Riders by Veronica Rossi

Riders by Veronica Rossi
(Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Published by Tom Doherty Associates on February 16th 2016
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, General, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC

Riders. A new fantasy adventure from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Veronica Rossi.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?

When you pick up this book, please do not expect Under the Never Sky.

Seriously, I think that sometimes we set preconceived ideas when we start a new series from a beloved author based on their previous work, and you do a disservice to both yourself and the author when you do that.

Riders is absolutely nothing like UNTS and rightly so. Set in our world, the story revolves around angels, demons and the Four Horsemen … OF THE APOCALYPSE. Yes that’s right.

Rossi tells this story in a series of flashbacks that lead us to the situation that Gideon finds himself in on the very first page… tied to a chair, gagged and head covered with a hood and no idea where he is.

I immediately found myself connecting with Gideon … his dry humor and snark were present throughout and you all know I appreciate that quality in a character and that made me that much more interested in the story he was telling. The first 75% or so of this first installment is setting the stage for what comes next, and Rossi did it in a way that kept me engaged and turning pages.

Gideon of course isn’t perfect and I love that Rossi creates characters who are flawed and yet I find myself loving them so much. Of course, there are three other horsemen who we meet as Gideon tells the story, and I can’t wait to learn more about each of them

This definitely isn’t your typical angels/demons story and I think if you can stick with the slower paced start, you’re definitely going to find yourself intrigued with the story that Rossi is telling. I know I’m excited to see where book 2 takes us, especially with that ending! Definitely get this one on your to read list today!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

About Veronica Rossi

Veronica Rossi is a best selling author of fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, was the first in a post-apocalyptic trilogy. Released in January 2012, it was deemed one of the Best Books of Year by School Library Journal. The series appeared in the NY Times and USA Today best seller lists and was published in over 25 foreign markets.
Her second series for young adults will begin with RIDERS (publishing February 16, 2016), the story of four modern day teens who become incarnations of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and the prophetic girl who brings them together.
Veronica completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She is a lifelong reader and artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she has lived in Mexico, Venezuela, and all over the United States, to finally settle in Northern California with her husband and two sons.
When not writing, Veronica enjoys reading (it’s worth repeating), painting, and running. She does NOT like anything involving numbers, the addition of them, subtraction of them, you name it. They terrify her. Her obsessions generally lead to fictional works. Currently, she’s delving deep in to Ancient Greece.
This. Is. Spartaaaa!
What else? This is getting more fun, isn’t it?
She–okay, I–am a huge fan of the SF Giants and the Golden State Warriors. I know, I know. Book types and sporty types shouldn’t be one in the same, but what can I say? I’m breaking the mold. Continuing. I have an irrational love of elephants. They make me cry, but it’s the best kind of cry. On other end of the spectrum, I abhor the shrill squeak styrofoam makes when it’s coming out of a box. Just typing that sentence made me want to scream. Needless to say, Christmas is great, but also really tough on me.
It’s probably time to wrap this up. If you’re here, it’s likely because you’ve read one of my books, or because you’re thinking about reading one of my books. Either way, thank you. Writing fulfills me like nothing else and I feel exceedingly fortunate to also call it my profession.
Speaking of which, for professional inquiries, please contact Josh Adams at Adams Literary.

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