Pestilence is the 1st book in The Four Horsemen Series and I loved it.
This is a dark fantasy romance between the 1st Horseman of the Apocalypse, Pestilence, and Sara the firefighter, who tries to kill him, only to realize he can't be killed.
As punishment, he takes her as his prisoner to make her suffer for what she did to him. However as they embarks on this journey through towns and cities as he spreads the plague, in spite of how badly he started off treating her and in spite of how much she hates him, their forced proximity causes them to slowly start developing feeling for each other and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship evolved throughout the course of the novel. I loved the banter and angst between them and I loved seeing their character development.

Although at times dark, this story was also engrossing, funny and entertaining and I couldn't put it down. It was a character driven story that was well paced, and at times emotional. It shows the darker side of humanity but also shows redemption and love.
This was a unique well written tale that was highly engaging and I can't wait to read the other books in this series. I would definitely recommend it.

Perfect for romance/ fantasy lovers! I love how fast paced the story is. Laura is one of my new favorite authors.

This was first published in 2018 as an e-book. It will now be published in paperback. And I have no business enjoying it as much as I did. Basically, a supernatural romance starring 1 of the Four Horseman, Pestilence, and a human woman, Sara Burns. There is a very slow lead-up to their "ahem" romance and you might be as aggravated by Sarah as I was, but Pestilence himself is written so charmingly (for an apocalypse-type monster), that you cannot help but be intrigued.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloom Books for this e-arc.*

Firstly, I’d like to say that Laura Thalassa has a way with words and a way to work a reader’s emotions and I just love anything she writes and will write.

Secondly, this definitely was a different book and at times I felt it was disturbing but I knew exactly what I was getting into when I picked it up.

This is an apocalyptic romance with one of the horsemen. I mean, what else does someone expect to read??? It was going to be problematic and I was so here for it.

Review: This story followed Sara, an ex-firefighter trying to survive after the four horsemen arrived and Pestilence remained while his brothers slept. She and her friends decided who was going to harm Pestilence and she lost the bet.

Her efforts were unsuccessful and she ends up being his prisoner. And as punishment, he carries her around as he lays waste to the human race.

Her being around him did make him more human?! And he slowly became a bit of a softy.. but only for her though… and I will say, that was sweet to see. But I did, at times, have a problem with his dialogue and it almost felt childish.

And him being around her almost made her seem sympathetic to his cause. That was to be expected when she only spends time with him and saw how other people tried to also harm him and her, by association.

The spice in this book was definitely spicy and super swoon worthy. Slow burn vibes and watching them both be conflicted by their feelings, was hot.

Again, I knew what I was getting myself into and I will definitely read the rest of the books in this series.

Thank you to sourcebooks bloom for the eArc of this!

I’m sorry to say that this didn’t work for me. It was just terribly repetitive. Sara gets hurt, pestilence cares for her, she asks why, he answers about how he wants her to suffer, rinse and repeat. Add in some “I think I care about you more than I should” dialogue and inner monologue as the pattern goes on. I just got very, very tired of this. It would maybe have been one thing of the character started to grow on me, but I still felt like Sara was similarly thin in her characterization, and Pestilence just felt like a hot powerful guy.

I’m going to try Thalassa’s bargainer series at some point because I suspect it would go better for me. I think this just wasn’t to my taste.

I enjoyed reading this. The actual writing came off a little immature at times, but I enjoyed the plot, characters, and the smut. Would definitely read the rest of this series. And the cover is beautiful.

I totally understand where all the hype for this book now that I've finally given it and this talented author a chance. What a truly fabulous story. Yes, there are plenty of horrific, graphic and hellish scenes but the unplanned and very unusual pairing of Pestilence and Sara Burns was like nothing I've ever read before and i'm here to say I enjoyed every single word.

I'm not one who typically will seek out a story involving the aftermath of an apocolypse and/or something in the fantasy/paranormal world but the way Thalassa crafted this storyline, I couldn't help but be on board from the very first pages. With the horror of a plague that Pestilence was deigned to spread, I couldn't imagine how Sara would come to be his partner in every way possible. But the tenacious firefighter is clearly the only human who could tame the sexy beast while showing him just how precious life is and that not all mortals are evil and uncaring. In fact, it was a joy and a true bright spot against the backdrop of so much death and destruction that Sara's smart mouth and feisty ways along with her deep compassion for her fellow man began to chip away at Pestilence's newly-found conscience, resetting his own formerly-determined destiny with much surprise and fear.

The way Sara spoke her mind was my favorite part of this well-written book. I definitely have a huge girl crush on her and the way she handled herself no matter the situation. Her bravery at trying to stop Pestilence is what starts this incredible journey and as the days, weeks and months go by, I could feel the pain she endured at her captor's hands as well as the powerful pounding of her heart as she began to fall for him even when she knew better.

Much occurs in the book that is at times hard to read but I found the moments of grace and mercy softened even the harshest of scenes. There is a subtle poignancy to this storyline that is just so enticiing, it clearly tugged at my own sense of humanity, wondering how any of us might react when the end of the world as we know it is suddenly upon us. With the arrival of the Horsemen of the Apocolypse, what Sara learns about herself and the one horseman that she at one time was bound and determined to see gone is something that is powerful and decidedly heartbreaking all at once.

The way this book ends made my heart sing. I wasn't sure how open-ended it might be since I know Pestilence's 3 brothers get their stories told as well and I just wanted a bit of happy amidst all the doom and gloom. What Laura Thalassa does with those last few chapters along with that wonderful epilogue had me smiling broadly and I was beyond satisfied with how she perfectly rectifies any lingering doubts in my mind and for our couple that love can truly conquer all.

A very surprisingly heartwarming adventure, I happily give Pestilence 5+ brilliant stars!

This book was enthralling. Made me question if I should be enjoying it. He held her captive. Took her as prisoner. So many emotions throughout the entire book. Sad parts. Funny parts. Parts I loved. It was a slow burn. But man when the burning started happening I could help but love Pestilence and Sara. Honestly it’s hard to put into words my feelings on this book.

The first horseman! The Plague, I have actually read the book of revelations, and I was scared of what I was getting myself into, how can this author make a romance out of this horseman. How is it going to play out? I enjoyed the romance and the how Pestilence comes around and gives mercy in his way, but idk something about it was a little cringy. Using God and faith and then adding apocalyptic smut into the mix was a little weird for me at times. But like the sap that I am because I am a romance novel lover, I loved Pestilence and Sara together even though the abuse that Sara endured was crazy, I loved how open he became when it came to her and how his presence is explained, it was interesting….. but then again I’m torn because it was cringy at times….

Reread August 2023
This book is the funniest out of all in the series. Don’t forget the major Stockholm syndrome happening from all the book in the series😂 but I inhale this book

Pestilence by Laura Thalassa is the first in the Four Horsemen dystopic series. It's an enemy-to-lovers paranormal romance following Pestilence and Sara. Pestilence has come to Earth to do his job, kill folks through illness, and Sara is out to kill him for murdering everyone she loves. Little does Sara know that Pestilence cannot be killed and finds herself his prisoner. What will happen as they both spend more and more time together?

This book is a whirlwind. Sara is sassy and hilarious. Pestilence is a grumpy jerk (as he is meant to be). The relationship between the two and the 180 degree turn was a bit difficult to believe but it's a paranormal romance so it didn't detract much from how much I enjoyed it. Highly recommend this novel to lovers of paranormal romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebooks.

Side note: peep all my gorgeous editions of this book!

Have you read Pestilence? What were your thoughts?

How did I feel after flipping the last page?

Exhausted. I felt like after they went through everything, knowing in my head that there are 3 more books to come - I was like, oh my. What other madness is going to happen in the coming books? But then again, I’m looking forward to find out what kind of story Laura has created for War, Famine and Death. Initially, I thought this book was just going to be pure darkness and grim so I was surprised when I had so many moments where I was just laughing at Sarah’s inner monologues. I found it endearing as well as to how ‘innocent’ Pestilence was about human emotions or human beings for that matter. I enjoyed the journey as I tagged along with Sarah and Pestilence, I loved seeing how their love for each other flourished throughout the course of time. Pestilence was such an adorable cinammon roll and I loved all his deep thoughts, insights about how cruel the world is.

