Review: Supernatural by Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy, Jacquelyn Frank & G.A. Aiken

Supernatural

by Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy, Jacquelyn Frank and G.A. Aiken

(Lords of Deliverance # 1.5, Demonica #5.5, Guardians of Eternity # 7.5, Nightwalkers # 1.5, Dragon Kin # 4.5)

Paranormal Romance

This has been a highly anticipated anthology for me. Yeah, that's saying something considering I usually don't care much for short stories. But how often can I say 2 authors I love are in it and the other 2 are also supposed to be really good? My point exactly! I'll review them individually but just know that if for nothing else, I'd recommend this book for Ione and Aiken's stories!!

Vampire Fight Club by Larissa Ione
4.5 Feathers

I loved this story! Set in the Demonica/Lords of Deliverance worlds. We have cameos from our favorites from both series. Of course this story involves UGH because that's where Vladena originally works. After her brother comes into UGH pretty beaten up and dies they all start an investigation into where this all happened. As it turns out, there's a secret Fight Club, and no, it's not only vampires, there are plenty of shifters who fight in these underground events. That's what Vladena is, and her brother was. But she has a disadvantaged, she can't shift. And that is genetically a death sentence. She's almost come to terms with that. And now she wants revenge for the death of her brother.

Nathan is a vampire and leader of the Fight Club, but he's not the head honcho. He's someone else's puppet. And he has a lot of anger and resentment for things that were done to him that destroyed his soul. He's seen it all, nothing entices him anymore. Except when he sees Vladena, he wants her.

We get cameos from Eidolon, Shade, Wraith and even Con! As well as a BIG revelation at the end which I'm sure will play a part in the Lords of Deliverance series. See, Nathan is a day-walking vampire, and the key to that is who made him.

Darkness Eternal by Alexandra Ivy
3.5 Feathers

I'll be honest I have not read Guardians of Eternity, and this was actually my first read by Alexandra Ivy. I did like it, but I wasn't glued to the pages for it. Uriel is a vampire warrior and he hates jinns because one put a curse on him years ago during a battle and told him he would be his instrument in defeating his enemy. So he's lived thinking he can't be trusted around his own people in the event he will betray them.

Kata has actually been imprisoned by her sister and her mate, and when her sister finally dies and she believes herself to be free and able to search for her child. But Uriel is sent for her. And the attraction is immediate.

Except they are not home free yet, as it turns there's a trip into hell in their future. Along with some pretty hot sex.

This story was interesting, I liked the writing style, there was some romance, some steam, some action. I will definitely be reading more of her work soon.

Kane by Jacquelyn Frank
3 Feathers

OK... I have not read the Nightwalkers series but I have read Ms. Frank before, and I feel that in this story she did not get my interest. At all. I found myself even skimming through parts of it. *hangs head in shame*

Kane is one of the young ones, he is not 100 years old yet so he's still considered a child. They are not allowed to touch humans, but his desire for Corrine brings him to barely touch her one night. Just a soft caress. He is immediately forced to wipe her memory, he is punished and she is left alone. Except that touch started a change in her and she now needs to be close to him to live, and being forced apart for so long has made her very sick.

Now, having him shackled to a bed might not be a bad way to wake up, but she does have a lot to understand, and in a short period of time. They manage to do it mostly through his mind powers and her ability as his mate to read some of his thoughts.

Not bad... just mehhh

Dragon On Top by G.A. Aiken
4.5 Feathers

Oh the wonderful world of Ms. Aiken's writing! I am currently reading the Dragon Kin series but even though this is #4.5 it really could be read right after book 1 as this goes back in time not to the current set of brothers we are reading about, but their parents. In this case their aunt Ghleanna the Decimator.

She is the ultimate warrior chick, nobody mess with her. She knows she should need a mate that is as strong as her. But when she is tasked with escorting and protecting Bram, the smart and peacful dragon who writes up all the peace treaties that end her wars, she finds herself reconsidering that.

Ghleanna and Bram are just adorable, funny, sexy, hot and so damn entertaining! You can't help but love them! This story might just be my favorite in this anthology! 

Purchase from Amazon

Waiting on Wednesdays

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  The pre-publication release we are eagerly anticipating this week is:

 Immortal Rider
by Larissa Ione
(Lords of Deliverance # 2)

Release Date: December 1st

Sexy, powerful, and immortal, Limos is on a crash course with destiny. She’s been marked as Satan’s bride and her jealous fiancé wants her all to himself. The only way this Horseman can keep herself—and everyone else—safe is to keep her distance. But not even Limos can save herself from the secrets she’s kept . . . or resist the seductive allure of one very brave human.

Arik Wagner knows the saying “love hurts” better than most, yet he never thought stealing a kiss from Limos would land him in Hell. Literally. It takes all his military training to survive the demon torture, but once he’s topside, Arik realizes that the agony has just begun. With the Apocalypse looming and Satan demanding his bride, will Arik and Limos surrender to the desire smoldering between them? Or will giving in to their passion unleash hell on earth?

