Author: Larissa Ione

Review: Reaper by Larissa Ione

Posted November 4, 2019 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Reaper by Larissa IoneReviewer: Casee
Reaper by Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica #19
Also in this series: Azagoth
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 325
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Casee's 2019 GoodReads Challenge, Goodreads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

THE DEMONICA SERIES RETURNS...

He is the Keeper of Souls. Judge, jury, and executioner. He is death personified.

He is the Grim Reaper.

A fallen angel who commands the respect of both Heaven and Hell, Azagoth has presided over his own underworld realm for thousands of years. As the overlord of evil souls, he maintains balance crucial to the existence of life on Earth and beyond. But as all the realms gear up for the prophesied End of Days, the ties that bind him to Sheoul-gra have begun to chafe.

Now, with his beloved mate and unborn child the target of an ancient enemy, Azagoth will stop at nothing to save them, even if it means breaking blood oaths and shattering age-old alliances.

Even if it means destroying himself and setting the world on fire…

Azagoth and Lilliana are happily mated. They also have a baby on the way. Both of them are pretty much deliriously happy. Then Lilliana faints and Azagoth knows he has to send her to Underworld General, a place that he can’t follow.

After finding out that she was poisoned, Lilliana knows that she can’t go back to Sheoul-gra. When she tries to leave UG, chaos ensues. There are Fallen Angels at the door and they are almost impossible to beat. Lilliana goes into the Harrowgate which will take her to safety. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen and Lilliana finds herself in hell.

When Azagoth is told about Lilliana, he is devastated and absolutely furious. His first instinct is to go after Lilliana, but he can’t. As the Grim Reaper, Azagoth has an unlimited amount of power, but only in Sheoul-gra. He also can’t leave Sheoul-gra. All he can do is call in his allies and prepare for war.

As a prisoner of a psychotic demon that wants Satan released, Lilliana doesn’t worry about herself. She only worries for her child. And Azagoth. Lilliana knows that Azagoth will not only never recover from their deaths, but revert back to the demon that she first met.

When Heaven decides the only course of action is to destroy Azagoth, things start going downhill. Still, Azagoth will do whatever it takes to save his mate. Even if he dies trying to get her back.

I really, really liked this book. Azagoth is sort of an anti-hero. He’s evil, but there’s goodness in him. He never expected to mate and it’s obvious that he’s thrown and is trying to deal with feeling so much for one person. Still, Lilliana an Azagoth somehow make it work. The action in this book is amazing. Larissa isn’t afraid to take risks. In Reaper, her risks paid off.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.



four-stars


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Sunday Spotlight: Reaper by Larissa Ione

Posted November 3, 2019 by Casee in Features | 5 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

I’ve been a long time Larissa Ione fan. I started reading this series when the first book came out. I’ve been hooked ever since. Reaper is about Agazoth, whom we have already met. I read and reviewed Agazoth back in 2016. I really, really enjoyed him and Lilliana. I think this book is going to be a great addition to this series. If you like a good, sexy paranormal romance, this is definitely the series for you. If you give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Sunday Spotlight: Reaper by Larissa IoneReaper by Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica #19
Also in this series: Azagoth, Reaper
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 325
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating: four-stars

THE DEMONICA SERIES RETURNS...

He is the Keeper of Souls. Judge, jury, and executioner. He is death personified.

He is the Grim Reaper.

A fallen angel who commands the respect of both Heaven and Hell, Azagoth has presided over his own underworld realm for thousands of years. As the overlord of evil souls, he maintains balance crucial to the existence of life on Earth and beyond. But as all the realms gear up for the prophesied End of Days, the ties that bind him to Sheoul-gra have begun to chafe.

Now, with his beloved mate and unborn child the target of an ancient enemy, Azagoth will stop at nothing to save them, even if it means breaking blood oaths and shattering age-old alliances.

Even if it means destroying himself and setting the world on fire…

Excerpt

Lilliana woke to someone tap dancing on her bladder.

Groaning, she rolled over and bumped into Azagoth. Pleasantly surprised that he was still in bed, she ignored her need to pee and curled up against him.

She’d missed this so much while she was gone.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his husky voice even more gravelly than usual.

