Monday, October 31, 2011

Review: Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione
Series: Lords of Deliverance, Book 2
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance Immortal Rider Cover
Release Date: November 22, 2011
ISBN: 9780446574471
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Larissa Ione reading order: here

Born to a succubus mother and an angel father, Limos was raised among her mother’s kind and trained to be the ultimate traitor. But after living in the human realm for thousands of years, Limos is a different kind of person than she was in the demon realm. Now, as the third Horseman of the Apocalypse – the one who will become Famine should her Seal break – Limos fights her destiny. Yet there’s one thing Limos can’t seem to outrun: her past. It’s back to haunt her with a vengeance and it’ll destroy anyone that will try to keep her from harm.

Human warrior Arik Wagner has had plenty of dealings with the paranormal. But nothing could prepare him for Limos. The beautiful immortal tempts Arik like no other woman has and at a party he gives into his desire for her and steals a kiss. Little does he know that Limos has a secret that will damn Arik to the tortures of Hell. It seems that Limos has a fiancĂ© – Satan himself. And the devil doesn’t like anyone touching his bride.

Limos will risk anything to rescue Arik, but with Satan’s minions and her eldest brother working against her, the cost of saving Arik may be higher than she could ever pay. And once Arik finds his way back to the human realm, both he and Limos find that the hellish torture he went through was only the beginning of their problems. The Apocalypse is nigh and Arik’s quest to free Limos of her hellish fiancĂ© could be the very thing that tips the scales in favor of evil.

I didn’t think I could love the Lords of Deliverance series more, but Larissa Ione has proved me wrong! Immortal Rider is even better than its stellar predecessor, Eternal Rider. Who can resist rip-roaring action, forbidden passion, and an imaginative storyline? Not me, that’s for sure.

Arik is a human warrior working for the Aegis, an organization that protects the world from evil. One of Arik’s most attractive qualities is his personal code of honor, which goes all the way down to his core. There is nothing he won’t sacrifice to save others and Ms. Ione manages to make this compelling trait sing rather than be dragged down into the realm of martyrdom. As for Limos…man, do I have a new favorite heroine! I love, love, love the mix of strength and vulnerability in her; the natural blend of hardened, ruthless warrior and romantic girly girl. For all that she’s attracted to lies and deception, Limos is one of the most refreshingly “real” heroines I’ve read in a long time. She’s everything I love in a paranormal romance heroine and I applaud Ms. Ione for making the many different aspects of her character come together flawlessly.

As a couple, Arik and Limos work together. Really work. The sexual tension in Immortal Rider is insanely hot, but it’s the emotional heart of this pair that resonates with me. I hated it every time I had to put Immortal Rider down because I wanted to see Limos and Arik get the happily ever after they so richly deserved.

Even if you took out the romance aspects of the story, Immortal Rider would shine. Ms. Ione has placed her characters in a no-holds-barred fight against evil. And evil isn’t just some guy in a black hat. No, Ms. Ione is definitely not afraid to go dark and twisted and I absolutely love that. Ms. Ione gives the Lords of the Deliverance series such depth with the way she writes good, evil, and everything in between. I could wax poetic about the many shades of gray in her characters, but that would ruin the joy of discovery for readers.

Immortal Rider is the second book in the Lords of Deliverance series and though Ms. Ione provides enough information for readers new to the series to follow along, the book probably loses a touch of its impact if read as a standalone. Readers who have read Eternal Rider already will find their reading of Immortal Rider enriched, but be warned: once you finish Immortal Rider you will probably be dying to read book three, Lethal Rider. Indeed, the only bad part of my Immortal Rider reading experience was when I realized that I now have to wait for Thanatos’s book to be released. Given what happens in Immortal Rider, the wait for Lethal Rider is going to be painfully long for this particular overeager reader.

Immortal Rider is an incredible, engaging book that takes readers on a journey like no other. Fans of paranormal romance should not miss out on reading the Lords of Deliverance series! With her gift for creating captivating characters, developing unique worlds, and bringing the nuances of good and evil to life, Larissa Ione is an author whose work I will be reading and re-reading for years to come.

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