Review of Larissa Ione's Immortal Rider

Title: Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #2)

Author: Larissa Ione

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley & Purchased

Publication Date: November 22, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’m a big fan of Larissa Ione’s paranormal romances, both her Demonica series and her current spin-off series, Lords of Deliverance. In November I was so excited to find a copy of Immortal Rider in the stores early that I bought a copy, forgetting that I had an e-ARC on my Kindle (oops). But I made the mistake of reading a few negative reviews before I read the book, and they put me off reading the book for a while. I just finished the book the other night, and now I really regret having read those reviews, because I absolutely loved the book! Ms. Ione does a great job of incorporating her usual sense of humor and sizzling romance in this book, while this book is a shade darker in tone than her previous books (not unexpectedly, given the subject matter of the coming apocalypse). That said, the one issue that bothered the other reviewers did bother me as well, which prevents me from giving this a full 5 out of 5. Even so, this is a great addition to the series.

If you’ve never read any of the Demonica or Lords of Deliverance books, I highly suggest you not begin with Immortal Rider, because the world building is complex. It’s very well done, and each of the novels includes a glossary at the beginning or end of the book, but I’m not a fan of having to turn back and look up terms when I’m reading. That said, you CAN start the Lords of Deliverance  series with the first book, Eternal Rider, since that’s the beginning of a new series and the set up is explained. I reviewed Eternal Rider last year here , and it was the first of Ms. Ione’s books I’d ever read. I was able to follow along without any difficulties, but I fear that would not be the case with Immortal Rider.

Each of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse carries a seal. If that seal is broken, the world finds itself one step closer to the Apocalypse and said Horseman transforms from kick-ass immortal into scary Apocalypse bringer. This happens to Reseph, who becomes Pestilence, in the last book of the Demonica series, setting up the action for the Lords of Deliverance. The three remaining Horsemen (Ares, Limos, and Thanatos) have managed to avoid breaking their seals thus far and are actively fighting Pestilence or searching for ways to restore their brother to his Reseph persona. Limos, who would be Famine if her seal were broken, is the only female of the group, and Immortal Rider is her book.

As the book begins, the three siblings are celebrating Ares’ marriage to Cara, when human ally Arik Wagner makes the mistake of planting a very passionate kiss on Limos. Big mistake, because Limos is Satan’s fiancée, and he is a very jealous demon. Demons appear and drag Arik to Sheoul (hell) to torture him. If he says Limos’s name just once, she’ll be whisked back to hell and forced to marry Satan, who no doubt always leaves the toilet seat up.

Limos, her brothers, and their allies search for Arik, who has stubbornly refused to say Limos’ name. Once he manages his escape from hell, Limos has to convince him that he’s no longer being tortured and find a way to prevent both her marriage to her fiancé and the breaking of her seal. All of this is complicated by Limos’s penchant for lying, Pestilence’s attempts to kill his siblings and bring about the Apocalypse, and the untimely disappearance of the Horsemen’s angelic watchers, Harvester and Reaver. Oh, and there’s also the sizzling chemistry between Limos and Arik. So there’s LOTS going on in this book.

Larissa Ione’s books always have tons of action, scorching sex scenes, and lots of humor, and Immortal Rider is no exception. Limos and Arik are perfect for each other, as both have damaged pasts and are kick ass fighters. The book is chock full of action, with the Horsemen and their allies fighting off demons and Pestilence while searching for Arik. The fast pace of the action kept me turning the pages, and the smoking hot sex scenes will have you fanning yourself. And some of the characters’ one liners will have you rolling in the aisles (“Taj Mahell” and “The Biblical Horseman’s Secret Aegis Baby” were my favorites).

My biggest problem with the book (and that of other reviewers as well) has to do with a scene between Thanatos and a human ally of the Horsemen, Regan. Regan has been sent to seduce Thanatos. Unfortunately, she deceives him into having full-on intercourse when he’d explicitly stated that he did not want to have intercourse. And let’s face it – that’s rape. A lot of other reviewers have been uncomfortable with this scene, as was I, but Ms. Ione doesn’t pull her punches. The scene and its aftermath are uncomfortable for the reader deliberately. You SHOULD be uncomfortable with the scene, and the characters reflect that.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I feel that the positive outweighs the negative with this book. I’m definitely intrigued about the third book in the series, Lethal Rider, which is coming out in May 2012, and will deal with the aftermath of Thanatos and Regan’s encounter.