“Morning.” She snuggled into his shoulder. “I’m surprised you’re not working.”

He yawned. “You wore me out last night.”

Smiling against his skin, she trailed her fingers along the hard ridges and deep valleys of his abs.

“I wanted to show you how grateful I was that you threw me a baby shower.” And she’d done it without getting too active. Eidolon couldn’t begrudge her one orgasm, right?

“Mmm.” He pressed a kiss into her hair. “You must have been very grateful.”

She slid her hand under the sheet and meandered her way to the curve of his hip. She might be a million months into her pregnancy, but her sex drive didn’t care in the least.

“I’m still grateful.”

He hissed as her knuckles brushed his shaft. “Not complaining.”

It truly had been sweet of him to gather together the denizens of Sheoul-gra for a big celebration of food, drink, and games in the traditions of people from the human, demon, and angelic cultures. She’d suffered two more bouts of intense nausea and some cramps, but they’d passed quickly. What hadn’t passed was Azagoth’s concern.

Which was probably why he was still in bed with her.

It was cute the way he hovered. Annoying at times, but cute.

“I just want you to know that you’re my life,” he said. “Without you, I’m a monster.”

“And what are you with me?”

He gave her a rare, boyish grin, made even more playful by his mop of bedhead. “A happy monster.”

“I’m very happy about the happy.” She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“Things are good, Lil,” he said. “I never thought much about being a partner, let alone a parent, but I want to do these things with you.” He settled his hand on her belly and smiled with wonder. “This will be my first child born without a predetermined future. He or she can be anything. Do anything.”

“Incredible, isn’t it?” She pushed up on one elbow and leaned in to kiss his chest. She’d kissed every inch of him last night. Maybe she’d lick every inch of him this morning. “And our baby will be born to parents who love each other.”

Determined to show him how much she loved him, she kissed her way lower. Her lips whispered over his nipple, but before she could taste him, a cramp wrenched her insides. She sucked in a harsh breath, her hand going to her belly.

“What is it?” Azagoth jackknifed up, his expression dark with worry. “Is it the baby?”

Fierce heat swelled beneath the surface of her skin as her abdomen tightened. “I think it might be Braxton Hicks,” she said between panting breaths.

“What?”

“Cara had them.” Closing her eyes to stop the room from spinning, she eased back onto her pillow. “They’re like practice contractions.”

She didn’t remember Cara complaining about being hot and sweating buckets, though. Another cramp streaked through her, and she moaned. Cara had said they were painful, as if someone were squeezing her intestines.

This was more like someone was driving a red-hot blade through them.

“You’re white as a ghost, Lilli.”

Something’s wrong.

No, nothing was wrong. She was being paranoid.

Azagoth rested his palm on her forehead, testing her temperature. “Are these Hicks things supposed to be like this?”

She heard the panic in his voice but not the words. Her ears were buzzing. Her head was pounding. And, suddenly, a wave of agony wrapped around her and squeezed so hard she screamed. Vaguely, she heard Azagoth call out her name as a warm gush spread between her thighs.

“Lilliana? Lilliana!” His voice droned in and out as the room began to tilt. There was shouting. More pain. Her thoughts fragmented.

And then, finally…nothing.

Demonica



Giveaway Alert

We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

Sunday Spotlight: November 2019

Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About Larissa Ione

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.


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Review: Azagoth by Larissa Ione

Posted March 16, 2016 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Azagoth by Larissa IoneReviewer: Casee
Azagoth by Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica #13
Also in this series: Reaper

Publication Date: June 4th 2014
Pages: 158
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Even in the fathomless depths of the underworld and the bleak chambers of a damaged heart, the bonds of love can heal...or destroy. He holds the ability to annihilate souls in the palm of his hand. He commands the respect of the most dangerous of demons and the most powerful of angels. He can seduce and dominate any female he wants with a mere look. But for all Azagoth's power, he's bound by shackles of his own making, and only an angel with a secret holds the key to his release. She's an angel with the extraordinary ability to travel through time and space. An angel with a tormented past she can't escape. And when Lilliana is sent to Azagoth's underworld realm, she finds that her past isn't all she can't escape. For the irresistibly sexy fallen angel known as Azagoth is also known as the Grim Reaper, and when he claims a soul, it's forever...

