Review: Riders (#1, Riders) by Veronica Rossi

My Thoughts

An action-packed series starter.

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Synopsis

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen–Conquest, Famine, and Death–are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now–bound, bloodied, and drugged–Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for–not to mention all of humankind–he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

My Review

As first seen on USA Today

“Red, white, black and pale. A bona fide posse.”

War, Conquest, Death and Famine. With her newest release, Riders, author Veronica Rossi thrusts us into an apocalyptic urban fantasy where four unlikely boys cheat death only to be tasked with saving humankind from enslavement. The novel begins in the present day and through an interrogation-style framework, we learn what’s transpired.

We meet 18-year-old Gideon Blake after he falls to his death, just a year after his father faced the same fate. Guilt and rage have ravaged the ache with which he’s been left, mostly directed at himself.

“All I had was anger. Anger that was… immense. Immense and burning, like I was carrying the sun around inside me.”

Gideon should have died when he fell, but instead wakes in the hospital, a seamless crimson cuff wrapped around his wrist. His injuries are extensive, but he soon finds his body healing supernaturally fast. Shortly after, he meets a mysterious girl, Daryn, who gives him the bare-minimum truth on who he is now – War – one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Gideon joins Daryn in seeking Conquest, Famine and Death, as they are chased by the frightening Kindred who seek a powerful object entrusted to Daryn. The horsemen must protect it at all costs while the Kindred need it for dominion.

“If the Kindred gain control of it, they’ll open a realm where they’ll rule.”

Gideon/War, Sebastian/Famine, Marcus/Death and Jode/Conquest can each wield unique and powerful weapons, manipulate emotions and conjure up horses that mirror who they are. The horses are impressive and vividly described … one of my favorite elements of the novel. Gideon and Riot (his horse), lead the group in a burst of fury and flames in a showdown that ultimately fails.

Gideon is held captive by an unknown authority, forced to recount everything that’s happened until now. But things aren’t what they seem, and Rossi delivers a surprising end to this fast-paced apocalyptic tale. Readers will surely be clamoring for more, especially as we continue to further explore the story’s characters. Overall, Riders is a quickly devoured story that moves quickly, I hope we see deeper explorations of character and plot as the series evolves.

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