Series: Lord's of Deliverence #1
Published by Little, Brown Book Group on 2011-04-07
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.
Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can’t-or won’t-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both tdesire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara’s life.his Horseman’s safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous.
Ares is one of the four Horsemen of the apocalypse. Whilst he his seal remains intact, he, and his siblings, remain teetering on the line of good and evil. When the Warg Plague (released by Sin in Sin Undone, Demonica book #5) breaks the seal of one of the brothers, and releases Pestilence on the world, the race is on to stop him from breaking the other seals, bringing forth Armageddon. According to the prophecies, the next seal to fall must be that of Ares, releasing War. When the fallen Angel who bears the seal transfers it to Cara, the race against time to save her life begins. The seal was never intended for humans to carry, so it will slowly eat away at her life force and kill her. However, if she dies then Ares curse will be unleashed, he will become War and the end of the world is nigh! Nobody said that saving the world would be easy…
You do need to read the Demonica series before starting this book. The characters from that series (*sigh* helllloooooo Wraith :D) all appear and this book is a direct consequence of the Warg plague from Sin Undone. However, I whole heartedly reccomend that series and, if this book is anything to go by, I think this series could be an auto-buy too! Ares is a big, badass Mofo who despises humans and himself. An immortal that has lived for millennia, he has seen everyone he loved mown down by the evil that he really doesn’t want to join. Upon meeting Cara, he begins to feel things that he shouldn’t, and not only because she drains his powers and makes him slightly more human. Cara is a totem-princess, which means she can heal animals, taking her pain into herself. Upon saving a hellhound from certain death (the very cute Hal), she becomes bound to the grateful pup, leaving her slightly more powerful and therefore slightly less susceptible to the draining power of the seal. Ultimately, this means she is around for a little longer to worm her way under his armour. Ares has to look after her closely and therefore takes her to his home in Greece. Invading his world, and his home, Ares starts to see Cara as more than a seal he has to protect to save his remaining slither of humanity, and as a person who he could actually care for. Finally giving into his lust for her, they start on a journey that they both know has a time limit. When Pestilence starts to threaten her, Ares has to consider the uneasy scenario of choosing his brother or his mate.
Ione is a master of world building and this book is no exception. The folklore, and biblical references, which are interwoven within the world of the Demonica series, is artfully crafted into a gripping storyline that grabs you by the throat and reels you in. Another reason that I recommend reading the Demonica series before this one is that, without the background stories, trying to embrace this world alongside the new characters, could be a little taxing. The prologue was very information heavy and that was for a constant rereader of the Demonica series! There are also many references to past characters and situations, which would be confusing to a newbie. We also see the birth of the Kynan and Gem’s baby in this one (yay :D) and, if you had never met them before, you wouldn’t care. I did also love meeting the new characters, especially Thanatos (death) and Limos (famine). By chapter one Pestilence had already appeared, so we never really met Reseph. We did see some flashbacks of him before and he seemed like a nice, caring brother. Unfortunately, the Pestilence that we meet is a horrible man. We see him intentionally start plagues, diseases and wars to try to break his sibling’s seals. We see him rape, torture, maim and kill for fun. To be honest I was rooting for his death, but his brothers and sister (Limos is female) want to try to save him, terrified that, if they can’t save him, there would be no hope for them if they found themselves in a similar situation arose.
Both characters are immensely likeable and that is another reason that I enjoyed this book so much. Ares may seem like a complete arse sometimes, but he truly is a sweetheart. He falls completely for Cara and is even willing to give up his long-standing feud with Hellhounds for her. Cara is a woman with a backbone of steel but a heart of gold…perfect for a Horseman of the Apocalypse. The chemistry between them is electric and I want you all to look out for some very creative use of trees 😀
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