Also by this author: The Delusion: We All Have Our Demons, The Deception
Series: The Delusion #3
Published by Wander on November 3, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Thriller
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Four months after the deadly overlord, Molek, has been banished beyond the city limits of Masonville, Texas, Owen Edmonds' crucial mission to save lives escalates when seven Cosmic Rulers of darkness close in to decimate his town. With the backing of mighty Watchmen, Owen works to expose and counteract the demonic invaders' schemes, but his efforts are met with strong resistance, especially as powers of witchcraft are loosed against him. Owen finds the strength to persevere, even as the stakes rise to an all-time high, but it's then that he and the love of his life, Ray Anne, are both confronted by their most dreaded, longstanding fears--a strategic move by the enemy. As the battle between good and evil culminates in an epic standoff, Owen and Ray Anne must make the decision of a lifetime: will they face their fears or run?
The Defiance by Laura Gallier is the latest in the author’s “The Deception” series. The poor teenagers in these novels experience spiritual warfare in the physical sense. They see it, and it can affect their bodies. However, as the Lord chose them to be the town’s defenders, only they can see the chaos surrounding Madisonville. This book explores spiritual warfare even further than the last two–identifying the seven “Cosmic Rulers” and demonstrating the power they can have over ordinary people.
Owen and Ray Anne must stop them from succeeding, or the entire United States could be in trouble. Whoever thought Madisonville, Texas would be so important? Doubts, however, begin to creep in for Ray Anne. The demons find her weakness–her kindness–and actually begin to manipulate it. It starts small but grows larger…and larger…and larger until it multiplies. Soon, Ray Anne finds herself at odds with Owen, who like Ray Anne in the first book, tires to tell her what she’s doing is wrong. Ray Anne, on the other hand, is too blinded and too deafened to notice what she’s doing.
Once again, Laura Gallier kept me on the edge of my seat with The Defiance. It’s fast-paced, with high stakes, and I definitely read it when I should’ve been studying…or sleeping…or cleaning. Maybe I should rephrase–I read The Defiance when I should have been doing anything that could be categorized as “adulting.” Madisonville offered me an escape from my own problems. Even if I didn’t know its exactly conclusion, I figured I could surmise from what I knew of the power of God. Good would prevail; it was only a matter of how fast and how many lives would be torn apart in the process.
This novel demonstrated how even long-time Christians can be vulnerable to the devil’s manipulation. I think many of us can become prideful in our “strong” faith. We think we’re invincible, but Satan is crafty. He knows our faults perhaps even better than we do. The Defiance, too, notes how the devil’s minions can also take people out of the equation. Not kill them, just…move them someplace else so they can no longer influence, which is a discomforting thought. The book, too, also stresses how important it is to overcome our differences. We’re all members of the body of Christ; we have different gifts and different callings in the Lord. But, ultimately, we all need each other. A finger is worthless without the arm, a leg without the hip, a brain without the heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed these books. Did they give me chills? Yes. Would I recommend them? Yes, with some fine print. Would I read them again? Absolutely. I invite you all to travel to Madisonville, Texas for quite the harrowing adventure. When I finished the series, I did so with a new vision of spiritual warfare. If you step into this with an open mind, I believe you will, too.