Book 1), Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance

STORY BRIEF:
This is the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Three are male, one is female. They have lived sort of like powerful angels for thousands of years - not doing any harm. Now some demons want to start the apocalypse. Each horseman has a built-in shield. If his shield breaks or cracks, he will turn into his apocalyptic demon (War, Famine, Death, and Pestilence-Plague). Other demons send a hellhound to bite Reseph. That bite turns Reseph into Pestilence. Now he is causing plague and disease around the world. The other three want to stop him but don't know what to do. They also must continue to protect themselves from being turned. The featured character in this story is Ares. A magic item called agimortus is being guarded by the angel Sestiel. If the demons get possession of it, Ares will turn into War. Sestiel is attacked and gives the agimortus to the human Cara just before he dies. Now Cara and Ares are fleeing and trying to hide from other demons. When Ares is in near Cara, he loses some of his strength. Therefore his siblings must be around to fight bad demons for him (when he is near Cara).

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
I just couldn't finish this. I read 178 pages. It was so tedious. It read like the recording of events instead of something engaging that pulled me in. The most unusual parts were the hard-to-believe rules about what could hurt the horsemen. For example: Thanatos' weakness was that he must never lose his virginity, otherwise Death to the world. There was no good character development. I didn't care about anyone. Since I only read 43% of the book, I can't comment on the plot. But what I saw did not interest me. I wanted to give this 1 star but I upped it to 2 - trying to be fair since it might have been better in the last half.

I've enjoyed many paranormal stories. But too often a writer loses sight of nuanced characters or intriguing scenes or plot. Instead they spend their creativity "defining things" which does not make a good story. That is how this book affected me.

DATA:
Story length: 405 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual content: don't know. Setting: probably current day various locations around the world. Copyright: 2011. Genre: paranormal romance.

The Demonica series may have ended with the 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 with established characters (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.

I'm reviewing the unabridged audiobook narrated by Hilary Huber, duration: 12 hours, 34 minutes and published by Hachette Audio.

I haven't read the Demonica series by this author and I've heard it is set in the same world as this new spinoff "Lords of Deliverance" series. I'm thinking I probably should have read the 6.5 books in the Demonica series first but reading a series out of order seems to be what I do. Now I will be the first to admit that I am a person who is easily confused and during the first two hours of this audiobook reading I was lost and overwhelmed by the brutal avalanche of information dumped upon my tired brain. There is a glossary, tons of character introductions (and I do not kid) and an elaborate setup that boggles. But I stuck by it and restarted it no less than five times because everyone seems to love this author and I've been told I give up too easily (and it's probably true). And do you know what? It paid off in the end. Phew, that almost never happens!

Eternal Rider is narrated by Hilary Hubar who has a no nonsense way with her narration which suits the intensity of the book. Her manly-man characters are done very well but there are two characters, Ares and Arik, whose names and sexy growly, gravelly voices are so similar that I mistakenly thought they were the same person, adding to my continued confusion, until the book was nearly over! Huber's female voices are strong and pleasant to listen to and I could always tell Cara from Limos. Unfortunately, something is a wee bit off in the production here, either that or the narrator was whispering, because I had to rewind and turn up the volume numerous times because the volume would go way low and I couldn't make out the words.

Let me sum up the complicated setup for you, best as I understood it anyway. Eternal Rider is Ares's story. Ares is one of four immortal siblings born out of a forbidden and unholy sexual tryst between sex demon Lilith and an angel who liked his drinky too much. The kiddos caused all sorts of trouble on earth and ended up being cursed and now they are "The Four Horsemen". Yes, those four horsemen. They are bearers of the Apocalypse and each wear a seal that when broken releases their evil alter-ego and brings on the beginning of the End of Days. Ares is the God of War. He's a tough guy, covered in armor that keeps his body and his emotions in check and whenever he walks in a room people get an urge to brawl. Soon after the story begins, the most charming brother has his seal broken and he transforms into Pestilence, bringing on the plagues and reveling in the death, the gore and the pain. Oh noes! Ares is worried because once a seal has broken they are all in danger of transforming into the baddest versions of themselves.

And then there's something about called an agimortus that protects the seals (methinks) and can only be transferred to a fallen angel. Pestilence needs his siblings to turn evil and thus most of the surviving fallen angels have gone over to the dark side to avoid being stuck with an agimortus after learning about the broken seal and rampage. Really, who can blame them? I know I wouldn't want a great big target for Pestilence on my bum. So somehow a human named Cara ends up with Ares's agimortus engraved on her chest. As if that weren't bad enough, she heals a wounded dog only to later discover the dog she's named "Hal" is a hellhound. And he has bonded with her out of gratitude. If he dies so does she and he's been taken prisoner and is being tortured. Ares tracks the agimortus to Cara and the two get embroiled in a race to save humanity all the while falling in lusty love.

From here it gets all adventure-filled and yummy and super sexy despite all of the gloom and the death. Cara and Ares are a well developed and compatible couple who heat things up in a most believable and imaginative way. After the excruciatingly long setup I fell in love with the storytelling and am going to jump right into the next book. The ending with Cara and Ares and the resolution of the hellhound problem was pure perfection that warmed my cold heart and made get all gooey eyed. I couldn't have dreamed up a better ending if I tried.

My fingers are tired and this review is too long. If you've made it this far, all I have left to say to you is read the book until the end no matter how it pains you. And I won't lie, it may pain you. Just trust me on this, it gets fantastic. Paranormal romance does not get better than the last half of this book.

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Legends come to life with all the flaws of us mere mortals. Full of action, suspense, and naughty scenes including patio furniture and a home-made whip.

Opening Sentence: Ares, also known as War, second of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to much of the human and demon world, sat astride his stallion on the outskirts of a nameless village in Africa, his body and mind vibrating with energy.

The Review:

Every religion has two things; a story about the Beginning of creation and the End. Human nature makes each of us curious about where we came from and where we are going. The Lords of Deliverance series gives us an interesting interpretation of the Apocalypse and the Horsemen in charge of heralding it. Larissa Ione presents us with four very "human" legendary figures, being half-demon and half-angel, which walk the line between good and evil. But the first seal is broken, and the end is inevitable, isn't it?

Ares, known as the Second Horseman of the Apocalypse-War, is a hard man. A great strategist and immortal warrior, he has had little to fear for the last forty-five hundred years. The only thing he has to worry about is not having his Seal broken and unleashing his demon nature on humanity. But now that the countdown has started, the only thing keeping him from going evil is one little slip of a human female. Surely, if he can command legions of armies he can handle one lone female, right? Ares is stubborn, arrogant, and has way too much ego for one man. But under all of that, he was once just a man that had lost his family. And his long buried feelings and emotions resurface after spending some time with Cara Thornhart. But can he afford to have a weakness now, knowing that this war will mean the difference between good or evil triumphing? Can he set aside old grudges in order to create alliances that may make a difference between winning and losing?

Cara has barely been surviving when circumstances thrust her into a supernatural world that teeters on the brink of war. Her gift of kindness to a dog has led her to being bonded with a hellhound and, eventually, the carrier of Ares' agimortus; his trigger for breaking his Seal. But humans were never meant to carry such a thing, and it is killing her. Now it is a race against time to save her life, and therefore preventing Ares from going evil. Cara realizes, now that her life is coming to an end, she has yet to really live. Her desperation to fight for her life leads her to take chances that she wouldn't before, including falling in love. She doesn't have the luxury of time with Ares and does all she can in the time she has left. This includes helping Ares get past his feud with the hellhounds. Cara too must face her own past and its consequences before she can move on from it. By letting each other into their hearts, both learn that love makes a person stronger, not weaker. Of course, all of this would be much easier if Ares' brother wasn't working against them to get the Apocalypse started.

