Warrior's Rise (Warriors For Light Book 1) [Kindle Edition]

Deva Morgan has reached her thirtieth birthday. And while for most people that would be a time for celebration, for half-human, half-Fae, Deva, this year requires loading the double barrel shotgun and gathering her protective squad of were shifters, witches and gargoyles to battle the Dark Lord and his demon horde before they rip their way into Earth's realm.

Enter Padraig O'Neal: Fae prince, seasoned warrior, emissary from the Goddess herself, and tasked with helping Deva survive until she can embrace her true powers. Only twice in eternal history has the Goddess appointed a female to be her Holy Weapon against evil. No one is more surprised than Padraig that he not only has to help this whelp of a female warrior reach her prime, but wrestle with the reality that she is his destined mate.

Partnered together, Deva and Padriag muster through the challenges constantly thrown in their path as they head for the ultimate Sanctuary to amass the legions of the Light for war. It is gratifying to note that while Padraig has several hundred years of experience over Deva's neophyte emergence in powers, she has as much to offer him in support and healing for the emotional scars and wounds he's amassed. The two are well matched and a nice compliment to each other. I found the give and take in the story to be refreshing as well as the strong alpha male able to deal with a female in charge.

This story has a fast paced race to the finish. Wonderful details of Celtic mythology weave with DeLeon's own design of shifters, magical elements, and a matriarchal deity, all spun into a well layered and enjoyable story. That's not to say there aren't dark moments. Be prepared. This is a war after all, good vs. evil, dark vs. light.

Also, with the multiple realms of Earth, Otherworld (the Fae/mystical dimension), and the Abyss there was plenty of imagery and fantasy to please my taste for the supernatural. And alpha males abound in this story with personalities and powers to please. Hopefully, we'll get to see some of Deva's were protection squad and Fritz, the Gargoyle, merit their own hard-earned happy ever after endings.

I enjoyed Warrior's Rise. I think it will appeal to readers who like a broad spectrum of magic, ancient worlds, and epic tales. As the first in the Warriors for Light series I look forward to more of this war between dark and light.

You'd think being a Goddess wouldn't have drawbacks, but being The Cáidh Arm prophesied to save the world when you don't have a clue how to control your powers can be disastrous. Welcome to Deva Morgan's world.

I could hardly put Warrior's Rise down. From the first couple of pages, I was dropped into a world of shifters, demons, magic, special op weres, humans, shifters...and dark, dark evil. I was swept into the danger of Deva's plight, trying to help her understand the magic she must learn to wield in order to save the world from impending darkness. Did I mention the kick-ass, strong women, and the men you'd like to die for? This novel has it all: action, the eternal battle between good and evil, love, hate...and a spy in their ranks on both sides. And it's only Book I.

Lose yourself in the worlds LJ DeLeon has created, a world about to be taken over by the Dark Lord and the minions who reside on the other side. But Deva and her friends, and I cannot forget to mention Padraig (oh, be still my heart) are hellbent not to allow this happen. Padraig has been sent to be Deva's Protector, and he's amazing!

There are a host of other characters you instantly fall in love with and worry and cry over. You're in for an entertaining and emotional filled ride.

Warrior's Rise by LJ DeLeon is an intriguing urban fantasy filled with mystical creatures vying on saving Earth and the ethereal Otherworld from the evil Dark Lord. The survival of both worlds rests on Deva a half-Fae, half-human who has been chosen by the Goddess to be the ultimate warrior and protector against evil forces. Deva along with her full-blooded Fae soulmate, Padraig and her adopted family consisting of weres, mages and a gargoyle work together to organize and mobilize Earth's defenses against the demons emerging through portals to destroy Earth.

The story is quite interesting as it dwells in detail on the various magical creatures that exist alongside humans who have now revealed themselves in order to help save humans and Earth from the invasion of demons set on domination. What I perhaps enjoyed the most about the book is the growing strength in Deva as she slowly began to accept and grow in her role as the protector of Earth yet still remaining humble and staying true to the Light. The growing love between her and Padraig was beautiful as it showed how they gained strength from each other to overcome their fears and perceived weaknesses through their love and compassion for each other.

There was only one detailed love scenes between Deva and Padraig and I wished we had more because I would have wanted to hear more about how their love grew from attraction and a feeling of connection to unconditional, devoted love. However I can understand why this was not focused. As I read this book I understood that the main theme of this story was not the love between Deva and Padraig but the battle between the forces of good and evil and the sacrifices and anguish that occurs in war.

Readers are engaged to wonder what will happen next as surprise alliances and foretold futures are revealed in this futuristic tale of humans and paranormal creatures fighting side by side to save Earth. If you enjoy urban fantasy novels filled with mythological creatures, plots twist and battles between the forces of good and evil then you will enjoy Warrior's Rise.
Ollie~