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Saturday, February 19, 2022

Audible Book Review: Defiant, Lee Hardin, Book 4 by D. J. Molles

I enjoyed this episode in the series, even as I felt the loses.
Defiant
Lee Harden, Book 4
By: D. J. Molles
Narrated by: Christian Rummel

Defiant Audiobook By D. J. Molles cover art

Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
Release date: 06-23-20
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Action & Adventure, Military Sci Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.


Publisher's Summary
Don't ever let it break you.
The United Eastern States is crumbling. The fragile house of cards that Lee Harden and Angela Houston have built has begun to fall. Lee is up against a ticking clock, as he is recalled from Texas and given the last thing in the world that he wants: a promotion.
Forced into a command role, Major Harden is thrust into a sharp learning curve that goes against every instinct he's developed over years of fighting. As Lee races to find his footing in a mire of shifting loyalties and opposing goals, Safe Zones are being overrun by massive hordes of primals exhibiting strange behaviors and uncanny levels of intelligence, and Greeley is moving toward an invasion of the UES. The envoys from Canada and the United Kingdom know it - but they're refusing to take sides and give Lee the intelligence he desperately needs.
As the tides of war reach the doors of the UES, horrific secrets are revealed that will change the future of their fight for survival. Friends become enemies, and enemies become allies. But no matter what happens, no matter what - or who - he loses, Lee can't let it break him. He must remain defiant to the last.
©2020 D.J. Molles (P)2020 Audible, Inc.


Review:
This is book 4 in the series and picks up from the prior book. Lee Hardin is in Texas but gets the call from United Eastern States President, Angela Houston, to return to the home base to take military command. The UES has already been forced out of the Fort Bragg that Lee and Angela helped build when the infected Primals overran the base with the unwitting help of the Lincolnist rebels. Angela is coping with internal threats in the form of the continuing hidden rebels, unrest due to overcrowding and boredom. The external threats are increasing in the form of threats from President Brigg’s forces seeking to squelch the UES as well as the infected Primals who seem to be getting more organized. Several more of the Safe Zones in the Southeast have fallen and been demolished as the Primals kidnap the women and wipe out the surviving human communities. Envoys from Canada and the United Kingdom are monitoring President Briggs in Colorado and Angela in the UES. They are trying to determine if it is safer to lend their support to the rational but weakened forces and civilians in the UES or President Briggs, a clearly power hungry leader, who has stronger and better prepared military forces but has lost control of the necessary fuel sources.

When arriving to the new base of operations, Lee immediately sees areas of loyalty concerns, but he would rather continue to be fighting in the field than being the Major in charge in the tactical operations center (TOC). He struggles trying to find the right place and right approach to help Angela and the people. Unfortunately, while he is stumbling, the advance forces of President Briggs’ army are moving into the UES territory.

The local scavenging and hunter forces are able to uncover more information about the Primal activity. They also are pulled into a dangerous rescue attempt to save some of the kidnapped women. The information comes to Lee at the last minute as he is busy planning to defend the home base against expected exterior attack and suddenly facing unexpected attacks too.

My heart felt the continual attacks, deaths, and betrayals in this book. I enjoyed the action and Lee’s external and mental internal struggles. There is more bad language than I like to deal with but I can get past it. I am looking forward to picking up the next book in the series. I recommend this to fans of post-apocalyptic military stories that include more advanced zombie elements.

Audio Notes: Christian Rummel has been the voice for this series and he continues to enhance my enjoyment in the books.

Source: 6/18/2021 Audible Credit. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.

Here are links to the earlier books in the Lee Hardin series:
Harden, Lee Harden, Book 1 by D.J. Molles 4.5
Southlands, Lee Harden, Book 2 by D.J. Molles 4.75
Primal, Lee Harden, Book 3 by D. J. Molles 4.5

Links to my reviews of the earlier books before this series:
The Remaining, Book 1  4.25
The Remaining: Aftermath, Book 2  4.5
The Remaining: The Refugees, Book 3  4.25
The Remaining: The Fractured, Book 4  4.5
The Remaining: Trust: a Novella  4.0
The Remaining: Faith: a Novella  4.0
The Remaining: Allegiance, Book 5 4.25
The Remaining: Extinction, Book 6 4.5

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