Evolution

The Divine #5

by M.R. Forbes

His name is Landon Hamilton, but to the angels and demons wrestling for control of our world he’s known simply as ‘diuscrucis’. He is the balancer, the great equalizer, a once mortal and former god who toes the line between good and evil to prevent the end of days...

In New York, a demon is slaughtering coeds at campuses around the city, taking the form of its victims and vanishing without a trace. At the same time in Nevada, a scientist with his own inexplicable supernatural talent has been spotted consorting with angels, working with them on a secret project that bridges the gap between science and faith.

While the two events appear unrelated on the surface, it isn’t long before Landon’s investigation leads him to one startling conclusion: the war between Heaven and Hell is evolving faster than he could have imagined, and the survival of mankind depends on his ability to make some of the hardest choices of his afterlife.

Enemies become allies and allies become enemies in this breakneck paced, action-packed mashup of urban fantasy, religious mythology, and pure adventure that are characteristic of the popular Divine series.

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NOTE FOR NEW READERS: Evolution is the first book in the Escalation cycle, the second story arc centered around Landon Hamilton. While it is recommended to read all of the Divine books in order, it is possible to start with Evolution and return to Balance to fill in more of Landon’s backstory. The choice is yours!

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Angels, Supernatural, Paranormal, Magic, Werewolves

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2014

About the author

M.R. Forbes is the author of a growing number of science-fiction series including Rebellion, War Eternal, Chaos of the Covenant, Stars End, and the Forgotten novels. Having spent his childhood trying to read every sci-fi novel he could find (and write his own too), play every sci-fi video game he could get his hands on, and see every sci-fi movie that made it into the theater, he has a true love of the genre across every medium. He works hard to bring that same energy to his own stories, with a continuing goal to entertain, delight, fascinate, and surprise.

He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.

To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:

Visit his website:
mrforbes.com

Send him an e-mail:
michael@mrforbes.com

Check out his Facebook page:
facebook.com/mrforbes.author

Join his Facebook fan group:
facebook.com/groups/mrforbes

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Find him on Goodreads:
goodreads.com/mrforbes

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bookbub.com/authors/m-r-forbes

Reviews

[Joan E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am addicted

Okay, I don't know if you have read my other reviews so here it is in a nutshell. Start with book one. You will know if you want to keep going or not. Keep an open mind and remember this is what it fiction. Me, I am going to the next book.

[Danielle Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great series up until Alix was introduced

I have been enjoying the series so far but if the next book contains a love affair with Alix I may give up & put the book down before I finish it. A relationship that makes the hero look stupid will ruin the series for me.

[Leah Speller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of these in this series adds another layer of depth. This is true for the characters and the story arc. I had difficulty putting this down and found myself staying up much later than I should have. I am ready to select the next book

[Maggie Deaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot circles as both good and evil scramble....

The balance shifts in the wind as both sides seem unable to define what is truly evil or good... The balance must be maintained for continued existence but the how of that remains elusive...

[David English · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelent read

Loved the book, loved the ones before ! Real page Turner's each one, well developed and well thought out! Top shelf!!!!

[Daleios · Rating 2 out of 5]

**SPOILER ALERT**

***** - Enjoyed & Would Read Again
**** - Enjoyed
*** - Not Bad
** - Didn't Like
* - Didn't finish

Disclaimer: Even though this review is open for everyone to see due to the nature of GoodReads. Please note that this review / notes are just for my own personal use and shouldn't be taken as a genuine review

THE WORLD

THE CHARACTERS

Malice: God from the other universe

Ross: the beast

Gervais: josettes brother and Sarahs father

Brian: half human half angel

Dante:

Rebecca: vampire spirit

Nicked Creedom: human group that check Divine relics

Charice: landons other half.

Obi: touched human

Rose: human landons apprentice

THE STORY .

Starts where Landon is back from wherever he has been and he has relinquished out of his power. 2 years on a girl finds Landon and explains she is trying to find a demon that killed her sister.

They first go to the new leader of Rebeccas old family, but they don't know anything about it. They do tell him that the angels have teamed up with a top robotics company. They eventually track the demon down and it is Gervais from the other books who has been killing the humans and changing his appearance. He explains that after he was killed he got sent back to he'll and there he was tortured but then the devil sent him back as a really weak demon, the first of his kind. It was meant to be a punishment that he is now the lowest on the food chain where he was once nearly a god.

Landon goes to see the new demon Queen, the one who helped chalice escape from he'll before she joined her soul to charices, angels attack them and they have huge blessed robots helping then to kill the demons, they call these robots the fists of God.

He teams up with Gervais and rose and tries to track down the one who makes these robots. He gets a lead that someone is also trying to summon abandon back to earth to fight these fists of God.

He needs to get to China where they think the fists are being made. To get there fast they need to use a demon rift which needs to be created by a powerful demon. Gervais leads them to the most powerful demon he knows. He creates a rift for them but Landon takes his wife as well who is a great were who used to belong to olmexs pack.

They eventually track down the warehouse and the angels that are creating them to kill all the demons. They then manage to kill the angel that is controlling the robots because they are using demon souls to power the machines, this way they don't have to wait for someone else to strike first.

Landon defeats the angels controlling them and they turning to fallen angels because this is not the way of God. In the fight Gervais escapes.

Several days later Landon receives a message from Gervais telling him that it is the new leader of the vampires and Rebeccas old family that is trying to bring back abandon to earth.

MY THOUGHTS

I feel that this series should have ended with the previous book. This story has very little to do with the original plot from the other books and feels a little like a bolt on. It's never really explained how or why Landon gave up his God power and I feel the author has used this to just try and spin out the story to get a few more books out of the series.

I feel that this latest (and last book for me) in the series is a real letdown compared to some of the previous books.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how many books there are in this series. I previously thought that this was the last one, but the ending would leave you to think otherwise. It's written consistently with the previous instalments but missing the old team members. Yes most were killed off, but there were a few still around but they were not featured in this book. The setting here was a couple of years post Landon breaking out of the box. If the old team was not to be used, I would have thought that maybe using more passing of time to use Landon's immortal status better. But that is just my amateur opinion. There doesn't seem to be any indication of when or if there is to be another book, but still worth the time spent on the series

[Jim Kratzok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another satisfying book in The Divine series. Landon, once again finds himself fighting to keep the balance between heaven and hell. He soon builds an unlikely team of beings in the process including human, demon, werewolf and other members in his fight against Angels who have "exceeded their authority" in trying to tilt the balance heavenward.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Jaime Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't wait till the next 1

I missed the old gang & don't understand how our hero, Landon, could even b in an uneasy alliance w/ Gervais. And what happened to Adam & Sara being a (kinda) thing. Landon even says that @ the end of book 4. Or was that the beginning of book 5? (I binge read all 5) The book was well written, the story was good but those things just didn't make sense to me.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 5

Landon has changed since the last book and is more introspective about death and his relationship with the duty to protect the balance. He has inserted himself into deeper dark areas he had not learned about until he weighs his role as as an adjunct of punishment to the world's enemies of heaven and Hell. He is both, dead but in the world of man. He must fight emotions and his weariness , trying to find his own way out of Purgatory.

[Kristoffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is this not a huge deal? It should be a huge deal. This book wasn't disappointing at all. How do you give up the power of a God and still remain interesting as a schmoe? Read this book after the previous 4 and find out.