Lethal Rider

Larissa Ione is back with the third book in her Lords of Deliverance series. While I am a huge fan of Larissa’s, I didn’t love Immortal Rider, the previous book in the series. I had my doubts as to whether or not Lethal Rider would get it back on track for me and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint.

Lethal Rider picks up about 8 months after the events of Immortal Rider. Than’s been kept in a state of mental consciousness but physical immobility by his siblings as they await the birth of his son (of which he has not knowledge of). Baby mama Regan is hiding out in Aegis headquarters, waiting to give birth, while trying to deal with her feelings of guilt over her “seduction” of Than and the resulting pregnancy. When Than show more breaks out and finds Regan, she has some heavy explaining to do. Pestilence is still doing his evil best to bring about the Apocalypse and the body count rises.

The events of the last couple of books really come to a culmination in Lethal Rider. Pestilence, nice guy turned douchebag extraordinaire, soars to new heights of dickdom in this one. It’s clear that Ione isn’t afraid of killing characters and I was surprised by how bloody this one was. There are appearances by the usual Demonica crew as well as Reaver and Harvester. I am not really sure what’s going on between those two but I hear a rumor that Reaver might be getting his own book and I hope it’s true. There is plenty of action to go with the romance in this book and, unlike Immortal Rider, the other plotlines in the book did not overwhelm the romance and I felt like there was a good balance between the two.

Speaking of romance, I loved Regan and Thanatos together! I wasn’t sure how Ione was going to make the relationship work given how things ended in the last book. But she tackles it head on, showing us the guilt that Regan feels about happened and her struggle to come to terms with it. I really felt that she explained and handled it in a way that, while not necessarily making it right, does make it more understandable and makes me believe that Than and Regan could move past this bad beginning into a new future together.

Than just might be my favorite Horseman. Yes, he’s capable of mass destruction but he is kind and protective and extremely loyal. Believing all his life that having sex will break his seal, he’s never been able to have a real relationship and has been pretty isolated except for his family. When Regan comes into his life, he has a chance for a family he’s always wanted and he’s not letting Regan and his son go. His bouts of rage were tempered with really tender moments and I just wanted to give him a big hug.

I ended up liking Regan a lot more than I thought I was going to. After Immortal Rider she wasn’t my favorite person. But she shows a lot of remorse for what she did to Than and she won me over. She’s tough as nails and pretty badass for someone who is almost nine months pregnant. She and Than have crazy chemistry and the sex is super hot! I never thought I would say that about pregnancy sex but Larissa Ione can make almost anything sexy.

Yay for Lethal Rider! This is definitely my favorite book of the series so far. Lots of action, demon bad guys, demon good guys, crazy angels, and super sexy times. Well paced and easy to follow, the storyline nicely wrapped up a lot of loose ends while setting up Reseph’s story. And I have no idea what’s going to happen in Reseph’s book. All I know is that I want to read it NOW. Fans of this series will not be disappointed. If you haven’t read this series yet, what are you waiting for? Get on it!

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book. show less

Lethal Rider is the third book in Larissa Ione’s Lords of Deliverance series, which is a spin-off or sub-series of her Demonica series, that is about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse who are half-angel and half-demon. In this one, we have Thanatos aka Death paired with Regan, an Aegis Guardian. Their story actually began in the previous book, Immortal Rider, when the Aegis found a new prophecy which seemed to suggest that the offspring of a Horseman would bring an end to the Apocalypse that Pestilence started in the first book, Eternal Rider. Not knowing that the prophecy had been planted by Pestilence himself, the Aegis started scheming to get their hands on a Horseman’s child, and since one didn’t yet exist, they needed to show more “make” one. With Ares already happily mated and Limos headed down that road, that only left Thanatos, so they twisted Regan’s arm to get her to go seduce the Horseman. She wasn’t thrilled about it but finally agreed for the good of humanity. However, what she didn’t know is that Thanatos had maintained his virginity for thousands of years, thinking it was his agimortus, a vessel which if breached would cause his Seal to break. There was a natural attraction between the two, but when the seduction actually occurred things went sideways. Both of them were tricked into drinking wine laced with an aphrodisiac, which placed them in a haze of lust. Regan also lost control of her powers, which she accidentally used to pin Thanatos in an unbreakable hold during sex, resulting in a rape-like scenario. She did, however, succeed in becoming pregnant, and this story picks up eight months later, when the baby’s birth is nearly imminent. Because of what had occurred between Thanatos and Regan in the previous book, I wasn’t sure if I would like their story, but I’m happy to say that I ended up loving it.

