It’s safe to say I was highly disappointed by this book. I had seen it around the book community for a while and even chose it as the pick for my book club. With the rerelease of this series coming up I received an ARC through NetGalley.

This book has an interesting concept. I haven’t read many apocalyptic books. I honestly thought this would take place in the past and was surprised that it took place in modern day. I did really like what it added to the concept and again made it feel more apocalyptic. I was very excited for the enemies to lovers and forced proximity aspect of the book but unfortunately everything fell flat for me.

I felt it was hard to relate to Sara and I didn’t feel any chemistry with her and Pestilence. The story is quite repetitive, they travel, stop at a house, she begs him to stop the plague, he doesn’t, they continue on and are ambushed every now and then. The ending was very bland.. I expected to know more about their world but instead it was relationship focused.

I honestly did not understand Sara & Pestilence’s relationship in the slightest.. I felt that they needed a better dynamic and perhaps had more banter. Instead they went from nothing to randomly hinting at something to not getting along to suddenly being all in. Sara’s stance on caring for Pestilence but wanting him to stop the plague was confusing. She never really took the time to understand him and the same goes for him. Spoiler warning: what really got me was the fact at 90%, yes 90%, she tried to leave him and he locks her up and forces her to stay with him against her will. It felt like any progress was gone and just made me not want them to be together in the slightest. That is quickly ignored because he stopped the plague and now she can be with him. We don’t get any details of the effect of stopping the plague, what her family thinks of her being with him, or anything like that.

Overall I am just disappointed for this book especially for it being a rerelease. I would have hoped that time and effort would have gone into this book to improve the story but it doesn’t seem that was the case.

Thank you for providing me with an ARC for NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this concept of the four horseman and this book has been one of my favorites so far!! The story is very realistic, but with that being said the book has some pretty violent moments, but that's the point of the story. The emotions of the characters are super well done by Laura Thalassa and the story develops very nicely. I really loved how this was such a character driven story and that both main characters help each other through their respective struggles. The story was never one-sided, which I loved.

Overall, I love the four horseman books and I can't wait to read the remaining two. Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

TW; gore, death, plague, torture and imprisonment - this is set in an apocalyptic world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for an e-ARC copy. All thoughts are my own.

I had heard great things about The Four Horsemen series, so when I noticed that Pestilence was being rereleased this year, I decided to apply for the ARC to see what it was all about. Whilst I found the concept to be interesting, I feel this story failed to deliver for me.

The biggest compliment I have for this book is the world-building. With Sara's descriptions and experiences along her journey with Pestilence, as well as through a lot of the dialogue, the world is built well enough to imagine the desperately grim apocalyptic place that it's become. Thalassa doesn't waste time in setting the reader up for what's to come, which I appreciated. It felt very on par with other dystopian/apocalyptic media I have consumed over the years, and was easy to imagine.

I knew coming into this that the relationship between Sara and Pestilence would be one of toxic forced proximity, but there were several moments where it all just felt a bit too much for me. The romance that builds makes sense but it also had a lot of loopholes and questions unanswered along the way. I liked that the further they are together that you get to see both Sara's turmoil and Pestilence's opinions shift, which better aids their connection. However, I struggled to get on board with it. The intimate scenes are well written, and I liked the physical side of their relationship, even when I was morally torn, just like Sara was on numerous occasions.

I also didn't connect well with Thalassa's characterisation and writing of dialogue - both inwardly and conversational. It felt very immature at times, and more telling than showing at a lot of the bigger story points.

Overall, this was an easy read - I consumed it in two sessions, and I enjoyed it enough. Unfortunately, it just failed to capture me into the world fully, and I don't think I'll be continuing with the series. But I can see how this would be a good read for people who enjoy romance in darker fantasy scenarios. Perhaps, I'm not the right reader for this world.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloom books for giving me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a lot better than I expected it to be. It definitely falls under stockholm syndrome, but I enjoyed it.

I love this book so much. Pestilence is my first ever Horseman. I will be rereading this whole series 🤚🏽

If you like watching characters suffer and love the caretaker trope, this may be a book for you.

I was intrigued by the concept, and though it was a compelling book, the story itself wasn’t amazing. The plot can get repetitive. Lots of death and dying (obviously, cause he’s one of the four horseman). And Stockholm syndrome seemed to be the theme—but in a romantic way, I guess.

