Choosing is a bad idea, because Desi always makes the wrong choice, and sometimes there are no do-overs. Certainly not this time, when all has been lost and Desi can’t even save herself, let alone her friends. For Desi, the hardest thing is letting someone help her, to accept their sacrifice on herehalf. But that’s exactly what she’ll have to do in order to save the worlds from Helena’s destruction.
The goddess of Helheimer, long imprisoned by Desi’s father, Loki, is free at last, and she’s bent on reclaiming what once was hers. The nine worlds will be drawn into war, over Hell, over Earth, with innocent humans as meaningless collateral.
While Michael and the Gardians of Asgard, along with the golden-armored Valkyrie, lead the battle for freedom, it’s Desi who holds the destiny of all the worlds in her hands.
Can she set aside her doubts, once and for all, and claim the gifts that are hers to bear? Can she accept the sacrifice that is made for her and Become all that she was created to be?
Her final choice will define not only her future, but the fate of humankind, forever more.
Ali Cross, USA Today bestselling author of young adult fantasy, is now publishing her speculative fiction as Ali Archer, and reserving Ali Cross for nonfiction works (coming soon!)
She's also writing Christian Romance/Romantic Suspense as Ali Noble.
Ali Cross is an inspirational speaker and teacher of writing craft. She's a happiness enthusiast and is passionate about helping others become who they were meant to be.
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I took my time reading Destined, as I didn't want to be over, but now that it is I am so happy to have read it and enjoyed it and felt happy with the outcome. Without giving anything away, Desi really comes into her own in Destined, she finds who she is and she works through all her issues and really proves she is so much better than she thinks she is and deserves so much more than she actually thinks she is worthy of. The book weaves a hard but triumphant story, with its joys and sadness and captivating characters. Seeing more of Asgards offerings and learning more of Desi's heritage defintely makes an enjoyable read. Would definitely recommend Destined, it finishes off Desi's story perfectly
The Desolation series is a very dark but great series! I loved every one of these books not only for the happy moments but for the sorrow that had to be over come to get there. Destined was an amazing end to a wonderful story of love and Desi's personal journey to except herself for all that she is and will be.
Love the book the ending was great! I got my happy ending just like I wanted :) I think Ali Cross did a amassing job writing Destined oh and Dedication is so great. Will definitely will recommend Destined to my friends.
Well done with a great ending. Although somewhat predictable the storyline provides a good catharsis for the reader in seeing Desolation grow and reach her potential.
The author works hard to help you understand the conflicted feeling that Desolation feels and provides a good setting for us all to identify with her and share with her the journey to do the right thing while overcoming our weaknesses and mistakes.
In my youth I told people I liked 'Heart of Darkness' and I was surprised that they couldn't understand why I would. Then I would explain that it gave me hope to know others faced an inner struggle and that it was "ok" to have "dark" thoughts and make mistakes - the important thing was to turn from them.
DESOLATION faces the same struggle as she chooses to do the right thing overcomes her natural reactions and fulfills the good part of her nature and destiny. She gives us all hope we can do right, feel loved and give love!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A mythic, action-packed finale that delivers a satisfying conclusion. With Norse mythology elements woven into the battle between fate and choice, Destined soars thanks to its heroine’s newfound clarity and courage. There's a grand scale to the climax, but the emotional throughline—protecting those she loves—keeps it grounded. Fans of the series will find this a worthy, if bittersweet, ending.
Book 3 begins as Odin and his subjects discover that, despite a peace treaty between the worlds, the dark elves and the giants have been organizing troops. The belief is they will invade Hell and attempt to overthrow Loki to allow Helena to reclaim the throne. Investigation confirms that Helena's hand instigated the movement. However, further investigation reveals their true target is, in fact, Midgard.
