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Destiny #5

Retaliation

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Alternate cover edition of ASIN B08TV61VK3

Tragedy strikes and Echo, one of Aria’s fiercest Elites, finds herself facing unimaginable loss. But in true Elite fashion, she doesn’t take it lying down. Setting out on a journey for retribution and retaliation, Echo discovers new bonds and hidden truths about her own identity.

The Elites are done waiting for the next blow. It’s time to strike back! But how far is Echo willing to go and what will happen when those they're up against decide to strike back.

573 pages, ebook

Published December 31, 2021

356 people are currently reading
489 people want to read

About the author

C.J. Cooke

16 books402 followers
I’m a British author who writes paranormal reverse harem romance books.

I couldn’t survive with tea and potentially swear far too much for any kind of polite society. So I spend most of my days shut inside the writing cave and talking to all the voices in my head. Being a writer has given me the ideal excuse to fully embrace the crazy side of my personality, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

I have an amazing reader group on Facebook, which I would LOVE you to join. Be the first to find out all the news on my upcoming projects and chat with me daily.

Join here >> https://www.facebook.com/groups/CJCoo...

Sign up to my newsletter here if you prefer to stay up to date by email >>
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If you need any more information, check out my website here >>
https://www.authorcjcooke.com

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5 stars
526 (62%)
4 stars
233 (27%)
3 stars
79 (9%)
2 stars
6 (<1%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
280 reviews6 followers
December 20, 2021
This book was everything!!!! It grabbed you from the very beginning. There is so much action, suspense, intrigue, funny moments, sexy moments, witty moments and of course stabby moments that you are going to go on one hell of an emotional roller coaster that is completely worth it. You will get answers to things from the first four books but it takes you on a journey that you do not want to end. I highly recommend this book and if you have not started this series, you are seriously missing out. I love all of Cj's books but this series will always hold a special place in my heart. A definite must read!!!!
Profile Image for Book Dragon.
169 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2022
CJ Cooke blows me away with her talent to tell a story which leaves me breathless. From the start I have loved the Destiny Series, and Retaliation has CJ Cooke display why she is one of the great RH PRN writers.
Retaliation doesn't hold back and if you haven't read the other books in the series yet, do it! You really need to in order to fully appreciate book five in the series.
What worked for me was the humour through the story, which works so well with the tension and evolving plot, and there are some twists which really made me feel! Damn! A day later and I am still thinking about this book and what the next one will be like?
So, yes, there is conflict resolution, which is fab, but there is the question of what happens next? And from the first page of Retaliation she has me wondering what is going to happen next? So, if you read this prepare yourself to feel, prepare yourself to be blown away, and prepare to love this story as much as I do.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
543 reviews32 followers
December 27, 2021
Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author and/or publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. A positive review is not required.

This review can also be found in Currant7 Recommends on release day.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Five pack members - four out of the five have impossible feats to accomplish, all as important as the other - life-dependent. I had never encountered all the pack members having massive missions and issues until I read Retaliation.

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What to expect in Retaliation:-
- a reverse harem cast with Echo as the leading mate and LOTS of steamy hot mates coming into the picture one-by-one. Echo's mates come from all types of paranormal beings, so expect a few surprises in-store.
- more than one battle to prepare for, and each one will have readers in total suspense
- a truckload of revelations and secrets to uncover, wherein some were pretty gruesome in true paranormal style
- paranormal galore in the sweetest and sexiest way possible with the intimate scenes
- multi-POV: the more, the merrier and gives the "why choose" category a whole new meaning in "open relationships."

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All of the pack in the story has the main objective of retaliating after all the hurt and pain inflicted on them by various people - the majority are close family members.

We have a stellar cast of new and old in this book, and one needs to keep a score or a record on what character is what because, trust me - a lot of them have "crazy" pasts!

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Without giving too much away, here's Echo's mates and some short background details:-

Echo - shifter, one of the Elite members trained by Aria in Book 1 of the series, comes into the story with a vengeance after the death of someone important. She evolves slowly throughout the book into something beyond anyone's imagination, save for Frannie, and later becomes the "next generation" of avengers leading up to the final book.

