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malus23's review
5.0
Just as great as the first. An interesting world, and a great pair of friends to follow through it.
*re-read note* A -lot- of this book is Xhea and Shai growing and learning and looking beyond what they used to think were the limits of their natures. Definitely a book where the action is in service to the character, rather than vice versa. Still loved it. :)
*re-read note* A -lot- of this book is Xhea and Shai growing and learning and looking beyond what they used to think were the limits of their natures. Definitely a book where the action is in service to the character, rather than vice versa. Still loved it. :)
mollymortensen's review
3.0
I almost didn't read this because in the first chapter we learn; Xhea can't walk, has no magic, and is possibly addicted to pain killers.
However, we also get some early answers, (or at least parts of answers) to my big questions from book one, so I couldn't stop.
The Bad:
Xhea and Shai are best when together. Mostly because Shai's boring alone. One chapter of her woe-is-me thoughts was too much.
Xhea was so weak! She wasn't a great character in the first book but she was tough, she stood up for herself and didn't back down. Suddenly she's a wuss. The old Xhea wouldn't have put up with any of this crap!
Minor Spoilers Bad stuff:
And I hated how Shai's magic was failing! That was the only interesting thing about her character. And the whole Xhea craving ghosts was dumb. I understand why the author did it but I didn't like it.
The Good:
Everything came together well in the end and much of the world building from the first book makes sense now.
I know this looks like mostly negatives, but it was still a quick read and I read the next book, so not all bad.
However, we also get some early answers, (or at least parts of answers) to my big questions from book one, so I couldn't stop.
The Bad:
Xhea and Shai are best when together. Mostly because Shai's boring alone. One chapter of her woe-is-me thoughts was too much.
Xhea was so weak! She wasn't a great character in the first book but she was tough, she stood up for herself and didn't back down. Suddenly she's a wuss. The old Xhea wouldn't have put up with any of this crap!
Minor Spoilers Bad stuff:
Spoiler
I hated how Xhea isn't unique now, and not only that, she's not as strong as the little kid! ugh.And I hated how Shai's magic was failing! That was the only interesting thing about her character. And the whole Xhea craving ghosts was dumb. I understand why the author did it but I didn't like it.
The Good:
Everything came together well in the end and much of the world building from the first book makes sense now.
I know this looks like mostly negatives, but it was still a quick read and I read the next book, so not all bad.
colossal's review
5.0
An excellent followup to [b:Radiant|20344702|Radiant (Towers Trilogy, #1)|Karina Sumner-Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409241347s/20344702.jpg|28349202]; perhaps even improving on it.
Xhea is recovering from the injuries she sustained during the first book, but her recovery isn't going very well and she may be permanently crippled. That may not be too much of a concern, because her future is in doubt anyway. Her presence, or more precisely, the presence of the Radiant ghost Shai, is filling up the magic stores of the skyscraper she has taken shelter in, which in turn is destabilizing the delicate balance of power in the Lower City. War appears inevitable, and Xhea and Shai are the catalysts.
If the first book was Shai's story, this one is Xhea's. We find out much more about her power and where it comes from and we learn about her family and her origin. There's also a lot more about how the City and the Lower City work, and both turn out to be even more horrible than we learned in the first book. This works as both a complete story and a setup for a massive confrontation in the the third. Hopefully the series continues to pay off.
Xhea is recovering from the injuries she sustained during the first book, but her recovery isn't going very well and she may be permanently crippled. That may not be too much of a concern, because her future is in doubt anyway. Her presence, or more precisely, the presence of the Radiant ghost Shai, is filling up the magic stores of the skyscraper she has taken shelter in, which in turn is destabilizing the delicate balance of power in the Lower City. War appears inevitable, and Xhea and Shai are the catalysts.
If the first book was Shai's story, this one is Xhea's. We find out much more about her power and where it comes from and we learn about her family and her origin. There's also a lot more about how the City and the Lower City work, and both turn out to be even more horrible than we learned in the first book. This works as both a complete story and a setup for a massive confrontation in the the third. Hopefully the series continues to pay off.
book_grinch's review
4.0
2nd re-read
I think I liked this story more this time around. Maybe because this time I read it as a stand alone, which stopped me from feeling that as an adventure, it lost that non stop rhythm that characterized the first book.
Shai and Xhea continue to be favourite characters. I love their friendship.
As for the writing style, I am pretty much a fan.
April 6th 2015
3.5 stars
Arc provided by Talos Publishing through Edelweiss
Release Date: May 5th
Because [b:Radiant|20344702|Radiant (Towers Trilogy #1)|Karina Sumner-Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409241347s/20344702.jpg|28349202] was my favourite book back in 2014, I couldn't resist the opportunity of getting my hands on this arc.
