Defiance by Lili St. Crow

Defiance:
The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken on her fair share of bad guys. She's armed, dangerous, and not going down without a fight. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust...

Dru Anderson has always been a good listener. She listened to her dad, but had to gun him down when he turned zombie. She listened to the Order, but got nothing but lied to in return. She listened to Christophe, but still lost the only friend she had left.

Time to buckle up, boys and girls. Dru Anderson is done listening. From here on out, she'll face the King of the Vampires on her own terms. And if the Order has a problem with that, they can kiss their sweet little svetocha goodbye.

Where-oh-where to begin...Lili St. Crow developed such an incredible world and characters in the Strange Angels series, that I don't know how to review this book without simply gushing my adoration uncontrollably. Each new book surpasses the last, Lili grabs your attention and pulls you into the story, hard. The quick pace of this book makes it feel like it's over all too soon, and there are so many secrets and hidden agendas you really feel a part of Dru's life as she tries to adjust to her new role at the Schola. I loved every character, and I'm continually impressed by Dru's strength and she really came into her own in Defiance. There are incredible developments to the overall story arc that occur in this book, and each page is filled with unexpected twists and turns creating a compelling story. The ending leaves you salivating for more of Dru and Graves, which makes this reader a very happy girl...annnd looking forward to getting my hands on Reckoning!