Stone - mage, brother of Dom, Lyra's mate and is one of the mages with access to The Library, has a vendetta to keep regarding his heritage and pursuit to "clean" his family from the dark magic of succumbing some of his family members.

Damon - vampire, former human and is considered a newly created vampire (2 years), deflected to Aria's side in the previous book, wants to find out how he could take back his life after his creator left him to "fend" for himself. He becomes the much-needed comic relief in tensioned moments in the book, is one of the most emphatic mates in the group.

Aubron - fae, the younger brother of Virion, Aria's mates who stayed in Galvinae to support King Haryk after the demon war, holds a secret that comes at a heavy price to keep his people safe. He comes to his own with the help of his mates in the end, but it was a long road to recovery for him as things weren't what they seemed in the end.

Tas - fae, advisor, and protector of Aubron, protected Aubron's secret. He is the most patient among the male mates and seems to act more rational and level-headed during stressful times in the book. Tas is the rock you want on your side when the going gets tough.

Samuel - angel, a.k.a. "snuggle blanket" with his wings. He is part of a rebellion that didn't seem to make sense in impact, and it is when Echo enters into the picture, things start to gain traction. His role changes dramatically from rebel fighter into something beyond comprehension.

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I enjoyed how the author brought back a few expected and unexpected cast members from previous book series (like Frannie, Aria, Viron, etc.) as a way of honoring the vital roles they played in the series and still focusing on the five main characters above for the book.

The plot twists kept coming from all fronts (all over is an understatement). Suspense and mystery at every turn. When one problem is solved, new revelations unfold and complicate the already dire predicament Echo, and her ever-growing mates face. The best quote from the book that sums it all until the last chapter is below:-
"Some days, it felt like our problems kept getting bigger. Nothing we did seemed to bring us any peace. On the contrary, our actions just kept revealing more and more treachery and pain."
Lastly, this book is FULL of steamy scenes, composed of tangled bodies and creative positions in every combination possible. The creativity and imagination that have come from all this is something. I may have enjoyed this too much, but heck, this is what reverse harem and paranormal romance books is all about. It's an essential, most anticipated moment, aside from morphed or "realized" magic.

In summary, Retaliation is a "meaty" book filled with world-building, intricate plot twists, suspenseful mystery, a slow-burn story peppered with complex character growth, and full-on steamy scenes that will amaze, excite and overwhelm readers. It is best read at a slower pace to appreciate everything fully.
It is true: one cannot expect to shake "the heavens" and not see the consequences of such groundbreaking changes to the world. I'm on the edge of my seat. One final book would wrap up everything and bring readers back to Book 1. The book doesn't end in a cliff-hanger, but more of a "to be continued" ending with revenge, the next theme - with an appropriate title Revenge.

Tropes: reverse harem, MM/MF relationships, fantasy, dystopian, paranormal, adventure-seeking readers

Disclosures: necromancy, cannibalism, bloodletting, blood-drinking, violence 18+ above
Profile Image for Amy Sutton.
418 reviews4 followers
October 25, 2023
OK the good is that I continue to love this series, despite that this is book 5! If you see the long length of the series and worry that it won't be worth the ride or time investment, let me tell you I've thought it was worth it and I've laughed out loud (and teared up) in all of the books. The interplay between the FMC and their MCs as well as the flippant way they usually engage the bad guys, just makes my day. I've been here for it from the start. That sad, I'm hoping there is just the one more book promised. This isn't because I haven't enjoyed the ride but because there are many other series on my TBD that I need to get to. That said, the author's promise that it'll all wrap up and that our merry (but traumatized) heroines will get their satisfaction and hopefully their happy ever after. Worth it so far, by far. Great banter, good spicy times, fae, vamps, angels, kitsunes, twists, turns, misogynists getting put in their place -- time to go take care of the remaining bad guys on the board!
Profile Image for Kimberli.
397 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2024
Sigh

It's hard to review a story accurately when the ending was exciting and you want to know what happens next, but you didn't like the majority of the story.

