Endure (Book #3 of Defy Trilogy) by Sara B. Larson: A Book Review

Endure (Book #3 of Defy Trilogy)
Author: Sara B. Larson
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: 2015
Pages: 337
Source: My State Public Library
Synopsis: The remarkable third novel in Sara B. Larson's bestselling Defy series!

     At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

     When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers, and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

     Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy, that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.

     My Review: Endure is the final book in the Defy trilogy. This book picks up immediately where Ignite has left. The kingdom of Antion is still in danger. They are under threat of invasion from the kingdom of Dansii, and Rylan is now a hostage of the king of Dansii. Alexa then decides to rescue him. However her mission is full of danger, and she realizes that her attempt will fail and she may lose her life. Can she save her friend and her kingdom?

     Alexa has grown stronger than in the first two books. She has grown more mature. She has known much pain and loss and is trying to heal. She is very tough, and I like how she can save herself. She is also very smart, and is always planning. Alexa is also very irrational and impulsive. There were times that I did not agree with Alexa’s actions. It is her impulsive nature that gets her and her friends into trouble. I also thought that she was selfish sometimes, and did not think about how her actions affected others.

     Overall, this book is about friendship, love, choices, and sacrifices. It is about a woman who is trying to heal from the loss of her loved ones. The story is very fast-paced and action-packed. However, I felt that the author was trying to cram too much plot into her story in such a short book. I think that the book should have been longer or broken into two books so that the story could flow more evenly and at a steady pace. The story was also predictable and there were no twists. Nevertheless, it was good to see how Alexa’s journey ended. I recommend this to anyone interested in reading action-packed fantasy and fans of stories about female warriors, such as Xena or Red Sonja.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars