Book Review: The Defiant by Lesley Livingston
The Defiant (Valiant bk. 2)
by Lesley Livingston
Blurb: Be brave, gladiatrix. . . And be wary. Once you win Caesar's love, you'll earn his enemies hate.
Fallon was warned.
Now she is about to pay the price for winning the love of the Roman people as Caesar's victorious gladiatrix.
Fallon thought she'd won her freedom, but choosing to stay comes at a cost. She and her warrior sisters are thrust into a vicious conflict with a rival gladiator academy. In the middle of the night, the Ludus Achillea falls under siege and only Fallon and a lucky few are able to flee.
Together, they embark on a mission to take back the home Fallon has fought so hard for, and to free their fellow gladiatrices. But dark conspiracies and vicious power struggles confront Fallon at every turn, threatening not just her honor, and her love for Roman soldier Cai- but the very heart of the ancient Roman Empire.
On the journey that will define her future, the only people who might possibly help the girl known as Victrix and her sisters are a tribe of long-forgotten mythic Amazon warriors.
The only trouble is, they might just kill her first.
Cover Review: The first book had a strong blue tone, but this one has moved to a beautiful purple. I love the whole dynamic look of it. The two girls fighting on the cover, the sharp lines and shinning armor. The whole thing says it's exciting.
Plot: While this book felt slower than the first one to me, it didn't go drastically downhill, which was great. This time, the girls from the ludus are on the run. It gives the story a different feel, since they constantly have to improvise and think on their feet. It may have had a slow build-up, but the ending had me so hooked I couldn't put it down. That's good writing.
Characters: Fallon continues to grow in this book, and I liked it. She learned to be stronger, see things from a different angle, and how to be a leader. I love the way she and all the ludus girls interact. Elka is still one of my favorites.
Cai also started to grow on me in this book. I still the story could have stood without any romance, but it is nice to see Fallon's softer side with Cai. Quintus was probably my favorite new character. Then, of course, there were the Amazons and the all the girls that stand against Fallon and her friends. Lots of girl power in these books.
World: The story is still set in ancient Rome, although it leaves the main city this time. They sail across the sea to find the Amazons, which gives us some new locations to explore. I thought the addition of the Amazons is a nice touch.
Other: I continue to really enjoy the way Livingston writes fighting scenes. She makes the action easy to follow, and authentic sounding. I loved all the fights in this book.
Rating: 4 stars
Let's talk! Have you read The Defiant? Do you like novels set in ancient Rome and Greece, or do you prefer a different era? Do you love a well-written fight scene? Tell me in the comments.
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Ooh, I haven't heard of this series! I will have to add this to my list. I haven't read a ton in those eras, so I can't really say if I like them or not. Ah, YES!!! Well written fight scenes are the BEST. <3
ReplyDeleteYou should certainly give it a try. The fight scenes in both books are great. I think the key is that she doesn't overload you with details.
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