On a Red Horse by Monica Corwin

Scarlet needs a new job, but Horseman of the Apocalypse doesn't sound good on a resume. Three years ago she followed her companions to Earth in an effort to live human lives. But the moment she left her husband Tyr she knew life wouldn't be worth living. Lonely and longing for her husband, Scarlet is on a path of destruction that could endanger all the riders.

Tyr, god of justice, hunts his wife across the realms. From Hell to the Golden Throne, he travels until he finds her working as a phone operator. Scarlet is no longer the woman he fell in love with, and he is determined to bring that woman back to him if it takes the rest of eternity.

Even though the Horsemen live on Earth, they are still responsible for guarding four seals that can unleash the Apocalypse. When a prophecy is awoken by a deity who only has her own interests at heart, they must go on the defensive to keep their homes on Earth and protect the seals. If even one seal opens, it will start a chain reaction that will force the Horsemen to take up their mantles and destroy the new lives they've worked so hard to build.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
Urban Fantasy might be the ultimate feminist genre. The best heroines kick ass while they challenge gender roles and sexual norms. And after characters like Gin Blanco, Cat Crawfield, and even Anita Blake, my expectations of Urban Fantasy stories are high. The idea of female horsemen of the apocalypse is an intriguing one. As a fan of Lucifer, the idea of dangerous immortals living among us also caught my interest.

Unfortunately, beyond the premise of this story, I found myself thoroughly underwhelmed.

In most Urban Fantasy, at least one character is human and needs the fantasy elements of the world explained to them. All of the characters in this story are deities and there is an assumption that they all know and understand the complicated realms they move between. For me as a reader, it just doesn’t work. There just isn’t enough world building here for me to believe in this story. Too many immortal characters, too many mythologies, and too many worlds made me confused. The first part of the story limps, the last part of the book races, and there are too many things left unexplained in the middle.

When characters are strong and well developed, I can get over weak world building. But Scarlet is confusing. I don’t understand her poverty, her day job, or her sudden wealth. She is isolated, even from the other horsemen. I don’t fully understand her role as War. Where I would expect War to be a kickass heroine, Scarlet gets weepy. When her husband randomly appears after a long absence, she just falls in line. There isn’t much romance – just a change of address. The unnaturally stilted speech didn’t help me warm to Scarlet or any of the other characters.

Tyr provides an alpha male romantic partner for Scarlet – but they are already married and he isn’t the most entertaining guy in the world. Dialogue feels forced and sex scenes feel dated. The final (and only) action sequence doesn’t involve much of any action. I wanted more of the sisterhood we see glimpses of at the end. I wanted more emotion. I wanted more action. And if an author includes a romance – it has to be one I believe in.

Monica Corwin is an outspoken writer who attempts to make romance accessible to everyone no matter his or her preference. As a new Northern Ohioan, Monica enjoys snow-drifts, three seasons, and a dislike of the Michigan football program. When not writing Monica spends time with her daughter and her ever growing collection of Arthurian Legend tomes.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of On a Red Horse (Revelations #1) by Monica Corwin to read and review.