Review: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 1)
~Larissa Ione

Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Date: April 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 044657449X
ISBN-13: 978-0446574495
ASIN: B0047Y0F6Y

From the author's website:
They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

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 forever. 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.

Eternal Rider is book one of the Lords of Deliverance series and is set in the Demonica world. While you don't have to have read the series, I would recommend it (trust me, it's not a hardship - the Demonica series if fabulous!) Lol, we met Ares in Sin Undone, and I thought he was some weird guy riding around on horseback- shows what I know :)

The Lords of Deliverance series is about each of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Ares is War, Reseph is Pestilence, Thanatos is Death, and Limos is Famine. Each horseman has a seal... it's something different for each one. Due to a series of events started by Sin (the heroine in Sin Undone), Reseph's seal has been broken, transforming him into Pestilence. If any other Horseman's seal breaks, it will start the Apocalypse. A fallen angel holds Ares' seal, but Pestilence is going after it as it will be the easiest to break.

Cara Thornhart is human but she's got an extra talent - she can heal animals. She hasn't used her talent in years though, since she accidentally killed someone who was attacking her. She freaked out, her relationship with her boyfriend tanked, and she pulled into herself after that. Then, she gets a knock on the door - a drunk neighbor brings her a dog he hit in the road. She takes the dog, pulls out bullets, and he starts to miraculously begins healing. She's rewarded with a big, doggy kiss. And then all hell breaks loose...

The fallen angel is attacked and transfers the seal to Cara, who's been having weird dreams about the dog she rescued. Now Pestilence is after Cara, and Ares has vowed to protect her. At first it's to protect his seal, but as he gets to know Cara, she brings out feelings he hasn't had in centuries - since his human wife and children were murdered and he swore never to feel again.

I really enjoyed Sin Undone - Larissa Ione is a wonderful storyteller who gives her readers engaging characters and complex plots, and Eternal Rider was no exception. I mean, come on, these are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and I genuinely liked them! (Well, except Pestilence, who was deliciously evil)

Ares and Cara had great chemistry, and they fought it hard. Once they gave in though - ohhhh! Loved it! And Cara's progression from a timid character to a more take-charge personality was good for me, I didn't think I was going to like her but I did.

I'm really interested in Ares' brothers and sister - I liked their characters and am looking forward to their books. I'm curious to see how their seals will be threatened, and Pestilence is one evil, evil guy - I can't wait to see if/how he is redeemed.

Cara's hellhound plotline was great - I thought Hal was awesome wanted to know more; thankfully Ms. Ione gave us much, much more.

I thought after she finished her Demonica series I'd be done with this fabulous world but I enjoyed Eternal Rider and can't wait to find out what happens to the rest of the Horsemen... Limos' book, Immortal Rider, is next - Limos' book - December can't get here fast enough!

My Rating:

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Sin Undone by Larissa Ione

From the author's website:

HER TOUCH IS DEADLY
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN’T BE DENIED
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

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OMG - Larissa Ione is the Queen of Romantic Tension! This book was so freakin' good! Definitely my favorite book of the series!

Sin is a wonderful heroine - tough-talking and definitely able to cash the checks her mouth writes - she is one kick-ass heroine. I liked her in the previous book, Ecstasy Unveiled, and was excited that she was getting her own book.

And Con, *swoons*, oh, Con is completely sigh-worthy! The perfect blend of bad boy Alpha-type male with a tender heart on the inside (of course, he has to go through trial by fire to find that tender heart, but when he does....*swoons again*). And plenty of biting *winks* - very nice!

Ms. Ione kept me on the edge of my seat throughout this book. First of all, there's the plague that Sin accidentally started in Ecstasy Unveiled. It's growing out of control and they can't seem to find a cure. I really, really felt bad for Sin. Soon she's being hunted by the Wargs, the Turneds, the Assassins, and a weird guy on horseback.

And when Sin and Con got thrown together to try to find a cure - oh, the tension really sizzled. It went from "will they or won't they" to "more, more, more please!!!" Then, we learn about the dangers of a blood addiction for Con and it seems an insurmountable obstacle for them. Throw in his Clan's requirement that he join in for the mating season, and I just didn't see how these two were going to get their HEA. I think there were about four different points in this book where I thought to myself, "You've written yourself into a corner Ms. Ione, how are you going to fix this?" and wow, she really did!!!

