Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #1) in KLB Virtual Events

Mar 04, 2011 Jen Davis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pararnormal-romance, demonica, arcs

The Demonica series may have ended with Sin Undone, but its rich world is very much alive thanks to Larissa Ione's spinoff series Lords of Deliverance. Off the bat, I can tell you that you don't have to have read the Demonica books to enjoy Eternal Rider. While it doesn't build the world from scratch, our main characters have their own story to tell.

Let me give you the basics. There are four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They're not bad guys. In fact, they want to be a force for good. But each ca The Demonica series may have ended with Sin Undone, but its rich world is very much alive thanks to Larissa Ione's spinoff series Lords of Deliverance. Off the bat, I can tell you that you don't have to have read the Demonica books to enjoy Eternal Rider. While it doesn't build the world from scratch, our main characters have their own story to tell.

Let me give you the basics. There are four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They're not bad guys. In fact, they want to be a force for good. But each carries a seal, that if broken, will unleash his (or her) curse. The first Horseman, Pestilence, had his seal broken during the events of Sin Undone. Now he is hellbent on breaking the seals of his brothers and sister and bringing about the apocalypse.

Ares is the Horseman of War. His seal is carried by a Fallen Angel. That seal will break if the angel dies. But it can be passed to someone else... which is what happens. A human, Cara, becomes the unwitting recipient. This throws her together with Ares, who has to protect her to protect his seal.

It took me a little while to really get into the book. Ione's books are always richly layered and that takes time to establish. The great secondary characters and storylines have always heated up the page, even if the main characters needed time to stumble their way through the book to get together. Obviously, that didn't happen in Pleasure Unbound, but the sexual element was there in that one from the very beginning. Here, we have neither the luxury of a great secondary story (like Kynan & Gem or Luc & Kar gave us in previous installments) or the quick sexual relationship we were treated to with Tayla & Eidolon. The result was something of a slow-build.

Of course, when things begin to heat up, the second half of the book flies by. Ione does a great job putting sex on paper. A really great job. The tension is palpable between Ares and Cara... and the payoff is even better. Plus, those fantastic Demonica characters are back, albeit in supporting roles. It was wonderful to see our old friends again and revisit Underworld General Hospital. Ione has also laid the foundation for the next book in the series, centered on the female Horseman, Limos. My wheels are already spinning with ideas about what will happen next. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group ...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Danielle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Larissa Ione has a new series out and it's not only dark and exciting but hot and adventurous. Her Demonica series was not just mouthwatering but quickly became one of my favorites. I was super excited to find out this new book would be set in the same world as Demonica. Please welcome the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Ares (War), Reseph (Pestilence), Thanatos (Death), and the only female in the group, Limos (Famine). Each of the Horsemen have a Seal and each Seal comes with two prophecies. T Larissa Ione has a new series out and it's not only dark and exciting but hot and adventurous. Her Demonica series was not just mouthwatering but quickly became one of my favorites. I was super excited to find out this new book would be set in the same world as Demonica. Please welcome the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Ares (War), Reseph (Pestilence), Thanatos (Death), and the only female in the group, Limos (Famine). Each of the Horsemen have a Seal and each Seal comes with two prophecies. The goal will be keeping these seals intact so the end of the world doesn't come. Unfortunately, that might be a little too late for Reseph. His Seal has broke and this brother is now causing disease and plagues all across the world. Can he be stopped in time?

Cara has the secret ability to heal animals, although she is not a practicing vet she tries to help and is thrown into a whole new world when an injured dog is brought to her doorstep. Just to add to this mess she then comes to find out, well, this isn't just a regular dog. Of course not it is a hellhound. Since she has no idea what in the world a hellhound actually is, but he bonds with her. Ares’ seal is passed over to Cara. Normally humans arent strong enough to carry Seals, but since she is now bonded to the hellhound, she is alive for the time being and Ares must make sure Cara stays that way. If not and his Seal is to break, he will become War and the world as she has come to know it will never be the same.