I'm still having a hard time with this series breaking off into the stories of different characters. Yes, we get glimpses of our main characters. But I'm just not relating with the new harems. Sometimes things happen that are interesting, but I just feel like we're bouncing all over the place in the quest to finish the main plot. I feel like I have whiplash from bouncing from one plot to the next and then back again. Loose ends are starting to get tied up now though. I do want to see what happens next. I don't really have a lot of positive things to say about this particular harem. They're not bad, but they aren't great either.
Profile Image for Stevie.
154 reviews4 followers
June 11, 2023
I got to read the beginning of this series and let me tell you I loved it. I was shocked when I found this one because I thought I had longer to wait for it to come out. I love this book. Even though this book starts with pain, well they are able to fight past that and also fight the bad guys. I enjoyed how they work together to fight the evil in this story. I also love how this series is all about made family. It means so much more when they come together and fight for each other. The mate bond of this series is like a snap of a finger. Though how the might fall. I really do hate the bad guys of this story. It seems like each one of the mates have one. I will say it is a must read though. I couldn’t put it down.
Profile Image for Elisa  Castro .
2,596 reviews2 followers
February 19, 2024
kitsune

Retaliation is book five in the series Destiny by author CJ Cooke (Cate J Cooke). Lord have mercy this one is absolutely- I honestly don’t know what it is - it’s emotional- brutal- delicious- heart wrenching and so much more. I’ve had more ups and downs reading this book, than others. I still have one more book and I don’t know if I’m up to it. I do know that I need answers- I need to know the outcome. I need to feel his pain (ok definitely not let that slip).
So I’ll grab a glass of whiskey, my comfy blanket and maybe some popcorn. The journey isn’t over yet.
Enjoy!!
31 reviews
March 18, 2023
Bloody brilliant

Each book in this saga is more exciting than the last it's like a pressure cooker full of injustice. In each book some wrongs are righted but the final battle in the next book will be phenomenal.
I adore all the men in each harem all the women are kick ass and really likeable . All 5 books so far have been seamlessly in twined. I am seriously sleep deprived I've devoured each book one after the other . This is Deffo a must read series . I am going to take a deep breath and dive into the final book ooh its gonna be so good.
Profile Image for Pandora.
1,395 reviews
December 21, 2023
Rating books 1-5 together - have to wait for a month for book 6 to be released :( normally my limit is 4 books in a series, otherwise I find they get repetitive. But they did such a great job with this series. Books 1-3 are one main storyline. And then we get another storyline with both books 4 and 5. Bring in past characters we love into the main story while still touching on past favorite characters. This was a page turner that for sure made me loose some sleep because I had hard time putting them down.
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
37 reviews3 followers
February 3, 2025
I have mixed feelings on this one. There was a lot that I enjoyed and liked but after a couple mates it just became repetitive. Irritatingly so. You have your fmc who wants revenge which is how this one was going no matter how you looked at it but with each new mmc/mate it’s like their own quest of revenge is just tossed on the pile and it all just repeats over and over and it does so unnecessarily. It’s a low 4 star for me especially since I found myself constantly putting it down and really having to push through to finish it.
1,035 reviews3 followers
January 10, 2023
This was awesome!

Wow! So much happened in this book! I really enjoy reading about the different women finding their mates…and how each pack is compromised of such different men.
And the evil that exists in the different realms is almost ceaseless. The toll that evil takes is almost too much to bear. Dear sweet, crazy Frannie, fearless to the end.
I can’t wait to see how this plays out. Odin will pay and pay dearly.
Profile Image for Janice Hall.
49 reviews22 followers
December 24, 2023
You know what you did… go sit in a corner COOKE!! Honestly if you’ve read into this series this far you know how incredible the story line and the writing is. There were many things I was question mid book that seemed to go against what we were previously told in other books. To my utter delight, every question I had eventually made sense and the author never contradicted themselves from previous books. Cannot wait until the next one!
1,210 reviews3 followers
April 3, 2024
Good Book

