Review: Well, this book has cinched it, Nina Croft is definitely now one of my favorite authors.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2014
I love Nina Croft.  Unlike most of today's authors', she does not shy away from sensitive topics or afraid to off a few characters if/when the story-line calls for it.  Granted, when a character dies, it has the ability to bring readers to tears and cause them pause to continue on with the book.  But it is a sure sign of that authors' ability in storytelling when a reader truly mourns the loss of a fictional character as if they were a full flesh and blood human in which the reader had vested interest in him/her.  That being said, be sure to pick a box of Kleenex before you read.Another subject that I admire her handle on is love; fated vs. true has been one of the biggest controversies in the PNR world for a very long time.  Croft takes on the True Love aspect more often than not.  And watching Callum and Captain Tannis fall first in lust then develop into love was a wonderful thing indeed.  Especially when both are leading figureheads in their own right, neither using taking orders only giving them, its a constant battle figuring out who is in charge.  Afterall, while Tannis may be captain of the ship, Callum is the ruler of the entire Universe.  But when Callum employs the El Cazador's services, well, you know how the old saying goes...."my house, my rules".  Callum is desperate, and determined to learn the truth about what he and his fellow Collective are becoming.  The only way to do that is to travel to Trakis Seven, the planet where very few will travel to willingly when going there is no more than a death sentence.  So, he has no choice but to ask the Renegade crew aboard the El Cazador, since they will take on pretty much any mission, at the right price.  Little do they know that in the end, that price will not be worth what they lose in the end.All Captain Tannis has ever dreamed of was getting enough money to purchase herself the Meridian treatment.  Seeing as how her greatest fear her entire life has been death, of course she would long for immortality.  After living a life from the tender age of four until seventeen of being experimented on and watching all of her friends and loved ones die since they were not considered human, when she finally escapes her captivity, she can think of nothing more, besides seeking revenge.  And the idea of sex appalls her rightfully so, considering some of those experiments were on a very personal level.  So when her libido finally awakens and her heart begins to unthaw for none other than Callum Meridian, let's just say shes not a very happy camper when she begins putting puzzle pieces together, one being an emblem from the guard's uniform, the initials C.M.  Coincidence??Full of action, fire power, technology in the future at its best, Croft truly knows her Sci-Fi.  That delicacy where fantasy meets possible reality.  Science at this point can viably put both eggs and sperm in chryo, who's to say a thousand years from now they won't be able to do the same with people?  Or that they aren't already....  And no matter how advanced civilizations ever becomes, you will always have your Zealots believing only one race should be allowed to live.  Enters the Church, its  not a race issue with them but a humanity one.  Those not one hundred human do not deserve to live.  While Callum is away looking for answers, the Church is at bay plotting a galactic takeover.The only thing stopping this from being a full 5 Fang review is my own fault.  This book CAN be read as a stand-alone, the prologue provide plenty of background information on Tannis, where the reader will understand her ploy.  But....without having read the first two books in the Blood Hunter series' certain aspects will not have the same impact as they were truly meant too.  So readers I deplore you to not deprive yourself the way I did, and begin from the beginning.  Its' like starting Star Wars in the middle of an episode, while you may be able to enjoy it you wouldn't realize why you should care who Anikan Skywalker is.All in all, Death Defying is truly a great read.This review and more can be seen at gothicmoms.blogspot.com