Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance) [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.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In my Immortal Rider review, I clearly stated, that I have a special place for Ares (Eternal Rider) in my heart, that no one can replace and Eternal Rider will be always my favorite in this series. Boy, I was soo WRONG! And sorry Ares (I still love you), but Thanatos got the pole position now.

As for the concept of the book, it's more like Eternal Rider, than Immoral Rider. There are a few POV changes. Once or twice we hop into Kynan's and Pestilence's head, and sometimes Reaver's (he has a pretty big role in this book). And there are no sub plots like in IR... well except the "how to neutralize the problem called Pestilence" operation, of course, but that's always there.

However, the main plot is full of twists and turns. I swear Larissa is the "Queen of unexpected twists".
I truly believe that there were more unexpected twists in this book, than in the whole series so far. Thanatos's agimortus is his unborn son. That means that behind the scenes (literally, because unfortunately , we don't see him often), Pestilence is working on killing the child and trying to take apart Sheoul-gra and destroy Azagoth, thus releasing demons and evil humans killed in the human world to Earth. You know, Pestilence stuff...

Thanatos is really pissed off because Regan betrayed him. But she's not the only one who betrayed him. Some of his vampires are out to kill Regan and their son. The question is why. And that is another twist! While he's trying to protect the baby, he and Regan getting closer to each other and his hatred converting into something else. And with Regan's help, He can fight Death, can overcome his desire to kill. I loved him! He's extremely sarcastic and made me laugh out loud several times. And then he could be an amazing father and mate. His protectiveness of his son from the moment he found out about the child is really sweet and adorable.

Regan's only family is the Aegis. She wants to prove them she's worthy. Looks like little ponyboy (she call the baby ponyboy - HOW CUTE IS THAT?!) is protecting Regan from demons and humans except Thanatos and the daywalker vampires (that's a new mystery, why only the daywalkers). And because of an Angelic interference (another twist!!), some Aegi are completely out of their minds and trying to kill the baby, because Pestilence and the vampires weren't enough to deal with, right? Hell no, we love the drama!! I already liked her character in Immortal Rider, and I was afraid that maybe she gets whiny and annoying in Lethal Rider, because of her pregnancy (no offense!) and everything, but no. She was likeable.

And for another twist... Turns out that there's another Prophecy besides the Daemonica's. Plus, the baby's birth could be the best chance to kill Pestilence. And I hate to repeat myself, but here comes another twist!!! What a surprise!! Actually, it was a surprise... And Reaver gets the credit for figuring that out!! Smart Angel... in a big trouble, because at the end of the book, he broke a Watcher's most important rule; never interfere with the Horsemen's prophecies! And he did... for the sake of Pestilence.. or should I say Reseph? *hint hint*

And DAMN! I love the drama, and I knew it will happen somewhere at the end, but that scene was still one hell of a torture. I won't tell you which scene. I wasn't sure that there will be happy end or not... Get the tissues ready folks!

OVERALL: The story is worthy of the title! This was indeed Lethal. Extremely exciting, fast-paced read with loveable characters. It was fun, never boring, so much going on at all times. Full of surprises. Lethal Rider will not disappoint Ione fans!

@ The Secret Sanctuary of Books

For thousands of years Thanatos, fiercely guarded his own celibacy to prevent his seal for the Apocalypse from breaking. As the Rider of Death, the destruction unleashed would be catastrophic as his rages quickly turn uncontrollable and deadly. His sacrifice wasn't too much of a burden considering the alternative. At least is wasn't until Aegis Guardian Regan came into his life. Due to a set of unforeseen circumstances and Regan's betrayal, his resolve crumbles, yet his seal didn't break. Little did he know that it wouldn't be the act itself that would break the seal, but the child that resulted from such a union. The fate of the world rests on keeping his child safe, and for now that includes Regan despite how much he would like to destroy her for her betrayal. Yet even as he rages at her, Thanatos also cannot tame the desire he holds for her. But can he risk having her when the slightest things could trigger a rampage and the destruction of the world?

Each of the Riders is damaged in their own way, but Thanatos, being the rider of Death may just carry the hardest burden. Of course on the outside, he appears to be the coldest and most deadly of the Riders, but that is really only a front to hide just how much his circumstances weigh on him. He endures so much suffering and the rage from all of the deaths is all consuming at times, sending him into an endless downward spiral. His self-loathing and hatred of himself knows no bounds, and my heart nearly broke as I watched him struggle. All he has ever wanted in life was a family to call his own, ever knowing that it was impossible. So, when faced with the reality of it happening through a stunning betrayal leaves his already fragile psyche in shatters. He wants more than anything to rage and rail at Regan for that betrayal, yet he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. I really enjoyed watching this big broken brute of a man as he started to give into feelings that he had long been denied.

The absolute best thing about all of Larissa's books is the way she effortlessly blends romance and passion with heart pounding action to make for the perfect combination. This especially holds true in Lethal Rider. I mean the sexual tension between the Thanatos and Regan is so palpable, you can practically taste it. And once they give into their fierce desires, they practically steam off the page. Then a blink of an eye later, they are in extreme life or death fights with everything, and everyone, on the line. In fact, the stakes felt so much higher and more real this time because everything really came to a head in Lethal Rider. I won't tell you the outcome, but but suffice it to say that things will never be the same as everything is irrevocably changed.

Yet again, Larissa Ione has thoroughly impressed me and knocked my socks off with a no holds bared, action packed, steamy romance that I just couldn't put down once I started. Seriously, this woman knows how to entertain, and if you haven't read all of her books, then you just don't know what you are missing. I can't wait to get my hands on the final installment in this series, and I'm even more excited to see what Larissa comes up with next!