefit of an editor since it was published by the author. I’d like to see what happens next in the series.