Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Larissa Ione (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2011

The signs are everywhere...disastrous world events. Evil rising up, unleashed upon the innocent. The prophecies were there...but no one listened. Until now. The time has come for those who can either usher in Doomsday...or prevent it. They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Arik Wagner, a soldier with the U.S. Army's paranormal unit, the R-XR, kissed a girl and liked it. And then he went to hell as punishment. Where he's spent weeks being tortured...and plotting revenge.

Limos, Horsewoman of the Apocalypse, isn't your average girl. She's immortal, dangerous, and her fiancé is Satan himself. In a moment of weakness, she gave in to her desire and kissed Arik, triggering her fiancé's wrath - and his claim on her. In order to save Arik, and the world, Limos must make a dangerous pact with her recently turned evil brother, Pestilence. A deal that might just cost her her soul...and her heart.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Author Essay: Of Angels and Demons

When I first came up with the idea for the Lords of Deliverance series, which features the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I knew I was going to have to make these guys, who have a horrific reputation, not so...horrific. But how? The answer hit me immediately; give these guys something to battle, both internally and externally.

So I gave them a demon mother and an angel father, curses that make them both powerful and miserable, and lives that they would have to fight for. One wrong move, and they would risk turning into humanity's worst nightmare.

During the course of the books, they struggle with their dual natures and their basest desires, walking a fine line between good and bad. But... who defines good and bad? These males and one female aren't human, so today's societal boundaries and cultural moral values don't apply. Yet they do have rules they must follow, rules that chafe at both their demon and angel sides.

As Horsemen, they have spent five thousand years in a balancing act, knowing that someday they will become either fully demon or fully angel. The balancing act is exhausting, frustrating, and at times they've been tempted to force the breaking of the Seals simply so they can experience something different, or something they've been missing. Their approaches to life and death are as varied as their personalities.

Ares, the Horseman who will become War when his Seal breaks, has never wanted to experience his demon side, but he also knows he's no angel. He cares little for humanity, so does he fight the evil half, or embrace it?

Limos, the only female Horseman, used to glory in evil. She fought her angel side for centuries...but her brothers have changed things, and now she finds that being an angel might not ever be possible.

The Horseman known as Death, Thanatos, is probably the closest to his demon self. He fights it, but because celibacy is what keeps him from turning evil, he's been tempted to go to the dark side. Five thousand years of loneliness have taken their toll, and sometimes, his angel side falls to shadow.

Reseph, who bears the name of Pestilence, is the most "angelic" of the four siblings. Oh, he spent five thousand years wallowing in what humans would consider sin, but he never had a malicious bone in his body. At least, he didn't until his Seal broke. Now his demon side is fully engaged, and his angel side is struggling to break through. Can he defeat the evil?

The answers to these questions and more can be found within the pages of the Lords of Deliverance books.

I hope you enjoy learning more about the Horsemen! --Larissa Ione

Photo credit: Paul Harris

Review

"The third book in Ione's supercharged Demonica series ignites on the first page and never looks back." (4 1/2 stars, RT Book Reviews on Passion Unleashed )

Ione has a true gift for imbuing her characters with dark-edged passion. . . a top notch read." (4 stars, RT Book Reviews on Desire Unchained )

"The author's hard-edged style infuses the story with darkness while taking it to sizzling heights." (4 stars, RT Book Reviews on Pleasure Unbound )

"Wicked...Decadently Sinful...Prepare to be burned." (Gena Showalter, New York Times bestselling author on Desire Unchained )

"Ione brings to life a riveting world filled with sizzling sensuality, dark wit, and wicked hot demons." (Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author on Passion Unleashed )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Original edition (December 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780446574471
• ISBN-13: 978-0446574471
• ASIN: 0446574473
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Larissa Ione is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series, as well as the upcoming MoonBound Clan Vampire series. She also writes sexy contemporary romance stories for Samhain, and recently released a novella in the Supernatural anthology with Kensington in September 2011. Her alter ego, Sydney Croft (pen name with romantic suspense author Stephanie Tyler), writes erotic paranormal action-adventure.

An Air Force veteran, she has been a meteorologist, EMT, and professional dog trainer. She is now lucky enough to write full time while living a nomadic lifestyle with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, son, an extremely high-maintenance cat, and a hellhound (King Shepherd) named Hexe.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#88 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#88 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not even close to being as great as her others.... November 29, 2011

By Ella's mom

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I really, really hate giving a somewhat negative review for one of my favorite authors, but....

First, I've read Ione's Demonica series which I highly recommend if you haven't as many of the minor characters make reappearances in her Rider Series. It helps to put some perspective on their talents (Shade, Wrath and Idess all make appearances in this story).

Second, I am starting to believe that Ione is not so good at female character building as the main story line (she excells at all the books where the male is the main character but falls flat when the female is the main character IMO). I had a similar issue w/Sin's story in the Demonica Series though not nearly as "messy" as this one. I was starting to get worried that Ione was losing some of her talent while reading Sin's story and just forcing books out asap for the editors though I'd give Sin's book 4 stars. I could just see things unraveling. So I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised by Eternal Rider. I LOVED Ares story. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. ALL Ione's books I read within 2 days max bc they are just.that.good. Fantastic world building and character development. Then I read Limos. Sigh. Took me 4 days to read and I was really pushing myself through it.