Azgoth is Larissa Ione’s novella that was published in 1001 Dark Nights, Bundle 2. I usually don’t read novellas because they are just too short and I don’t believe the author has enough pages to develop a story, let alone a character. Supposedly this one clocked in longer than your usual novella and I really like the Demonica series so I gave it a shot. I was right. There just aren’t enough pages.

Azagoth is literally the Grim Reaper. Once an angel with emphatic abilities, he couldn’t take the emotion of every person he came into contact with. As his power grew, so did his abilities and he didn’t even have to come into contact with anyone. So he Fell. Very, very far. As the Grim Reaper, he decides where the souls go in Hell. He also has sex with a lot of angels and it’s not until you learn his back story that you realize why.

After awhile, Azagoth decides he’s done serving as Heaven’s stud and he wants an angel mate instead. Obviously the angels can’t make him do much of anything, but they want to make him happy. So they find a disgraced angel for him. Not a Fallen Angel, but an angel that is in big trouble. Lilliana is given a choice to mate Azagoth or get her powers taken away. Her powers are what got her in trouble in the first place, but she still doesn’t want to lose them.

Azagoth can tell she’s going to be trouble the moment he lays eyes on her. He likes it. She doesn’t. She already has a plan to escape without losing her power. This is one of the times more explanation would have been nice. As a time traveling angel, I understood what she needed and how she was going to escape, but how was she going to escape punishment? You learn later in the book, but it’s only explained in half of a page.

I enjoyed parts of this book and parts I didn’t. I just can’t get behind novellas.

Rating 3.5 out of 5

three-half-stars


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Guest Review: Chained by Night by Larissa Ione

Posted March 23, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Chained by Night by Larissa IoneReviewer: Tracy
Chained by Night by Larissa Ione
Series: Moonbound Clan Vampires #2
Also in this series: Bound by Night

Publication Date: September 30th 2014
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

THE FUTURE OF HIS TRIBE
Leader of the vampire clan MoonBound, Hunter will do what he must to save his people from extinction—or worse, a torturous eternity as vampire slaves and subjects of human experimentation. To keep his enemies at bay, he has agreed to mate a rival clan leader’s daughter in return for peace between the clans and an ally in the looming war with the humans.

THE LOVER OF HIS SOUL
But survival comes at a price. First, Hunter must break an ancient curse by successfully negotiating three deadly tests. Then he must resist the searing passions of the gorgeous vampire warrior he despises but is bound to mate. Will Hunter stay true to his word? Or will he risk everything for the woman he really loves: the vampire seductress’s identical twin sister?

Tracy’s review of Chained by Night (Moonbound Clan Vampires #2) by Larissa Ione

In book one of this series we learned that a midwife had been taken by a company by the name of Daedalus. The midwife was in the care of the Moonbound Clan at the time but she actually belonged to the ShadowSpawn Clan. ShadowSpawn vampires are evil, nasty people and when they kidnapped Nicole, Riker and another vamp named Lucy, the only way to stop a war from occurring was for the leader of the Moonbound Clan, Hunter, to agree to marry the ShadowSpawn leaders oldest daughter, Rasha.

Rasha is a warrior but a complete bitch of a woman. She makes Hunter’s skin crawl and the thought of mating with her makes him sick to his stomach. Her twin sister Aylin, however, makes his blood sing and the more he gets to know her the more he likes her.

When Hunter tells Rasha that they need to go on a quest so that a demon won’t take their firstborn child Rasha refuses. Luckily for Hunter Aylin agrees to take her place and they head off on the quest. Aylin proves to be an incredibly strong woman despite a handicap she has and Hunter starts to fall in love. He wants nothing more than to be with Aylin but as he made an agreement to marry Rasha, he can’t go back on that. It tortures both of them but they find there is no solution to the problem.

Another great book in the Moonbound Clan series. This book was SO very different from the first book in the series but still oh, so good. I loved the expansion of the world that Ione created to include a different dimension. The situation that Hunter and Aylin find themselves in puts them together and has them growing closer in a life or death situation. It may have been extreme circumstances that put them together but they ended up seeing the real people behind the outer skin.