Unfortunately, the one person powerful enough to stop this evil force was swept away by a tornado of blackness leaving Michael, Miri, and even Odin, hoping she hasn't died, and worrying over where she can be found. Despite Michael's fervent efforts, Desi's whereabouts still remain a mystery. He has searched everywhere for her - well everywhere except the one place Odin forbids he venture - Hell. Odin fears that if Michael enters Hell, then Loki would ensnare Michael's mind again and he will become the Horseman once more. Further, Odin commands Michael to ready his army to face the giants and elves that threaten his children in Midgard.
Meanwhile, Miri and James are summering at a rented flat in France. While there, Miri has another horrific nightmare - this time she is suspended from shackles in Helena's former prison. Her only companions are creepy stone creatures who are fearful of her. Her enemy is the unending silence. She wakes screaming and realizes that it wasn't her in chains - it was Desi. Coincidentally, a light elf and a hound show up and, upon discovering Miri's dream, task James with travelling to Hell to find Desi. But can he find her in time to save the fate of Midgard? And will he survive his journey to Hell unscathed?
My thoughts: If you have read the first 2 books (and/or my reviews), you probably already know my issue with this series - Repetition and Redundancy. Desi still struggles to accept that she can be loved, she is capable of loving, she is worthy of Michael's love and Miri's love and James' love, and their friendship, blah, blah, blah. Of course you've figured out that she gets rescued from her prison in Hell, and she reconnects with Michael, and their love story resumes. I really expected more passion this time around, but there was simply more lovey-dovey kissing...and that's it. Equally disappointing was the battle between Odin's, Helena's, and Loki's forces. Talk about anti-climatic. Sure Desi fought a little, but then she travels through a few worlds and eventually ends up back on the battlefield finally knowing her true destiny...and that's it. No super-crazy-awesome-kick-butt Desi. Nope. She's spent so much time travelling around that everyone else has already defeated the evil forces. Another thing that bugged me about this book was that the ending took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to wrap up. I kept thinking, "Surely this is it, this has to be the last chapter," but then there was yet another chapter of more dribble that did nothing to contribute to or enhance the story. In my opinion the ending would have been stronger and more effective had the author wrapped everything up in one tight and concise chapter, instead of dragging the story out another 6 or 7 chapters. On the plus side, Desolation's destiny is finally revealed (and I admit it is pretty cool). And at least I now have closure to this series (even if it was heaped on me by the truckload).
A solid ending to a fascinating trilogy. Destined ties up all of the loose ends and finishes Desi’s transformation into what she was always meant to become. Love as the overpowering theme in Destined, helps to conquer even the most difficult of challenges and keep the darkness from overpowering the characters.
In Destined we are given a lot more information from both James and Michael as their points of view are each used almost as much as Desi’s. This helps to show how each uses the love from others and from themselves to overcome their own obstacles as well as helping others to do the same. For Desi, Destined is about her coming to terms with who she is and finally accepting herself completely despite what she has done in the past. Once she does this her transformation is complete and she can learn about why she is the being that she has become and what that means for her future.
Michael on the other hand remains as singularly focused as ever. All he wants to do in the beginning is rescue Desi, and though I don’t blame him he does act like a lovesick puppy for quite some time. I’m all for the “power of love” feelings going around, but the guy needs to get some perspective and often he gets a mental slap upside the head from some of his fellow warriors, and even Odin himself. The romance between him and Desi is as strong as it ever was but the lovey-dovey nonsense they share once they reunite is well…let’s just say I could do without about half of how much we as readers are given. We get it, they love each other a ton. Anyway…
The plot is fantastic in Destined, I really have to give major props to Cross here. We have mind control, soul-eaters including some nasty business with a version of the river Styx, hounds transforming into humans, epic battles between all sorts of creatures and some clashes of proverbial titans/gods. Really when it comes down to it, despite the love-crazy parts spread throughout the book, their is a ton of action and it is written very well. The pacing keeps you intrigued throughout with the possible exception of the beginning which is just pure nauseating pining.
