Awakening Defiance

The Saoirse Saga, Book 2

By: Teagan Kearney

Narrated by: Apryl Renee West

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Kia wants more than survival. She wants vengeance and her freedom.

Kia has joined Lord Rial’s elite guard and is collecting secrets. Secrets that can get her killed. The pretense of being Rial's consort offers some protection, but neither of them trusts the other. When the chance for retribution on her father's betrayers comes, she takes it. But there is a price to pay.

Her feelings toward Rial change, and Kia is shocked when she discovers the emperor’s schemes include experiments on his son. If her ambition to destroy the emperor is to succeed, she must rescue Rial. But are her desperate last-minute plans enough to save him?

Buy Awakening Defiance today if you enjoy compelling action and adventure tales with a tenacious heroine who doesn’t know the meaning of defeat. This is the second novel in the riveting Saoirse space saga.

©2017 Teagan Kearney (P)2019 Teagan Kearney

Fast paced and exciting!

Great read! I definitely recommend reading book one first. I loved the character development and emotion in this book. Lots of action and plot twists that keep you engaged the entire time. Kia is a thoughtful and well planned lead. I liked watching her growth and her determination. I was given this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own.

Interesting

To be frank, I have not read the first book of this series. I don’t think that was terribly detrimental to my experience with this book. The narration was acceptable but sounds a bit breathy/hissy if that makes any sense. The story had some solid action that was enjoyable but felt like it hopped around a bit too much—maybe this is where the first book may have helped but I have my doubts.

Parents: mentions intimate relationships and there is some mild language and some solid violence. Not a young adult book.

If you enjoy space age domination with a side of the essence of good intentioned Stockholm syndrome, give this a shot. But maybe read the first book ;)


—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Excellent 2nd Story in this Series!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this continuation of this series and the Writers continued development of the main characters. Kia thought young and relatively naive at beginning of book 1 has gone through enough to have matured quite a lot.
Great read looking forward to next book!

Awakening Defiance

Action packed and great twists in the plot that kept me fully engaged. Kia and Rial are such great characters. I love how they’ve been developed and I’m really looking forward to seeing where things go.

Teagan Kearney has the ability to pull you right into the story with her writing. A very enjoyable experience.

April Renee West did a great job with the narration.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Great second part

Love this series and love these characters! I’m ready for book 3!
Apryl did an excellent job narrating again.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy at no charge by the author, publisher and or narrator.

Great narration! Sci-fi ideas better than romance

“Awakening Defiance (The Saoirse Saga #2)” starts immediately after the ending of book #1. MC Kia awakens in the heir’s bed, realizing he drugged her and can now claim she spent the night in his bed and he can announce her as royal consort.

Don’t worry - he slept on the sofa!

Rial becomes a much more interesting character in book 2 as we learn of his history, and of his relationship with his father the emperor. The surprising twist revealed at the end of book #1, in which we learn that Rial was the trusted confidante of Kia’s father, and has saved her brother from execution also plays out further as book 2 progresses.

Unfortunately, Kia becomes much less interesting in book 2. She has this golden opportunity to work with a man her father and brother trusted, who wants to end the tyranny of the emperor….and she spends much of her time whining about her situation and trying to escape. At one point she finally recognizes that she is being stupid and childish….but she can’t quite break those habits for awhile longer.

Rial is extremely patient and tolerant of her, and at some point realizes he loves her, of course. She sort of, maybe, perhaps, concludes that she loves him to and will work with him. Happily for this lesbian, their intimate scenes are fade-to-black.

Where this story does shine, quite brightly, is in the sci-fi aspects presented to us. Lab planets, cloning, more nanobots and a loyal fighting crew of his elite guards makes for a very enjoyable listen!

Where the story is a bit muddy is in the description of looking for the traitors who betrayed Kia’s father and her planet. I got rather confused at which side the “resistance” fighters were on; did they betray the planet or are they battling the Empire via guerrilla warfare? I don’t know, but the escape through the caves was entertaining if not another poor decision by Kia.

The narrator once again did a very good job, and I very much enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. I recommend “Stars & Ashes” with 4*, and I look forward to more audio releases in this series.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

My rating and my review was not in anyway affected by my having been provided a review copy.

GREAT READ!

Awakening Defiance: (The Saoirse Saga Book 2), my sixth read/listen from author Teagan Kearney & the second book in The Saoirse Saga. GREAT READ! Apryl Renee West's narration adds to the well-written book's enjoyment. I've owned the Kindle edition since June of 2018 & never got around to reading it until I was given an Audible edition of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. I look forward to the next book in the series, there is definitely more story to tell. Teagan Kearney is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

books 1 and 2

both books are very well written and entertaining I hope there is a third.

Kia takes charge

This is the fifth book I’ve read/listened to by this author- second in this series - I would hop at the chance to listen to more in either. This series is so different from her Adept Solutions series.
I found this book to be a great continuation of the story. Kia is still distrustful of Rial, yet when she learns more about the Emperor’s intentions and Rial’s motivations she changes her perspective. She’s starting to love Rial and seeks to rescue and defend him.
We are treated to more sarcasm, banter, affirmation of a romance, some altercations, and reveals. The plot thickens...

This is the third book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Apryl Renee West ). Her character voices are subtly different and well done. She imparts personality to the characters. She does more than just reads the book, she brings life to the story.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing (that I remember).

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

A Winner!

We've got a winner. This review is for both book 1 and book 2.
I was not sure of the narrator at first. My concern was proven false after the first chapter and I was caught up and walking next to Kia as she travels her new path.
My only complaint is that I have to wait for the next release.
This audio was given to me free and I voluntarily gave this review.