Like his siblings, Thanatos was raised as a human, and it wasn’t until adulthood that he became aware of his curse, which as Death, means that he’s drawn to sites of death and destruction. He has also dealt death to many, both human and demon, throughout his five thousand years of life. In fact, the things he’s done torment him so much that he regularly visits a demon tattoo artist who draws these emotional scenes on his skin, muting the memories and relieving him of some of the guilt. As I mentioned, until the previous book, he was still a virgin. When Regan came to his keep under false pretenses, he was very attracted to her and they messed around a bit, but he had no intention of sleeping with her until the aphrodisiac wine rendered him senseless. Needless to say, he was not OK with how things went down, and feeling betrayed, he’s been angry with Regan ever since. However, Ares and Limos have kept him paralyzed with hellhound venom for the past eight months, so he wasn’t able to do anything about it. When he finally gets free of the paralytic agent, Thanatos immediately goes searching for Regan and is shocked to find her pregnant with his child. The one thing he’s wanted all his life but never thought he could have is a family to call his own, and now that’s very much within reach if he can only convince Regan to keep the baby. In the previous book, Than was pretty intensely alpha, and while he still is, he does tone it down some in this book. Despite being the Horseman know as Death, he has a surprisingly gentle side and a capability for forgiveness that made me really fall for him. He wants nothing more than to protect and care for Regan and their child and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe and a part of his life.

Regan is a human, but because her father was possessed by a demon when he impregnated her mother, she bears some supernatural powers. Children of such unions are generally looked down on and often killed, but Regan is a survivor. Shortly after her birth, her mother went on a suicide mission, so Regan spent her childhood being shuffled around to a series of foster homes with Aegis Guardians. But her powers often seemed to frighten them. Then finally as an adult, she became a Guardian herself. Much like Thanatos, all she’s ever wanted is a family and she believes she found that in the Aegis. However, given her background, she doesn’t think she’d make good mother material. Then everything changed when the Aegis sent her on the messed up mission to seduce Thanatos into getting her pregnant. I have to admit that I was not happy with her after that and wasn’t sure if I’d even like her as the heroine, but I came to understand that she didn’t intend for things to go the way they did. She turns out to be extremely apologetic and willing to do almost anything to earn Than’s forgiveness. Not to mention, she’s pretty traumatized by the whole thing, too, and is even reluctant to make love to Than when they finally reach that point in their relationship. Regan had also been a pretty intense alpha female in the previous book, but just like Than, she tones it down here. Pregnancy seems to have softened her, and even though she’s still uncertain about motherhood and adamant about giving the baby to Kynan and Gem to raise for his own safety, she does come around. By the end, I felt that she had more than proven her love for Than and her worthiness to be with him.

