About the Book
-
Author:
- Brandon Sanderson
- Genres:
- Action-Adventure
- Science Fiction
- Voices:
- Cis Girl
- Straight
- White (Non-Specified)
Cover Story: Bow(ow)ater
BFF Charm: Platinum
Talky Talk: Outstanderson
Bonus Factors: Kickass Grams
Factor: TEABS
Relationship Status: Forever and Ever, Amen
Red alert! Defiant is the fourth book in the Skyward series. If you have not read the other books in the series (Skyward, Starsight, and Cytonic), man your battle stations turn away now, as there will be spoilers in this review. If you’re caught up, however, feel free to continue below.
Cover Story: Bow(ow)ter
I can’t believe it took me this long to come up with a (not-so) witty pun on Charlie Bowater’s name. Regardless, this cover is as beautiful as all the others in this series, and I particularly love the look in Spensa’s eyes. You know she’s not backing down from anything this finale might throw at her.
The Deal:
Spending time in the nowhere has changed Spensa. For one, she’s melded with a delver and discovered that although they’re all clones of each other and strive to remain the same, some might want more than that hive-mind life. For two, she’s feeling like a hero of old, someone who will do whatever it takes to save their friends, but come out of things changed in a way that leaves them utterly alone.
There’s little time for introspection, however. War with the Superiority is a given, now, and it’s up to Spensa and her friends and allies to make sure that the galaxy—both somewhere and nowhere, both—doesn’t become just another cog in Winzik’s machinery.
BFF Charm: Platinum
Spensa and I have been friends for a while now, but this book just cemented my belief that she’s truly BFF material. And no, it’s just because she’s a superpowered badass who chafes against authority but has an innate sense of right and wrong and is loyal to a fault. It’s also because she’s kind, sassy, and prone to jumping straight into the deep end. I’m not all of those things, myself, but friends don’t have to be exactly the same!
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
As they have for much of this series, Spensa and Jorgen spend most of this book apart. But that doesn’t diminish the way they feel for each other, which is that they’re endgame. Even when Spensa worries she’s going to be broken by the war or when she undermines Jorgen’s command and he’s rightfully mad, they’re MFEO. That said, although their feelings are certainly swoonworthy, there just aren’t a lot of actually swoony moments in the book.
Talky Talk: Outstanderson
I’m beginning to think Sanderson is a sentient AI. He churns out books—large books—at a mind-boggling rate, and I’ve yet to read one that seems rushed or underdeveloped. (That said, I’ve only read this series. Friends who’ve read his other work agree, though.) His characters are solid, well-developed individuals; his world-building is expansive. He mixes hard situations with humor, and it’s easy to get caught up in reading his books. His dialogue is excellent, too, especially M-Bot’s lines and POV.
That passage of time, that knowledge of place, somehow made the pain surface again—like a pool of frozen blood beneath melting snow on a warm day.
He liked that metaphor. He made special note of it. Even though Spensa hadn’t seen much now, he figured she’d like this comparison for the blood part.
(There are another couple of passages about religions that I wanted to include here, but they’re very much spoilers. IYKYK, though. So good.)
Bonus Factor: Kickass Grams
As you well know, if you’ve read any of the books in this series, Rebecca Nightshade is even more of a badass than her granddaughter. She goes above and beyond in Defiant, and I really need Sanderson to write a prequel series about her in her youth ASAP. She’s spectacular.
“Thank you, Gran-Gran,” he said, his voice growing more confident. “Let’s go end this.”
“Excellent,” she said, settling back into her seat. “I’m almost ninety, you know. I was starting to think I wouldn’t get to tear down any galactic empires in my lifetime, which would have been positively tragic.”
Factor: TEABS
I laughed, I cried, I got sad that it was over. But then I read “The universe will continue in Skyward Legacy,” and I got excited. I’ll miss my time with Spensa and crew, but I have high hopes that any continued adventures in this universe will be just as fun as the ones that came before.
Relationship Status: Forever and Ever, Amen
We’ve had a stellar time together, Book, from start to finish. I will fondly remember the adventures we had, always, and although our (new) time has come to an end, I’ll be seeing you again. You can be sure of that.
Literary Matchmaking
If you, like me, need to read other Sanderson, you might want to start with the first in his Reckoners series.
Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s Illuminae Files also have action, adventure, sassy characters, galactic crises, and very special AIs.
Although Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series takes place mostly on Earth, it, too, has an interesting AI character and folks who battle against the establishment.
FTC Full Disclosure: I bought a copy of this book with my own money and got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. Defiant is available now.
