Defiance (Defiance Trilogy)
In this distinctively imagined dystopian fantasy, Rachel and Logan must throw their lots together in order to fight for justice against a cruel city-state dictator known as the Commander. At 15, Rachel possesses qualities normally forbidden to girls, such as fighting skills, self-confidence, and a nurtured belief in her own independence. Logan, a few years older, became her courier father&#x2019;s apprentice when he was an orphan. Now that her father has disappeared, the teens discover, to their mutual dissatisfaction, that Logan has been named Rachel&#x2019;s protector. In alternating voices, Redwine unfolds the adventures, threats, deep disappointments, and hard-won gains the two teens experience. Logan is a tech whiz who places logic and planning above quick response, while Rachel&#x2019;s passionate disposition has her reaching further than she can readily grasp. The fantasy elements include a fearsome beast known as the Cursed One, a kind of underground dragon the Commander uses to control the common people. Fans of Ursula K. Le Guin will be excited to meet this new but skilled fantasist. Grades 8-11. --Francisca Goldsmith