ARC Review: Larissa Ione - Lethal Rider

Lords of Deliverance:

Book 3:

Lethal Rider: Thantos/Death and Regan Cooper

Release Date: May 22^nd, 2012

Click here to pre-order on Amazon: Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance)

Summary:

Eight and a half months ago Thantos the most deadly of the Horseman, “lost” his virginity to Regan. For the last 8.5 months his siblings have kept him frozen with hellhound saliva. Trapped in his own body he’s had 8.5 months to plan his revenge against Regan for her betrayal. For 8.5 months Regan has been incubating the child that could either end the world or save it, but she has also spent that time feeling guilty for what she did to Thantos. She knows when Thantos is let loose, he may just kill her, and she doesn’t blame him.

Suddenly, Thantos has feeling again and he feels a force that is calling to him, following that tug he finds himself at a very pregnant Regan. When she tells him it’s his, he’s flabbergasted, he always wanted kids but never let himself dream. Now all he knows is he has his chance at revenge and for the one thing he always wanted. The only problem is Pestilence, will do anything to kill his unborn child and break Thantos seal.

Review:

*This is pretty spoiler free, if there are any, they are pretty minor.

All I can say is wow! Larissa Ione has done it again, she is absolutely a master at what she does.  She is one of the best authors of this genre in my opinion and I read a lot from the paranormal genre.  There is no one else quite like L. Ione.  Ok, enough about being an Ione fan girl and on to Lethal Rider!

 This is the third book of the series and the best in my lowly reader opinion; it may even be the best Ione book to date. Thantos has been my favorite Horseman throughout this series and I have been impatiently waiting for his book, so I am that much happier that this book did not disappoint! It has everything I have come to expect from an Ione book, and that is seamlessly weaving death/violence, sensuality and humor together into an exciting, entertaining tale. Her writing tends to be on the darker, edgier side but she never loses her sense of humor, this book is a perfect example of Ione at her best.  The characters both the main and supporting are fully fleshed out and full of life, you feel like you know them inside and out. You know what makes them tick, their fears that they don’t even want to admit even to themselves, their thoughts, their hopes they don’t dare to dream about, everything.  By the end, hell not even the end f the book you know Thantos, you know Regan.  You’ve laughed with them, you’ve rooted for them, you feared for them, and you may have even cried for them.  You are all in.

I was prepared hate Regan, after what she did to my Thantos, what she did in book 2 was inconceivable. I thought I'd be cursing her through the whole book how dare she hurt my Thantos and bring down the Apocalypse. I don't think I was able to hate her longer than the first couple of chapters; her vulnerability and backbone of steel pulled me in and had me on her side rooting for her. It turns out that is an irresistible combination in a heroine for me. I love a girl that has some backbone and can stand up to a strong Alpha man (Which undoubtedly describes Thantos), but maintains a bit of vulnerability that makes her human. In Regan’s case she is human with a bit of a kick, she has a couple of abilities that make her more than the average human being a bit of empathy through tough and a soul sucking ablity that can turn deadly oh and a killer baby intent on protecting her. After being a part of the Aegis for so long it's all she knows, but they never let her forget that she is not quite human and that they let her live when they should have killed her as is the usual Aegis policy for something such as Regan. This constant reminder did a real number on Regan, and has made her feel unworthy and unwanted her entire life. She feels like the only way she would be wanted is if she had something to offer someone. This also makes her doubt that she could be a real mother to a child, makes her feel like she could never be a good mother to her own child, which really makes you feel for her. No woman should feel like that, no woman should be made to feel so unworthy that they feel like they couldn’t even be a good mother to their own child. This is just one of the many things that makes your heart reach for Regans.

Thantos, oh Thantos, Larissa Ione told me that I could have you if I could wrest you away from Regan… via Twitter and I am taking her on her word so if it's the last thing I do, you will be mine.. oh yes you will! LOL! He is my tortured, tattooed, alpha male, virgin type. My ultimate weakness! Thantos was raised by a peaceful tribe 4000 years ago. At the heart of it, he's a peaceful guy and prefers a peaceful existence with his books. However, when he became one of the horsemen, he became death. Now his whole existence revolves around killing and death, 4000 years is a lot of death and too much of it was at his hands from his uncontrollable rages. His entire body is tattooed with the scenes of deaths he has dealt out. One of the few things that has been in his control has been his seal and he has held onto that with his infamous control, for 4000 years he believed that his virginity was his seal, so for 4000 years he never partook in those pleasures. When Regan came around he wanted sex more than he had ever before, and that control has slipped further then it has ever has before in his existence. After 8 months of captivity in his own body, Thantos, has plenty of time to plot revenge, but when hefinally gets Regan in his grasp he has so many conflicting emotions.  He wants his revenge, but he also has an overwhelming need to protect and bed her. Then he thinks maybe he can bed her and get his revenge at the same time, his emotions are all over the place which is new to Thantos, but he does know one thing, that he wants his child.  There is no way he is going to let anyone take that from him, not Pestilence, not Regan and certainly not the Aegis. What he doesn't let himself think of is that he could finally have everything he ever wanted right within reach....his own family.

Again, I cannot reiterate enough how much I loved this book; it has everything, violence, masterful sensuality, a wicked sense of humor, and characters that feel so real that remember them for a long time to come.   With the looming Apocalypse, you can be assured that this book is packed to the brim with action, Pestilence, is determined to bring about the end of the world as we know it. Terror reigns, the Aegis can’t keep up, the horseman can only do so much, the UGH staff has been working non-stop for about a year.  Even with everything falling apart there is still an underlying feeling of hope in this book, a feeling of they will beat this thing and they will stop  Pestilence and the Apocalypse, because now with the baby, they have a way whereas before all they could do was hope that they could hold Pestilence off. Even the characters themselves start to hope and plan, for an end. So amidst the dark, there is light, but of course this is still an Ione book, so there is still jaw dropping twists and turns, betrayals, holy crap what just happened, did she really just go there, moments…  If you have not yet picked up a Larissa Ione novel, you need to, but don’t start with this one, start at the beginning. The Demonica Series, Book 1, you will not be sorry!

I received a copy for an honest review from netgalley.com no other compensation was given.

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