I really didn't know what to expect going into this book and I can tell you after reading it, I honestly loved everything about it. I couldn't put this book down! It's got action. It's got drama. It's got romance. It's got a kickass, headstrong female lead. It's got dual POVs. Add all that into a book with cool creatures of fantasy and a dastard villan, and you've got a winner. Defiance is that and so much more. 
 Rachel is one of those characters that I always look for in books. She's brave, caring, passionate, and knows how to wield a knife like nobody's business. Of course, she's not some super-human ninja or anything and does get pushed around a lot, but I liked that her spirit and determination never faltered and even though she knew the odds were against her, she never gave up. Logan is the brainy one and I loved how innocent and caring he was, too. Never one to jump into things without thinking, he is the perfect opposite of Rachel, and I loved watching their relationship progress. There was this one scene where he describes the way she looks, let me just say that I seriously laughed and loved that scene so much, I probably read it a few times just to get that giddy, happy feeling all over again. 
 C.J.'s world was beautifully written and very detailed (maybe a little too much at times, but it didn't bother me that much). I'd say it was the characters that kept things going for me, since this is the first book in a series, she had to spend a lot of time building the world and showing you what's become of it. The Commander is a pretty intense villan and I really despised him, in a good way though. You could totally feel the hatred that Rachel and Logan had for him and the guy has some pretty crazy tricks up his sleeve. 
 Easily one of my favorite reads of the year, Defiance had me enthralled from the very beginning and had me begging for me at the very end. It's hard to believe C.J. could pack so much awesomeness into one book, but she totally did. I seriously can't wait for the next one!