Review: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

 Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance # 1)by Larissa IoneParanormal Romance Find it on GoodReads! 

Ares’s To-Do List: Stop (sexy) brother from obliterating the world with deadly disease

• Stop (sexy) brother from obliterating the world with deadly disease
• Find the agimorti and keep her from getting killed
• Locate the Deliverance before Pestilence finds it
• And learn that having feeeeeeeelings doesn’t make you a pansy!!

I’m a huge fan of the Demonica series so I was thrilled to hear about a new spinoff series with the four horsemen. Eternal Rider has all the same great elements of Demonica. Ione still has her great sense of humor. She has that raw writing style that makes the narration sooo damn good and she’s the bomb when it comes to worldbuilding! I l just love the way Ms. Ione thinks, develops and writes her stories. She is truly great at making us feel as if we are in this wonderful world she creates.

Ares aka War, the second of the horsemen has a lot to deal with. With his brother, Reseph channelling his evil side as Pestilence, he’s got his hands full with trying to keep him from obliterating the world. I will admit, I liked him in the beginning but then somewhere in the middle, he kind of annoyed me with how he tried to hold himself away from Cara so much, fighting his feelings to the point where I was getting frustrated. You are War! Having feelings doesn’t make you a ninny. It’s okay to feeeeeeeel! But he does get better and I couldn’t be happier with the end results. This quote is the perfect evidence of his reluctance:

"...and horror of horrors, he realized that he was experiencing some sort of a crush. He needed to kill something." - Ares

Cara was a skittish one at first and I was dying for a heroine with a little more backbone. And then suddenly, she grows a pair and learns to cope with the bomb that Ares had dropped on her. I have to respect that. I will admit, I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between Ares and Cara at first. With a few heated glances and one kiss, I was eager for something more to happen. But Ares controls himself so much that there are no opportunities for him to slip in his control. And Cara isn’t one to initiate contact. To put up with Mr. Grumpy (Ares) she would have to be almost a saint. I loved their shower scene and the upside down tree scene and that's all I'm going to say *winks*

"His hand sliced through the air in a silencing motion, and he stalked to the window. "Have you seen any rats?"
Her mind spun at the sudden shift of subject. "Rats?"
"Rodents that resemble large mice."
"I know what rats are," she gritted out. "Why?"
"They're spies." He peered through the curtain into the darkness. Thick fog diffused the yellow lamplight, creating an eerie glow on the street below. "Have you seen any?"
Rodent spies? The man might be hot as hell, but he was a loon. As inconspicuously as possible, Cara inched toward the door. "I didn't see any furry little James Bonds."

But the mediocre chemistry between Cara and Ares doesn’t take away from Ione’s spectacular writing. I love the rawness to it. I especially love the violence in this one! I can’t remember if the Demonica series was as gory and bloody as this one since I read it awhile back, but I LOVE IT! Gory. Bloody. Raw. Love it!

And with that, I have to say how much I love Reseph, or rather, Pestilence because his bad side is so much more appealing! Ione writes baddies well! I loved the venom in his tone when he speaks and his merciless outlook on mankind. Pestilence is as badass as they come.

Then there’s Reaver, whom I loved from the Demonica series! This Reaver is a little more darker, one who is more irritable and with his evil counterpart Harvester, chaos is bound to find them sooner or later.

I’ve mentioned Pestilence already so naturally, that leaves Limos (Famine) and Thanatos (Death)! I LOVE them both! Limos is friggin’ hilarious. She kind of reminds me of the Valkyries from KC’s IAD series. She’s great! And Than is a hottie! A tattooed hottie! I cannot wait for either of their books!

"Eeeeeevil is wiiiiiining..."
"They were so fucked his ass hurt"

For Demonica fans, there’s reason to rejoice because there are familiar faces! If you thought you would never see your favorite demons/angels/vampires again, you were wrong! It could be because this book involved one my favorite characters, Kynan quite a bit in the new story. Or maybe because we get to see Gem being pregnant and giving birth. Or maybe it’s the fact that our sexy demon doctor and paramedic are still around. But I loved every single glimpse of the original Demonica characters, and I'm happy to say that if you wanted to keep reading about them, this book feels almost as if the series is still going. This quote is particularly precious.

"Your mom is my sunset, and you are my dawn." - Kynan

Another character from Demonica, Runa's brother Arik, also makes a substantial guest appearance. Can I just say... yum!  I’m super excited for the next book Immortal Rider which is Arik and Limos’ book!

"Some scholars, including myself, think that the Horsemen's Seals will be broken by Jesus himself, and the Horsemen will lead the way into the end of days, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."
"Of course not," Arik drawled. "Every Apocalypse is a party. Bring your own beer, pretzels, and semiautomatic weapons."

So if you’re unsure about starting this series, please do! It’s great! Just prepare for your world to be rocked, because the Horsemen have arrived!

Ares:

Cara: