Defiance

Defiance by C. J. Redwine is rich postapocalyptic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Graceling and Tamora Pierce.

While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice.

When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan—the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

She’s supposed to trust the boy who broke her heart. Can they survive the Wasteland, a monster that can’t be killed, and each other?

• Enemies to Lovers: He rejected her once. Now he’s her assigned Protector, and every moment they’re trapped together tests the line between old wounds and a dangerous new spark.
• A Strong Female Lead: While other girls learn to dance, Rachel learns to hunt. She’s a warrior who questions authority and will stop at nothing to save the people she loves.
• Post-Apocalyptic Survival: To find her father, Rachel must escape her walled city and brave the Wasteland—a brutal wilderness stalked by a monstrous Cursed One and an army of assassins.
• Slow Burn Romance: They start as rivals bound by duty, but their dangerous journey forges a connection that neither of them expected—and one that might get them both killed.