Also, because I tend to be somewhat OCD when it comes to favourite series, I chose to re-read Radiant before starting with this one.
What I got from the re-read?
It was still a fantastic read, the first scene is still very much imprinted in my mind. Although this time I did find that it dragged a little towards the end. But that is something that usually happens with all the stories that I re-read, so it wasn't a big deal.
As for this one volume, I can say that Xhea and Shai continue to be favourite characters.
I loved getting to know some background on Xhea: her family story... and basically how she sees herself having to deal with what is happening to her.
The dilemma that she faces in this book, was believable for someone living in her situation.
Also kudos for the author, for not choosing the magical path to solve a lot of problems, like Xhea's medical condition.
The way we get a little more character diversity in this story is also among the positives in this tale.
Then there's something in which I am somewhat divided: I do like the author's writing style, but this is a post-apocalyptic / sci-fi story, and as such, I was hoping for more action...
This writing style combined with the emotional aspects of this book, made me think of This Is Not A Test, in which most readers were probably expecting a zombie book and got a psychological drama instead (well 95% of it maybe ).
For me, Defiant would be better defined as a psychological drama. It is set against the backdrop of a sci-fi /post apocalyptic world, but it is only during the last chapters, that those elements really shine.
The explanations for some "mysteries" ended up sounding believable and logical _ even with such a setting... or especially because of it _, and that is always positive.
I can't help mention however that for me there were some parts on the narrative that could have been cut, so that it would have a more fluid story line.
Despite all that, I am still invested in the series and I am looking forward to the last book that I think is going to be published in October. Only six more months to go! :D
I think I liked this story more this time around. Maybe because this time I read it as a stand alone, which stopped me from feeling that as an adventure, it lost that non stop rhythm that characterized the first book.
Shai and Xhea continue to be favourite characters. I love their friendship.
As for the writing style, I am pretty much a fan.
April 6th 2015
3.5 stars
Arc provided by Talos Publishing through Edelweiss
Release Date: May 5th
Because [b:Radiant|20344702|Radiant (Towers Trilogy #1)|Karina Sumner-Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409241347s/20344702.jpg|28349202] was my favourite book back in 2014, I couldn't resist the opportunity of getting my hands on this arc.
Also, because I tend to be somewhat OCD when it comes to favourite series, I chose to re-read Radiant before starting with this one.
What I got from the re-read?
It was still a fantastic read, the first scene is still very much imprinted in my mind. Although this time I did find that it dragged a little towards the end. But that is something that usually happens with all the stories that I re-read, so it wasn't a big deal.
As for this one volume, I can say that Xhea and Shai continue to be favourite characters.
I loved getting to know some background on Xhea: her family story... and basically how she sees herself having to deal with what is happening to her.
The dilemma that she faces in this book, was believable for someone living in her situation.
Also kudos for the author, for not choosing the magical path to solve a lot of problems, like Xhea's medical condition.
The way we get a little more character diversity in this story is also among the positives in this tale.
Then there's something in which I am somewhat divided: I do like the author's writing style, but this is a post-apocalyptic / sci-fi story, and as such, I was hoping for more action...
This writing style combined with the emotional aspects of this book, made me think of This Is Not A Test, in which most readers were probably expecting a zombie book and got a psychological drama instead (well 95% of it maybe ).
For me, Defiant would be better defined as a psychological drama. It is set against the backdrop of a sci-fi /post apocalyptic world, but it is only during the last chapters, that those elements really shine.
The explanations for some "mysteries" ended up sounding believable and logical _ even with such a setting... or especially because of it _, and that is always positive.
I can't help mention however that for me there were some parts on the narrative that could have been cut, so that it would have a more fluid story line.
Despite all that, I am still invested in the series and I am looking forward to the last book that I think is going to be published in October. Only six more months to go! :D
freschaire's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jameseckman's review
3.0
A bit muddled like many middle books of trilogies. I am surprised that this is shelved as adult by Mountain View, it's has an older YA feel.
Read the first one, this is not a standalone.
Read the first one, this is not a standalone.
buknerd's review
5.0
The buildup of this one wasn't as compelling to me as the buildup in Radiant, but I enjoyed the payoff at the climax/reveal even more.
I really love Xhea and Shai's relationship also. I don't see it explicitly called out in the book, but the way it reads to me it is one of the most beautiful f/f relationships I've ever read. And a queerplatonic aro-ace relationship at that.
I'm really enjoying this series and am looking forward to reading the third book.
I really love Xhea and Shai's relationship also. I don't see it explicitly called out in the book, but the way it reads to me it is one of the most beautiful f/f relationships I've ever read. And a queerplatonic aro-ace relationship at that.
I'm really enjoying this series and am looking forward to reading the third book.
bibliotropic's review
4.0
Picking up shortly after where Radiant ended, Xhea is still in Edren Tower, injured with little hope of proper healing. Bright magic, the kind that nearly everyone has and thus the kind that is used for healing spells, hurt her, and her body seems bent on destroying even the most carefully set spells upon her. The council of the tower seems to want nothing to do with her and everything to do with Shai, the Radiant ghost who is still attached to Xhea and whose excess power is currently being used by Edren because nobody else is using it, and magic is needed to fuel almost every aspect of life in a Tower. But then inter-Tower politics get complicated and violent, Shai and Xhea are separated, and Xhea comes face to face with her own mysterious past and just what her dark power really means.
There’s a lot to like in Defiant. First, I do want to take a moment to talk about how Xhea’s disability was handled. And I think it was done rather well. From personal experience, at least, I think that her reactions to the whole thing were pretty understandable, and well-expressed. I can’t say I’ve experienced permanent physical disabilities like Xhea’s, but I’ve dealt with tenporary-but-long-term ones, and the experience was remarkably similar. The initial denial, the drive to not do much of anything coupled with the insistence that no help is needed. The willingness to do something that will hurt like hell and may not be permanent if it just brings even a bit of relief. The frustration over experiencing how your body doesn’t want to cooperate when there are things that you need to get done and it doesn’t feel like playing nice. It’s ever-present, but it doesn’t stop her from doing what she can do when it’s within her limits, and it doesn’t stop her from pushing those limits when she deems the situation worth it (such as being life-threatening if she doesn’t ignore the screaming tearing pain in her knee and walk faster). I think it was presented very well, as a part of the character that she had to learn to work around and work with, but never something that defined her or so drastically changed her that she became her disability.
Secondly, I really like the way Xhea’s dark magic was expanded upon and really used to good effect here. No longer is it presented as an entirely unique ability. Just a really rare one. We get more information about what it does, how it works, what can be done with it that wasn’t expected. We get to see both the negative side of it and the positive, and I really liked the way that played into how the novel ended. I don’t want to go into too many details, but suffice it to say that I was surprised. It may have been a little deus ex machina, but it all still fit very well into the world that Sumner-Smith created.
Xhea and Shai, as before, make a wonderful team, even when they’re apart and working independently of each other. I love their friendship. I love how they have such a close strong bond, and I love that (at least as of this book) it hasn’t turned into romance. I see so much in media reinforcing the idea that someone close to you can only either be family or a romantic partner, and it’s rare to see people so close and still fit firmly into the friendship category. Rare, and so very refreshing and welcome when it does happen. Honestly, these two are probably the best example of friendship I’ve seen in SFF in a long time. They were thrown together by circumstance, but since that event they’ve grown closer and rely on each other. They’re like the poster children for committed friendship! It’s great!
One of the biggest problems I had with the first book in the trilogy, the feeling that I’m really coming in the middle of the story and the feeling that I should already know what a lot of hints are referring to, happily doesn’t occur here. Much of the specifics I felt that about last time, too, get fully addressed, and instead of feeling like plot points were being dangled out of reach, I felt like I finally had all the pieces and they were all in the right place. There was still plenty to reveal and to hold back until the time was right, making a good sense of mystery throughout the novel, but it didn’t leave me feeling like I was floundering in some places, like I had last time. The additional upside to this is that now I also want to go back and read the first book over again, with all this newfound knowledge, to see if some scenes make better sense now than they did before.
When people say that this is a series with strong female protagonists, they aren’t kidding. They aren’t strong in the sense that they carry big guns and can kick the butt of any problem they encounter. They’re strong in the way that they’re very much themselves, reliant on nobody else to define them, and so powerfully real that you can’t help but be even a little bit motivated to emulate them.They stand out by not standing out, by being themselves instead of being the opposite of a stereotype (which, in itself, has pretty much become a stereotype), and it’s wonderful to see. If strength is defined by being your own person, then Xhea and Shai are fantastically strong.
This is a series that should be getting more attention and hype than it is. It may not be a ground-breaking game-changer for speculative fiction, but it’s got so much to it; a rich story, a future that isn’t obsessed with being defined only by its past, characters who are complex and real, and politics and magic in spades! It’s one of the best post-apocalyptic urban fantasies I’ve ever found, and in that meld of genres it’s got a fairly wide appeal. I can’t wait to read the trilogy’s conclusion, and to see what Sumner-Smith will do next.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
There’s a lot to like in Defiant. First, I do want to take a moment to talk about how Xhea’s disability was handled. And I think it was done rather well. From personal experience, at least, I think that her reactions to the whole thing were pretty understandable, and well-expressed. I can’t say I’ve experienced permanent physical disabilities like Xhea’s, but I’ve dealt with tenporary-but-long-term ones, and the experience was remarkably similar. The initial denial, the drive to not do much of anything coupled with the insistence that no help is needed. The willingness to do something that will hurt like hell and may not be permanent if it just brings even a bit of relief. The frustration over experiencing how your body doesn’t want to cooperate when there are things that you need to get done and it doesn’t feel like playing nice. It’s ever-present, but it doesn’t stop her from doing what she can do when it’s within her limits, and it doesn’t stop her from pushing those limits when she deems the situation worth it (such as being life-threatening if she doesn’t ignore the screaming tearing pain in her knee and walk faster). I think it was presented very well, as a part of the character that she had to learn to work around and work with, but never something that defined her or so drastically changed her that she became her disability.
Secondly, I really like the way Xhea’s dark magic was expanded upon and really used to good effect here. No longer is it presented as an entirely unique ability. Just a really rare one. We get more information about what it does, how it works, what can be done with it that wasn’t expected. We get to see both the negative side of it and the positive, and I really liked the way that played into how the novel ended. I don’t want to go into too many details, but suffice it to say that I was surprised. It may have been a little deus ex machina, but it all still fit very well into the world that Sumner-Smith created.
Xhea and Shai, as before, make a wonderful team, even when they’re apart and working independently of each other. I love their friendship. I love how they have such a close strong bond, and I love that (at least as of this book) it hasn’t turned into romance. I see so much in media reinforcing the idea that someone close to you can only either be family or a romantic partner, and it’s rare to see people so close and still fit firmly into the friendship category. Rare, and so very refreshing and welcome when it does happen. Honestly, these two are probably the best example of friendship I’ve seen in SFF in a long time. They were thrown together by circumstance, but since that event they’ve grown closer and rely on each other. They’re like the poster children for committed friendship! It’s great!
One of the biggest problems I had with the first book in the trilogy, the feeling that I’m really coming in the middle of the story and the feeling that I should already know what a lot of hints are referring to, happily doesn’t occur here. Much of the specifics I felt that about last time, too, get fully addressed, and instead of feeling like plot points were being dangled out of reach, I felt like I finally had all the pieces and they were all in the right place. There was still plenty to reveal and to hold back until the time was right, making a good sense of mystery throughout the novel, but it didn’t leave me feeling like I was floundering in some places, like I had last time. The additional upside to this is that now I also want to go back and read the first book over again, with all this newfound knowledge, to see if some scenes make better sense now than they did before.
When people say that this is a series with strong female protagonists, they aren’t kidding. They aren’t strong in the sense that they carry big guns and can kick the butt of any problem they encounter. They’re strong in the way that they’re very much themselves, reliant on nobody else to define them, and so powerfully real that you can’t help but be even a little bit motivated to emulate them.They stand out by not standing out, by being themselves instead of being the opposite of a stereotype (which, in itself, has pretty much become a stereotype), and it’s wonderful to see. If strength is defined by being your own person, then Xhea and Shai are fantastically strong.
This is a series that should be getting more attention and hype than it is. It may not be a ground-breaking game-changer for speculative fiction, but it’s got so much to it; a rich story, a future that isn’t obsessed with being defined only by its past, characters who are complex and real, and politics and magic in spades! It’s one of the best post-apocalyptic urban fantasies I’ve ever found, and in that meld of genres it’s got a fairly wide appeal. I can’t wait to read the trilogy’s conclusion, and to see what Sumner-Smith will do next.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
duchess's review
4.0
More of a 3.5/5 Defiant continues the Towers story after the brilliant start of Radiant, but it didn't capture my attention as well or for as long as the first book. This isn't to say it was sub-par or the writing was bad, it's just that the plot of Defiant depends more on character exposition than Radiant did (& there was a lot of exposition in Radiant), and it shows. The first 2/3rds of the book plodded along, which was a little bit of a let down given Radiant's explosive ending, but also made sense for the first third as Xhea's body recovers from some pretty serious injuries.
What we DO get is some great background info on Xhea's birth family, Xhea learning more about her strange and rare dark powers, and Shai beginning to learn what it truly means to be a Radiant. All of these details combine into a chaotic ending, where Xhea and Shai start to uncover the truth about the world they live in.
I'm thinking the third book is going to be pretty all-out if it's going to wrap up all of these loose ends, so I'm excited! Xhea & Shai remain my favourite YA friends/dynamic duo because they're just wonderful together :')
What we DO get is some great background info on Xhea's birth family, Xhea learning more about her strange and rare dark powers, and Shai beginning to learn what it truly means to be a Radiant. All of these details combine into a chaotic ending, where Xhea and Shai start to uncover the truth about the world they live in.
I'm thinking the third book is going to be pretty all-out if it's going to wrap up all of these loose ends, so I'm excited! Xhea & Shai remain my favourite YA friends/dynamic duo because they're just wonderful together :')
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