Review: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione 
Published: April 1st, 2011 (Grand Central)
Pages: 402
Age group: adult
Source: bought
Challenge: none
Series: Lords of Deliverance, #1
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★★☆


They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't-or won't-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

If you’ve read my reviews on Larissa Ione’s Demonica series, you know that I love her exciting stories. With this first book in the Lords of Deliverance series, she continues the same addictive tales with characters who are just as alluring and intriguing as those in the first series. Because this is a sequel series, we get to see how everything is going with some of the characters from Demonica, which makes it even better. The best of both worlds!

With the Lords of Deliverance, we dive into the world of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who each have a trigger that will break their Seal. Once it does, that particular Horseman turns into his Apocalypse counterpart; War, Famine, Pestilence or Death. He will then try to make one of the other Seals break, which will cause the apocalypse. Which, of course, is undesirable.

In this first book we meet Ares, the Horseman who will be War if his Seal breaks. He is busy trying to find his trigger, and when he finds it, keeping it safe is not as easy as it may seem. Cara is a human with a gift of her own and becomes Ares’ trigger against her will. Together they make a dynamic duo with great chemistry and they set the bar for the rest of the series. It’ll be hard to top this one..

Cara may be a simple human, but that doesn’t make her weak. Even though she doesn’t have the same strength as Ares, she proves herself a feisty character, someone who isn’t willing to give up, not even when she is about to die. She embraces her destiny (though this isn’t the right word), but she refuses to go down without a fight. I loved her determination, her fierceness and most of all the snark she used against Ares. He really needed someone to cause some resistance, and he sure found it in Cara.

I loved the way the hellhounds were woven into this story and I really enjoyed reading about a different kind of demon in this one. I really do hope we get to see some more of the hellhounds, because I think they are fascinating creatures. But seeing where this story ended, I’m sure they’ll be incorporated somewhere in the next couple of books.

In other words, if you have not read Demonica – what are you waiting for?! It’s without a doubt one of my favourite adult paranormal series and Lords of Deliverance is just continuing that love. Larissa Ione is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors, having me beg for more when the book is over. Thankfully I still have two unread books on my shelf.. I’m okay, for a while, until I need my next shot.