I received this book via the author, Michelle Bryan. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Strain of Defiance by Michelle Bryan Series: Bixby Series #2
Published by Self Publish on 2016-11-18
Reviewing eARC Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2016 Dystopia Reading Challenge, 2016 New Release Challenge
Eight years of fighting alien invaders has hardened Bixby and her crew of survivors at the Grand Hotel. They thought they had seen it all.
They were wrong.
The invaders have evolved. They've become smarter. Stronger. Deadlier.
There may be a way to eradicate this new threat. But that entails a perilous expedition over three hundred miles of infested territory. Three hundred miles of leeches, ravagers, and hybrids, all on the hunt for blood.
What could possibly go wrong.
Initial Reaction
OMG!!!! I need more! Strain of Defiance by Michelle Bryan is topping my favorite list right now. It is the second book in the Bixby Series and picks up a few weeks after the end of Strain of Resistance. I’ll be honest, I was concerned how the author would be able to keep the momentum and suspense going after the first book. I’m happy to say she did it and did it well! I devoured this book. I would’ve finished it in one sitting IF I hadn’t started it so late. I can’t remember another time that I was so engrossed and invested in a character.
Bixby’s back!
I love Bixby! She’s one messed-up chick though. She watched the world turn to hell and now she’s living to survive. She locks her emotions down and doesn’t let many people into her life. Why would she when they all leave? Yet the events in the first book have changed her. Bix is fighting her growing feelings for Luke, admitting she cares for the guys on her team and owning up/moving on from the grief of losing Sam.
All the characters I loved are back. Luke is still the “gentle giant” that Bixby referred to in the first book yet he’s also changed. He’s done waiting on Bixby to admit her feelings, especially when he can read her like a book. Gordon is still one of my favorite characters though he doesn’t play as big as a role in this book. The characters find a new colony of survivors in this book and so I don’t spoil anything I’ll just say I love them!
A New Threat
At the end of Strain of Resistance, Bixby and the others encountered a new mutation of the worms they are fighting. These are smarter, deadlier, and harder to kill. Honestly these guys scare the heck out of me and the characters! Why? Because they hide in plain sight as a human.
The plot revolves around finding a way to eradicate these guys. So Bixby and her crew on on a new mission: deliver the scientists they saved to a research facility. I liked this! This aspect of the plot forces them to leave the city they’ve made their home and in turn they encounter new dangers and new friends. It’s interesting to see this world evolve as the series continues. There is plenty of suspense as there are so many dangers even without the alien threat. I love it!!
Conclusion
Overall I LOVED this book! I couldn’t read it fast enough. I love Bixby, the romantic trouble she entangles herself in, and the story itself. I’m fully invested. I’m on pins and needles needing to know what will happen next. And that ending *sobs* I can’t even….Michelle Bryan I need more ASAP PLEASE?!?!
About Michelle Bryan
Michelle Bryan is a USA Today Bestselling author of The Crimson Legacy Trilogy, Legacy of Light Series, The Bixby Series, and The Power of Fae series. She resides in Nova Scotia, Canada with her favorite guys; her hubby, son, and two fur babies, Garbage and Smudge.
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