Pestilence, once known as Reseph, is the First Horseman of the Apocalypse and the first one to have his Seal broken. Now that his demon nature is released, his only goal in life is to see his siblings fall as well. He is made aware of Ares' attachment to Cara and uses it against his brother. Though it is understood that there is no going back once a Seal is broken, Reseph's brothers and sister refuse to give up hope. They search for a way to bring back the man they love while he is searching for a way to take them down. I especially enjoy the closeness that these siblings share. Their fate has left them little sympathy with others, leaving them to only rely on each other all of these years. To have lost the Reseph they knew and loved and had him replaced with one that has no love in him must tear the siblings apart. To know that the only way they may be able to prevent the Apocalypse is to kill him must be such a heavy burden in each of their hearts.

There is a lot going on in this book, including some hot love scenes. It picks up from the end of another series by Larissa Ione, The Demonica series. Though you can definitely read this series alone, if you want to know any back information, especially about Underworld General, you will have to read the other series. Otherwise, this is a good paranormal romance with a pinch of End of Days.

The Lords of Deliverance Series:

1. Eternal Rider

2. Immortal Rider

3. Lethal Rider

FTC Advisory: Grand Central Publishing provided me with a copy of Eternal Rider. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys.

If I could describe Larissa Ione's new book, Eternal Rider, in one word, it would be "whoa", as in this book seriously blew my mind away. Eternal Rider is the first book in Larissa's Lords of Deliverance series that's an offshoot of her very popular Demonica series. If you thought Larissa Demonica series was dark, beyond steamy erotic and twisted, you'll be happy to know that Eternal Rider is all these things and much more. Larissa walks a fine line here because everything is more intense. I couldn't believe how far she went with things. At one point I had to put Eternal Rider down and take a break. I usually don't do this with the books I read, but the amount of fighting and the eye-popping character's actions really sucker punches you in the gut.

Also Larissa writes one of the most inventive, "did she really do what I think she did?" sex scenes that not only shocked me senseless but was too good for words. Larissa has written an upside down tree sex scene, and no, the heroine and hero don't have upside down sex with a tree, but with each other (a vine is used in a creative way). For that alone Larissa gets two thumbs up from me. Surprises like this among other jaw dropping scenes makes Eternal Rider a book full of win and one paranormal fiction/romance fans will eat up. If you're looking for light and fluffy, look elsewhere.

Eternal Rider introduces the future Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Ares is the hero of this story and the horseman of War. His siblings, Reseph is Pestilence, Thanatos is Death and Limos, their sister is Famine. The only way the end of the days aka the Apocalypse can come to pass is if their seals are broken. As long as none of their seals break, the world is safe. Unfortunately Reseph's seal breaks and he brings Pestilence across the land. Reseph is now evil incardinate and Ares and his other two siblings must try and stop him.

Ares has a past full or heartbreak and woe. He once lived as a human centuries ago before he found out what his destiny was. So much was taken from him and because of it he lives in seclusion with only his servants. He refuses to give into love, but that all changes when Cara Thornhart falls into his life.

Cara has a unique way with animals. She can heal them, and because of her ability, she becomes a target. When she tries to heal an injured dog, she's attacked by scary armed men who use their fists to get the answers they want. The reason is the hurt dog is not a dog at all, but a hellhound Cara names Hal. She's bonded with Hal by no choice of her own and because of that Ares must protect her. Then a fallen angel transfers something called the agimortus onto Cara. This agirmoty thing, as Cara calls it, gives her unbelievable strength and power, but will end up killing her if she can't transfer it back to another. Also, if Hal dies, so does she. Not only does Ares have to stop Reseph, but keep Cara away from his deranged brother and every other demon, hellhound and supernatural creature searching for her. Plus Ares can't keep his libido quiet around Cara, and although he's willing to act on his desires with her, he refuses to care for her because loving another woman would weaken him.

Cara is abused every which way to Sunday and is forced to do so many thing that would make another woman crawl into a corner and rock. She's forced to accept things, even with Ares, who expects to be obeyed in everything. So much happens to Cara, such as near death, torture, almost rape and mind-numbing sex (thanks to Ares) that had my head spinning. What more could this woman go through that would finally make her break down and turn her into a drooling vegetable?

Ares has his ulterior motives as does those he's involved with. He's a damaged soul who can't get over his past. Cara is his savior and the perfect balm to help him move on, if he can. Times are bleak and a HEA for these two may be questionable in the big scheme of things.

Even though the majority of Eternal Rider has a large amount of dark undertones, there are some laughs and nice snark, mainly from Limos. There's this great scene where a fallen angel has been captured and she decides to torture him with Ares's dvd collection of Miami Vice and Starsky and Hutch. This is an example of a few lighthearted moments that are very much needed.

The love scenes are beyond steamy and Larissa raises them up a notch. The moment I read the upside down tree sex between Area and Cara, I was floored, but in a good way.

Eternal Rider is one book that may not be for everyone. But it is one wild ride that I couldn't' get enough of. I look forward to the next book in this series, which will be about Limos and how one kiss or being too touchy feely with another man can make her the queen and breeder for Lucifer, the rule of hell. I can pretty much assume that will also be a rip roaring, at times shocking read, but one that I would gladly climb aboard as a passenger of Larissa Ione train.

Katiebabs

The plot of this has been discussed by other reviewers and they give a pretty good background on it. Larissa Ione has the makings of another succesful series(see demonica series)Eternal Rider is the first book in the horseman series. It stars front and center War aka Ares. To prevent the next step in the end of the world he must protect Cara an innocent human who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This was a fast paced novel and despite a few sections of info dump, I absolutely loved the chemistry around War and Cara. It was nice to get some very interactive cameos from the Demonica series characters but they dont take away from the cast that is the main group for the horseman books. Of course Ione also gives us her classic heroine may die as a result but we know she would never do her fans that way. It still adds a nice touch of suspense and adrenaline rush wondering how it will all play out. To wrap it up the novel ends with a great bang and the resolution is a believable yet unique one that had me mentally giving a hooray.

Absolutely worth the buy and build up

Larissa Ione has done it again with her brillant writing. A great start to a new series and I loved and enjoyed how she included the great many characters from her Demonica Series. The story of the 4 Horsemen is exciting in itself but when you add their trails of everyday life and trying to prevent the Demonica prophecy of the Apocalypse from taking place by protecting their seals - the story is fantastic.

In the Demonica Series Sin had caused a plague to spread between the were-wolves and in returned the event was the trigger that caused the Agimortus of the first horsemen Reseph (Pestilence) to break its seal.

Now Pestilence is loose and in his wake he is out to cause destruction and have his brothers and sister join him in destroying the world so Satan and his evil demions can have full reign and freedom of the earth with the use of humans as their slaves.

A must read story to find out how Ares (War) and Cara keep Pestilence from breaking Ares seal.

Ares (War) is one hot Horsemen and fierce in everyway. Even his horse Battle is one fine specimen that is built with muscles for warring. Cara, (I think she is part Fey) a normal human that has some special gift with healing animals is beautiful in her own way and a strong survivor. When Ares and Cara meet sparks fly and tough guy Ares finally meets his match. The erotic scenes were scorching hot.

I loved the ending and how Cara gained her immortality. I love how no one or thing can kill her except for God or the King of the Hellhounds. The HEA was great. I look forward to reading the next book.

Eternal Rider is a fantastic read that left me needing to read book two (Immortal Rider). I'll start by letting you all know that you do not have to read the Demonica series to understand what is going on. It might be helpful, but I had no issues and this is my first time reading a Larissa Ione book.

