Monday 13 January 2014

Review: Rogue Rider - Larissa Ione

UK Cover
The prophecies were there but no one listened. Until now. They are the Lords of Deliverance and they have the power to ward off Doomsday . . . or let it ride.

Jillian Cardiff came to this remote mountain town to forget the demon attack that almost killed her. Instead, she rescues - and falls for - a gorgeous stranger who has no memory of anything other than his name. Handsome, charming and protective, Reseph seems like the kind of man that Jillian can trust. But with hints of a troubling history of his own, he's also the kind of man that can be very dangerous . . .

Reseph may not know his background, or why he mysteriously appeared in Jillian's life, but he knows he wants to stay. Yet when Jillian's neighbours are killed and demon hunters arrive on the scene, Reseph fears he's putting her in danger. And once it's revealed that Reseph is also Pestilence, the Horseman responsible for ravaging the world with death and destruction, he and Jillian must face the greatest challenge of all: can they forget the horrors of a chilling past to save the future they both desire?

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
When Jillian finds Reseph naked and freezing in the middle of a blizzard she does what anybody would do and rescues him. When he finally regains consciousness she realises he has no memory of who he is or where he came from - he only knows his name. As Jillian helps Reseph try to regain his memory they form a connection and start to fall in love but can their relationship survive when Reseph remembers the things that he did as Pestilence? Can Reseph's family forgive him for the pain he caused them? Most importantly can Reseph forgive himself?

As a huge fan of Larissa Ione and both her Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series I'm really not sure why I put off reading Rogue Rider for such a long time. I think I was a bit nervous that I wouldn't be able to forgive Reseph for the horrific things he did when he was Pestilence and I guess I just didn't want to be disappointed. Thankfully I finally got over my nerves and picked it up because I have to admit it was one of my favourite books in the series. I should have known that Larissa Ione could pull off Reseph's redemption and I promise I'll never doubt her again!

I have to tell you I was surprised at how quickly I grew to like Reseph, I wasn't sure I'd ever forgive him for his previous actions so didn't really expect to fall for him at all. I think that the way Larrisa Ione handled his memory loss made it much easier for us to accept him again. He doesn't remember what happened to him but deep down he suspects that he wasn't a nice guy and has done things he should be ashamed of. He never feels that he is quite worthy of Jillian but that doesn't mean he isn't going to try and win her heart anyway. I'd forgotten how much fun Reseph was at the beginning of the series before his seal broke and he became Pestilence. He was the life and soul of any party and loved to fill his house with music and laughter. Yes, he definitely liked to spend time with beautiful women but more than anything he loved his brothers and sister. The Reseph that we meet now is very different to the one we used to know though, he is much more serious and thoughtful, he genuinely cares about Jillian and wants the best for her even if that means he has to walk away from her so she can have the future she deserves. I actually really enjoyed getting to know the new Reseph, he still has a fun side to him and the way he chases after Jillian was hilarious but he is a lot less shallow than he used to be and his feelings run much deeper too. I would have found it impossible to resist his charms so I'm not surprised Jillian gave in to her attraction even though she was wary of getting hurt again.

Jillian was a brilliant character and perfect for Reseph. She went though a terrible ordeal when she was attacked by demons but she is a survivor. She has cut herself off from the world somewhat but Reseph reminds her what it is like to live and once she starts to come out of her shell again she is a fierce warrior who will protect the people she cares about. I loved the fact that she could and did stand up for herself, she was even willing to face down the other horsemen on Reseph's behalf which took some guts. It is hard for her when Reseph remembers his past and she finds out about all the horrific things he has done but she is able to look past that and see him as the man he is now which is something I don't think many people would be strong enough to do. My heart absolutely broke for Reseph when his memory returned, it was so hard to see him suffering for Pestilence's actions and to see how the family he loved more than anything were pushing him away. I could understand their reluctance to trust him but that didn't make it any less painful to watch. Seeing him claw his way back from utter despair and slowly start to rebuild his relationships was fantastic though. Sure, there is still a long way to go before anyone forgets his past but he's come a long way and I respect him a lot for that.

As much as I loved the romance in Rogue Rider I was also engrossed by the developments in the rest of the world. There are some mind blowing revelations in this book, ones that will have huge consequences as the series continues and that made me incredibly excited to read Reaver. This book just reminded me why Larissa Ione is one of my favourite authors and why this is one of my favourite series. I can't get enough of the Demonica world so I'm just relieved that we have more books to come!

Source: Initially received from publisher via NetGalley but I also received a print copy from Piatkus in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

US Cover
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