DemonessTenebrae

"But gods, he was incredible. Standing in the UG parking lot, he'd looked like a giant goth biker, wrapped in leather and chains, his massive boots sporting wicked talons at the tips. Even the backs of his fingerless gloves were adorned with metal studs at the knuckles. She'd always hated the tough-guy bullshit but Revenant had fucking owned it. She got the impression that he lived his life that way; if he wanted it, he owned it."

Revenant. A villain, a hero, an angel, a demon. He is a complex being. And a hero of the "last" of the "Lords of Deliverance" series. I mean "last" as in the last from the main characters, the Horsemen and their family. The author mentioned she plans to make side-stories that will be shorter than the full novellas but not by much. They will be made the same way "Azagoth" was in the 1001 Dark Pleasures edition. I'm looking forward to it. Azagoth was great. 

Revenant is Reaver's long lost brother. His twin brother. A shadow angel. The strongest being in Sheoul next to Dark Lord himself. He was raised in Sheoul and led to believe he was a vyrm, an offspring between an angel and a fallen angel. He believed that until he found out the truth and realized just how much his destiny sucked. From two twin brothers one had to go to heaven while the other had to stay in Sheoul. He was chosen as a newborn to be raised in literal hell. Since the moment he found out what and who he really was, he couldn't stop questioning the decision damning him to life in hell. Was he the evil twin? Did his mother saw him as the one more inclined to this kind of life? Because it was his mother that chose to damn him to hell. But she also stayed with him. And that is what he couldn't explain. If she saw him as evil, why did she volunteered to stay in hell? 

A troubled soul standing at the crossroads. He will either succeed and finally have a life or he will fail and that would be the end of Revenant, the Destroyer. All this questions, all the mixed emotions and asshole angels who refused to help him while Satan demanded the proof of his loyalty was put aside when he met Blaspheme.

Blaspheme, a beautiful UG doctor that is a False Angel on the outside but hides something deep beneath those fake layers. She is also in a very big trouble that not only involves and puts her life at risk but also her mother's. Her mother is a fallen angel and she is hunted by the Eradicators, heaven's executioners. Blaspheme believes that this is happening because she is a vyrm, an offspring of her fallen angel mother and her angel father. Namely, vyrms are considered abominations in heaven and hell and both sides hunt them down and kill them. That's why they are so rare and most live in hiding. Blaspheme's mother has sacrificed a False Angle when Blaspheme was born so she could have the disguise of one. She had all the talents and characteristics of a False Angel but they were disappearing as the time passed. Now, she had to make a decision, she will either have to sacrifice another or she will have to reveal her true colours and stand up to her pursuers. 

Amidst all of the confusion, a dark, sexy, forbidden male appears before her. A person she should never associate with especially not now that her disguise is fading away. But this particular male doesn't seem to give up and he has found something that he finds irresistible about her. 

Revenant and Blaspheme found each other in the crucial time in their lives where everything was at stake. Their lives and their future. If not for each other, they would have failed an achieving their destiny.

"Hmmm." Rolling her bottom lip between her teeth, she teased him by tracing the veins in his shaft with her finger. "Was that an invitation?"

"Yes," he ground out. "An invitation, an order. A motherfucking plea. Call it what you want, just fuck me."

"Show me your fangs."

Instant fangage. He'd show her his freaking liver if she'd just make him come.

About the book.

I found "Revenant" very good which is to say it isn't the best it could be. Why not? Because there was something missing. Something. For the final book and such a bad boy who hangs between literal Heaven and Hell, this book should have been darker, richer, spicier... His background story is difficult and sad but it isn't menacingly dark. Most of this book had that happy undertone where you just knew nothing bad would happen. And if something bad does happen, something else will come along to fix it and make it happy again.

I dislike comparing authors because each one has its own style but I will make an exception here. And I won't compare. I will just say that this book should have been more on the track of Karen Marie Moning's "Fever" series and the dark, menacing aura that surrounded Barrons, the main character. That would have made this story befitting of the end of the "Lords of Deliverance" series.

Despite the missing ingredient, everything else was great. Just like it usually is where Larissa Ione is concerned.

The relationship between Revenant and Blaspheme was at times frustrating, at times full of lust, at times sweet and a lot of times funny. They really do work well together, the chemistry is there. But again, it is so evident that they will be together that there was no mystery really. All that was left was to see how exactly will their union progress. The same goes for the prophecy considering Revenant. Despite details being vague, it was obvious he will make it happen. And that is that missing ingredient. More mystery, suspense and rich flavour. 

But on the other hand, the humour is one thing Larissa Ione knows how to handle very well. A lot of times I laugh out loud when reading her books. They are... somewhat cheerful. That is her style. 

"You don't appreciate confidence?"

"I don't appreciate arrogance. There is a difference."

"And what is the difference?"

"Confidence is arrogance without an asshole."

"Too bad Soduchi was an arrogant ass. But then, most surgeons were. No werewolf blood needed for that. Just a medical degree."

About the overall series.

"Lords of Deliverance" is a great series altogether. But not better than the "Demonica" (not for me). "Demonica" was a fresh, spicy series that made me giggle and made me flush but "Lords of Deliverance" wasn't like that. I felt as though everything was revealed to me at the beginning. I knew exactly how the relationships will turn out and how the family ties will progress. I knew they would beat evil with little or no damage to themselves. It was very predicable and it followed a pattern. The thing about Eidolon, the UG and Eidolon's brothers was the new, inventive turn. The idea of a demon hospital, of the brothers of different species, of the Aegis and government involvement... everything was exciting. Then it wasn't anymore. No surprises left. All we had left was an experienced author with a good sense of irony, sarcasm and humour which gave stories a passable grade.

I hope Larissa Ione finds that spark again. An idea which will put her great sense of writing to good use and give us more rich stories with a fresh outlook.