The series revolves around the four horsemen, Ares (War), Limos (Famine), Thanatos (Death), and Reseph (Pestilence). Eternal Rider focuses on Ares who is trying his hardest not to let his seal break and start the Apocalypse.

The story is told in Cara's (Ares' potential love interest) point of view. Cara saves a hellhound and finds herself surrounded by things she never knew existed. Ares comes to her rescue and you can see the sparks fly. Ares is written to be a gorgeous hunk of man, but you can tell he isn't used to having someone to care for much less someone caring about him. This leads to an interesting relationship where you can see the feelings but they aren't spoken until necessary.

I don't want to give too many spoilers, so I'll keep the review short. All you need to know is the book was excellent and if you enjoy paranormal romances at all this is a must read.

As the children of a succubus and an angel, Reseph, Ares, Limos, and Thanatos have always walked the line between good and evil. They are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - powerful, immortal, and cursed to bring forth Doomsday should their Seals break. When Reseph's Seal breaks and he becomes Pestilence, the countdown to the Apocalypse begins.

Cara Thornhart - a human with a gift for healing animals - knows nothing of Horsemen, Seals, or demons. Then a wounded hellhound is dropped on her doorstep and everything changes. Cara is thrown into the path of Ares, a devastatingly handsome warrior who is the key to helping her understand the supernatural madness that taken over her life. Cara's drawn to Ares, whose need to protect her stems not only from his desire for her, but from the fact that she is the only being in the world who can keep his Seal from breaking. It's a race against time for Cara and Ares to stop Pestilence and save the world. But the price of staving off Doomsday could be higher than either Cara or Ares are willing to pay.

Get ready for the ride of your life! Larissa Ione starts her Lords of Deliverance series with a bang in the action-packed Eternal Rider. I was captivated by Eternal Rider from the start and did not want to put Ares and Cara's book down for anything.

Ares - who will become War if his Seal breaks - is the kind of hero I love. He's a hardened warrior with a scarred heart and a mission to complete. His rough nature is belied by the depth of his ability to care. Ares is incredibly loving and protective, though those who don't know him extremely well would never see it. Cara, in turn, is a heroine you have to respect. She a human with an interesting ability and she handles the hellish number of things that are thrown at her with a realistic measure of calm. Separately, Ares and Cara are great characters. As a couple, they heat up the page like nobody's business. I loved Cara and Ares together and Ms. Ione had me eagerly turning the pages to find out how these two could overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that stood in the way of them finding any sort of happiness.

Eternal Rider is the first book in the Lords of Deliverance series, but this series is a spinoff of Ms. Ione's Demonica series. It's clear that events in Eternal Rider are brought about by what happened in the last Demonica book, Sin Undone. Yet while the two series appear to be closely connected, having not yet read the Demonica books I can safely assure readers that Eternal Rider can be read as a standalone. However, I was so intrigued by the Demonica characters I met that I will definitely be reading those books.

Eternal Rider has everything I look for in a paranormal romance and more. There's risk, danger, lust, and, most importantly, love. I absolutely adored Ares and Cara's story and I cannot wait to read the next Lords of Deliverance book, Immortal Rider.

3.5 Stars - Originally Reviewed at AsianCocoa's Secret Garden

Eternal Rider is the first novel that I have read by Larissa Ione and what a great introduction to her world. This is the first book in her Lords of Deliverance series. The four Horsemen are: Reseph (Pestilence), Ares (War), Limos (Famine), Thanatos (Death). These siblings are the product of a onetime sexual encounter between Lilith, a succubus demon and Yenrieth, a good angel. The brothers are sent to live in the human world while Limos is kept in Sheoul with her mother Lilith.

The brothers find out they are not human when demons rise up and try to use them against humans as they spread terror all over earth. After witnessing the murders of their human families and the destruction of their lands, the siblings rage war against the demons. Unfortunately, they manipulated and used humans to help them fight the demons. Because of their selfish disregard for human life and almost bringing about the end of mankind, the siblings are punished. They are charged as the keepers of Armageddon. Each is given a seal. If they defend their seals until the prophecy in the Bible comes to pass - they will save their own souls and mankind. But if they allow their seals to be broken prematurely they will turn evil and initiate the ultimate battle between good and evil.

In Eternal Rider we are introduced to Ares who is the Lord of War. He's a sexy seven foot tall Alpha male who is still scarred from losing his wife and children to demons centuries ago. He's a born leader and warrior who because of his seal is attracted to battlefields and fighting. His presence amongst humans incites anger and violence within them so he cannot mingle with them for long.

Cara Thornhart is a human who gets drawn in accidentally when a dying dog is brought to her home for treatment. This "dog" unbeknownst to her is really a hellhound from Sheoul. After saving his life with her special gift of healing the hellhound or Hal as she names him, bonds himself to her and so begins her journey into the underworld. Hal is soon kidnapped by a fallen angel named Sestiel who is the keeper of Ares' agimortus. If Sestiel is killed then Ares' seal will break and he will become War.

Ares is able to track Sestiel to Cara's home but not before he escapes with the hellhound. As Cara is now bonded to Hal and can sense where he is, Ares decides to take her home and use her to track the hellhound and angel. In the beginning, Cara is just a means to an end for Ares. But then his agimortus is transferred to Cara before Sestiel's death and it becomes a race against time to find another fallen angel that can carry the agimortus before it kills Cara.

There was plenty of action and violence in this book but it was balanced nicely with the romance between Ares and Cara. They developed feelings for each other slowly but it was a slow burn that culminated into some hot, sexy love scenes. Ms. Ione did an impeccable job of world-building and introducing us to the numerous cast of characters both new and old. As a new reader I was able to follow the story without feeling like I was missing out on any back story from her Demonica stories. I'm looking forward to the next installment, Immortal Rider which is due out in December 2011.

Eternal Rider gets 3.5 out of 5 stars

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!

I have read this Authors other series about Incubus/Succubus demons and found majority of them very entertaining so of course I was eager to pick this one up; the beginning of a new series about the four horseman of the Apocalypse.

Good authors with detailed characters and unique plots are hard to find in this genre - thankfully this Author has quiet an imagination and a keen ability to express it on the written page so I'd say she is in my top five for Paranormal Romance.

I enjoyed this book. It didn't blow me away, but all the Horsemen were equally intriguing. I was pulled in from the beginning, got a little bored half-way through, interested again, bored, then interested lol...it was up and down for me personally, but still found myself thinking about it after I put it down - so that's a good sign.

I think this one being the first in the series the Author was trying to get her sea legs; develop the characters and story line of course. Some of the bumps in the road for me were the lack of sexual tension or erotica between the two main characters; something she is usually pretty good at, I actually found myself more drawn to the other Horseman and Characters (unfallen Angles and such) more then the two main players. Also, she went out of her way to pull into the plot characters from her past series; I didn't really need that. Maybe die hard fans did, but not me. Anyone who has not read the other series I recommend it, but also by doing this she somewhat forces you to pick them up or you will be confused. There was one chapter in fact that was totally out of place were two past (secondary) character from her other series had a child...huh...pulling in two characters that didn't even have their own book into a new series was a little odd -- I could care less if they had a kid.

Anyway, this first book is about the Horseman of War, he is strong, determined, described as a "Brad Pitt" type from the movie "Troy" -- he was once human some 5 thousand years ago and had a human wife and children. Unfortunately, he watch them all die -- so now eons later he is hardened, vengeful, and tired of life. He "being the Horseman of War" is of course drawn to any war and lives and breaths on destruction. One of his brothers "the horseman of Pestilence" has gone astray - turns out each horseman bears a seal, if broken they turn to evil, this is a cause and effect scenario where one seal breaks, then another, and another, which ultimately can bring upon the earth Armageddon. So Pestilence's seal has broken, he turns from a hot endearing immortal to a cruel, sick, evil one over night. So evil in fact, that by the time I finished the book I wondered if the Author would ever be able to redeem him in later installments. Meanwhile, a animal healer/human women whom just happens to be a shut-in and x-assult victim (of course) gets caught up in the battle by mistake while unknowingly healing a hell hound. Thus you have the beginning of your story -- War must save unknowing human, War falls for unknowing human, she is weak in the beginning but grows some in the end.