Getting into this book way never an issue. It was the same world but different main characters who by the end of book I loved. These new characters are not only interesting but I loved that they had a good and bad side to them. And you get to see both sides. *squee* As in any new book of series the information and rules are very detailed and tend to overwhelm you while you are trying to get lost in this world. Even though a lot of information is thrown at you, I loved how you are reminded through out the book so you never can forget what they are. Once you pass through the beginning of the book it turns into smooth sailing from there and you wont be able to put down this tasty treat.

I loved Ares! I mean the way his character is and comes undone with Cara was not only sweet but sigh worthy. He for sure had his swooning moments. The build up to their relationship was not overly done and just perfect. The sex scenes are hot. I also loved that the characters from the Demonica series made some guest appearances. That was a great treat getting to see them and how their lives have turned out since that series ended.

I will have to recommend this book to everyone. It was a breath of fresh air. Larissa Ione never disappoints and she will have you hooked. I cant wait for the second book in the series Immortal Rider which is set to release December 2011.

...more

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Aug 31, 2010 Tigris Eden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Horseman of the Apocalypse:
War: Ares / His Horse: Battle
Famine: Limos (Female) / Her Horse: Bones
Pestilence: Reseph / His Horse: Conquest
Death: Thanatos / His Horse: Styx

Where does one begin with such an Epic Tale? Okay I am going to give you as much information as I can with out giving you spoilers. And Some of my favorite lines in the book. Because they were that good. Also will give you the snippet that was previously given to us by the Terrific all encompassing, Genius of a Writer that is ...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Raquel Vega-Grieder rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Review Of Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance Book #1) By Larissa Ione

Larissa is such a gifted story teller. She is able to suck you in with just one sentence. "Her name was Lilith, and she was an evil succubus." When I read that first line I was like omg this book is going to be HOT. I have been fascinated with the legend of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse for as long as I can remember. Pestilence, War, Famine and Death are the names of the Four Horsemen and it always amazed me how it only Review Of Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance Book #1) By Larissa Ione

Larissa is such a gifted story teller. She is able to suck you in with just one sentence. "Her name was Lilith, and she was an evil succubus." When I read that first line I was like omg this book is going to be HOT. I have been fascinated with the legend of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse for as long as I can remember. Pestilence, War, Famine and Death are the names of the Four Horsemen and it always amazed me how it only takes four men to bring about the end of the world. I have seen shows like Charmed and Supernatural deal with the Four Horsemen and/or the Seven Seals (based on the bible Book of Revelations). Larissa gives us a new updated version of The Four Horsemen and my oh my are they HOT.

Eternal Rider is about Ares (War) and Cara the human who can be his savior or his damnation. Ares always craves a good fight and is almost always the first one to go charging in with his sword blazing. Cara is pretty much Ares complete opposite. She always wants to do what is right and doesn't relish hurting anyone or anything. Their paths cross when Ares is searching for his agimortus, which can not only save him, but also break his seal if destroyed causing him to go evil and become War. An Agimortus can be a person, thing, or event and, in Ares case, it was a Fallen Angel named Batarel. But no thanks to Ares brother Reseph (Pestilence),whom has killed Batarel, the agimortus has been transferred to something else. If not for Batarel's quick thinking before she died Ares' seal would have been broken causing him to turn evil and become War. While Ares is searching for Sestiel, whom he things is the new bearer of his agimortus, he stumbles upon Cara. Cara is yin to Ares' yang, meaning she balances him out, but he is to "stuck" in his role of warrior to realize that or she Cara for what she really is which is his soul mate. I loved how Larissa was able to make Ares vulnerable without him appearing weak and how she gave him such a vulnerable heroine who grew into such a take no prisoners, kick a$$ female. Cara gets put through hell and back and comes out stronger for it and Ares learns that just because you love someone it doesn't make you weak, it in, fact makes you stronger.