As part of a long-running series, Lethal Rider has supporting characters aplenty, many of whom either headlined previous books or will get their own books later in the series. Eidolon (Pleasure Unbound) and Shade (Desire Unchained) offer medical assistance to Regan, as does Con (Sin Undone) in one scene, while his mate Sin shows up at the end. Vladlena (Vampire Fight Club) is there for the birth as well, while her mate Nate also appears at the end. Wraith (Passion Unleashed) helps out when Thanatos and Regan go searching for artifacts, and his mate Serena shows up in one scene, too. Lore and Idess (Ecstasy Unveiled) come into play in ways that would give away spoilers if I say anymore about them. Of course, Thanatos’s siblings, Ares (Eternal Rider) and Limos (Immortal Rider), along with their mates, Cara and Arik, provide support for Thanatos and Regan and help in the fight against their brother, Reseph aka Pestilence, who has completely overrun the Earth with his evil and must be stopped. However, he is redeemed to become the hero of the next book, Rogue Rider. After the spectacular redemption story in this book, I look forward to reading his book and seeing if Larissa Ione can make me fall for someone who spread so much chaos and misery. Kynan and Decker end up being the only Aegis friends Regan has left. Reaver and Harvester (Reaver) play fairly meaty roles in this book and Harvester’s surprising secret identity is revealed. Again I look forward to another hopefully great redemption story for Harvester, who drew a few sympathy points from me in a couple of scenes. We finally learn whether Azagoth (Azagoth) is indeed the father of the Horsemen. And rounding out the cast, we have Hades (Hades) who oversees the arrival of a particular character to the Underworld.

Overall, Lethal Rider was a very impressive story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Ms. Ione possesses masterful plotting skills that never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat with all the action sequences, as well as all the twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. But at the same time, she doesn’t skimp on the romantic and steamy scenes to set the emotional tone and make a connection between her characters and the reader. The characterizations were top-notch as well, leaving me totally relating to both Thanatos and Regan in spite of my doubts when starting the book. After seeing how expertly she was able to redeem Regan and the entire situation that led to her pregnancy, I don’t think I’ll doubt her authorial abilities again unless given a reason to somewhere down the line, but I don’t expect that to happen. I also really enjoyed the running theme of betrayal and how she adroitly wove it throughout the narrative. I ended up completely loving this story and wouldn’t have changed a thing about it. It’s left me very eager to continue the series soon. show less

I REALLY enjoyed the sizzling chemistry between Thanados and Reagan in this one. Thanados was tricked into having sex with Reagan in the previous book, and where we’re introduced in this one, she’s nine months pregnant with his child. She was sent in as a spy to try to conceive the child of this particular horseman, as there was a prophecy that the child could stop the Apocalypse from coming, so, not cool from his pov, but kind of understandable, too. Who wants the world to end? They are reunited just before she’s due to give birth, and the anger/unresolved feelings there are quite steaming.

I enjoyed as well the conflict between the siblings as they try to decide what to do about fallen brother Ressup (Pestilence) who has been show more causing trouble for three books now and is unleashing plagues all over the planet. Thanados has one of the most conflicted reactions of the three horsemen we’ve seen, and that was interesting to read. My favorite of the series so far!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

Read for Fun (Paperback)
Overall Rating: 4.75
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 5.00


I will be doing this in love letter form since I read Books 1 to 4 back to back

“For the next eight and a half months, you're going to be mine. Every. Night.” ― Larissa Ione, Lethal Rider

My Love Letter to Thanatos/Death and Regan

Dear Thanatos: You are my favorite horseman! Don't tell the others please as I really don't want their wrath to come down on me. You are so very alpha, so very stubborn, and so very awesome. Regan is a lucky gal to have you but I think you are pretty lucky to have her too. Your love story made me swoon!

Dear Regan: You are a kick ass chick and will be a wonderful mothers. I loved that you were willing to make hard show more decisions, apologize when necessary, and hold your ground when it came down to it. The fact that you listened to your instincts and let love rule pretty much made me want to be your Best Friend.

Dear Story: You were almost perfect. You gave me love, action, suspense, and made me cry. I wasn't aware of how invested I was in Than and Regan until the end when I was biting my nails. You fulfilled your duty of making me a happy reader.

You also made me giggle...

“So ask me again why I’ll win a battle of wills.”

“Fine.” She jammed her feet under the covers. “Why?”

