Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance) [Mass Market Paperback]

Larissa Ione (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2012 | Series: Lords of Deliverance (Book 3)

They're here.

They ride.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell's minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they have the power to ward off Doomsday . . . or let it ride . . .

LETHAL RIDER

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, ReganCooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ione has the amazing ability to create intimidating, powerfully sexy and utterly compelling heroes. And her heroines aren't too shabby either! Love, hope, sin, redemption and, of course, end-of-the-world danger fill the pages." (RT Book Reviews on Eternal Rider 2011)

"Another truly great read." (RT Book Reviews on Sin Undone 2010)

"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 )

"Gifted storyteller Ione's tales are gripping and dark, filled with tragedy and hope. Transfixing!"
(4 stars, RT Book Reviews on Lethal Rider
)

"Ione humanizes her leads and also captures the urgency of their mission, resulting in a very satisfying read."
(Publishers Weekly on Lethal Rider
)

About the Author

A former meteorologist and EMT, Air Force veteran Larissa Ione now gets her daily dose of excitement from vampires, werewolves, demons, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She lives in wintery Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat, and her hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

You can learn more at:

LarissaIone.com

Twitter, @LarissaIone

Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/OfficialLarissaIone

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (June 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446574503
• ISBN-13: 978-0446574501
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,221 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 

(What's this?)

#95 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#95 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars. Action, suspense, heart tugging romance and humor is everywhere in Lethal Rider May 22, 2012

By Stephanie G

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This is the 3rd book in the series so there are some spoilers from previous books.

Having spent over eight months in a paralyzed state, Thanatos, the Horseman known as Death, wants nothing more than to get his hands on the woman who betrayed him. Thanatos has thought of all the ways he plans to make the Aegis Guardian Regan Cooper pay for her deception but when he's finally free, he gets the surprise of his life when he learns Regan is carrying his child. Regan knows the baby inside her could stop the Apocalypse and save humanity but a day hasn't gone that she hasn't been wracked with guilt over what she did to Thanatos. When he finally gets his hands on her, she's not sure what she's more afraid of, his anger or the heated desire in his eyes. With the baby's arrival possibly days away, Thanatos and Regan will need to guard themselves from unexpected enemies and prepare for the battle that could stop, or bring about, the Apocalypse.

From page one, I was pulled in and completely enthralled in the story and characters the way only a Larissa Ione book can do. With so many less than stellar books out here, it's nice to know I can count on Larissa to deliver a book that is everything but mediocre.

Regan and Thanatos' relationship is an uphill battle from the start. In the previous book, Immortal Rider, we see that Regan is sent by the Aegis, demon hunters, to seduce Thanatos in order to conceive a child that would stop the Apocalypse from occurring. After finding out he was betrayed, Thanatos is put into a state of paralyses to keep him from hurting anyone. Jump ahead 8 and a half months and Thanatos is free and ready to hunt down Regan. To his surprise, she's pregnant and to mine, he actually wants the child and will do anything to protect it.

Getting to know the man behind the bone armor and tattoos was something I really enjoyed reading. There are a lot of complicated emotions swirling around Thanatos that I didn't expect and by the end, it was hard not to fall in love with a man known as Death. My one real issue with Thanatos was how he treated Regan. He had every right to be angry and want retribution but he switched off from wanting to hurt her to wanting to kiss her easily and often. I felt as if I was going to get whiplash from his mood swings.

I wanted to hate Regan for what she did but in the end she won me over. She's intelligent, determined and like Thanatos, had a wide range and depth of emotions than I initially didn't think she had. What redeemed her in my eyes was how genuinely sorry she was for hurting Thanatos the way she did. It seems rare for a heroine in the paranormal genre to not only apologize but actually mean it and I felt that Regan did and would have done anything to make it up to Thanatos.

When these two weren't going at it, they were.....going at it. For two people as inexperienced with sex as they are, they sure learned fast and because quite good at it.

