Defy The Worlds by Claudia Gray

          I found this to be so much better than it's prequel Defy The Stars and my relief at this was immense as I had been waiting for this one since reading the initial chapters.  I did start off apprehensive as it all rather fizzled out at the end of the first book and I could not see how the tale of Abel and Noemi could be resurrected in a way which would hold my interest.

Fortunately the sub-plots in this book do not detract from the main storyline and the whole meshes together a lot better with one feeding into the other so you do keep turning the pages to find out exactly what has happened.  The science fiction is much sounder in basis this time and does not feel quite as much as though it is borrowing from other authors as the previous book did.  It now feels more like a fully realised universe rather than disparate sections and, on reflection of the context of the story, this may well have been intentional.

Abel and Noemi haven't changed too much and despite the strong romantic themes within the book they do not feel overwhelming and seem to compliment the tale rather than overwhelm it.  The sense of peril is well defined and builds to nice little crescendos of action several times throughout the book which feel wholly appropriate.  The corruption of power seems to be a strong theme within these pages and it is well executed and at no point slips in to parody or sermonising which I have found to be a common failure of similar treatments of this topic.

This was a good read, with strong characterisations and a free flowing plot that does keep you gripped.  The ending was a little weak and doesn't entirely set you up for aching for the next installment to come out but I will still be eagerly waiting for it.

I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.