A century-old secret. A resolute dragon. A shunned princess must find her courage before the shadows devour them all.

Imperial Princess Redrinna is suffocating. Her entire life, she's been preparing for her eighteenth birthday where she's fated to ascend the throne of an empire whose people hate her and call her a demon—a moniker she's carried since her hair and eyes mysteriously changed from brown to blood-red. She longs to escape and leave it all behind but can't bring herself to do something so treacherous.

Until she is betrayed.

Redrinna uses the situation to run and takes her first breath of freedom. However, the shadows of the past are far-reaching, and she's more entangled in their grasp than she realized. Will she be able to find a courage she's never had in order to escape, or will she lose what little she has left?

Defy is the first in a young adult epic fantasy series packed with unforgettable characters, magic, and adventure. If you like reluctant heroes, dragons, and coming of age stories, then you'll love the first book in C.S. Doraga's Rise of the Empress series.