There's a lot going on in Lethal Rider and it all connects back to the main story arc really well. I'm not going to give away much because part of what made it so good was reading it for myself. Pestilence is wreaking havoc in the demon and human worlds and is becoming stronger by the day. I feel terrible for Thanatos, Ares and Limos who look at Pestilence and see the brother they once loved and now have to hunt down. Elsewhere, things are stirring in the Aegis and the results are something I felt was a long time coming. My favorite angel, Reaver, has a few 'oh my god' moments of his own I can't wait for him to get his own book.

Action, suspense, heart tugging romance and humor is everywhere in Lethal Rider and it was everything I wanted as a fan of the Lords of Deliverance books. This is not a series you want to read out of order. Go back and start with book one, which was good but my least favorite of the bunch but necessary if you want to completely understand what's going on with the rest of the books in the series.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Larissa Ione's penultimate Lords of Deliverance book is a wildly addictive story! May 22, 2012

By Kimberly

Format:Mass Market Paperback

As the children of a succubus and an angel, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are destined to either save the world from doomsday...or allow evil to overtake all if their Seals break.

Thanatos has spent countless centuries resisting temptation and remaining celibate, thinking that the loss of his virginity will cause his Seal to break. One fateful night ruins everything and Thanatos gives into his desire for the beautiful Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper. Now, all that Thanatos knows has been upended and his world becomes even more complicated when he discovers he's going to be a father. The clock is ticking down to the apocalypse and Thanatos must learn to work with the woman who betrayed them in order to protect their son and save the world. But to prevent doomsday from happening, will he have to risk losing the child he's always wanted and the woman who calls to him like no other?

The stakes are higher than they've ever been in Lethal Rider! Larissa Ione's penultimate Lords of Deliverance book is a wildly addictive story, filled with action, danger, passion, romance, and love.

Having fallen in love with the Lords of Deliverance series after reading the first two books, Eternal Rider and Immortal Rider, I had high expectations for Lethal Rider. How could I not, when Ms. Ione has so deftly woven the ultimate battle of good versus evil into a pulse-pounding series of paranormal romances? Lethal Rider more than lived up to my hopes. Thanatos and Regan are two strong protagonists whose inner vulnerabilities made me want to hug them... Until I realized that would be insane even if it were possible, considering how dangerous they both are. I loved watching these two warriors learn move past what has happened and work with one another to protect their child. There are so many moments of unexpected tenderness in Lethal Rider that simply melted me. It was also pure pleasure to see Regan and Thanatos fall in love. Quite simply, they're perfect for each other so it was easy to become invested in their romance.

As for the looming threat of the apocalypse... Damn. There were moments I wasn't sure how Ms. Ione was going to pull off Thanatos, Ares, Limos, and their allies defeating their brother, Pestilence. The second half of Lethal Rider in particular is impossible to put down -- it's that intense. I'm pretty sure I had a death-grip on my Kindle as I was reading. I won't reveal any of what happens because it's simply too much fun to discover on your own.

Lethal Rider is the third Lords of Deliverance book and though Ms. Ione provides enough information that readers new to the series can follow along, I highly recommend reading Eternal Rider and Immortal Rider first. Fans of Ms. Ione's Demonica series will also surely be delighted to learn that most of those characters play supporting roles in Lethal Rider. I haven't yet read the Demonica series, but I'm more eager than ever to do so!

Lethal Rider is an edge-of-your-seat read that will surely delight fans of paranormal romance. Eternal Rider, Immortal Rider, and Lethal Rider have all been such stellar reads that my only complaint is having to wait to read the next book. It's been a long time since I've read a series that has me this intrigued by so many characters. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Ione does in Reseph's book, Rogue Rider, and man, oh, man, Lethal Rider left me desperate to see more of my two favorite characters in the series, Reaver and Harvester.

I'm truly convinced that Ms. Ione's talent for creating complex, fascinating characters is unparalleled. I love the blend of darkness and light in the Lords of Deliverance world and I simply cannot wait to see what unique, engaging book Larissa Ione delivers next!