Wow! The world that has been created for this story just gets even more intricate with this book. I really enjoyed this book, as with its predecessors, and it just expanded the world that had been created as well as starting to tie up plot points. I loved the characters in this book, their journey felt like an emotional rollercoaster to me. Overall, another fantastic instalment in the series and a book, and series, I would recommend reading.
Profile Image for Cassie.
298 reviews2 followers
April 28, 2024
Same old book, different coat of paint. Same overpowered protagonist, same doting "mates", same cartoonishly evil villains, same problems being solved with relative ease and/or a Frannie ex machina. I do think the guys' dynamic was the best of the series so far, but that's about it. At this point there's just so much going on and so many characters it's getting hard to keep track (including for the author, apparently, since a few characters have name and appearance changes in this one).
370 reviews5 followers
December 31, 2021
I love the Destiny series! Retaliation has been a great addition to the series. So much humor, mystery, action and I can not forget that it is full of amazing steamy moments. There will be times when you feel a bit stabby but it is all worth it. CJ will always be a one click author for me as she never disappoints.
Profile Image for Tamara Eastlick.
Author 5 books5 followers
July 16, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Paranormal
Fantasy
Reverse Harem
Revenge

Great story! Love that Echo got her own mates & storyline. Also, love that more angels discovered their mates. This mate group was born from mutal tragedy, and I love that they all found a way to heal. I was not expecting the twist to Echo's power. The ending was just so emotional & well written. I can't wait for book 6.
Profile Image for Keely Lovelace.
142 reviews
February 18, 2024
This series has just been really good with everything. Echo is a strong FMC and won't just be a damsel in distress. All the MMCs are just so lovely. They each have their problems they have a somewhat hard time getting over but they won't let each other dwell on them and always stand together. Also, Frannie is the best. I love her crazy and Also knowing self more than anything.
47 reviews
February 26, 2025
Wow, the series just continues to be amazing to read. While this book was certainly the most brutal one with lots of sick and twisted things, it definitely kept me hooked!
What continues to amaze me is how there are all of the different "mythical creatures" combined in the books and it still makes sense.
663 reviews
March 10, 2025
Excellent story telling!

I left a review of book 4 that was very critical of the editing. I’m delighted that this book has only a few issues.
I’m happy that I continued reading the series and I can’t wait to find out how this complicated story ends.
I sincerely hope that the last book gives solutions for the survival of some of the species that seem to be wiped out.
9 reviews
August 14, 2023
Captivating

Loved the series sofar and love all the different characters. Great character and world building . Kept me absolutely hooked from book 1..
So sad that the next book isn't out till December.
50 reviews
December 23, 2023
this series has me in a chokehold

This whole series has been soooo good. I’ve loved each book more than the last, but this one…..is it the best one, i cant decide, but its the one that choked me emotionally the most.
214 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2024
Exciting but Bloody

Another good book CJ but lots of death. Seems a bit much especially what happens at the end. Bad guys do lose but at a tremendous price to Echo and all her family and friends.
Profile Image for Emily Rose.
602 reviews4 followers
August 13, 2024
I'm not sure why but the first chapter made me put off reading this but when I finally got back to it, after making my way through the first chapter again I really enjoyed it! I look forward to reading the next book
Profile Image for Julie Carrion.
16 reviews
August 12, 2022
phenomenal

I just could not put this book down! I’m looking forward for the ride in Revenge. I absolutely love this series.
149 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2023
Love Echo and her mates!

So glad Echo got to find her mates in this book. I look forward to seeing her, Aria and Britt reunited in the next book of the series!
6 reviews2 followers
December 11, 2023
Awesome books

I absolutely love this series! I hate for it to end :( I hope they all find peace and happiness.
1 review
January 31, 2024
The whole series rocks

Read the whole series. I literally laughed out loud, and cheered when I read one of my favorite phrases. Best series I’ve read in quite awhile.
Profile Image for Gaby.
24 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2024
3.5

I honestly just cant get over the fact Echos mates has more chemistry between themselves than with her. Which is fine I loved pretty much all of her mates but Echos just rubs me the wrong way for some reason. She kind of came off whiny and a bit bratty. As always though Frannie made everything better/worse. Overall I really struggled through this book which frustrated me because I DEVOURED every other book and was hooked from the get go, this one, mmm not so much
Profile Image for Cheyenne Rousseau.
1,489 reviews6 followers
August 13, 2024
Wow

NOOOOOOOOOOOO WTAF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS NOT OKAY!!! I cried my eyes out for that entire ending and I can't wait to see them get their REVENGE
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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