Publisher: Forever, Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: Out now
How we got this book: ARC from the publisher
WARRIOR OF HEAVEN
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he’s agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before . . . to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.
ANGEL OF HELL
Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she’s doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan’s lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld’s darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel’s blood . . .
This blurb came from the author’s http://larissaione.com/blog/ website.
MinnChica: The Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series are some of my favorite paranormal romance books. Ever since we first met Reaver, I’ve been anxiously waiting for his shot at a happily ever after. I adore everything about him! And when the truth about Harvester was revealed, I couldn’t wait for these two to get it on. I love them together, Harvester is snarky and funny and witty, and she does such a great job of bringing out the fun side of Reaver. I loved getting more of their back story, especially since Reaver’s was clouded in the unknown!
E: I have been reading this Ione since the Demonica series started and Reaver has always been around. Sometimes helping, sometimes hindering, and always causing trouble. His hate/lust/attempt-to-kill relationship with Harvester throughout the Lords of Deliverence series has certainly been an entertaining one. Ione included some shocking revelations about both of them in the last installment so I was super curious to see where Reaver was going. I loved this installment because Reaver and Harvester had so many thousands of years worth of emotion to deal with not to mention surviving their current predicament and the violent political machinations of Heaven and Hell. I was super excited to see all of the back history Ione revealed and I can’t wait to see what happens to a few other characters in the future.
MinnChica: I was both super excited and super bummed to see most of this book take place in hell. I loved that we got the chance to see more of the Hell world that Ione has created, and I just love the creepy and villainous creatures she has come up with. On the other hand, it was harder for Reaver and Harvester to focus on their romance while constantly on the run from other demons. Although they spent some of that time building a shaky alliance, they didn’t really get the chance to explore their relationship any deeper.
E: See I loved that it was spent in hell with danger lurking on every side because I thought it made them boil down to the essence of what was important. They had so many years, lost or partially held memories, and recent history that cluttered up their normal daily interaction it was good to see them forced to deal with the here and now. I also liked how information came out while they were in hell and one or the other couldn’t just storm off or inflict pain because death or horrific eternal torture was likely to follow. Watching Reaver deal with the knowledge of everything his actions caused and his efforts to make amends was really touching. Seeing Harvester deal with the conflict between who and what she became to keep the vows she made was also a striking testament to the power of love.
In addition to Reaver and Harvester’s struggles in hell, angelic actions and their sheer selfishness was taking its toll on Earth and making Reaver’s efforts to rescue Harvester even more complicated. I thought Ione’s angel characterization really added a lot to this story and the series as a whole. Each time one of the angels showed what they really thought was important regardless of the cost, it was very easy to understand why those that lived on earth resented any touch of angelic or demonic interference. I could also see how those actions were incredibly short-sighted for such a long lived group.
MinnChica: I guess I can understand to a point where you are coming from, and I was glad there were a few times when they had to stick together, because otherwise I could see one or both running quickly for the door. 🙂 I absolutely agree with you regarding the angels. I love that one of Ione’s specialities with this series is her ability to show that not all “good” is purely good, and not all “evil” is purely evil. There are shades of gray in everyone from the angels to the demons. I love getting to see those different aspects of good vs evil playing out in ways that are so similar to human nature. It makes this series so special!
E: Oh my goodness yes! The shades of grey that exist everywhere build so much complexity and enjoyment into the series. I thought events after leaving hell provided the punch of complete romance and self-sacrifice along with groveling when warranted. I also found some of the things that were revealed to be very intriguing and I have hopes about where Ione takes them. Of course I also have a few new individuals that I would LOVE to see get what is coming to them because they are so despicable. Reaver was so worth the wait. Ione has continued to keep this series and the overall Demonica world fresh and exciting. I can’t wait for the next installment.
I give Reaver an A-
MinnChica: All in all I absolutely loved this addition to the Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series. Reaver was more than worth the wait, and his romance with Harvester was both epic and so romantic. I can’t wait to read about some of the new secondary characters that were introduced in this story, and get back to the world of Underground General Hospital! Ione has done a fabulous job with keeping this series exciting and unique, and I am super anxious for more!
I give Reaver an A-
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