Defiant (Lee Harden Series (The Remaining Universe) Book 4) Kindle Edition

Defiant is the fourth book in the Lee Harden series, which is also a sequel to The Remaining novels, of which there are 6. (and 2 novellas). With that in mind, I definitely recommend that you delay reading Defiant until you've read the other books first, starting with the whole Remaining series! So here are my thoughts on Defiant... The usual solid writing and intense scenes can be found peppered throughout the book. But although the primals are still an evolving force to be reckoned with and there is chaos everywhere, this is very much a bridge novel designed to set the stage for book five. It is also a book about self doubt and character development. For Lee, Angela and Sam it manifests in how they are struggling internally with their new responsibilities and the roles they find themselves awkwardly trying to fill. For Lee, he is newly promoted to major but he cringes when he hears his own title and he wants to be in trenches. Angela has always struggled as president and while she shows occasional flashes of leadership, it is painfully obvious to her that she is in over her head. And then there is Sam, dealing with past demons where he he was manipulated and did things out of fear. Sam experiences a lot of growth in this novel and is proving to be an up and coming force in his hunter killer squad. If any of this character development I describe sounds boring, it is because to me it was. While it was necessary to the plot and to deepen our understanding what was going on in the minds of these characters, so many pages were devoted to internal monologues, that it got tedious. For that reason an otherwise great book suffered at times. With all that said, the rest of the book is packed with action, plots, sub plots, diversions and deception. Book 5 will be treat for sure. It feels like all hell is about to break loose. 3/5

Another great book by DJ Molles writing about Lee Harden. Have followed Lee Harden since the first Remaining books and he has certainly changed dramatically. Mr. Molles books are wonderfully written and keep you reading till the morning light. This book was just great to put it simply. So much action from place to place for Lee. We lost a few and almost lost the main characters. Really on the edge of your chair. Be sure to start at least with the first Harden series book to get the most or even the first Remaining book which got me hooked. Please keep at it Mr. Molles....love your books and you get better and better.

Ok, these are action books and you read them for the popcorn fun. If you had any belief that this story was actually careening towards some conclusion then you should check that right now though. It’s pretty clear after this one (the 10th full-length book of The Remaining universe) that this series is designed to go on indefinitely. And that’s not a bad thing. I could read 10 or 20 more of these easy. I just wish Molles would give us some broader strokes. What’s going on in the rest of the world? 10 books in and we still have almost no information on the biological calamity. A bacteria that attacks the human brain and turns people into rage zombies? Believable. But one that radically alters the human physiology? Is there anything in nature that suggests that’s even possible? No. I can roll with it because it’s fun, but throw us a bone for crying out loud. At the pace we’re getting info it will be book 30 before we get a punch line. (And please don’t let it be the old govt lab! Give us something original, DJ!)But is this book fun? Heck yes! Same as the 9 before it. We delve a little deeper into Lee’s psyche and get some welcome focus on Angela and Sam. Some new characters come into focus too. As with all of these books, the human toll is high. Molles has never been shy about whacking characters, which ups the tension considerably. I’ve learned to brace myself for the shock of loss. This book is no different, but I do have a complaint here that one of the characters shot himself to avoid being torn apart by the primals. I didn’t really believe he would do that. It would have been more consistent with his character for him to fight to the end to try to stop at least one more of the primals, who were overrunning the position, and thereby save others.But all of these books have minor gripes like that. Bottom line is DJ crafts an entertaining read. You start on page 1 and BAM you’re done and wonder where the time went. That’s worth good money.

Lee Harden is tough! He is real...and he is determined to continue the mission of rebuilding The United States of America. This is exactly who I would want in front of my family in a fight! He walks the wire, he stays the course and he gets the job done. DJ Molles knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat while tugging at your patriotism. If you listen while you read, you will learn...Hooah, Hoorah and you go Lee! I can't wait for book 5.This is an honest review of this book. I was given an advanced copy but I cannot get it into my Kindle (I am technology challenged) so I purchased that format. Totally worth the money, and more. If you read all of The Remaining series and the Lee Harden series from beginning to end, you are in for one heck of a ride!

I read the Remaining series a few years back, mostly during trips back and forth to Iraq and Afghanistan. Loved the characters and story line. Very easy to read and become immersed in the action.Then I read the Lee Harden Series and was completely blown away. I can't say enough about the way DJ Molles further developed the characters and expanded the story. I was actually sad, and at times mad, to see some of the characters go, but then a different element of the plot would accelerate and I'd be drawn right back in.I can't recommend the series highly enough. Once I got the books, I couldn't put them down. I'm a Marine so I read really slowly and I finished the four books in the last two months, even with an extremely busy work schedule. The only bad thing that I have to say is that now I have to wait on book 5! Can't wait to see where the saga goes next!

Absolutely awesome read. During the long Covid summer of 2020, this book was a shining light.Molles knows how to write this stuff like the back of his hand, and each book builds on the characterisation and drags you deeper into the story of Lee Harden.I’ve read a lot of this type of book series, and although there were some excellent ones out there, something about this series just resonates with me. I think it’s the depth of the characters created, and the sheer scale and pace of the story.It does of course have one massive flaw:The next one isn’t out yet :(Highly recommended and I cannot wait for the next chapter in the series :)

DJ Molles is a quality writer, there is no doubt. Unlike so many other Kindle books, these books are properly edited, not just for typos but for the flow of the story. There are no dull and boring "infills" to pad the book out.Lee Harden does have more lives than all the cats I've ever seen. This book is no exception and Lee gets very bloody ...with his own blood. DJ Molles has never been shy in killing off characters that you like, quite unexpectedly and this book is no exception.In fact you can take little for granted in this book. We have seen books swing between primal based storylines, and military based storylines. This books has everything - strong primal conflicts , strong military conflicts, back stabbiing Lincolnists and other treachery! Throw in some idiotic behaviour that sees soldiers killed, some seriously conflicted British and Canadian troops and some dangerously murderous private security 'contractors' and you know an epic melee is on the horizon.Some events that seem major incidents near the beginning of the book, fade to insignificance towards the end. You just can't predict where this will go. It's brilliant.I wasn't, however, convinced that Angela would promote Lee to a desk job. Whilst the extra pay, pension, private medical and extra days holiday might be attractive to some people, Lee is not the sort to spend too much time on his retirement plan.Sam also could have done with a good smacking.I can't wait for the next book. Mr. Molles - keep at it!

As long as you keep writing these DJ, I'll keep reading them. This was by far one of the best in this series. God damn you know how to tell a tale and I'm seriously running out of superlatives. This book was as hard hitting as ever with moments of loss, despair and desperation that got me turning the page as quick as lightning. I'm not going to spoil things but this book sets up the next one perfectly and my god its going to be HUGE! Bring it on!

I've read everything DJ has written, and this is one of the best.I literally couldn't put the damn thing down, I HAD to find out what happened next.In amongst all the gore, intrigue and action I even had a lump in my throat and maybe a small tear in my eye several times (nah, it was just grit......or the wind.....honest) - any author that can do that to an old grey engineer is doing serious justice to his craft.You need to read the earlier stories, you can't just drop straight onto this - but if you haven't read the others you're missing out on a treat. It may not be 'literature' but man is it enjoyable and entertaining.

This is, hands down, of the best books I've ever read.The way DJ transports you into the feet of the characters in this book is genius. The way he describes the smells, touches, the location; your imagination doesn't need to be wild to experience what the character is in that moment.The action is endless, but always tasteful, and every scene, whether action or not, is crucially important to the storyline. But the character development is never forgotten.Masterpiece!