As the book progresses we do get bounced around the different worlds/realms like a pinball. You have to pay pretty close attention just to make sure you know where you are at all times as sometimes it can get a bit confusing. The use of Norse terminology doesn’t make things easier unless you are a history buff, however, that same use and combination with other faith systems is what makes this series so compelling to begin with and I wouldn’t change a thing in that regard.
Overall this is a good ending to the series. I felt that Desolate was probably the overall strongest book in the trilogy, but Destined’s ability to move from one action-packed sequence to the next is the best by far out of the three. If you haven’t checked this series out give Become a try, it is well worth your time.
I received this ARC copy to give an honest review.
I have to say this was my favorite read out of the whole series!
Where can I start with Destined!
Desi is trapped below the depths of hell, and she is feeling lost! Desi is to become so much more but she doesn't give her self the credit she deserves! Just because she is the daughter of Loki doesn't mean she can not be good, but she does not see it that way. She sees herself always putting those she cares about in harms way, and she always feels down on herself. This has been a journey from hell and back literally for Desi, but will love and friendship conquer all?
Michael will stop at nothing to get Desi back, he has a love for her unlike any other. She is his other half, and he will take the good and the bad within her. But he can not go to hell to save her as he is made of light!
James gets delivered a message to help save Desi, and of course he takes this mission but with him taking it and meeting the Ferryman. He gets more than he bargains for and let me say I truly felt sorry for James. You get different POV's from Michael, Desi, and James, so the story kind of bounces around but it all comes together perfectly!
We get a good look into what caused all of this mess to happen in the first place which I thought was actually really good for the story. And you get the back story of Loki who is Desi's father and what caused him to be who he is today.
There was a lot of war talk within the book, and I found myself at times a bit confused but when I re-read the parts I got it. I liked the description of Desi, Gardians, and the Valkyries falling from Earth! That was amazing and I could actually see that image in my mind and it made me think of falling stars.
I loved how throughout the whole story you find love, with the different couples. James and Miri have a love that is just so darn sweet and you can tell they are made for each other! The love that Fahria and Longinus finally bring to the surface is so very sweet. But the love that Michael and Desi have for each other is like no other. My Favorite quote made by Michael: "You are like a lioness, beautiful and glorious, but fierce. And just as a lion loves his mate he also knows she is grater than he."
If you want a book that is dark, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, you are wanting a battle that is like no other, love, friendship. One finally learning who she is to Become! Than go and pick up this book and the other two in this series!
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Ali Cross!) This is book 3 in the Desolation series.**Warning – some unavoidable spoilers for books 1 and 2** Desi is gone, held prisoner in depths of hell – in fact lower even than hell – chained to the rocks above which Ygdrasyll (hell) was built, with only the genii for company. It’s up to Michael, the hallowed, and Desi’s friends to rescue her. But a being of light can’t go into hell, and her hell hounds are unable to break the bonds that restrain her. It seems that James must be the one to free her. Can James free Desi? Will they escape from hell unscathed? What of the war that is about to break out?
I found it a bit difficult to get into this instalment; a lot of the beginning was from Michael and then James’ point of view, and I much prefered Desi’s point of view. There was a lot about the war in this book. It felt like the book was focused more on the war and what was going on than anything else. This was probably to be expected in the last book of a trilogy where there is a war breaking out, I felt exactly the same way about the third book in the hunger games trilogy, but still, war isn’t really my thing and I found it a little difficult to keep up with what was going on. Once we got back to Desi and Michael things were much better, but I was still a little lost with all the battle talk.
James’ trip to free Desi was interesting, and I was very wary when he promised to return a favour for the ferryman – alarm bells ringing here! I also liked the part where Desi discovered some things about both herself and her mother, and I liked the way the story ended.
Overall; not my favourite of the series, but still worth reading. 6.5 out of 10.