Once they were back in the clan my heart broke for them. Ione did a great job of showing us how tortured they were to be apart and to know that Rasha was coming between them was horrible. Rasha was such shrew I just didn’t like her at all. She really tried to protect Aylin at times but treated her like crap at the same time. When certain information came to light about the twins I disliked her even more.

I have to say that I was a little confused as to why the demon would take Hunter’s firstborn with Rasha when he had had a child previously. It did state that the baby had died but it didn’t say how old the child was. Wouldn’t that have been Hunter’s first born? Wouldn’t the demon have taken that one? I was confused.

Despite that issue I really liked the book. It was exciting in so many ways and I couldn’t put it down until I was done. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and I’m looking forward to getting to know the Moonbound Clan a little better.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This title is available from Pocket Books. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

four-stars


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Guest Review: Bound by Night by Larissa Ione

Posted March 19, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Bound by Night by Larissa IoneReviewer: Tracy
Bound by Night by Larissa Ione

Publication Date: September 24th 2013
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four-stars

Nicole Martin was only eight years old when she narrowly survived a massacre: her family’s vampire slaves rebelled and killed everyone in her household. Twenty years later, Nicole now dedicates herself to finding a vaccine against vampirism…and eradicating the gruesome memories that give her nightmares.

Riker, a member of the wild vampire Moon Clan, is haunted by his own demons—his wife Lorraine had been captured and enslaved by the Martin family. It was during a botched escape attempt that she was killed, along with their unborn child. Still wracked with grief and anger, Riker is now fueled solely by the desire to rescue vampire slaves…and slaughter their owners.

When Riker stumbles upon Nicole in a chance meeting, he immediately recognizes her as a member of the Martin family that once enslaved his wife—and she recognizes him as the wild vampire she saw kissing a pregnant slave in the moments before her violent death—an image that has haunted her dreams for years.

When Riker kidnaps Nicole and they spend a night together in a cave on the way back to his clan, suddenly they begin to realize that they aren’t as different from one another as they may have thought—and they’re finding themselves drawn to one another…

Tracy’s review of Bound by Night (Moonbound Clan Vampires #1) by Larissa Ione

When Nicole was eight years old there was a vampire uprising (vampires are slaves/servants in her world) and she was attacked. Her parents were killed but she survived and was then sent to live with a relative in Paris. She became a scientist and is an expert on vampire physiology. When she hit age 28 she was forced back to Seattle and into the CEO position for her family business called Daedalus. The company is legitimate but there’s a darker side to it that Nicole and the general public has no knowledge of.

Riker is a made vampire and part of the Moonbound Clan. When a midwife is taken and held at a Daedalus facility Riker kidnaps Nicole so that he can force her to free the woman. Riker is incredibly attracted to Nicole even though he believes he hates her. Nicole hates Riker as she believes that he killed her vampire nanny – Riker’s mate – 20 years earlier.

While Nicole is held at the Moonbound Clan lair she starts to see vampires in a completely new light and one she actually likes. She beats her fear of vampires and ends up helping them try to get the midwife back. Unfortunately there are people that Nicole though she could trust that betray her and soon she becoming everything she thought she hated.

I haven’t read a vampire novel in a good long time that I liked as much as I did this book. I loved the world that Ione created here as it’s so different from anything I’ve read before. The vampires as the oppressed people, working as servants and slaves – defanged and “trained” to be calm and non-threatening – it all made for some good reading.

Nicole was a great heroine. I completely understood her fear of vampires after what she went through as a child. I liked how the author didn’t make her immediately feel comfortable or safe within the lair. She was still scared throughout most of the book and for me it was more realistic that way.

Riker was a man who had issues but they were understandable. He was a good guy with a good heart but was a bit belligerent about quite a few things. He fought himself when it came to Nicole but eventually caved to the attraction and that ended up working in his favor as she became his mate.

The story, the world-building, the secondary characters (who played a big role in the story) and the romance were all so good. When I finished this book I immediately picked up book two as it was that good. Even if you’re not normally a fan of, or have been burned out on, vampires I recommend you pick this one up.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This title is available from Pocket Books. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

four-stars


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