10.7.17

Review: Captive Rebel (The Allegiance Book 1) by Erin McDermott


Summary/Cover Image from Author's Website:
Destined to be enemies, bound by fate...

Prince Ariston rules over the Allegiant - an elite faction favored by the Greek Gods. Separated from his family at a young age, he became a prisoner to the rebellion.

Marylyn O'Conner is a rebel, forced to do the rebellion's bidding until an unforgiving family debt is paid. A pawn in the war for rebels to gain their freedom, she is obligated to become a spy, or her family will suffer.

Driven by revenge after returning from captivity, Prince Ariston makes it his mission to hunt down rebel spies, capturing Marylyn O'Conner in the process.

Desperate, Marylyn knows she needs to escape her alluring captor, or risk the safety of her family.

A fast-paced romance that will have you fall in love with each character and keep you turning the pages for more!

Review: 

As soon as I read the summary of this one, I knew I had to read it. Anytime the phrase 'rebel spy' is mentioned I'm immediately sold. Luckily, Captive Rebel proved to be not only a stunning debut but a fantastic start to a new series.

Captive Rebel introduces us to Marylyn O'Conner, one of three rebel spies in the Allegiant. Maralyn was likable as well as easy to root for. At the start of the story, Marylyn is not-so-much weak- because it does take strength to be a rebel spy, especially in the place of someone else - but more go-with-the-flow, not-asking-too-many questions. She doesn't forge friendships or relationships. Instead, she's making her time atoning for her brother's deceit, taking orders/directions, and dreaming of the day where she can finally be reunited with her mom and dad.

In the beginning, there were so many times I wanted to scream, "Marylyn, ask questions, make a scene! Don't always go with what's said so easily!" However, as the book progressed, a transformation was shown in Marylyn. She went from this to a strong, don't-take-your-sh&t kind of character and I loved that transformation. There is one pivotal scene at the end of the book (I won't say too much so I don't spoil anything) where I was so incredibly proud of her. She finally stood up for herself, and I'm  now excited to see how she continues to grow in further books.

In addition to Marylyn, there was a plethora of other characters I came to enjoy reading about over the course of Captive Rebel. One of the most surprising was Prince Ariston. At first, I thought he was going to be ruthless and cruel, but it turned out Prince Ariston had a lot of heart and kindness to him. I always enjoyed reading about his interactions with Marylyn, especially when they inspired her to think about certain things in a new light. He was a key point in her transformation. I also liked the addition of Orion, Charles and Alice, and am excited to see what roles they play in book 2.

The plot of this was adventurous and slightly romantic. I enjoyed how the plot took us to so many different places - tiny towns,  the castle, and the open sea. Each setting was easy to visualize, and I also enjoyed the thrills and challenges each presented to the story. Additionally, I really enjoyed learning more about the Allegiant, especially given the ties to the Greek Gods (I don't know about you all but I love greek mythology so any time that's involved I'm a happy reader!). The romance in this was also enjoyable. It actually wasn't rushed nor insta-love; instead, it developed steadily over the course of the book.

My only problem? I felt that certain aspects weren't incredibly well developed. For instance, Marylyn  mentions her Statue of Liberty necklace, and I was confused as to how this played in. What happened to the US? I knew the Allegiant was now the ruling power but what exactly happened to have that occur? Additionally, I would've liked some more details about problems between the rebels and the Allegiant. Hopefully, both of these will get some answers in the sequel!

Full of adventure, suspense, and romance, Erin McDermott's Captive Rebel is a must read. I can't wait to see what crazy adventure the characters get themselves involved in next!

Grade: B+ 

Captive Rebel (Amazon/Goodreads) is now out!

Side Note: If you have Kindle Unlimited, it's currently available for free!

Source: Author - thanks Erin!

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