**SPOLERS BELOW**

I do have some question about the existence of the horsemen but I just don’t know who to ask. LOL. Like, if Pestilence has existed all those years, how come he know so little about human beings in a way? Did he just not bother to try and learn them until he met Sarah? And I’m guessing he was a virgin?

Recommended for those who like:

* Dystopian-fantasy
* Easy to follow world building
* Angsty, slow burn romance with ungodly tension
* Action-packed scenes
* Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse themed
* Excellent banter
* Feisty, funny and sarcastic FMC
* Captivating narrator

Thank you #Netgalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books for an advanced reader’s copy of this book. I will be posting a full series review on my IG once I’m done with all four books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars all around.

”I cannot decide if you are a toxin or a tonic”, he says, lifting a hand to my check. “Only that you plague my thoughts and fill my veins.”

Sara knows one thing for certain: today will likely be her last day on earth because she has drawn the short stick and is now tasked to kill one of the four horseman.

Pestilence knows one thing for certain: his divine task is to roam the world and prepare humanity for their pending annihilation and nothing could possibly stop him, not even a courageous human woman.

But when both of their paths cross, each of them has to acknowledge that what they thought was true about humanity and the other one may not entirely be accurate.

TW// explicit violence, gore, physical abuse, murder

—Personal thoughts—
What a truly excellent way to start off a series! I am so glad I came across this series and simply devoured all four books. first time reading Thalassa and wow what a ride.
If you can neglect the fact that the Horsemen books all feature Stockholm Syndrome (to an extend), the philosophical and moral questions that are discussed are truly impressive. I deeply enjoyed discussing what it means to be human on the one side, and a harbinger of death on the other.
The two main characters connection is not instantaneous, but an intriguing build up with lots of yearning and angst (some of my favourites). And who does not love the One Horse and Body Heat trope?

At this point I’m 3/4 through the series and Pestilence remains my favourite horseman.

I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but complete and utter devastation was not it - and I have zero regrets.

This is an emotional, brutal frontline walk through the first horseman of the apocalypse. Sara is taken by Pestilence after an attempt to kill him, and she gets to experience his plague and see it kill everyone without feeling it herself. Sara was a trained firefighter and first responder, so she cares about peoples' well-being and their pain, and consistently tries to show Pestilence why humanity isn't what he thinks it is, even when sometimes humanity proves to be the bigger monster. It's morally complex and painful, but in the end I kind of felt better about humanity. I was not expecting that.

But how do you get a love story out of that? How do you get sexual tension in the midst of a plague? From that exact same moral complexity. Each of the horsemen is inhumanly beautiful, but they are also in human form for the first time and all that it entails, including experiencing emotions and other facets of human life for the first time. Pestilence doesn't like what he's doing, and he'll admit it, but it's also his purpose. Sara sees him as more than his purpose and somehow you completely understand the way this becomes a love story. The way love is the most powerful of human emotions (and we see it play out in the story as both a good and a bad thing, love is not treated as perfect but as powerful) and that eventually, you love him too.

That's damn good writing. I'm intrigued by where the series story will go, and hope that maybe I don't cry so much in the next book. Have tissues for this one, it hurts.

Laura Thalassa will forever be my favorite author. I loved The Bargainer series and Pestilence/The Four Horsemen series did not disappoint. I love reading apocalyptic stories and with the spice, it was perfection. I will definitely continue to read the series especially because the new covers are amazing. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ebook!

This book is an enemies-to-lovers post-apocalyptic monster romance that I ended up enjoying very much!! I wasn’t sure about the writing at first but it didn’t bother me personally. There were some plot points I found strange but I think the author did a decent job at showing how torn the FMC was with her feelings for the MMC. Overall, I really liked it and I think if anyone wants a stand-alone romance with true enemies, they should pick this up!!

