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Deception

(Defiance #2)

C.J. Redwine (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · Rating details · 8,422 ratings · 673 reviews

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 tha ...more

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ebook, 496 pages

Published August 27th 2013 by Balzer + Bray

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YA Books - Publishing August 2013

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Dec 26, 2012 Tiana411 rated it really liked it

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. The ...more

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Feb 15, 2017 Heather rated it liked it

Shelves: read-it-in-2017, rtc-review-to-come, fantasy

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 ...more

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Oct 25, 2013 Ferdy rated it it was ok

Shelves: boring-crap-hero, boring-main-characters, young-adult, whiny-annoying-blah-heroine, boring, evul-people-are-evul, hero-boring, meh, orphan-heroine, blah

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 wo ...more

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Aug 18, 2013 Whitley Birks rated it liked it

Shelves: almost-good, 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 chara 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. ...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Hannah rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: EVERYONE WHO LOVED DEFIANCE. EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT. But read Defiance first.

Shelves: books-i-own

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, ...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Chester Carstairs rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-releases

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 protagoni 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. ...more

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Oct 31, 2013 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it really liked it

Shelves: atom, own-a-dtb, reviewed-in-2013, young-adult, cover-lust, dystopia, totally-saw-that-coming, cliffhanger-ending, alternating-povs

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 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?

...more

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Jan 31, 2014 Elena rated it liked it

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! ...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Sylvia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dual-multiple-pov, young-adult, male-pov, dystopian, dystopian-scifi-post-apocalyptic, paranormal-romance, fantasy, left-me-crying, nice-guys-who-definitely-deserve-th, villains-we-hate-to-love

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 worl 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.
...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Jodi Meadows rated it it was amazing

Gorgeous.

Gorgeous characters.
Gorgeous writing.
Gorgeous worldbuilding.
Gorgeous FEELINGS.

Now I need the third please!

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Feb 08, 2018 Jenn rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, dystopian, read-in-2018, 3-star-reads, young-adult, cover-love

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 als 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. ...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Amber rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, 2013, alternate-pov, fantasy, young-adult

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 disa ...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Madeline marked it as to-read · review of another edition

OH.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, grie ...more

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Aug 07, 2013 Olivia Duff rated it it was amazing

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. ...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Kassiah marked it as to-read

Shelves: ya, ft-dystopian, pub-2013

WHY ISN'T THIS IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW? I♥Logan! ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Emmi Rose (emmirosereads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: four-stars

*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 wh ...more

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Jul 06, 2017 Gia rated it liked it

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 ...more

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Jan 03, 2014 Stormy :) rated it it was ok

Shelves: meh-nothing-special-2-star, dystopia, stormy-rants, where-s-the-world-building, why-the-hype, animals-and-friends, romance, predictable, love-that-cover, love-sick-heroines

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 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. ...more

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May 04, 2013 Brandi Kosiner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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 h 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. ...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Valeria Andrea marked it as to-read

Is 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 ...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Anna rated it really liked it

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 revi ...more

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Nov 01, 2013 Belkis rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, 0-audios

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. ...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Jessi (Novel Heartbeat) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, 5-star, made-me-cry, cover-lust, signed-copy

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 dow ...more

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Aug 17, 2014 Dark Faerie Tales rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

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 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. ...more

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Jan 24, 2013 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it really liked it

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
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! ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Alicia Batista (Addicted Readers) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: action, can-t-wait-for-the-sequel, adventure, fav-s, romance, dystopia, you-ll-be-sorry-if-you-miss-this-bo, young-adult, bought, amazing

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 bo ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Emily Blake rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: love-the-cover, favorites, dystopian, 2013, own, review, ya-romance, young-adult, male-pov, best-covers

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 ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Angela Blount rated it it was amazing

Shelves: goddaughter-approved-picks, ya, post-apocalyptic-dystopian

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 deprave 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.) ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Pixie/PageTurners Blog(Amber) C. rated it really liked it

Deception is a very intense read. Everything emotion is just pushed to the limit; you feel like you are walking a tightrope the entire story. You never know what is going to happen.

The storyline picks up a few weeks from the ending of Defiance. Logan has been voted leader of the rag tag group of civilians. Some support him 100% and some of giving him a hard time -but, they seem to be recovering and starting to move forward. He isn't sure why he is in the position, but he is going to do whatever ...more

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Oct 21, 2013 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, dystopias, ya, romance, fantasy, science-fiction

Oh... My... Jellybeans...

This book was so amazing I don't have the words to describe it! It was so worth the wait from the library let me tell ya! As I've mentioned a LOT of times, I'm an emotional reader and when a book invokes a reaction in me, they are at the 4 star level. But when they make me cry, laugh, and jump around like a crazy person because I'm so caught up that I think it's happening to me or my best friend? That is a five star book.

Deception gave me that reaction. There is a lot of ...more

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YA Buddy Readers'...: Deception (Defiance #2) By C.J. Redwine - Starting November 21st 2016	3	14	Nov 28, 2016 10:01AM
Never Too Old For...: Buddy Read: DECEPTION by C.J. Redwine	108	35	Apr 12, 2015 07:24PM
Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish	1	2	Feb 05, 2015 08:46AM

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About C.J. Redwine

C.J. Redwine

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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 ...more