This was a truly amazing story with larger than life characters. I so wanted Ares for myself. Larissa's writing had me right in the story in the thick of things just like all her characters. Her characters were relatable and memorable. On a scale from 1-10 I give this book a HUGE 10. If you are a fan of Larissa's Demonica Series you need to read this book. If you are a fan of romance you need to read this book. Everyone 18+ in my opinion needs to read this book for themselves and see just how AMAZING Larissa's stories are.

Link:
http://larissaione.com/blog/ ...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Larissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars!

*NO Spoilers

I am a huge Larissa Ione fan. Her Demonica series constantly features on my favorites lists and I can’t recommend them enough to Paranormal Romance fans.

However, when I heard that there would be a spin-off series I was a bit apprehensive. I mean, I loved the Demonica Series characters so much, that nothing could ever compare, right?

I am glad to say that I should have had more faith in the awe ...more

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Oct 09, 2010 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, lords-of-deliverance

Although new, the Lords of Deliverance series is set in Ms. Ione’s amazing DEMONICA world. Many of the characters and locations from her previous series are present and active participants of this new book. The mythology and rules follow suit. It’s a great continuation for fans of the Demonica series, but it’s also a wonderful place to “jump in” if you are new to Ms. Ione’s work.

Ms. Ione has another winner with Eternal Rider! She takes the already magnificent world from her Demonica Series and a ...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Victoria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

EXCELLENT! Another winning read by Larissa Ione!

Reseph, the First Horseman of The Apocalypse, aka Pestilence, has had his seal broken when Sin unwittingly causes a plague among the Wargs and war breaks out. He is now evil and wants nothing more than to break the seal of his brother Ares, the Second Horseman of The Apocalypse aka War. This would bring on the end of the world. He is in search of the fallen angel that holds Ares agimortus and kill him thus breaking the seal.
Ares, Thanatos (third H EXCELLENT! Another winning read by Larissa Ione!

Reseph, the First Horseman of The Apocalypse, aka Pestilence, has had his seal broken when Sin unwittingly causes a plague among the Wargs and war breaks out. He is now evil and wants nothing more than to break the seal of his brother Ares, the Second Horseman of The Apocalypse aka War. This would bring on the end of the world. He is in search of the fallen angel that holds Ares agimortus and kill him thus breaking the seal.
Ares, Thanatos (third Horseman aka Death), and Limos (forth Horseman aka Famine) are also trying to locate the angel to keep him safe. All four are also searching for a dagger named Deliverance. This dagger when wielded by a Horseman can kill another Horseman. If Pestilence is killed the Apocalypse will be put off.
Cara is a empath with the ability to heal animals. She is afraid of her gift because she has killed a man with it. She is awakened in the middle of the night by a guy dropping off a dog (a Hell Hound) he has hit with his truck. Even though she is no longer practicing she takes the dog. She notices it is a puppy and begins to work on his wounds. Upon inspection she finds he has been shot. She sends a bit of healing into the puppy while removing the bullet (it's silver). The pup jumps up and tackles her licking her face. Thus a love fest occurs and she names the pup Hal for Halitosis.
The Aegis storm into her house and attack at the same time Sestiel, the fallen carrying Ares agimortus flashes in and takes the pup. The Aegis think she is a demon and begin torturing her. Ares flashes in and saves her. He realizes that the Hell Hound has given Cara Hells Kiss and has bonded them together for life. Ares also reasons that Sestiel took the hound to try and get it to bond to him keeping him a little safer from Pestilence than he would otherwise be. Ares figures he can use Cara to find the hound and thus Sestiel. Then kill the hound and thus Cara will die as well. No biggie.
Hal can communicate with Cara while she sleeps and he gives her clues to where he is being held. Cara goes off in search of him. Pestilence is trying to kill Sestiel and when he transfers the agimortus to Cara. Only fallen angels are supposed to carry it but humans can too for very short periods of time as it will kill them. Sestiel is killed and now Pestilence is after Cara.
The story is so full of horror and action. An incredible read.
Will anxiously await IMMORTAL RIDER Limos' story. ...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Nicole rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review, read-in-2011, paranormal-romance

Review originally posted here: http://www.fictionvixen.com/2011/04/g...