What is great about this book is as I mentioned before the other characters - the other 3 horseman are well written - especially the horseman of Pestilence (our baddy in the series) and the horseman of Death (our tortured soul who can never love). The world around them is wonderfully described and the fallen and unfallen Angels were awesome - I hope she writes more on them - or even gives them their own series.

I was fortunate enough to come across Ione's "Demonica" series around the time "Sin Undone" came out, so I was able to finish the entire series one after another with zero wait time. So it was incredibly hard for me to wait for "Eternal Rider" to come out, since the build-up to the book handled so well in "Sin Undone". (For those curious, one does not need to read the Demonica series to understand this book, but I highly recommend reading that series first. You'll understand the world and other characters much better.)

I won't reiterate the plot (others have done that quite well). I'll just explain why I thought this was a fantastic addition to her UG series & why one should read this book.

Although the plot is quite similar to the formula Ione developed with the "Demonica" series (main protagonist can end up very evil, with no conscience, unless things go a certain way and the mate is the key), I still felt like this book was quite fresh. The entire premise of the Lords of Deliverance (the four horseman of the apocalypse) is a nice twist to the typical stories we see in paranormal romance now-a-days. Much like Showalter's LoU series, this series focuses on Greek mythology as the foundation for its own canon and that - to me - makes it feel fresh and fun. That is not to say that vampires and werewolves don't crop up in Ione's world (when do they ever NOT crop up), but I liked that they reside in a world that borrows so much from Greek mythology and I like Ione's version.

In this particular book, I really, really, really loved Ares (the hero) and loved learning more about what made him tick and his relationship with his siblings. The beginning had a lot of info dump, but Ione quickly moves past that and sketches a very thorough picture of Ares and how he has spent the past five thousand years. There is a lot of "show" and not "tell" when it comes to Ione's writing & she chooses to show through dialogue, as opposed to having characters sit around thinking long pages of information. I really like that. She writes dialogue very well and each individual character has their own "voice" (for example, Ares and Than are brothers and could be written to be interchangeable, but she gives them each their own distinct personality & they both speak and react in completely different ways in each situation).

While I really loved this book, the reason I'm deducting a star is the heroine. The books opens with a scene that just really pulled me out of the story and really impacted how I viewed the heroine (Cara). At the beginning of the book, Cara is awoken in the middle of the night by some guy who used to be a client (or was a client's son? I wasn't sure) and she's scared and is giving herself a pep talk about how she shouldn't be scared. Well, my response was, "OF COURSE YOU SHOULD BE SCARED!"

Let's get this straight: a woman living alone - in a secluded area - is awoken in the middle of the night by a drunk guy who is cursing at her and the reader is supposed to think that it's odd that said woman doesn't want to open the door? Instead, I was flabbergasted and hitting my palm against my head when I saw that she DID open the door and reprimanded herself for being too weak to push past the fear and open the door to the guy. Turns out that the drunk guy just cursed at her some more while he dropped a sick dog off on her porch, but STILL. She should have been calling 911.

Anyway, with THAT lovely introduction to the heroine, it was really hard for me to understand what made this woman tick. Ione employs a device that I absolutely detest - she drags out the suspense by `hiding' the `twist' when it comes to heroine. The heroine was traumatized in the recent past and this has made her more of a wuss than she wants to be. (Although, we got conflicting information, because it seemed like the heroine was always a bit of a doormat and let people walk all over her - even before the traumatizing experience.) Anyway, so we find out information about the heroine piece-meal and eventually only find out when the hero is told what's going on. There was this very huge disconnect between what a "strong" person is vs. what a "weak" person is. With Cara's odd introduction and her tendency to be a bit of a wuss, I felt like Ione was constantly on the defensive with Cara's character. So, we have these moments where Ares would think about how Cara was so strong and brave. We have Cara constantly giving herself pep talks and telling herself to be brave. It was... odd. And kind of really made me annoyed with Cara. It also made it hard to accept the times where Cara WAS overtly brave, because I kept thinking of how much of a wuss she SHOULD be and then I couldn't get a handle on her character.

But... that's a small complaint. Even though Cara confused me and I found her back story to be anti-climatic, I still could not help but get invested in the love story. I wanted Cara and Ares to get their HEA. I understood why they fit well together. And even though the resolution seemed to be obvious, I was still incredibly satisfied with how it all works out in the end.

As a bonus, I felt that the new characters introduced were incredibly compelling and when characters popped up from the "Demonica" series, I didn't feel like they were shoe-horned in. They were a welcome addition, but didn't overtake the entire story. Cannot wait to read Limos's story.

(For those who have read Showalter's "LoU" series and Kresley Cole's "IAD" series, I would say that this series ranks up there with them. However, it's much darker and the characters don't engage in as much humor and witty banter as Showalter's and Cole's characters do.)

Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
Paranormal Romance -March 29th, 2011
4 stars

Eternal Rider is the first book in an ambitious and exciting new series called the Lords of Deliverance. This series closely interconnects with the author's Larissa Ione's Demonica series. In fact, many of the previous characters return in this story. Because of this complexity, I will not start with this book if this is your first introduction to the author since it will be difficult to follow.

This series tells of the origins of the Four Horsemen (and woman) of the Apocalypse. Supernatural beings born from the unholy union of a demon and an angel. They all grew up on earth and were unaware of their heritage (except for one of them). When they discovered their heritage they wrecked havoc and caused disasters. As punishment, they were all cursed with four seals. If the seals break, the Apocalypse will begin and each bearer whose seal breaks will become absolute evil. On the other hand, if their seals stay intact, they will be forgiven and save mankind.

Through the ages, this family of four has supported and cared for each other until the unthinkable happens. Their brother Reseph's seal is broken and he becomes the deadly horseman known as Pestilence. When he changes, so does his personality. He causes not only plague but also death and war descends on mankind. The problem is, as one of the horseman he knows each of his brother's weakness and how to break each of their seals.

Ares is the horseman of War. Unfortunately, this is a war he is not sure he can win. He must prevent his fallen brother (Pestilence) from breaking his seal. Ares's seal will break if a fallen angel with an agimortus is killed. But finding the angel is difficult and Ares is fighting a race against a brother who knows him too well. Thankfully the agimortus can be transferred. But what happens when the being it is transferred to is seemingly helpless? Can Ares prevent his seal from breaking by finding and protecting the one who bears the agimortus in time?

Cara has special powers to heal animals. When a strange injured dog is dropped at her home, she feels compelled to save him. But this dog is actually a hellhound and is anything but ordinary. Hellhounds have the ability to bring a Horseman or woman to their knees. When the hellhound bonds to Cara in gratitude, it sets off a chain of events as the fallen angel with the agimortus captures it and hopes to use it for protection against Pestilence. On the trail to find the one who bears the agimortus that will break his seal, Ares stumbles on the beautiful Cara and feels compelled to protect her. But Cara is much more than she seems and soon Ares has his hands full with this sexy and disturbing woman.

This book starts at break-neck speed as the seal of one of the Horseman is immediately broken. Then there is the race to prevent anymore seals from breaking and starting the Apocalypse. I found this an exciting book but due to its complexity, you should at least read Sin Undone (if not all of the Demonica series first) before starting this book.

