Review: Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione

UK Cover

The prophecies were there but no one listened. Until now. They are the Lords of Deliverance and they have the power to usher in Doomsday . . . or prevent it.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny for ever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't - or won't - understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
As a massive fan of Larissa Ione's Demonica series I couldn't wait to get my hands on the first book in her spin off Lords of Deliverance series. Although Eternal Rider is set in the Demonica world and has appearances from some of the characters we already know and love Larissa gives enough information that you could pick up the book without having read the other series first. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend the Demonica books though - they are some of my favourite paranormal romances so I'd definitely suggest giving them a try if you haven't already read them.

Ares (along with his brothers and sister) was cursed to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Depending on which prophecy you believe they are either going to bring about the end of the world or prevent it. They each have a seal that they must protect for as soon as it is broken they will become evil and the world will be one step closer to the apocalypse. His brother Reseph's seal has already been broken and he has become Pestilence - spreading disease throughout the world. Pestilence is determined to bring Ares (War) and their other siblings Thanatos (Death) and Limos (Famine) over to the dark side.

Cara is a human who has no idea that demons walk amongst us, she is pulled into the Demonica world by accident when she is asked to treat an injured dog that turns out to have been a Hellhound. Soon Cara finds out that she has a vital role to play in stopping the apocalypse but she may have to pay with her life to do it.

I don't want to go into any more detail than that because I don't want to spoil the story for you but the plot is action packed from beginning to end and it was a book I didn't want to put down. I loved all of the characters, Ares and Cara are both strong yet vulnerable and I loved watching the romance build between them. They have an irresistible attraction but due to the circumstances they find themselves in it isn't going to be easy for them to be together. I can't wait to see more of Thanatos and Limos when their books come out but I'm most curious to see how things play out with Reseph. I have no idea how Larissa can redeem him after the things he does in this book but I have a feeling she will find a way to do it.

As much as I love the Demonica series I think that the Lords of Deliverance series could turn out to be even better and I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment. I'd recommend Larissa Ione to any paranormal romance fan and I think she has strong enough plot lines to entice urban fantasy fans too. Be warned though the heat levels in all of her books are off the scale which is something I love but if you're not a fan of smexy scenes then you may not get on with either series.

Source: Received from Piatkus in exchange for an honest review (I was also given a US edition of this book at Authors After Dark 2011)

Other Reviews:
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US Cover

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