Problem #1- I don't like Limos. She's a PITA, whiney and a lier. I can't identify with her and I certainly don't get the love story. She lies and her lies are a HUGE tie to the story. But that's overlooked a LOT. Which brings us to prob #2. Ione pushes the "protective" thing w/Arik when the REAL character issue and story line should be how Arik doesn't like lying and Limos's downfall is that she lies. I did not connect w/the protective issue. It was lame. The author was telling me how he's protective and not "showing" me w/the writing. That's the diff bw an ok and great writer IMO. #3. Arik decides he loves her even though he's completely against lying, complete moral, upstanding character. So basically, he just loves her for what? We don't know. Her looks was about all I got. Her somewhat good fighting skills? (not even touched in the book). #4.When they finally get down to it and do the deed, it's lame and gets even more lame as she takes off. Eye roll! I almost stopped there, but was super interested in Than and Rever so continued. #5. Are they really in love? Come on now! They start proclaiming their love quite shortly after the bomb is dropped how she's basically the cause of the biggest issue in the Rider series. REALLY? #6. The secondary characters make the story more than the main characters. If you read the other reviews, you'll see they say the same. I am FAR more interested in Than's romance and Reavers' story than Limos and Arik. Which is why I'm 99% sure Ione can't character build with a main female character. Like Sin's story, I was drawn to other issues in the story and character lines. I don't know what it is or why, but she's all over the map. Is Limos strong? Moral? Good? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. We don't know. She tells us that she wears flip flops, lives in Hawaii, and has parties. She SAYS she can fight but did she even really fight? Not so much. So no romance, minimal action and super whiney, annoying main character that "falls in love" *cough* with a great guy that I'm being told is great bc he protected his sister and mom when he was young.

My main feeling on this book is that Ione is being forced to produce faster than she can create. I still love her books though and I'm hopeful for Than's story. I will def buy it asap when it's released. This is the only book that's been a downer for me. I loved all her other ones, esp the first 3 Demonicas and Eternal Rider all being my favs. I'm a HUGE reader of paranormal romance and Ione is always one of my top recommendations. If you like Ione, I always recommend Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series. They are very similar.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Is telling me the truth worth more to you than the lies you tell? November 22, 2011

By Mary J. Gramlich VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Being a human in love with an immortal can take a wicked toll on your body. In the case of Arik Wagner one stolen kiss from Satan's potential bride Limos has sent him literally to the torture chamber of hell. But Arik believes that one kiss is worth all the broken bones, starvation, and near death experiences and will keep her name in his heart.

Limos is the sister to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and has been dealing with the contracts and pacts each of them has made to the underworld they fight to control. Never hoping for love or even affection from anyone, especially a human when Arik freed her to have feelings there was no stopping the flood that followed. She fought to free him from his prison, heal him with her touch, and figure out a way to be with him in spite of the huge obstacle preventing that from happening since Satan definitely knew the devil is in the contractual details.

Limos is will get the demons back where they belong, her brothers to stop bugging her about being with a human, and perhaps get Arik to cross the thin line from the human world into hers. When the demons come calling and bring their entire arsenal with them, she may not be 110% ready but Arik is and nothing will stop him from having her in his life and by his side for eternity.

Yikes but this book is an engrossing read with amazing characters and the intricate story details Ms. Ione is noted for. You start it and realize it is the middle of the night and you still cannot put it down and remember sleep is highly overrated.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very, very good; maybe her best so far... November 24, 2011

By BamaGal

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

4.5 Stars. Well, that was one wild ride. The book had me hooked from the very beginning; and Ione's wordbuilding was probably the best it's been in any book she's written so far. At the big party celebrating Ares and Cara's imminent wedding, Arik steals a kiss from Limos; at which point, all hell breaks loose. As the promised bride of Satan, she is not allowed to show affection to another man. Arik is sent to hell, where he is tortured repeatedly.

Through a series of machinations, he manages to escape and hunts down Limos. Limos, as the h, is some piece of work. She's a world-class liar, and has done some very, very, bad things over the centuries. The love and affection from her brothers has changed her for the better; but even they don't know the things she has done to hurt both them and mankind under Satan's orders. She is an h who is very hard to root for, especially at the beginning; as she's the kind of person you have empathy for, but don't always like. I suspect there will be many readers who never come to like her much, even though she evolves and changes through the course of the book. Personally, I loved her, she was a very well drawn and deeply layered, multifaceted character; and the reader could see and feel the changes that Arik's love made in her.

There are more things going on in this book than can ever be explained in a review, and a great deal of the book is spent setting up Thanatos and Regan's story (Lethal Rider, coming out in June). Although there are occasional glimpses of Reseph in this book, Pestilence is still firmly in control. The world is edging closer to apocalypse, and a number of lands (mostly island nations) have already fallen to him and his demons.

Although Limos was not in as much danger of having her seal broken as being sent back to marry Satan, Thanatos is in very real danger of his seal breaking. Regan the Guardian really did a number on him in this book. Can't wait for his book. Liked this story, love this series. It's dark, different and they are excellent and dark stories. Honestly, I like this series better than Demonica. I understand it's supposed to be 5 full length books, and I'm grateful for that. I highly recommend this series.