Early Review of Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #3) by Larissa Ione

• Title:  Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal Romance
• Format: Paperback, 464 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 22, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0446574503
• ISBN-13: 978-0446574501

Author's Website: http://larissaione.com/blog/
Please Note: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book, therefore, there may be some discrepancies between what I quote and the final version. Assume any and all errors are mine because they probably are.

The Prophecy: 
Behold! Innocence is Death's curse, his hunger his burden, a blade his Deliverance. The Doom Star cometh if the cry fails.

"We think that the baby may be the key to the end of the world...but he might also be the key to saving it, just like we were led to believe in the first place." There were some exchanged glances before Ky spoke, "We've put together everything we found regarding Thanatos and his role in ending the Apocalypse, including a mishmash of texts about a birth weakening Pestilence's heart." 

The four horseman of the apocalypse--Ares (War), Limos (Famine), Thanatos (Death), and Reseph (Pestilence), are a cursed lot. Born of a demon mother (succubus) and an angel father, they struggle with both halves of their nature. Each half struggling to take control, but once their four seals, which they wear around their necks, are broken their inner demons will be unleashed. Reseph is the only horseman to date whose seal has broken. Thantanos had hoped to find a way to restore his brother's seal, but now he may have to make the hardest decision of his life. For his soon to be born son is his agimortus--the trigger which can break his seal. If the prophecy holds true, then Thantos may have to choose between the life of his son or that of his brother's.

__________________

What a wonderful way to start off a book...."Regan Matthews was going to die. She knew it as sure as she knew the sky was blue. Knew it as sure as she knew the baby inside her was a boy. Knew it as sure as she knew the baby's father would be the one to end her life." Okay, that may not have come out quite right, what I mean to say is what a wonderful hook to start off the book with. Larissa immediately grabs our attention right from the first sentence and never lets go--we're hers, or rather, we're the horsemen's.;)

This was a full out action packed, rollercoaster of a ride type of a book that invokes plenty of questions and keeps you on your toes trying to figure out what happens next. I tried to see if I could predict where the story was going and what was coming, but failed miserably. *sigh* You gotta love it when that happens.

Lethal Rider starts up approximately 8 months from where Immortal Rider left off. Thanatos has been incapacitated since then by both the Aegis warriors and his siblings. When he awakes and escapes he has only one thing on his mind--reeking vengeance on Regan for what she did. When he finds out he's about to be a daddy and no one was going to tell him, well, let's just say Hell hath no fury like a Horseman whose been played.

Why do I love Thanatos? Well, I think its because he's such a conflict unto himself. One moment he's a fierce warrior and the next he can be so vulnerable. He can be full of rage when he battles and can be gentle as a kitten when he's with Regan. There are so many facets to him that it can make a girl dizzy. If you cut away the roughness, you see the beauty that he, the man, possesses. After all he's been through, after all his years of torment, deep down he's just a guy whose dream of settling down and having a family could never be realized because of the demon he knows lurks within and, of course, because it was thought his virginity was his agimortus.

Regan is an equally fun character. She's a no nonsense type of gal whose pregnancy is taking it's toll on her and, perhaps, making her a little more in touch with her emotions than normal. She's torn between wanting the baby and feeling she just doesn't have what it takes to protect or raise her child. She also has feelings of guilt for her role in the deceptions which resulted in her carrying Thanatos' child. While she and Thonotas were both drugged and manipulated, she knew what she was getting into. Additionally, Regan's pregnancy has made her more vulnerable because her soul manipulating abilities have been compromised.

Some (not all) of my favorite lines, scenes, quotes, etc:

- "Who's the father?"...
  "Listen to me--"
  "Who?"
  She inhaled a shaky breath. "I'd feel better if Kynan was here--"
  "Kynan?" Thanatos let out a godawful snarl, and she swore she saw the flash of fangs. "The Aegi is the father? He dared to touch you?"
  Dared? "No--" she blurted, but Than wasn't listening.
  "Kynan is a dead man." 

- The baby had clearly turned her brain to mush, and she'd become a classic horror movie dipsh*t who got killed in the first five minutes of the film. Awesome.

- "Are you okay? Is it the baby?"
  She blinked in surprise. "It was just a kick. Ponyboy boy is really active."
  "Ponyboy?"
  Again her cheeks colored, but this time with a soft feminine blush. "Well, you're a Horseman...the father...so...Ponyboy."

The relationship between Regan and Than was fun to watch. Than's possessiveness of her put a grin on my face, and the magnetism between the two was intense. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scores a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

The world Ms. Ione has created is extraordinary and brilliant. I love the concept of the Daemonica, a demon version of a bible and all that it entails. Overall this one gets 5 out of 5 roses. Just a wonderful story that knocked my socks off and left me wanting for more. Thank goodness this ISN'T the last book of the series or I'd be beside myself. If you've been on the fence about reading this series, get off and start reading! lol It's soooooo good! *sigh*

Just for fun:
Are you as big a fan as I am of the Lords of Deliverance series? Then check out this quiz over at Forever Romance entitled, 'Who's Your Perfect Mate (for the end of the world)?':
http://www.forever-romance.com/2012/05/18/who-should-you-spend-the-end-of-the-world-with-the-larissa-ione-lords-of-deliverance-quiz/

Silly Little Side Note/Review Revision:
I originally included the following in my review:
Why is this book called Lethal Rider? Well, Thanatos' armor is made up of, or haunted by, if you will, the souls of those he's killed. When released by Thantos, they become "deadly, horrific weapons." Each of those souls is known as a 'Lethal Rider' as can be seen when Thanatos refers to someone (and I won't mention who it is so as not to spoil it for you) becoming "Lethal Rider 397." 
Well, it turns out there was a teeny tiny error in the eBook ARC I read. A page header and page number, the only page number included upon reexamining, found its way into the middle of a sentence making it appear that someone was referred to as Lethal Rider 397. Upon finding the error, I quickly removed it from the main review portion, but it just goes to show you why you should always check your quotes against the final copy. This mishap had me one part horrified that I didn't somehow recognize the error and one part laughing myself silly because it actually sounded like it fit. So to clarify, the souls on Thanatos's armor are not called Lethal Riders. I believe that title goes to Thanatos and Thanatos alone. :)

Order of Series:

Guide to the world of the Lords of Deliverance Series:


Order of Related Series - Demonica: