This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com. 
 I have a confession to make. I'm totally in love with Ares. I practically threw popcorn at the screen when I went to see The Lightning Thief only to find that they COMPLETELY excised Ares' appearances in the film, much less his involvement in the plot. Thus, when I found out that Paranormal Romance maven Larissa Ione was having a go at portraying this oh-so-sexy-and-yet-disturbingly-violent-god-of-war, I squealed with joy. The other point in Ione's favor is that she creates practically my favorite kind of hero, ever. They're totally alpha, they're big, strong, sexy and, frankly, a bit scandalous. Think Regency Rake with a modern twist. Uh: yum. 
 Of course, every highly anticipated book has the possibility of being a double-edged sword. So far I've been very, very lucky this year, in that regard, and Eternal Rider is no exception. As with the Daemonica books, I was immediately sucked into this series. So many authors these days are creating groups of bad ass heroes that care for no one except each other, that it's kind of hard to find one that works. With the Four Horsemen, I think Ione's even more successful at the technique than she was in the Daemonica books. Ares, his two brothers and his sister are a tightly knit group. They're supportive of each other, but not schmaltzy and not without respecting each others' lives and decisions.They also have absolutely no compunction about getting snarky which, being as they're siblings, is as it should be. And, just so we're clear: I'm totally crushing on pre-Pestilence Reseph. Sigh. 
 Regarding Cara, I liked her, but I wish we had learned more about her. This is something I often feel about Ione's writing. We get to know the hero inside out, but the heroine is less developed. It's not that Cara doesn't have any backstory--she certainly does--but I didn't get as much as sense of her personality as I would have liked. Cara's relationship with Ares is--as you'd expect with someone named War, not to mention a Larissa Ione hero--is hot. Due to his nature, Cara's the first woman that Ares is able to be intimate with without inciting violence. Basically, they were made for each other. Plus she helps him moved beyond his tragic past blah blah boohoocakes. 
 I confessed to being a bit mystified at times, regarding the plot. I had thought it would be okay that I hadn't read the last two Daemonica books, but there were definitely events I'd missed out on, not to mention character developments that had me scratching my head. Saying that, I'm curious to see how Eternal Rider reads to someone who has read all of Ione's books in the order she intended them to be read. At the same time, I'm not sure how that speaks to the Lords of Deliverance as a series that is purported to stand on its own. Any thoughts? 
 I want to end this review by saying that this is a series that Kresley Cole fans should hop on, pronto. It's got all the important elements: strong, sexy alpha hero, detailed, complex world-building, and strong, hot romantic elements. But, Kresley Cole fans probably already know that.