Once again Lance Erlick has pulled me into Regina Shen's world with a well-written dystopian novel that delivers as promised.
Book Details:
Book Title: Regina Shen: Defiance (Book 3)
Category: YA fiction, 278 pages
Genre: Sci-fi / adventure / dystopian
Publisher: Finlee Augare Books
Release date: July 2015
Available for review in: Print, (mobi for Kindle, ePUB)
Will send print books: USA
Content Rating: PG
Book Description:
On the run, outcast Regina Shen is determined to stop the Federation’s relentless attacks on her family and friends, but the stakes are much higher now and she is deep in foreign and hostile territory.
The Federation condemned Regina to live on the seaward side of barrier walls, but she crossed into the Federation where she continues to survive by her wits. Competing Federation agents vie to capture her and use her to acquire power, based on her genome being the key to prevent human extinction. When her sister is kidnapped again and agents close in, Regina flees west with a friend across deserts created by abrupt climate change.
Raised on swampy islands and underwater salvage, they must adapt to different harsh environments. Guided by her photographic (eidetic) memory of illegal print books from before the Federation, Regina is determined to defy the Federation and find a treasure big enough to barter for freedom for her and her sister. In the cat-and-mouse game, can she find allies and ways to escape the Federation dragnet long enough to discover something to trade?
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My Review
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
Defiance is the third book in the Regina Shen series and once again the author pulls me into Regina's world. This series must be read in order and are not stand-alone novels, so I strongly suggest you begin with the first two books. You can read my reviews of Resilience, Book 1 in the Regina Shen series, and Vigilance, Book 2.
As I've stated in both my reviews of the first two books, what makes this series so good are the well-developed characters and the world-building. This continues in the third book as Regina continues to run from those wanting to hunt her down. This time she gets the support from renegade groups who see her as their hope for a better world. Regina is no longer navigating the swamps on the opposite side of the Wall that separates the outcasts, but she is in foreign dry land, hiding in bunkers, forests and among the truckers who cross desert-like areas to deliver their goods.
Regina is a pawn in the corrupt political arena that plays out for power in this dystopian setting. She's 17 but has a photographic memory and has been trained with knowledge from illegal salvaged print books so that she is able to outwit some of those who are after her for her DNA to solve the fertility crisis. The Chief Inspector who hunts her down understands how Regina thinks because they come from the same background and she is the perfect villain. The author displays both her cruelty but also her vulnerability, making her a fleshed-out well-developed character.
Once again we are introduced to new characters and I must say that the author does a great job doing this. Each character pulls their weight in carrying the storyline forward and their distinct characterisation makes his novels such a pleasure to read. Ester, who becomes Regina's companion on the run becomes lovesick and annoying. She's a distraction to Regina and doesn't always understand what makes Regina such a survivalist but she eventually redeems herself in my eyes by the end of the book.
Once again, because this is an all-women society there are references to lesbianism. At one point this even opened up the discussion about the whole fertility crisis and the need for males so that conception could occur naturally and not in a lab. I don't read LGBT and don't consider this series in that category so I'm comfortable moving forward in the series as this theme is not major in the books.
Once again, through many twists and turns, Regina finds herself at a crossroad by the end of the novel, leaving the reader wondering how it will continue to play out. I look forward to digging into the last book Endurance Book 4 in the series to see how Regina keeps growing as a character and as a leader for change in her broken society. If you like well-written dystopian novels don't miss this series. It will not disappoint!
To read more reviews, please visit Lance Erlick's page on iRead Book Tours
Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not told how to rate or review this product.
Meet the Author:
He was raised by a roaming aerospace engineer, growing up in various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as traveling through Asia. He took to stories as his anchor, including the works of Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein, and has been writing since age eleven.
Growing up, he was inspired by his father’s engineering work on cutting-edge aerospace projects to look to the future.
In an ideal world, Lance would find time loops where he could step out for a week at a time to read and write. Then he would return to the moment he left, without life getting in the way. Of course, since everyone would have the same ability, he suspects life would still sneak in.
Lance is also the author of short stories and novelettes.
Enter the Giveaway!
This has been a great tour. Thanks for the review.
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