Review: New insight reveals that just when you think you know something..you don't.  In a good way.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 7, 2013
SM Reine has written six books so far in the Descent Series. Each one weaves more words into the complicated story that centers around two people who at first seem so different, thrown together but with no real rhyme or reason but is revealed slowly to be so much more.The first few books centered around Elise and her remarkable abilities to fight her way out of anything, no matter how bad the demon opposite her was.  In Dire Blood, after events occur which force everyone's hands we begin to get the story of James.  Defying Fate takes that and peels away more - and just like an onion he has many layers.  While Elise is absent except in memory in this tale, we are shown just how much she is a part of James' very being in multiple ways.  Gone are the wonderfully crafted action scenes that Elise brings us in her fights.  Instead, we are treated to the beautiful and dark and wonderous imagery  that surrounds James.  We see the magic and that it is a wonderful but scary and sometimes painful thing indeed.  As we are led through various doors into other worlds we are subject to the wild which is SM Reine's imagination.This is not a stand alone book.  Reading it with no prior knowledge one would be shocked to learn that for so long James was in love with Elise.  For so long while I had wanted them to be together I had thought that feelings were just not there.  This book takes that idea and throws it out the window.  But it is not just the story of how love grows, it is also a tale of betrayal and violence and conflict that goes far beyond the mortal realm.  The Union plays heavy in this story and with it the kind of feckless destruction that only a group who feels they are superior can bring.  There are many side characters who alone would not be interesting but when sprinkled into the tale they lend the kind of weight a truly good story needs.  This is book fans will love, for the insight and descriptions liberally found.  As always I was sad to see the book end and am eagerly awaiting her final part in this fantastic series.