Sometimes the hardest things to do are to ask for help and to believe in yourself. Desi has always found it difficult because she thought she was tainted and didn't deserve to be loved but Michael and her friends thought different. What a journey this has been and it is sad to reach the finale as I have grown fond of these characters, watching them learn and grow, fighting to stay together and defending each other when they needed to. This story is about reaching your potential and believing you can achieve anything and if you can envision it, it then becomes a reality. James is given a mission to rescue Desi that leads to some interesting consequences for them all and even Loki has his moment of redemption. That song by Chris De Burgh is going through my head "Don't pay the Ferry Man." Although the story switches from James to Michael to Desi's POV alternatively, it does lend to the depth of the story understanding how intertwined their lives had become especially as Desi was so reluctant to let her guard down in the beginning. A choice is offered to her and her true destiny is revealed. Michael is always there waiting in the wings to cherish and support her regardless of her decisions. A great battle over Midgard is looming and they will lose some friends along the way. I have enjoyed reading about Norse mythology and the beauty of Asgard. A fitting end to this series and I for one will miss Miri, James, the Valkyrie, Odin and the rest of the gang.
Desolation has been captured and imprisoned beneath helheim. No one knows where she is and Michael has lost himself with worry. Helena is released and now rules with Loki. But she's a work of evil and Loki is in for a real shock. Helena has big dreams, and he's not part of the solution. Michael is forbidden to go look for her, for if Loki gets him again, he will be forever lost. As hard prepared for war as Helena gathers the ice giants and other worldly monsters in the battle for midgard.
Who can they get to rescue Desi?? James is the only alternative, with the help of a hellhound. Will he be successful?? Only one will return. Who?? Read to find all the answers. When Desolation Becomes, everyone better watch out.
This book was soooo much better than the previous two. i had a serious problem with Desi's inner thoughts, just the way she would go back and forth on all her emotional decisions and being all selfish with her pity parties. but in this book she seemed more mature, more determined to overcome this 'blackness' in her soul for the final time even if she hesitated a few times and slipped only slightly back into the self-pity. she still did it and for that i am happy.
i was extremely happy when it happened, and glad i continued to read through the series. not much else i can say, just that i am happy it ended on a good note.
In Destined, Ali Cross brings a satisfying end to a series that chronicles the journey through darkness everyone must take in order to not only find themselves, but to find the depth of light that lies within. This story has everything I could want with amazing characters, a strong story-line, and writing that is nothing short of brilliant. An amazing finish to a must-read series about love, redemption and the power of choice.
The second book in this series left the main character, Desi, in an impossible situation where there was little hope of her body or soul being rescued. Now we finally get to find out her fate. What a great ending to a fantastic story, not only of love and sacrifice, but of making difficult choices. Ali Cross did such a great job bringing the characters to life and making you feel like you were in the story. Well done. Can't wait to see what she writes next.
I wish I could say this story was awesome but it just wasn't. The only thing I'm glad about is that it had a happy ending. The author just tried too hard in my opinion like how many times was Desi going to die and how many times was she going to be down on herself. I also didn't see the point in some of the storyline it was either whiplash or waffling.
An end to the series. You can totally predict the ending. But with the multiple POVs you are able to get to know Michael and James (as well as Desi) a little more. A lot of action and war going on. But a good wrap-up to the trilogy.
I loved how the main character finally discovered and became who she was supposed to be all the time. Everyone could see it but her, but isn't that how we all are. Great ending, wonderful surprises and the love story is amazing. Great job Ali and I hope to see more from you.
It took a lot to get here but they have their HEA. Now I want a Christmas/winter novella where they get together. Or a James/Midi wedding one. I don't want to let these characters go yet. They were wonderful and they fought so hard. I am going to miss them
Sad to see this series end, especially after reading all three books in a row! While this one seemed kind of repetitious at times and some parts were slow it is still a 4 star read!
This book took me a very long time to finish. The middle was slow but got more interesting as I went. The ending was cute and I definitely liked it overall!