Defiant by Karina Sumner-Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable continuation, but I'm on the fence about aspects here. When it comes to the worldbuilding and the magic, between the towers of magic, what they're made of and what they're doing to the rest of the world around them, I'm in full-on love mode.

When it comes to the main characters, I'm totally onboard, a Radiant ghost and her best friend the soul-sucking death monster who are just trying to stay alive amid assassins, economics, and outright war between the clans of towers.

The only thing I have any concern about is the in-between bits. Some parts were kinda ordinary and not particularly driving the plot forward except in retrospect nearing the end of the novel. That's not horrible, of course, especially when it ALL becomes clear enough to ask the NEXT big question about the world, but I thought parts could have been tightened. Too much focus on the bad leg, maybe, or the family stuff. But then, maybe that's just me. I see some really awesome stuff brewing, I don't really want to hang out in the usual duller bits. :) The previous novel built up well with the MC being one of the poorest of the poor, but this just seemed to be marking time while hiding out.

Until, of course, all crap hits the fan, which it does. :)

Very imaginative fantasy here!

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