“Because I’m immortal and you’re a mere human. I have an eternity to out-stubborn you.” ― Larissa Ione, Lethal Rider

show less

Read on March 10, 2013

Read for Fun (Paperback)
Overall Rating: 4.75
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 5.00

I will be doing this in love letter form since I read Books 1 to 4 back to back

“For the next eight and a half months, you're going to be mine. Every. Night.” ― Larissa Ione, Lethal Rider

My Love Letter to Thanatos/Death and Regan

Dear Thanatos: You are my favorite horseman! Don't tell the others please as I really don't want their wrath to come down on me. You are so very alpha, so very stubborn, and so very awesome. Regan is a lucky gal to have you but I think you are pretty lucky to have her too. Your love story made me swoon!

Dear Regan: You are a kick ass chick and will be a wonderful mothers. I loved that you were willing show more to make hard decisions, apologize when necessary, and hold your ground when it came down to it. The fact that you listened to your instincts and let love rule pretty much made me want to be your Best Friend.

Dear Story: You were almost perfect. You gave me love, action, suspense, and made me cry. I wasn't aware of how invested I was in Than and Regan until the end when I was biting my nails. You fulfilled your duty of making me a happy reader.

You also made me giggle...

“So ask me again why I’ll win a battle of wills.”

“Fine.” She jammed her feet under the covers. “Why?”

“Because I’m immortal and you’re a mere human. I have an eternity to out-stubborn you.” ― Larissa Ione, Lethal Rider show less

Lethal Rider
4.5 Stars

Best in the series so far as the Demonic Apocalypse plot reaches a climax and the romance finally lives up to its potential.

Fast paced and action packed from the outset, Lethal Rider begins exactly where Immortal Rider left off with Thanatos bent on revenge and Regan guilt ridden but determined to protect herself and her child. Thankfully, their love-hate relationship is relatively angst free as they slowly come to forgive, trust and love one another.

The politics and machinations of the Underworld and its denizens continue although this installment is not as violent or gruesome as the last, and Ione illustrates once again that morality is never black and white and so-called good people can commit heinous show more atrocities supposedly in the name of doing what is right.

The only weak point involves the inclusion of the Daywalkers vs. Nightwalkers subplot, which is insufficiently developed and contributes little to the story or Thanatos's characterization.

Finally, there are interesting developments in the Pestilence/Reseph storyline and some intriguing hints at things to come with Reaver and Harvester. Looking forward to what Ione has up her sleeve for the next installments. show less

Grab some tissues, some chocolate and more tissues. You'll need them.

Lethal Rider as amazing! Larissa Ione just gets it right every single time. This story takes place roughly eight months after [b:Immortal Rider|9868970|Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #2)|Larissa Ione|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327252720s/9868970.jpg|14760560]. Regan is due to give birth at any moment, and Thanatos has been kept paralyzed by Ares and Limos. He's had plenty of time to think and plot his revenge.

Regan is still wracked with guilt over her involvement in tricking Thanatos. Now she fears for her life because she knows it's only a matter of time before one very p*ssed off Horseman comes for her. When he does, she'll be faced with either losing show more her life or her heart.

Thanatos and Regan made such a great couple. Faced with Than's anger only serves to make Regan feel even worse about her betrayal. On the flip side, seeing how empty Regan's life really is softens something inside him. Keeping her in his home forces them to spend time together, but the atmosphere is both icy and painful for both of them. No matter how many times she tries to apologize, Than wants something more. He has a lot of harsh words for her, but it seemed he just wanted to hurt her like she had done to him. Things just get worse once she tells him that their son would be sent to live with Ky and Gem, for his own protection and well-being. That doesn't sit well with him at all. These are two people who have been used as pawns in "the bigger picture"; they've been hurt by others and hurt each other in return, and they're both coming to terms with the consequences of their actions, both the good and the bad. Their vulnerabilities drew me in and made me care for them. Especially Than. Who would have thought that beneath all the death and armor, he harbored secrets, pain and loneliness? The ending was both heartwrenching and surprising and I can't wait to get to Reseph's story.

There are big changes on the horizon all around, so [b:Rogue Rider|11512713|Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #4)|Larissa Ione|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1329349122s/11512713.jpg|16448859] has awesomeness written all over it. Solid 5 stars! show less