From the Bookshelf of One Book Two Read-Along Group…

Ignite (Defy, #2)

Sara B. Larson

Start date: December 29, 2016

Finish date: January 4, 2017

Discussion: YA High Fantasy Read Along

Discussion leader: Kat Mandu

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YA High Fantasy Read Along

YA High Fantasy Read Along Update
By Kat Mandu · 2 posts · 6 views

last updated Jan 23, 2017 01:25PM

The Shadow Throne
By Kat Mandu · 3 posts · 2 views

last updated Dec 20, 2016 03:05PM

What Members Thought

Apr 17, 2017 Kat Mandu rated it liked it · review of another edition

Kat Mandu says...

In this sequel to Defy, Alexa and Damian face a new threat – supposedly from the allies they just made. Can they stop the real bad guys from spreading their magical influence across Antion and prevent a bloody war?

The characters in Ignite are what make this story for me, even more than the engaging plot. We are introduced to familiar faces and also meet a few new bad guys that provide trouble for Alexa, Damian, and the rest of the Antion realm. Tanoori and Eljin are two of my fa Kat Mandu says...

In this sequel to Defy, Alexa and Damian face a new threat – supposedly from the allies they just made. Can they stop the real bad guys from spreading their magical influence across Antion and prevent a bloody war?

The characters in Ignite are what make this story for me, even more than the engaging plot. We are introduced to familiar faces and also meet a few new bad guys that provide trouble for Alexa, Damian, and the rest of the Antion realm. Tanoori and Eljin are two of my favorites. Tanoori is fierce and heroic, but also charitable as she helps out with the process of rebuilding Antion despite her troubled past. Eljinn is also a character with a hidden past and a scar that bears the burden of that history on his face. He’s a sorcerer and well, he’s a badass.

Also new to the story are the two twin villain sorcerers, Rafe and Vera, who are skilled in mind control. They’re using their power to manipulate both Blevon and Antion in hopes that the two will go to war with each other so that Armando, Damian’s evil uncle, can take over the whole world and gain access to magic that will make them essentially unstoppable.

Though I’m certainly a little bit leery of the romance issue between Alexa, Damian, and Rylan, the excitement of the plot makes up for what that plot lacks. It’s engaging – I especially love the scene where Alexa defies orders and goes to interrogate Manu. Magical fight scenes are always epic and this particular one was no exception. In fact, it was probably my favorite scene in the whole trilogy.

The romance just still doesn’t do it for me. I know that Alexa turns Damian down at the end of Defy, for personal reasons (she doesn’t think she’s good enough for him, or good enough to be queen); but in this, she’s forced to admit she really loves him in order to break him out of Vera’s spell. I just felt like it was a convenient little tidbit that made the story flow. Real mind control doesn’t break like that (for the record, I thought it was weird in Divergent too, when Tobias was under mind control and attempted to kill Tris; this was a very similar scene).

And then Rylan (who is upset for being turned down for the same reason I was upset she turned him down) is naturally, kind of hostile to Alexa. AND SHE’S ALL LIKE “BUT Y U MAD?” and tries to act like things are normal, but they aren’t. And it’s frustrating.

The major moment in this book that I was so incredibly flustered with – and this isn’t really a spoiler because there’s several moments where she’s with Rafe. But this really did it for me and is the reason I give it a three. At one point in the book, Alexa is positioned on a tree where she is overlooking the Daniisian (the enemies in the story) camp, where Rafe, the bad guy, is holding Damian’s half-brother hostage. She’s wearing A FRICKING BOW AND ARROW and is within range of killing Rafe, but doesn’t. She even feels HELPLESS to do anything as Rafe threatens to abuse the child. My thoughts when reading this scene?

WHAT THE SAM H HELL?!!! SHOOT HIM! YOU’RE A BADASS WARRIOR WITH ARCHERY SKILLS. If Alexa would have shot him, half her problems would have been solved. I MEAN, COME ON. I’ve never really felt like Alexa was smart, which might have been okay because she was very involved and fierce. But at this point, I felt Alexa was really dumb.

And I know. If we kill off Rafe, it would have removed one of the major plots to follow in the third book. But Rafe wasn’t the main villain, he was just one of the lead bad guy’s minions. SO THEREFORE SHE COULD HAVE SHOT HIM.

Alas, she did not.

Again, this isn’t a bad story. Rating it a three doesn’t mean I hated it. I just liked it. No more, no less. If you’re looking for a cool follow up high fantasy tale set in the jungle with some pretty cool characters, I recommend this book. ...more

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