Larissa Ione’s new series Lords of Deliverance highlights the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Ares, also known as War, has just witnessed his brother Reseph’s seal broken and his laid back brother transformed into Pestilence. In order to prevent his seal from breaking and being turned into War, Ares must protect a human woman who has the potential to change his life as he knows it.
Cara was living her life in solitude, scare Review originally posted here: http://www.fictionvixen.com/2011/04/g...

Larissa Ione’s new series Lords of Deliverance highlights the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Ares, also known as War, has just witnessed his brother Reseph’s seal broken and his laid back brother transformed into Pestilence. In order to prevent his seal from breaking and being turned into War, Ares must protect a human woman who has the potential to change his life as he knows it.
Cara was living her life in solitude, scared of the world around her. But when she heals a dog, her life takes a turn she never expected. Hunted by the Aegis and demons alike, the only one who can keep her safe is Ares. But with everyone in the supernatural world gunning for them, and Ares’ seal draining her life, will they be able to find a solution in time to save them both?

I absolutely love Ione’s work, so I was super excited to see where she was going to take this new series featuring the horseman. I admit that the first half of the book or so was very slow, very info heavy, and didn’t really pull me into the story. I didn’t really find myself relating to the characters or plot until things started picking up and moving along.

It took me awhile to related with Cara and Ares. They didn’t immediately reach out and grab me like Ione’s characters normally do. Instead, it took awhile for me to actually like these two. In the beginning Cara is quiet, reserved, passive and tormented from something in her past that is kept hidden and somewhat confusing to get through. I usually like my female leads to have a little more of a backbone, and while Cara did develop hers more as the book went along, I had a hard time enjoying her until then. With Ares, he was a little bit of an a-hole in the beginning of the story. It wasn’t until he started revealing his true worries and fears about becoming War that I began liking him.

For me, the secondary characters really stole the spotlight in this book. Ares brother and sister Thanatos and Limos really engaged me early on. I love that Limos is so laid back and a total girly girl. I loved that Thanatos was so serious and intense all the time. He was just the kind of alpha hero that pulls me into a story.

Reseph, or Pestilence, is a fabulous creepy villain. He was always there, doing the dirty work and being all around terrifying. I really hope that Ione will find some way to redeem him in future books, and that he wont be lost as Pestilence forever. The small glimpses and snippets we got from what he was like before his seal broke has me liking his character, despite all his current offenses.

I really enjoy the premise of where the series seems to be going, and what Ione has in store for us in upcoming books. There was a teaser for Limos book, out in December that has me super excited to continue on with the series. Also getting to have a glimpse into some of the Demonica folks is always a nice treat for me. I love being able to get little glimpses into some of my favorite characters from previous books.

All in all, I did end up enjoying Eternal Rider. I have to say, I was expecting a little more from Ione, and because of that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

I give Eternal Rider 3 and a half hearts.

Favorite Quote:

“You were right Cara. I’m a demon. All I’ve known my entire life is fighting. Battle, sex, it’s all the same to me. I fuck like I fight, until the other person i begging for mercy. Trust me, you don’t want to be a part of it.” ...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Diana (Offbeat Vagabond) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, favorites, angels, demons, paranormal, great-heroines, apocalypse

Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/04/klb-virtual-events-book-blog-tour.html

Well through luck I was approached by the awesome Tigris Eden and I quickly jumped on board. I wanted to be in my first book tour ever and what better way to do that than with my all my awesome bookloving Tweeps. And man was I happy to get my hands on another great book by one of the most amazing authors in the PNR world, Larissa Ione. Her talent for storytelling has once again proven why she i Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/04/klb-virtual-events-book-blog-tour.html

Well through luck I was approached by the awesome Tigris Eden and I quickly jumped on board. I wanted to be in my first book tour ever and what better way to do that than with my all my awesome bookloving Tweeps. And man was I happy to get my hands on another great book by one of the most amazing authors in the PNR world, Larissa Ione. Her talent for storytelling has once again proven why she is so beloved in the book world.

