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A review by kathydavie
Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
4.0
First in the Lords of Deliverance paranormal-romance series about preventing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from turning evil and bringing about the end of the world. The couple focus in this story is on Ares, War, and Cara Thornhart, an animal psychic.
I recommend reading the Demonica before you start this series as its characters and history add a great deal of depth to this one.
My Take
I absolutely adored Ione's Demonica series and the Lords of Deliverance starts alongside Sin Undone, 5. I did have a more difficult time getting into this series. I suspect because I didn't achieve the same empathy with the main character, Ares, as I did with Eidolon and his brothers in the Demonica. Still, Ione has an interesting perspective on the origin of the Four Horsemen and an even more intriguing concept of their inherent good or evil. The Horsemen have always been the bogeyman, instead Ione teases with the possibility of either.
Clever adaptation of Revelations in cladding Ione's Horsemen in their armor—as well as incorporating new characters — just as Thanatos suddenly appears rearing up on his horse.
I did enjoy Ares' growth into understanding how Cara's nearness weakened him yet made him strong...very enlightened for a 5,000-plus-year-old!
Oh man, Ares does have a good point:
The Story
Sin (Ecstasy Unveiled, 4) unleashes a warg plague which breaks Reseph's Seal turning him into Pestilence. A danger to the world as it renders the Seals of the other three Horsemen vulnerable to breakage. A vulnerability that could end humanity.
An ending Pestilence looks forward to with glee as he spreads disease throughout the world, searching always for the agimorti of his siblings that he may turn them to evil as well. He has found Sestiel, the Fallen carrying Ares' agimortus. Killing him will break Ares' Seal, making it easier to turn the other two. But Pestilence doesn't realize that it's too late. For Sestiel has already passed the agimortus on. To a human. A human protected by the Hell's Kiss bestowed upon her when she saves what she believed was an injured pup. Helping this pup will change Cara's life forever.
The Characters
Gawd, who isn't a strong character in this series!
Ares/War (his horse is Battle) is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse along with his sister, Limos/Famine with her horse, Bones, and his brothers Reseph/Pestilence with his stallion, Conquest, and Thanatos/Death with Styx. Born of a succubus mother, Lilith, and a good angel, Yenrieth. Zachariel is an angel of the Apocalypse.
Cara Thornhart is an animal psychic and, little does she know, a legend among Immortals.
Hal is the hellhound pup whom Cara saves and, in return, saves her right back. His recognition is what brings Cerberus on the scene with results no one could have foretold just as, earlier, it tames Eater of Chaos, Hal's father. Who knew a Horseman and a hellhound could ever relate?? Vulgerim and Torrent are demons who look after Ares.
Most of the characters from the Demonica are here: Kynan and Gem are here and she has her baby; Luc and Kar had their child last week; Arik Wagner is getting set up to be Limos' love interest; David is still running around loose; Shade and Runa; Eidolon and a very-pregnant Tayla; Sin and Conall; and, Wraith and Serena. Reaver has a new role as the good Watcher over the Horsemen while Harvester is the Watcher for the demons.
We learn more about the history of the Aegi.
The Cover and Title
It's certainly consistent with the covers from the Demonica with its gray metallic sheen over Ares' well-muscled torso backed by the Ionian Sea. The title seems appropriate as Ares certainly is destined to be an Eternal Rider.
I recommend reading the Demonica before you start this series as its characters and history add a great deal of depth to this one.
My Take
I absolutely adored Ione's Demonica series and the Lords of Deliverance starts alongside Sin Undone, 5. I did have a more difficult time getting into this series. I suspect because I didn't achieve the same empathy with the main character, Ares, as I did with Eidolon and his brothers in the Demonica. Still, Ione has an interesting perspective on the origin of the Four Horsemen and an even more intriguing concept of their inherent good or evil. The Horsemen have always been the bogeyman, instead Ione teases with the possibility of either.
Clever adaptation of Revelations in cladding Ione's Horsemen in their armor—as well as incorporating new characters — just as Thanatos suddenly appears rearing up on his horse.
"I looked and there before me was a pale horse. It's rider was named Death and Hades was following close behind him."The Seals laid on each of the Horsemen can be broken in a different manner and this fuels all sorts of possibilities in the series. Then there's the additional threat of being Satan's Bride...eek.
I did enjoy Ares' growth into understanding how Cara's nearness weakened him yet made him strong...very enlightened for a 5,000-plus-year-old!
Oh man, Ares does have a good point:
"...people spend more time researching a new vehicle than they do the religion they entrust their souls to. They should CARFAX their faiths. The history would shock the hell out of people."Then there's:
"Sex with you isn't charity work.Pestilence's fall has such depth to it and yet Ione continues to tease with Pest's unwanted dreams of how it was before so you know the series will end well. It's how we get there in the end and the adventures in between that will make this a fun ride!
The Story
Sin (Ecstasy Unveiled, 4) unleashes a warg plague which breaks Reseph's Seal turning him into Pestilence. A danger to the world as it renders the Seals of the other three Horsemen vulnerable to breakage. A vulnerability that could end humanity.
An ending Pestilence looks forward to with glee as he spreads disease throughout the world, searching always for the agimorti of his siblings that he may turn them to evil as well. He has found Sestiel, the Fallen carrying Ares' agimortus. Killing him will break Ares' Seal, making it easier to turn the other two. But Pestilence doesn't realize that it's too late. For Sestiel has already passed the agimortus on. To a human. A human protected by the Hell's Kiss bestowed upon her when she saves what she believed was an injured pup. Helping this pup will change Cara's life forever.
The Characters
Gawd, who isn't a strong character in this series!
Ares/War (his horse is Battle) is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse along with his sister, Limos/Famine with her horse, Bones, and his brothers Reseph/Pestilence with his stallion, Conquest, and Thanatos/Death with Styx. Born of a succubus mother, Lilith, and a good angel, Yenrieth. Zachariel is an angel of the Apocalypse.
Cara Thornhart is an animal psychic and, little does she know, a legend among Immortals.
Hal is the hellhound pup whom Cara saves and, in return, saves her right back. His recognition is what brings Cerberus on the scene with results no one could have foretold just as, earlier, it tames Eater of Chaos, Hal's father. Who knew a Horseman and a hellhound could ever relate?? Vulgerim and Torrent are demons who look after Ares.
Most of the characters from the Demonica are here: Kynan and Gem are here and she has her baby; Luc and Kar had their child last week; Arik Wagner is getting set up to be Limos' love interest; David is still running around loose; Shade and Runa; Eidolon and a very-pregnant Tayla; Sin and Conall; and, Wraith and Serena. Reaver has a new role as the good Watcher over the Horsemen while Harvester is the Watcher for the demons.
We learn more about the history of the Aegi.
The Cover and Title
It's certainly consistent with the covers from the Demonica with its gray metallic sheen over Ares' well-muscled torso backed by the Ionian Sea. The title seems appropriate as Ares certainly is destined to be an Eternal Rider.