Ares is wicked cool. His only weaknesses are his family and Cara. He tries to use Cara's ties to the hellhound but it back fires when he is fascinated by her caring personality and courage. Cara had hidden depths and really transforms into a strong character that is very stubborn and compassionate.

This story is inspired and multifaceted. I am eager to read about the other two siblings especially Limos (who is Ares sister) because the author leaves tantalizing glimpses of her character and past actions that are very mysterious. I also felt terrible for the last brother Thanatos. He must stay a virgin or his seal will break. And the poor guy has lived a very long time! That is a lot of frustrated lust. The only problem for me was that there is so much going on with various characters (many from the Demonica series) that it never felt like it slowed down so I could savor it and keep up. This also makes it very confusing if you are not familiar with the world the author has created.

Exciting and packed with non-stop action, this new series will enthrall this author's fans and thrill new ones.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione grew up reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz. She began her writing career with horror and fantasy, but soon learned to love romance. She is able to combine her two loves into one genre- paranormal romance. She also writes under the pen name Sydney Croft. Titles include: Seduced by the Storm, Sin Undone, Ecstasy Unveiled, Passion Unleashed, Desire Unchained, Hot Nights Dark Desires, Unleashing the Storm, Wet Dreams, Snow Bound, Riding the Storm, Flesh to Fantasy, and Shadow Play. Her title, Pleasure Unbound was named Best Paranormal Romance of 2008 in the First Annual Reviewers Choice Awards at Romance Novel TV. She was born in Oregon, but resides now in Virginia.

This is the first installment in the Lords of Deliverance series, following the five books in her Demonica series. The second book, Immortal Rider, is due out in December 2011. Though these books are part of a series, they are stand alone reads, and the author does a great job of explaining previous events so readers can catch up or jump right in. However, I recommend reading the rest of the books.

Four siblings, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, were born in a match between good and evil. Known as the Lords of Deliverance, they have the power to ward off Doomsday, or let it ride. Ares' brother, Reseph-- guardian horseman for the seal of Disease-- has just fallen. Ares knows as the protector of the seal for War, should he fall, Armageddon will happen. He also knows he can't fight his destiny forever, especially now that his brother has turned evil and plots against him. There is one hope. Gifted like other mortals aren't, Cara Thornhart is the key to Ares safety and his destruction. Ares doesn't want to involve Cara, especially not with the heat and passion now consuming them, but he has no choice. Staving off eternal darkness for all mankind may also have a staggering cost-- Cara's life.

I've enjoyed Larissa Ione's books for some time now. Jumping into paranormal romance can be jarring, but she creates worlds unlike anything you've seen. This book, as her others, has a glossary of terms to refer to if you should get stuck. I was wondering where she was going after I heard of this new series following Demonica, but I'm glad for the ride. The back story for both main characters was surprising and interesting. That, and the great secondary characters, added dimension and depth. Larissa also has an exceptional talent for setting, putting the reader right there without thinking about it or trying to figure it out. Sexy characters, a demon realm, end of days-- what's not to love?

Kelly Moran,
Bookpleasures

Larissa Ione has done it again! I absolutely adored Eternal Rider! Fresh off her Demonica series she has started The Lords Of Deliverance. These are based off the legends of the four horsemen on the apocalypse. We get a whole new line of hot and sexy men as well as brief glimpses from old favorites.
As with any new series there is a lot of back story to get to and Larissa doesn't ever scimp on that. The first 100 or so pages is a lot of world building on top of her old Demonica world. A new layer. The horsemen are a totally different breed from anything we have seen up to this point. They stand alone. No one short of God or Satan can stand next to them in the warrior or strength field.

I enjoyed Ares (War) and Cara together. Their personalities meshed really well and had me invested from the get go. Cara was thrown into this paranormal world quite quickly and I her thought processes and emotions were right on. I also liked her slight paranormal trait in the form of an animal healer. Ares, being nearly God-like, didn't adjust quite as quickly to this human female. He was thrown by new feelings and emotions and ideas he hadn't dared think of in years. Family, love and being happy. Again, I found myself an alpha male in Ares. Hot, rippling muscles set in stone...yes please, I will take two.

While meeting Ares was nice, his brothers were hot too. Even the sexy, my seal already broke, Reseph (Pestilence). I'm really hoping they figure out a way to bring him back from madness because his scarred soul will be perfect for a book of his own. Thanatos (Death) was also interesting....huge.....and his seal revolves around no sex...hmmmmm *wink*. The last horseman is actually not a horseman at all but a horsewoman, Limos. I loved that twist. Her book should be good because she's depicted as a small, fragile looking woman who can turn all warrior in a moments notice. She's also slated to be Satan's Bride..heh. I hope Satan is a hulking hot guy that can go naughty things with his tail.

As the first book in the new series I thought Eternal Rider was a winner. We get Larissa's incredible writing an a whole new cast of characters to give you good dreams at night. I can't wait for the next one due out this fall!

Nikki- Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind

Or rather, Ares, who would become War should his seal be broken, is good. Not that you would want to say that to his face...There is a very soft, sweet, good center surrounded by a whole lot of bada&&,uber Alpha maleness. Yum! My favorite.

Larissa Ione...what an imagination this woman has! The thing I love best about her world is you are immediately immersed, without endless explanation and justification. The portrayal of the world is so clear this reader really had no issue with believing in it. There is enough overlay of the familiar that the addition of "other" seems to blend seamlessly with the real.

Ares and Cara bring out each other's strengths. With Cara, Ares allows himself to feel, something he hasn't allowed much in millennia. We learn that the human who raised him tried to beat and bully any hint of kindness out of him. At one point, Ares realizes that Cara isn't weakening him, but his emotion for her makes him all that much stronger. Cara has been living a life of fear for several years, but finds herself challenging Ares at every turn. As he is the bearer of War, and thus cannot turn down a challenge, this may not be the safest course for her to pursue, but it makes for some highly entertaining scenes! And ever so sexy...WOW!

Ares is, as I stated, bada&& attitude walking, but he shows surprising tenderness toward Cara, his guards, his siblings and his horse, making him accessible and believable as the hero. When he brought Cara a pillow (he has none, because his human father thought pillows made a man soft) I just melted for him. The casual affection he shows for the son of one of his guards shows he is a man of depth, rather than a killing machine.

Cara's ability to communicate with and heal animals leads to her receiving an unusual boon from a hellhound. As she finds her whole perception of reality turned upside down, she learns to live in the moment, and to take whatever is thrown at her without cowering. She has strength and determination to do the right thing, even if it means personal peril.

Larissa Ione has delivered one heck of an opening punch with Eternal Rider. I can't wait for the next book!

New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione grew up reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz. She began her writing career with horror and fantasy, but soon learned to love romance. She is able to combine her two loves into one genre- paranormal romance. She also writes under the pen name Sydney Croft. Titles include: Seduced by the Storm, Sin Undone, Ecstasy Unveiled, Passion Unleashed, Desire Unchained, Hot Nights Dark Desires, Unleashing the Storm, Wet Dreams, Snow Bound, Riding the Storm, Flesh to Fantasy, and Shadow Play. Her title, Pleasure Unbound was named Best Paranormal Romance of 2008 in the First Annual Reviewers Choice Awards at Romance Novel TV. She was born in Oregon, but resides now in Virginia.

This is the first installment in the Lords of Deliverance series, following the five books in her Demonica series. The second book, Immortal Rider, is due out in December 2011. Though these books are part of a series, they are stand alone reads, and the author does a great job of explaining previous events so readers can catch up or jump right in. However, I recommend reading the rest of the books.