Eternal Rider is about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, well pre-Apocalypse. You see all the Horsemen (three men and one woman=Reseph, Ares, Thantos, and Limos, all siblings) have been cursed. All of them were given an agimortus, a Seal that possesses their destiny on whether they will be good or evil. If these Seals are to break, they will become what we know as the Four Horsemen; War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death.

The agimortus can be anything, an object or otherwise. But unfortunately, Reseph (Pestilence) was the first Seal broken after him and his siblings were attacked by hellhounds that were sent to take them out, the only creatures that can hurt the Horsemen. So after the sweet and caring Reseph has become Pestilence, Ares is in a fight against time to find an fallen angel (after his was killed by Pestilence) who can possess his agimortus before Pestilence can get to it because Pestilence wants the Apocalyse. If Pestilence does, Ares will become War, making the Apocalypse imminent.

Then we meet Cara, a human who with a very special power who has a very interesting dog thrown on at her doorstep. After saving this pup, quickly named Hal, she is immediately tracked by the Aegis, supposed good guys who are trying to stop the Apocalypse, but go about it a different way. Cara has no idea what is going on and being called a demon, she believes the Aegis are crazy enough to kill her. Until she is rescued by Ares, but things take a turn when he finds out she is bonded to the hellhound she saved. After we find out the who and why of the hellhounds presence, Cara is given the agimortus. Thing is, only fallen angels can have it without dying and even so, whoever has it, Pestilence wants it so he can bring the world to an end. So they are in a race to find someone a fallen angel to take possession of the agimortus before the fallen angels and Cara are all dead.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are one of many things to love about this book. Ares is a very complex man. He is haunted by his past when he was human and the tragedy he faced. Even though it has been thousands of years, he still holds himself responsible. But even though he is haunted, he allows himself to fall for Cara and his conflicts over him being a warrior or a man made me want to punch him sometimes, but I understood him.

Cara is one of my favorite leading ladies. She is not a gun-slinging, sword-swinging badass chick in tight leather pants. She is frightened because she has been thrown in the middle of the war of wars and she has become the key of whether the world will fall or not. Yet with all of that on her shoulders, she sucks it up and pushes forward. She does what she must to survive and she makes sure no one backs her into a corner, whether it be Ares or his siblings. She isn't one of the immortal horsemen, her life might be cut very very short soon, but she takes them all in stride and didn't let anyone bully her into anything. That is why I loved her.

Now it isn't 100% critical for you to read the amazing Demonica series by Larissa Ione to understand this book, but it is 100% highly recommended because Ione is awesome. Though when (no if here because I know you will), you will notice the amount of cameos in this book. From some of our favorite Aegis to some of our sweet and sexy demons, we get a little from all the books in Eternal Rider.

Overall, if you haven't started a book by Larissa Ione, I don't know what you are waiting for. This book is very sexy, innovate, and addictive. Ione has created a world full of action that pulls you in from page 1. The way she builds a different world is just too amazing for words. This is a book that truly shouldn't be missed and is a book I will be reading over and over. And knowing we have to wait until December for book 2, Immortal Rider, just makes me even more glad that this it will be the perfect Christmas present. Read this book! ...more

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Apr 17, 2011 CoffeeTimeRomance andMore rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, romance, demons

Eternal Rider is like walking through one of those haunted houses; you know it will scare the dickens out of you but at the same time your adrenaline kicks in and you get a rush unlike anything you have felt before. When it comes to writing about alpha males that ooze sensuality and unique characters, Larissa Ione has definitely got the market covered. Add in the way each and every woman has a warrior-like presence in many different and unique ways and it only adds to this distinctive tale. The ...more

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