Early Review of Anthology Supernatural

Title: Supernatural

Authors: Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy, Jacquelyn Frank & G.A. Aiken

Publisher: Zebra Books

Formats: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

My trip to Target on Friday night was a fruitful one, as I snagged a couple of books that aren’t supposed to be released until this coming Tuesday. Supernatural is one of those , and I was excited to see it on the shelves, because I didn’t know the authors were releasing this anthology until I read a review at The Fiction Vixen last week. I’ve read and enjoyed books by all these authors, but my favorites are easily Larissa Ione and G.A. Aiken, and their stories in this collection are also my favorites. I feel like this is one of the stronger anthologies I’ve seen lately, as all four of the novellas are well done.

My only criticism of the collection as a whole is of the cover. When I saw the early review of Supernatural at Fiction Vixen, I assumed that the book was either self-published or only being released in eBook form, because the cover is NOT attractive. I was stunned (but in a good way) when I saw in Target in mass market paperback. Hopefully the cover won’t turn you off, because these four authors have written engaging novellas that fit in nicely with their different series.

Larissa Ione “Vampire Fight Club” Set in the world of Ione’s Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series, this is my overwhelming favorite of the stories. Nathan Sabine is a daywalker, a vampire who can walk in the sun. He runs Gladius, a blood arena for supernaturals, and when a hyena shifter dies in the arena, Nate thinks nothing of it. Unfortunately for him, the hyena survives his trip to Underground General long enough to tell his sister Vladlena (Lena) Paskelkov the name of the vampire club Thirst, the front for Gladius. Lena goes undercover at the club to avenge her brother, but she and Nate find themselves fighting their attraction to one another. The first few pages into the novella I wasn’t sure how it fit into Ione’s series, but that was quickly resolved and the rest was smooth sailing. Ione mentions in a short note to the reader that we’ll learn more about Nate’s Daywalker state in future Lords of Deliverance books. I can’t wait!

Alexandra Ivy “Darkness Eternal” I’ve read several of Ivy’s books in the Guardians of Eternity series, but it’s been a while and I’m not caught up on the series, so this novella was at times a bit difficult to follow. However, I enjoyed the story of Kata, trapped in a dark room for over 200 years by her evil vampire sister Marika. Kata’s daughter, Laylah, has convinced the vampires that Kata must be rescued, and the vampire Uriel does just that. When Uriel finds Kata, they learn that the two will need to travel to hell to save her life. While Kata has no desire to spend time with a vampire after being imprisoned by one for centuries, her time with Uriel convinces her otherwise. This was the most convoluted of the novellas, no doubt because I’m a little out of touch with the series.  

Jacquelyn Frank “Kane” This novella takes place at the same time as Frank’s first book in the Nightwalkers series, Jacob, my favorite in the series. Unlike Ivy’s novella, however, you can easily follow along without having read any of the series. Kane is a mind demon, and Jacob’s younger brother. When Kane begins to stalk a human woman, Corrine, and then uses his abilities to manipulate minds to talk to her, demon enforcer Jacob intervenes, as demons are strictly forbidden from touching humans. Unfortunately, it turns out that Corrine is part druid, and Kane’s touch has begun the imprinting process, which requires that the two remain in contact to exchange energy. Kane’s enforced absence nearly kills her, but the two are reunited in time to save her life. My only complaint about this novella is that almost the entire story takes place in bed, with the two conversing. It drags a bit, but if you’re a fan of the series, you’ll enjoy learning how Kane and Corrine met.

G.A. Aiken “Dragon on Top” Shelly Laurenston writes about dragon shifters under the pseudonym G.A. Aiken, and her books always crack me up. This novella focuses on dragon shifter Ghleanna the Decimator, sister to Bercelak the Black. As a member of the Cadwaladr clan, Ghleanna is majorly kick-ass, but she’s recently been dumped by a less than worthy dragon, and she’s been wallowing in self-pity ever since. When Ghleanna’s sister-in-law, the queen of the Fire Dragons, decides to send negotiator Bram to arrange a treaty with the Sand Dragons, she decides that Ghleanna should accompany him. Bram has had a crush on Ghleanna for centuries, but she barely notices him, and she’s not thrilled to be babysitting another royal dragon. Bram manages to win her over, though, and the two make an interesting pair. You don’t usually see a beta male in the role of the hero, but Bram is a great example of one and a real sweetheart. Ghleanna is pretty rough and tumble, and the interaction between her and her brothers is a hoot. I think you can read this story without having read any of the books in the series, but you’ll definitely enjoy it more if you have.