There was a secondary story with Con's co-worker, Luc, and another werewolf, Kar. At first I was a bit thrown off until I realized who they were; their story was sweet and tied in nicely with the main storyline. We also got to see quite a bit of Sin's four brothers, Eidolon, Shade, Wraith, and Lore, and their mates and children. It was good to see how everyone was doing and I enjoyed how protective they all were of Sin and each other.

I loved this book! I heard this is the last book in the series, and if it is, what a way to go! A tip of the hat to you, Ms. Ione - bravo!


My rating:

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione

Wow. I read the Demonica Series this week. Who knew demons were so altruistic and yummy? The series is about three brothers, Eichelon, Shade, and Wraith, Seminus (Incubus) demons who run a hospital for demons.

Recap: Book 1, Pleasure Unbound, is about Eichelon and his mate Tayla (hate that name, BTW). Book 2, Desire Unchained, centers around Shade and his mate Runa. Both good books with hot, hot scenes.

Book 3, Passion Unleashed, is Wraith and Serena's story. Wraith has been poisoned by an assassin, and the poison has no antidote; Wraith does not have long to live. They learn about a "charmed one", Serena, who is charmed to live forever, and can only give up her charm through sex. No biggie, good thing Wraith's an Incubus, right? He ends up develping feelings for Serena, and can't go through with her seduction. Instead he wants to protect her from the demons who are trying to get the charm and kill her. The problem is that while he is spending time with Serena, the underworld is falling into chaos and the hospital is literally falling apart. Then Eichelon makes a discovery that has Wraith rethinking his decision not to seduce Serena.

This book was great! I love Wraith and Serena's story. Their feelings for each other were so strong, I was almost in tears near the end - I didn't see how there could possibly be a HEA. I also liked Gem and Kynan's side story, and the introduction of a new character will make for an interesting storyline later.

I had wondered what all the hubub was surrounding this series - now I know. Can't wait for Ecstasy Unveiled!

Ensnared by Innocence by Larissa Lyons

I'm not familiar enough with the Romance genre to recognize the authors yet, but I knew I had seen this authors name before so I said "what the heck" and went for it. Oh my goodness. Is this considered Erotica? I think it is. When I picked it up, I thought it was Larissa Ione, who writes the Demonica series that I want to start reading. Wrong!

It was a very short book (or maybe I read it too fast, hehe) but by Chapter 3 I needed a shower 'cause I felt dirty. Whew! The premise of the story was good...Lady Francine, a young lady living with her aunt and uncle, is trying to escape the awful marriage they have planned for her. In order to do that she decides to pick someone suitable and pay him to be engaged to her until the end of the season , then break off the engagement. At that point, she won't have to marry the man her aunt picked. The gentleman Francine picks, Lord Blakely, is quite a scoundrel but titled, making him a suitable choice for her plan. Except, once her plan is in motion she is very attracted to him and wants him to bed her.

Lord Blakely is at first shocked, then intrigued by Francine's suggestion, and agrees to go along with it. BUT, Blakely has a secret...he's a werelion, and it's almost time for his Change. He goes along with Francine's fake relationship, and teaches her everything she could ever want to know about sex. He realizes he's falling in love with her, which is bad. It's bad because he once accidentally killed a woman during his Change. Apparently at that time the lion is in constant sexual need and very aggressive about it. The young lady in question was killed when Blakely and his brother fought over her.

So, as the time for his Change comes, Blakely suddenly distances himself from Francine. She is hurt and angry and goes to his home to find out why he's shunning her. She is greeted at the door by Blakely's brother, who won't let her in. She can hear Blakely shouting her name and lots of bumping and thumping noises. She insists on going to him to see what is the matter, sure that she can help. She finds him tied to the bed, in the throes of the Change. He had insisted his brother tie him up to keep Felicia safe.

Well, one thing leads to another and they end up having hot sex. But then it gets a bit weird when Blakely's brother gets involved. Hey, I don't have anything against a threesome (that's what she said!), but with your brother? Uh-uh. No way. Ick. And, throughout the story Blakely had a strange habit of smelling his fingers. During foreplay. And making Francine smell his fingers. Also his brother. Very weird. Then, they all fall asleep and when she wakes up the brother is gone and she and Blakely talk about what happened. She loves him and loves her and is delighted she can handle his brother and his Lion half.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. If it wasn't for the sibling threesome and the finger fixation, I'd say it was great. But for some reason I just can't get past those two issues. I'd love to hear someone else's thoughts. I'll probably try one more of her books before I decide whether or not to read more of her stuff.