Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione (Lords of Deliverance #1)
Paranormal Romance
March 29, 2011
Paperback
Grand Central Publishing

Reviewed by Mandi

Favorite Quote: No male looked badass in flip-flops.

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

Let’s all jump for joy – Larissa Ione has a new series out. Her Demonica series is one of my favorites, not only for the super sexy romance, but her humorous, warm characters. I am so glad that although set in the same world as Demonica, we have four new main characters with the same wit and sexy behavior. Now, although this is a spin-off series, there are a lot of new rules we have to learn. Demons are not the main focus of this one, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are in the spotlight. Ares (War), Reseph (Pestilence), Thanatos (Death), and the only girl of the group, Limos (Famine). Each of the Horsemen have a Seal and each Seal comes with two prophecies. Don’t let the Seal break, and save the world. But if the Seal does break, it will be the end of the world. Unfortunately, Reseph’s Seal broke and the once good natured brother, is now reveling in causing disease and plagues throughout the world.

Cara gets dragged into the mess when an injured dog lands on her doorstep. Although not a practicing vet, she has a secret magical ability to heal animals, although it scares her to use it. But this dog is no ordinary dog – it is actually a hellhound puppy that unknown to her, bonds with her. Through a  series of events, the unfallen angel that is carrying Ares’ seal, passes it to Cara. A human isn’t suppose to be strong enough to carry Seals, but because she is bonded to the hellhound, she is alive – for now. Ares must make sure Cara stays alive, or he his Seal will break and he will become “War.”

It took me a good bit to get into this book. Like I said, it is set in Demonica’s world, but there are so many new rules we have to learn. I honestly became a little overwhelmed at the beginning with the information overload. But, Larissa Ione does a nice job throughout the book reminding you of all the rules, that my advice is to just plow your way through the beginning, because it works out that you won’t be lost. I love that the Horsemen have the capacity to become these very evil beings, and when triggered, their curses start to come out –yet they really are fighting on the side of good. And even better, the Aegis, who is a human group who protects the world from demons, etc… have this ambiguous role in the book. Even though they are here to protect Earth, many times they ultimately do things to hurt events put in motion by the Horsemen. The lines of good vs. evil are blurred and it really makes it to be an interesting aspect of the book.

One person who is truly evil is Reseph (who turned into Pestilence). He is violent, horrible, and unforgiving. And I assume he eventually must turn around and become good and get his own book (or so I hope) and I’m dying to see how this happens. Right now he is totally unredeemable. And I love it.

Ares and Cara have a nice build up to their romance, and per Larissa Ione style, very nice sex scenes. The action is great and the supporting characters all play nice roles. We see lots of Demonica characters as well- Reaver (an angel who is a “watcher” of the Horsemen) Kynan and Arik. Eidolen and Wraith each have a small role as well.

Overall, a nice start to this new series. Very excited about the rest of the siblings, especially with Limos up next!

Rating: B

Recent Reviews:
As the Pages Turn – 5/5
Book Lovers Inc – 5/5
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