Revenant (Lords of Deliverance, #6) by Larissa Iona
Paranormal Romance
Paperback, 400 Pages
December 16, 2014
Grand Central Publishing

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “That big fallen angel asshole is here to see you again…is he single?”

HELL HATH NO FURY . . .

For five thousand years, Revenant believed he was alone in the world, a fallen angel beyond any redemption. Now he finds he has a twin brother who had all the light and love Revenant was denied. Caught in a tug of war between Heaven and Hell, he must weigh his thirst for revenge against his desire for a mysterious female named Blaspheme—a female whose very origins could deliver him into salvation . . . or destruction.

LIKE AN ANGEL SCORNED

Blaspheme has a deadly secret: she’s the forbidden offspring of an angel and a fallen angel. Hunted by both heavenly and satanic forces, she has survived only by laying low and trusting no one. When Revenant claims he can save them both, how can she possibly believe him? But the powerful angel is persistence incarnate and for Blaspheme, there’s no place she can hide in Heaven or Hell where he won’t find her . . .(Goodreads)

What do you do when you find out your whole life has been a lie and the people who should have protected and shielded you from harm instead left you in Hell, literally, for 5,000 years?

You get even.

Revenant is the final (?) installment in Larissa Ione’s Lord of Deliverance series. We have followed this dark, volatile, and wickedly funny series that pits Heaven against Hell with four very important immortal siblings (the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse) at the center of their war. A dramatic undertaking that addresses loss, hope, tragedy, and redemption. Ione has made us roar with laughter, cry in agony, gasp in shock, rage in anger, and sigh in bliss when true love prevails. Two of the most impacting aspects of Ione’s stories is the emotional evolution of her characters and the degrees of separation she uses when writing about good and evil. As noted repeatedly throughout her books, ‘At least with evil you know what you’re getting.’ Her version of Heaven, Hell, and religious mythology in between is skewed as everyone has their own agenda and you just can’t trust anyone.

The last man standing whose story is untold is Revenant. To better understand his story, it is necessary for you to read his brother’s, Reaver’s, story. Two halves of the same coin, light and darkness, Ione shows us once again there are three sides to every story-yours, theirs and the truth. Convoluted and extreme plot wise, every loose thread  and ongoing storyline is tied up and explained, bringing the long running arc to an end in a spectacular fashion. Brimming dark humor, wicked intrigue, and plenty of hot explicit romance; Ione brings her A game to this installment.

Thought to be an evil fallen angel whose job was Sheoulic Watcher over the Horseman, we have since learned that Revenant is actually a full fledge very powerful shadow angel (second in power only to Satan) who was left in Hell with his mother for reason’s unknown while his twin brother was taken to Heaven to be raised. When Reaver gained his memories back, so did Revenant. Memories that is fueling his anger at the immortal world and all those who inhabit it.

A complete and utter arse, Revenant gives new meaning to the term ‘bad boy.’ He makes Wraith look like an angelic choir boy. So much pain and shame exists inside him, causing him to lash out at everyone around him with hardly any provocation. Yet, there is a vulnerability to him that tugs at your heartstrings. He is, for all that matters, a scared hurt little boy who desperately  wants justice for he and his mother. Emotionally, physically, and mentally damaged, he only wants answers and none are forthcoming. Heaven denies him and Hell only gives him lies.

Ione pairs Revenant with the perfect female-Blaspheme. A doctor at UGH (Underworld General Hospital), we have seen her pop up throughout the series. She herself is dealing with some of her own ‘identity’ issues that could spell death for her if her secrets are revealed. Though considered a false angel, Blas is the exact opposite of one in that her morals are pure, her protective instincts strong,  and she doesn’t deal or respond well to trickery. Strong, intelligent, and very sure of herself, she and Revenant butt heads in the most appealing and humorous of manners.

She was rejecting him? The sudden reality was like a blow that left him completely off balance. No one rejected him.

No one.

The chemistry between Revenant and Blaspheme explodes off the pages. A combustible relationship that ignites hotter and faster with every single interaction. Revenant wants Blaspheme in his bed and makes no secret of that. Blaspheme also wants Revenant but her secret makes him a danger to her. She fights him every step of the way which only increases his desire for her. Every insult, argument, and snarky comment is nothing more than foreplay.

“Well, are you pissed?”
“Will saying yes get me laid?”
“Not by me.”
“What if I say no?”
“Samething. “
“Disappointing.”

As they grow closer, Revenant finds himself at a loss. Blaspheme goes from merely a want to a need that confuses him. Their relationship develops slowly, heightened by sexual tension and the awakening of Revenant’s consciousness. Having worked on the side of evil for so long, he cannot believe that someone may actually want him despite who and what he is.

“Something about you draws me. False Angels are always dark, but there’s a light in you that seeps out and warms me … I haven’t been warm in a very long time, Blaspheme.”

We see many characters from this series and her Demonica series; helping to bridge the two series and the individual storylines together to bring about the end. What started out as a simple PNR has morphed into a rich ever evolving mythological world that Ione uses to test and question every religious based legend and story we’ve all ever been told. Everyone has a part to play and do so brilliantly. While I enjoyed seeing many old friends, seeing events from someone else’s eyes besides Reaver and watching as he tries to develop a relationship with an antagonistic Revenant, was both humorous and bittersweet.

The ending is an intense, emotional roller coaster ride of violence, deception, betrayal, and redemption as Ms. Ione gives us the dramatic finale of an ending that has been long in the making. Larissa Ione remains the queen of demonic goodness and the perfect voice to speak to PNR readers who love their heroes and heroines to be kick ass, their stories packed with action, their romances steamy, and their endings phenomenal.

**Though this is supposed to be the end of this series, there is a novella coming out in 2015 starring Hades and rumor has it there may be more to come .**

Overall Rating: A

Prior Larissa Ione Reviews

Recent Reviews:
Fresh Fiction
That’s What I’m Talking About

Goodreads I Author Website I Series List

Amazon I Barnes & Noble

Today, we have one paperback  copy of this book up for grabs! To enter,  just leave a comment. Open to US only. I’ll pick a winner on Monday 12/22.