The end of days, has arrived and the four horsemen have come to earth. Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. But suddenly five years after they disappeared without a trace after starting the apocalypse Pestilence returns so spreading death in his wake. Sara’s our MC tries to kill Pestilence’s not knowing that he can't die. Pestilence takes her as his prisoner as punishment so she can suffer for her failed attempt. However, the longer they travel together Sara no longer views herself as a hostage but something more and a dangerous and complex relationship begins to grow between them.

The characters are deeply defined and easy to relate too and the cover art is beautiful.

I loved Sara and her inner dialog as well as her grit and determination.

And Pestilence just wow. He is exactly what you would expect an agent of chaos and destruction until he meets Sara. I loved the slow burn between Sara and Pestilence it doesn't feel forced but steadily evolves. As he slowly finds things about humanity to not be so terrible as he wants to believe m.

This is a really an epic book and a fantastic start to an amazing series. I highly recommend it!!!

I loved this dark romance. I was not expecting to laugh at this one like I did. Sara was such a funny kick butt heroine. Pestilence is such an interesting character. I really enjoyed the story and cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book made me laugh so much. It was spicy. It even made me cry a little. Love love love this story and the new cover is beautiful!

Sara Burns is charged with stopping a horseman of the apocalypse.
Pestilence is tasked with destroying humanity.

Sara, the FMC, is such a compassionate woman which you see time and again throughout the book. I love her sense of humor. It makes her feel so real, like she's someone I would know. Her inner monolouge is fantastic!
Pestilence is something else. He looks for the worst in humanity, so that's all he sees.

This is a true enemies-to-lovers with a nice slow burn.
Im sure there are trigger warnings, so check that if it's a concern for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the chance to read an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

When Pestilence, the first of the horsemen, comes for Sara Burn's town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.
Too bad no one told her Pestilence can't be killed.

Alive and furious, the horseman takes Sara prisoner, determined to make her suffer for impeding his mission. Despite her pleas, nothing and no one gets in the way of his orders to destroy humankind. Only, the longer Pestilence spends beside Sara's bravery and compassion, the more he seems to understand her, and understand humanity. And the longer Sara travels with Pestilence and his plague, the more uncertain she grows about his true feelings toward her…and hers toward him.

Sara might still be able to save the world, but she'll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.

When I first read this book, I was fascinated with paranormal romance. The idea of falling in love with an imaginary non-human character, much less a bringer of the apocalypse, was a new concept to me.
The Four Horsemen arrived on Earth, creating havoc on humanity. They have killed power sources, infrastructures, and most of all people. One day, they just disappeared, which had humans if they have finally received some reprieve. That is, until Pestilence comes back and starts his ride of doom in North America.

In Whistler, Canada, Sara Burns drew the short straw to be the last person standing in her town as most of the townsfolk, including her family, evacuated. Her mission: To end Pestilence as he passes through. The brave firefighter faces her goal head-on but quickly realizes that the Horsemen could not be killed. Now she is his prisoner, going with him through every town as he remorselessly doles out the plague. What's worse is that she isn't sure if it is Stockholm Syndrome or some dystopian disorder, but she certainly could not be developing feelings for him, is she? Maybe the same disorder is making her imagine the looks he throws her way as well.

This story is a cult classic because it contains all the right ingredients with the right balance. The storytelling is perfection. Laura Thalassa did a fantastic job of setting the right pace for different moments in the book. We get the right details to induce an adrenaline rush during the action- and suspense-packed scenes, and I love how she slows down the pace just at the appropriate amount to draw compassion for Sara, Pestilence, and some of the people they meet along the way.

The story itself is engaging. Sara and Pestilence are two opposite lenses into humanity, and throughout this journey, we start to see those lenses converge together to see both the beauty and ugliness of this world. No matter at what point or from what perspective in life you approach this read, it gives you a reminder that,
1. not everything in life will be roses and rainbows, and
2. despite adversities and changes, there is always some good among the people.
I love how those reminders are cleverly set up to be the foundation of Sara and Pestilence's connection.

Speaking of the arc of their relationship was well done. You can't get any more enemies than someone trying to end the other, and to slowly untangle that into a happy ending is a feat; one that Thalassa creatively managed with tension, even when Sara reaches her discoveries in the end.