The Wrath (Rise of the Warlords #4)

Gena Showalter

Blurb:

For centuries, Rathbone the Only, King of Agonies, has existed for one recovering the enchanted bones of his slain wife to bring her back to life. He’s never been closer to success. But a new enemy has risen. A band of deadly war gods who have thirty days to destroy her or suffer the consequences. With time running out, Rathbone hires a maddening harpy-oracle, unaware she has an agenda of her own.

Neeka the Unwanted is a fierce warrior on a stop Rathbone and the gods. She’s seen the future if either is victorious, and it’s horrifying. She’ll do whatever proves necessary to forge a new path, even seduce the ruthless royal from his purpose. What she can’t predict? How the intense male will shatter her hard-won defenses along the way.

As Rathbone battles unexpected betrayals, cunning foes and the wild temptress he craves with every fiber of his being, he knows he must hold on to a cold dream or embrace a new flame.

Themes: Paranormal

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Well, that was completely unexpected in the best of ways. When we first learned the names of the characters to be featured in this story I knew right away it was going to be amazing because Neeka is a crazy harpy with so many sides to her and so much going on in that brain of hers that there was no way it couldn’t be hilarious, but I had no clue just what I was in for. The combination of Rathbone and Neeka’s personalities was combustible and even when they were on opposite sides and not seemingly fighting for the same goals you were left wondering how they were not seeing that they were so obviously made for one another. As usual Gena’s twisty and twiny storyline keeps you wondering what the heck is going on and just how they are going to pull out a win for the lovers right up to the very last moment, but I never doubted that Rathbone and Neeka would kick butt and find a way to have the love to defeat all enemies. I really look forward to what could be coming next because every book seems impossible to top, but Gena manages to do it every time.

Rathbone has spent centuries attempting to resurrect his late wife, and he is very close to succeeding, but now he has to defeat one of the Astra in order to reach his goal. Looking for a leg-up in his quest, he enlists the assistance of the slightly off-balance Harpy oracle Neeka the Unwanted, but she has her own goals in the war with the Astra and Rathbone. Neeka has seen so many possible futures and forgotten too much information, but she knows that is she allows Rathbone to succeed in his quest it will mean the death of all those she loves and she refuses to allow that. Working with him, while at the same time thwarting him in small ways, she slowly begins to feel more for him than just intense desire and it is proving not to be one-sided. For the first time in centuries, Rathbone is questioning his future and his feelings for his bride, but when a betrayal he never sees coming almost costs him the harpy he is coming to love, he has to decide how much he is willing to lose and what he really wants from his future.

I truly loved every moment of this story. It was filled with so many revelations for both Neeka and Rathbone as they found themselves changing and growing together. Rathbone has spent far too long stuck on the idea of his perfect woman, but the more he desires and comes to care for Neeka the more his eyes are opened to the truths around him and the facts he has overlooked for so long. He has kept his head buried in the sand for so long, hiding behind hurt and feelings of abandonment, but when Neeka finally shows him that someone can care for him just the way he is, with no restrictions or need to change, he learns the true meaning of love. His strength, determination, subtle sweetness, and willingness to support the woman he loves man him an interesting character once you dug through the badass King of the Underworld persona. Neeka was an interesting harpy for sure; with her own mommy issues, fears of inadequacy, and worries about not succeeding in her goals, she is constantly on the move in her attempts to prevent the futures she sees. I enjoyed her wackiness and her ability to just let it fly when something comes out of her mouth, but the best part of her personality was the way she always sacrificed and battled for those she loved, even at the cost of herself. There is truly no greater hero in my opinion than those that will do anything, even give up their own lives and happiness, if it protects those that they consider theirs.

While I assumed that this story was going to revolve around the next Astra finding his mate, it was really only loosely connected to that series in my opinion, in the fact that it was centered around the next Astra challenge, which was a new idea for a connected series. The main core of the story is the connection and love that developed between Rathbone and Neeka as they worked together, which at many times seemed to have been working against the Astra. I enjoyed getting to delve into the winding and somewhat mazelike psyche of Neeka and see her find her way not only to a future where she saves those she loves, but also where she gets her HEA with Rathbone. She has had a trying life to this point to say the least and getting to see her find some happiness was rewarding. Rathbone was a jerk for a large portion of the book, making me wish I had the option to reach out and kick him right in the nuts, but as that is not possible, I am glad that more than once he got his butt handed to him. Luckily he pulled his head out of his ass and found a way to open his heart to Neeka. The Chemistry between Neeka and Rathbone is undeniable and when they spend more and more time together it becomes and powder keg ready to ignite more than once, and when it finally does it blows sky high. I really loved that Gena gave us a hint of what will be coming next and I am now looking forward to that even more, but the wait is certainly going to be torturous. Gena never fails to prove that some people are just made to be writers and some of us are made to be their fangirls.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.