Kat
Review courtesy of Wit and Sin

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lethal Rider - Love this story May 22, 2012

By Jess

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

After finishing book 2, Immortal Rider, I couldn't stand Regan, the heroine of Lethal Rider. I felt like what she did to Than, completely deceiving him and taking something from him that he said no to, was such a violation. I had no idea how I was going to be able to get behind Regan as a lead character and Than's heroine. Larissa Ione made it happen. The book opens up 8 ˝ months after Regan's actions force sex with Than and results in her pregnancy. Instead of Than's seal breaking during sex which he had always believed would happen, his seal turns out to be his son...and won't that open up the flood gates for different people to want that little baby.

Than, who has been paralyzed by Ares and Limos for the past 8 months comes out of his paralysis faster than they were expecting and heads straight for Regan. She's staying at the Aegis headquarters and having her own problems with a vampire that wants her dead. Than comes in just in time and takes her to his keep, so he can figure out what to do with her. Than is so full of anger, rightfully so, and the hurt and pain and all the lies that he feels from Regan don't just magically go away. They struggle through much of the first half of the book to feel their way with each other. Than has a way with cutting words right to Regan's heart and that's what ultimately had me starting to sympathize with her. Regan didn't have the best childhood and the only place she ever felt wanted was with the Aegis. While I still don't agree with what she did to Than, I started to understand it better as more details about her life came out and I slowly became a fan of hers.

Than and his siblings have a whole lot of problems going on around them, in addition to Than worrying about how to keep his unborn son safe. Pestilence is still growing stronger and stronger, he's deceiving people left and right, killing without thought and he wants to kill Than's son, badly. Gone is any trace of Reseph and it becomes very clear that Than's original plan to try and find a way to save Reseph just isn't going to happen. They need to kill Pestilence and put a stop to all the death and destruction he's bringing down on the world. He attacks the Aegi and even Underground General. It shouldn't be shocking at this point, but the killings that he brings down on those that are close to Ares, Limos and Than are heartless. He's hitting them close home and with the power he has now, stopping him is proving to be next to impossible for the Horsemen.

Than and Regan's relationship plays a huge role in the book, and their build up from basically hatred and shame on Regan's part to acceptance, forgiveness and finally love took time and didn't come easy. I went from cheering Than every time he landed a well placed verbal hit against Regan, to cringing and feeling bad for her once her story started coming out. I really liked Than's progression. He has always dreamed about having a family, but with the curse of what he thought was his seal, he never thought it would be possible. While I'd never say he turned into a big softy around Regan once he found out she was pregnant, he certainly fell in love with his son early on. For this couple, it was the little things that had each of them starting to see the other person through new eyes. A book from Regan to Than, Than letting some of her co-workers come to his keep so she'd have some familiar faces around her. It was little things like that that led them to find some common ground. And of course, the sex between them - hot. With Regan being 8 ˝ months pregnant, it couldn't get too crazy, but Than and Regan were both very inexperienced and they were able to use that common ground as well to become more comfortable around each other, and Than had many, many years of celibacy to make up for!

What I wasn't expecting at all was the storyline for Pestilence. The one question I've always had throughout the three books was how in the world was Reseph going to be able to come back? His set up occurs at the end and it was surprising to me that happened, but Ione has a way of building up the next book so well that I finished Than and Regan's story and I immediately wanted to find out what's going to happen to Reseph.

I loved this book. It's fast paced, the action hits not only the Horsemen, but the demons at UG. My biggest concern going in was Regan, but I was satisfied with her and Than's story. It's emotional, and they really are the perfect match for each other. I was so happy for Than, finding happiness and a family that he'd always dreamed of. Of course, nothing is easy in these books, and he makes a sacrifice at the end that will impact their future, but it's nothing that they won't be able to handle together. I loved everything about this story and I'm SO anxious to find out what's going to happen with Reseph.