Four siblings, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, were born in a match between good and evil. Known as the Lords of Deliverance, they have the power to ward off Doomsday, or let it ride. Ares' brother, Reseph-- guardian horseman for the seal of Disease-- has just fallen. Ares knows as the protector of the seal for War, should he fall, Armageddon will happen. He also knows he can't fight his destiny forever, especially now that his brother has turned evil and plots against him. There is one hope. Gifted like other mortals aren't, Cara Thornhart is the key to Ares safety and his destruction. Ares doesn't want to involve Cara, especially not with the heat and passion now consuming them, but he has no choice. Staving off eternal darkness for all mankind may also have a staggering cost-- Cara's life.

I've enjoyed Larissa Ione's books for some time now. Jumping into paranormal romance can be jarring, but she creates worlds unlike anything you've seen. This book, as her others, has a glossary of terms to refer to if you should get stuck. I was wondering where she was going after I heard of this new series following Demonica, but I'm glad for the ride. The back story for both main characters was surprising and interesting. That, and the great secondary characters, added dimension and depth. Larissa also has an exceptional talent for setting, putting the reader right there without thinking about it or trying to figure it out. Sexy characters, a demon realm, end of days-- what's not to love?

Kelly Moran,
Bookpleasures

Larissa Ione has done it again! I absolutely adored Eternal Rider! Fresh off her Demonica series she has started The Lords Of Deliverance. These are based off the legends of the four horsemen on the apocalypse. We get a whole new line of hot and sexy men as well as brief glimpses from old favorites.
As with any new series there is a lot of back story to get to and Larissa doesn't ever scimp on that. The first 100 or so pages is a lot of world building on top of her old Demonica world. A new layer. The horsemen are a totally different breed from anything we have seen up to this point. They stand alone. No one short of God or Satan can stand next to them in the warrior or strength field.

I enjoyed Ares (War) and Cara together. Their personalities meshed really well and had me invested from the get go. Cara was thrown into this paranormal world quite quickly and I her thought processes and emotions were right on. I also liked her slight paranormal trait in the form of an animal healer. Ares, being nearly God-like, didn't adjust quite as quickly to this human female. He was thrown by new feelings and emotions and ideas he hadn't dared think of in years. Family, love and being happy. Again, I found myself an alpha male in Ares. Hot, rippling muscles set in stone...yes please, I will take two.

While meeting Ares was nice, his brothers were hot too. Even the sexy, my seal already broke, Reseph (Pestilence). I'm really hoping they figure out a way to bring him back from madness because his scarred soul will be perfect for a book of his own. Thanatos (Death) was also interesting....huge.....and his seal revolves around no sex...hmmmmm *wink*. The last horseman is actually not a horseman at all but a horsewoman, Limos. I loved that twist. Her book should be good because she's depicted as a small, fragile looking woman who can turn all warrior in a moments notice. She's also slated to be Satan's Bride..heh. I hope Satan is a hulking hot guy that can go naughty things with his tail.

As the first book in the new series I thought Eternal Rider was a winner. We get Larissa's incredible writing an a whole new cast of characters to give you good dreams at night. I can't wait for the next one due out this fall!

Nikki- Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind

Or rather, Ares, who would become War should his seal be broken, is good. Not that you would want to say that to his face...There is a very soft, sweet, good center surrounded by a whole lot of bada&&,uber Alpha maleness. Yum! My favorite.

Larissa Ione...what an imagination this woman has! The thing I love best about her world is you are immediately immersed, without endless explanation and justification. The portrayal of the world is so clear this reader really had no issue with believing in it. There is enough overlay of the familiar that the addition of "other" seems to blend seamlessly with the real.

Ares and Cara bring out each other's strengths. With Cara, Ares allows himself to feel, something he hasn't allowed much in millennia. We learn that the human who raised him tried to beat and bully any hint of kindness out of him. At one point, Ares realizes that Cara isn't weakening him, but his emotion for her makes him all that much stronger. Cara has been living a life of fear for several years, but finds herself challenging Ares at every turn. As he is the bearer of War, and thus cannot turn down a challenge, this may not be the safest course for her to pursue, but it makes for some highly entertaining scenes! And ever so sexy...WOW!

Ares is, as I stated, bada&& attitude walking, but he shows surprising tenderness toward Cara, his guards, his siblings and his horse, making him accessible and believable as the hero. When he brought Cara a pillow (he has none, because his human father thought pillows made a man soft) I just melted for him. The casual affection he shows for the son of one of his guards shows he is a man of depth, rather than a killing machine.

Cara's ability to communicate with and heal animals leads to her receiving an unusual boon from a hellhound. As she finds her whole perception of reality turned upside down, she learns to live in the moment, and to take whatever is thrown at her without cowering. She has strength and determination to do the right thing, even if it means personal peril.

Larissa Ione has delivered one heck of an opening punch with Eternal Rider. I can't wait for the next book!

Branching off from her extra steamy sex demons and underworld general, you are plunged into a new level of hell with three new yummy fantasy creatures(and their little sister ). This twist on the biblical four horsemen sheds a new light on how the end of times could be one hot ride. Saddled up on his magnificent stead, Ares is the kind of creature that would turn even the most chaste of females to a puddle of mush, and this is before he removes his clothing. He lives up to his name magnificently, especially in the heat of battle and in passion. The book mixes together some old theories of different ancient societies and ends up blending them together nicely. Our hero has many of his own demons (literally and figuratively) to fight along his crusade to stop the Apocalypse from starting. He begins by dragging Cara in to his story to protect her but ends up with other ideas once he gets to know her. His horse adds a bit of humor to the tale and turns out to be an enchanting and lovable sidekick. This book was edgy, with its continual twists and turns, but keeps you reeled in until the ride is over. Who knew the end of days could be sooooooo hot?

Eternal Rider is an exciting new entry from Larissa Ione. Those of us that mourned the loss of the Demonica series can rejoice! Ms. Ione brings the expert world building, terrific characters and the deep personal relationships that she developed in the in the Demonica series to these books.

Cara Thornhart is a holistic animal healer who answers her door one night to treat an injured animal. That event will change her life. Ares has lived thousands of lifetimes. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he and his siblings are immortal and each must face the eventuality that they may be the destroyer(s) of mankind.

Ares arrives at Cara's door tracking something that he must get back or face the possibility of turning evil and dooming the world. When the object is not there, he involves himself into her life with the hope that he can retrieve the object, which appears to have tied itself to Cara. Unfortunately, Cara becomes even more entangled in Ares fate and he is faced with protecting and losing that which is most important to him.

Ares and Cara's relationship develops fairly quickly. Cara is faced with a life altering event that forces her to address and accept her attraction to Ares and he faces the possibility of becoming his worst nightmare. They jump into their relationship, which is hot and steamy, but appears realistic to me.

All of the characters are wonderful in this book, even the secondary ones. The witty banter and dialog keeps this dark novel from becoming too dark. My favorite secondary character is Thanatos. I loved his dry wit and can't wait for his book. Although, Hal the demonhound with halitosis, is a close second favorite character.

As Ares, Cara, Thanatos, Limos and Hal race toward saving the world, the action is fast paced and tense. The battle(s) between the siblings and their brother Reseph, who has turned evil and become Pestilence, is sometimes violent but heartfelt at the same time.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to all the paranormal romance readers that enjoy a bit of urban fantasy and sexual dominance thrown in. Highly recommended if you enjoyed the Demonica series previously.

This part of Larissa's demonic world grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go! I feel the Horsemen storyline is much more involved, more action packed and stimulating than the first five books. Don't get me wrong, those were all interesting and give a good perspective but, for me, the real part of the tale has come alive!

Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance), the first book of her new Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse series was sheer delight. Along with a new cast of characters, Larissa brought back many from her Daemonica series to interact with our new heroes and villains. One of the best things about Ione's books are her mix of species, so you're not just getting a vampire or werewolf or demon, etc., story but a wacky mix of lovable creatures that live, fight, and love right along with the humans. The dialog is snappy, and has made me laugh out loud as few books do. There is also enough drama to make you wonder if you'll really like the ending or not. And the romance is steamy, just as you would come to expect if you were a Daemonica fan. But even if this is the first book of hers you read, you won't be lost though it does help to have the back story of some of the recurring characters. Readers that love J.R. Ward, Laura Adrian, Alexandra Ivy, and Jacquelyn Frank will love Larissa Ione's books and vice versa. Definitely a must read for paranormal romance fans.

The plot is that each of the "Horsemen" are half angel and half demon. They each have a trigger that will turn them truly evil, and if two of them get triggered all will change and bring about Armageddon and the end of any good in the world. So not only is that bad for humans, but for the more harmless demons like the ones we came to love from Underworld General Hospital (UGH) from her former series. The bad news is that the werewolf plague that Sin started in the Daemonica series was the trigger for the first Horseman. As Plague spreads sickness and death throughout the world, he tries valiantly to trigger his brother Ares to turn into War and end the world. So this is the story of Ares and Cara Thornhart, a human with special powers who unwittingly becomes the means to turn him from an arrogant male to the ultimate evil War. There are two watchers entrusted to see that rules are followed-a demon and and angel (returning character Reaver who was Fallen and had regained his wings). In the end, the world is still in danger, Plague is still rampaging across the Earth, and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the second installment of this thrilling new series.

The first book in Larissa Ione's new series delivered in every way! I loved everything about it. Ares is a perfect alpha male hero. Cara really holds her own in every scene and I love the way she regains her inner strength through all of the trauma she faces. It was great to see her stand up to Ares and Than, forcing them to deal with her as an equal party. I also enjoyed that their relationship was a slow build and not immediate true love. The sibling relationship between the Horsemen is both strong and painful. They made me laugh and I definitely found myself getting choked up a couple of times. Another favorite new character is Hal the Hellhound. I love how the Hellhounds are incorporated in the story and the arc their history with Ares takes. It was also wonderful to see so many of our favorite Demonica characters. Reaver and Kynan play large roles but by the end of the book we see many more. I was already sure I'd pick up the next book in the series but reading the excerpt from Immortal Rider makes me think December can't come soon enough!

Score another one for Larissa, She's done it again!

I was a bit sad when I found out that the Demonica series was coming to an end and there would be a "spinoff" series. However, this new series is as fantastic as her previous one, with the added bonus that you are getting updates on all the main characters from the Demonica World.

Larissa does a terrific job introducing the Lords of Deliverance and the Demon World to those who have never read her previous books. It is not necessary to read all 5 books of the Demonica Series before reading this one in order to understand it, but why skip them if they are fantastic reads?

See, the great thing about Larissa Ione is that although all her previous books were on one family of Demons, each book was different from the other. There was no repetition of events; she always found the way to bring something new to the reader while keeping it real (As real as paranormal can get-LOL).

I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

4.5 The four horseman, what a interesting story line, new and detailed. The author did an excellent job of developing characters that are realistic and even funny. This story focus's on War's life and his struggles with the baggage from his past five thousand years. His brother has gone to the dark side, Pestilence, and is causing worldwide disease. His family life was tragic, his belief in love almost gone. Cara, a holistic vet is dragged into the mess when she saves a Hellhound.( Hal. cute little guy) She caries her own baggage over a power she does not understand. She is strong and does not lean on others to make her way. They both have to make difficult choices.
I really appreciated the fact that she was not and innocent untouched girl waiting for "mr. save me" to come along. There are many other characters all very intriguing.
This was a PNR but I did not find myself reading only to get to the point where they bond. I read the story for the story and really enjoyed the ride.

I had a lot of people recommend this book/series, and overall I felt the book was ok. The beginning chapters were very hard for me to get through - everything was way to descriptive, to the point it was unnecessary and all the information became almost too much. I kept pushing through though, and was happy I did. The last 2/3 of the book is great! I really started liking the characters, especially Cara, and was on the edge of my seat the last few chapters. Cara's development in particular was great to see! I would have given the book a 4 star rating had it not been for the beginning - I seriously almost gave up on it. So, for those who didn't like the beginning - keep pushing through, the book gets MUCH better!

Eternal Rider by author Larissa Ione is the first novel in her new series "Lords of Deliverance". Larissa is a fabulous writer and friend of the ladies of Sheep, and you can check out the fun interview we had with her earlier this year below. Larissa does not disappoint with her latest edition, another joy to add to the mind blowing collection of Paranormal Romances. :)

Ares is one hunk of a man, meoooow, me likes and me wants more! As an Aries myself, war is good, war is fun, war is life and life is war and so on and so forth. Ares could lead me to my death any day. As long as I am looking at this fine male I am good to go. Absolutely loved his lusty character. Cara, watch your back, I am coming for your man. lol

Okay back to the review, As Angels and Demons battle it out to save the world from Armageddon, thrown in the middle is Cara. A Vet who never knew about all the creatures that lurked in the world. Forced to face her past and find her legs in this new and scary reality, Cara uses her witty humor and caring heart to melt even the most battle hungry of demons.

Larissa paints the most vivid picture in her stories. You feel like you are right in the thick of things. This is why I lover her work, I want to be sucked deep into the story. (no pun intended lol) Demons falling from the skies, hellhounds bouncing all over the place killing anything that stands in their way, and magical Harrowgates that can take you to any place in this realm or another. It's the best darn book to date, pages fly thru your hands as you become engrossed in the stories.

Run out and grab Eternal Rider today, and if you are as happy as I was then make sure to check out her Demonica Series too!

Getting 4 and 1/2 War Hungry Sheep.

Classified Ad: Are you a 7 foot ripped battle hungry horseman looking for a good time? Feeling misunderstood? Armageddon got you down? Need a little pick me up? Then look no further! Call me 24/7 for a night you are sure to never forget! ;) Space boots and pink bunny required. All fees are subjective to change, rates and additional fees may apply. If any deranged demons from hell show up, you're own your own.

ismellsheep.blogspot.com

I typically enjoy the books by Larissa Ione and this book is up to her usual high standards. Her books push me to go out and learn more about mythology and legends which is a good thing.

My issue with the book is that when Pestilence came into being because his seal was broken, he became so evil that even if his brother and sister can "fix" him, he has committed so many attrocities that I would have trouble forgiving him. I will have to wait to the next book to see where this is going but he is certainly not a sympathetic character at this point even though he is just fulfilling a prophecy. Also, I have to say that I thought there was one too many fight scenes before the final big battle.

I really enjoyed the story between Cara and Ares and especially liked the inclusion of the hellhounds into the mix.

Can't wait until the next book ! I have learned from previous experience that her books must be read in order so don't skip any!

This new series doesnt fail. This book is about the four horseman of the apocolypse. 3 men and a woman who have been cursed to carried their seals, but upon these seals being broken the no longer have a choce for good or eveil and become pure eveil. If 2 of the 4 seals are broken then all 4 seals will break and usher in the end.Only the 4 horseman can keep their seals from breaking.

In the last book of the Demonica Seires, Sin Undone, we see the first seal being broken and enters Pestilence. He beomes evil incarnate and it is now his goal in this book to bring Ares/War to heal and have his seal be broken next.

Ares who is also War should his seal break is looking for the one person in his case that can keep his seal from breaking. However it isnt meant to be carried by a human. Cara who ends up carring this burden will die if she isnt released and they find a fallen angel to carry it. If she should die the seal breaks right then anyway. Ares finds himself drawn to her from the very first sight.

This is a great book and I would give you more but I dont want to spoil this for you. If you love this author you wont be let down...read the book

I liked Eternal Rider, though probably not quite as much as the Ione's Demonica books. About midway through I realized that Eternal Rider reminded me very much of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld. Why it had the feel of that series more than Ione's Demonica books is something I haven't yet managed to put my finger on. Still I liked the heroine and the hellhound and I thought that the two remaining 'horseman' siblings were interesting so I will be checking out the next book, Immortal Rider. Eternal Rider did have some dark moments though - the now evil brother Reseph was really evil - so I am wondering if this will be a trilogy or if there will be a fourth book for Reseph and his redemption.

What a great storyline. This is an interesting twist on the 4 Horsemen (one is a female), and dual prophecies that give them the option to end or save the world (explained in the prologue, so no real spoiler there). There were some portions of the book that seemed to drag a little, but for the most part it was an exciting read, and I look forward to grabbing the next books in the series. I picked this one up at the local library, and I've requisitioned the next books.

**Review contains SPOILERS**

He is a powerful warrior with unmatched skills and if his Seal is broken Ares will become War, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, and bring about the end of humanity. He must now find the only person who has inside them the key to save, or destroy the world. Cara Thornhart had no idea there was a paranormal world until a strange mark appeared on her chest and Ares informed her that her death would have dire consequences. Now containing a power no human can live with inside them, the race is on for Cara and Ares to find a way to transfer what's inside her to another before the life fades out of her, plunging all into a world of evil and darkness.

Each of the Four horseman have their own Seal and agimortus, a trigger that will break the Seal. It can be a person, event or object. In Sin Undone, the last book in Larissa Ione's Demonica series, a Seal was broken and Pestilence was released on to the world. Eternal Rider takes place 6 months later with the fight to keep Pestilence from finding Ares' agimortus and destroying it. For Ares, his agimortus is inside of a fallen angel but when his brother starts killing fallen in order to break the Seal and release War, it is transferred into a human. Cara and Ares' paths were set on the same course the moment she opened her door and took in what appeared to be an injured dog. Thinking she was just helping a hurt animal, Cara uses an ability she has kept hidden in order to heal the animal with her touch. Immediately after, the dog is taken from her and she is saved from Aegis, humans who fight again evil, by Ares. They meet up again later on when Cara follows a dream she had of Hal, the dog she saved, to the U.K. and lands in the middle of a fight between Pestilence, Ares and the fallen who holds Ares' agimortus. Moments from being killed, the fallen transfer the agimortus into Cara and from that point on Ares and his siblings try to find another fallen to take the agimortus from Cara before she dies.

Cara is rightfully scared out of her mind at first because of everything that is going on. Horseman? Demons? Dogs that are really Hellhounds? Apocalypse? None of this was real to her before now and to make things more difficult for her, she has a ticking time bomb inside of her. None of this is made easier by the hostility that Ares shows towards her. The timid, scared girl finally snaps when she recognizes her importance and refuses to be pushed around by Ares anymore. She will no longer allow Ares' to move her around as he pleases and will have her opinion be heard. I had a hard time warming up to Cara until she finally found her backbone. She started to stand up for herself against Ares and refuses to be left out. You have to love a character who talk backs to an almost seven foot immortal that kills on a regular basis.

Ares' has a problem with Cara for reasons that are not her fault. He lived as a mortal thousands of years ago and his family was killed so he looks at mortals as being weak. She also makes Ares care and crave her, something that his mortal father taught him was also weakness. Often by abusing him. The very intimidating Ares is callous towards Cara in the beginning but grows to care for her. He holds back his intense lust for her, but the newer stronger Cara will have none of that. I thought these two worked together because they didn't click perfectly right from the start. They fought, made each other angry but they also made the other care in ways neither of them has before. They've both faced tragedy in the past and together they are able to heal old wounds, move on and fight together.

What I really liked about the Horsemen in this book was that they are not automatically evil. They each have a chance to fight for good but once their Seal is broken, they are forever turned evil. Pestilence wants to find a way to break his siblings' Seals and start the Apocalypse. Ares along with his brother Thanatos and sister Limos start working with the Aegis in order to stop Pestilence from his mission and also try to find Deliverance, the only weapon capable of killing a Horseman. Each of the Horsemen, and woman, have their own distinct personality and I can't wait to find out more about each of them. It was great to see familiar characters from the Demonica series. Kynan, Arik and Reaver are just a few faces I was glad to see again. They play the biggest roles in this new series so far and Arik will be an even bigger part of the next book.

Eternal Rider starts of a little slow even though there are important things happening right from the beginning. This is a spin off of Larissa Ione's Demonica series so I'm already acquainted with the paranormal world she previously created but there are still several new things I was introduced to. Time is spent on the Horseman legend as well as finding out more about the Horsemen themselves and getting a more in depth look into the demon world and its creatures. Some details slowed the pace down but I found it all to be useful and didn't think any page time was wasted. What I loved most about Eternal Rider was that Larissa brought everything that was great from her Demonica books into this one while giving the book its own identity. The story is dark, the romance is enticing and at times heart breaking and the characters are complex. Paranormal romance fans need to add this to their 'to buy' list.

I can never rave enough about the demonica world that Larissa Ione created. I adore her paranormal romances! And who wouldn't love the idea of melting the Horseman War's heart? He couldn't get hotter in this book. Explosive chemistry!

This book was really great. Wonderful characters (I LOVE ARES) and Cara. Oftentimes, PNR authors write great men but terrible women. Not so, with Ione. Cara was strong, kind, sympathetic, brave; a wonderful heroine. The Greek island setting added to the sexy, exotic feel of the story. This is a bang up start to the Lords of Deliverance series and I can't wait for the next installment (Limos).

Seriously, can this series get any better? I don't think so! However I've yet to read the final book.

Not only is the romance sizzling not but the action is fast paced and keeps me on the edge of my seat and makes me late for work.

Live with passion,

Dr. Charley Ferrer
BDSM The Naked Truth

How disappointing! I love the Demonica Series! I think Larissa is a great writer, but this book really annoyed me. The heroine is very annoying, stupid and selfish. She has some power that she refuses to use to save her own life in the beginning, then when she gets saved by War, one of the four horseman, she whinges, whines, attacks him and keeps saying she doesn't believe it! When the evidence is infront of her eyes and she experiences it, she still doesn't believe it.

Fair enough, it is understandable if it is the first chapter and she is thrown into another world she knew nothing of. BUT I am halfway through the book and she is still acting the same. She still doesnt believe it, she still attacks War for no reason.

PRIME EXAMPLE: War brings her to his home to keep her safe as the rest of the world wants her dead (I kinda wished that would have happened so he can find a real woman to fall in love with!). She then blames him for bringing her to his house, how dare he blah blah blah. We are subjected to a few pages of her rant. Then when she starts getting worked up, he brings her a drink with a mild sedative to calm her down. He tells her about the drink. She drinks alot of it and starts to get aroused and makes out with him. No problems. He didnt take advantage of her, like the gentleman he is. When she wakes up however, she starts attacking him How dare he drug her, he just wanted to use her, and she really goes on for a long time over something that was absolutely nothing.

She hasn't grown as the book progresses, she is the same on page 1 as on the 100th page. No character development of an unbelieving, selfish, person who blames everyone but herself for her actions and situations. She complains about everything and I really wished she was not part of the book at all. I couldnt believe a God like War would seriously go for someone like her. She has no redeeming qualities.

I could not finish this book. It got to a point where if I read another complaint from Cara the heroine I would have thrown the book.

The Demonica series is fantastic and I couldn't put these books down. This one however is very slow, boring and was based too much around the heroine, which is definitely not a good thing.

I don't think I will be buying the series.