Did I start this when I was supposed to be going to sleep, and then proceeded to stay up til 4 am to finish it? Yes.

Laura Thalassa had done it again! Taking the four horsemen of the apocalypse and turning them in today the villain that gets the girl. Sara and Pestilence go through literal hell together, and it’s their journey is not for the faint of heart.
But damn if it isn’t entertaining!
If you’re one for dark fantasy this is definitely a series worth checking out!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Ms. Thalassa for the opportunity to read the rereleased version of Pestilence. An honest opinion was requested but not required.

My original thoughts haven’t particularly changed. Here’s what I thought in 2020:
I was actually surprised that I enjoyed this. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I mean, how do you redeem one of the four horseman, a being whose sole task is to exterminate humanity?
The emotional depth of the regret, grief and sorrow experienced by both main characters was well done. The violence was a little extreme but I suppose realistic to the story - I can completely envision humans repeatedly attempting to kill Pestilence (or any horseman) by whatever means they could.

Yes, you have to completely suspend your disbelief and doubts and skepticism for this type of story, but, that's what fantasy's all about, right?
For pure entertainment value, this was a great story.

… in 2023, I will add the following: this is definitely a character driven story. There is a plot, certainly, but the focus is strongly on Sara and Pestilence, and their respective beliefs about morality, religion, and humanity. I can see the argument that what Sara felt was Stockholm syndrome, and the frequent of Pestilence’s body don’t help, but Ruth correctly pointed out that Sara was learning from Pestilence just as he was learning from her. The grimness of the apocalyptic landscape was more poignant the second time around, too. The only thing I really would have changed is, if Pestilence had the ability to retract the sickness, then he probably also had the ability to speed it up so his victims wouldn’t suffer. And I wish he would have spared the children their suffering. Those were some tough pages.
I wasn’t really sure what (if anything) was altered from the original version of the story but I enjoyed it just as much and would give it the same 4 star rating as before. Looking forward to the other three in the series - War, which I have read, and Famine and Death, which I have not.

This book was so much fun and I can’t wait to continue this series. When this book starts and Sara is kidnapped by Pestilence, he treats her so badly and I wasn’t sure how I would come to root for them as a couple. But I really liked how this relationship progressed, and was really falling for them as the story went on. Watching pestilence learn more about humans was really sweet. I really enjoyed this and am definitely going to be picking up more from Laura Thalassa.

thank you to bloom, netgalley, and the author for the chance to arc read for the bloom rerelease!

i have… no idea how to rate this book. i’m gonna stick with a 3 star rating bc it’s the most middle of the road you can get. but we need to talk about pestilence

sara is a firefighter who draws the short straw when the plague is coming to town. the four horsemen of the apocalypse have descended onto the earth and phase 1 of their mass destruction has come in the form of Pestilence (yes that is his name) and his horse that he rides over the world spreading the plague to all.

once pestilence makes his way to sara’s town, she’s tasked with killing him only to find that he is immortal and cannot be killed. of course this attempted murder pisses the man off and he decides to take sara as his prisoner and force her to suffer as he did when she burned him alive.

sara is forced to do the weirdest ride-along of all ride-alongs while he pursues his “task” of infecting all of humanity. but sara is a big ol softy and feels bad for Pestilence bc he’s big sad about having to kill all these people and he hates watching them die.

i’ll skip over some stuff and get to the romance. i… don’t understand. he tied u up by ur wrists and dragged u by horse to the point your back looked more like ground beef than human skin but you’re still thinking about how pretty he is? i mean okay yeah a hot guy can definitely make you a lil crazy but i think you need more than a little therapy.

basically the entire book is centered around sara being an “i can change him!” girly and Pestilence being like “lol no u can’t but actually can u quote me some more Edgar Allen Poe bc maybe humanity IS beautiful.” then he discovers that “making love” is actually all it takes to get married (apparently) and one taste of that sweet sweet… nvm. is enough to end the plague? maybe? he can’t really decide and he’s not happy about it.

this is a crazy case of stockholm syndrome all made okay by the fact that he’s just REALLY pretty.

but…. this book was fun. the majority of my interest came from me wondering how we go from him DRAGGING U FROM HIS HORSE to getting down and dirty together.

the writing style is RIDICULOUSLY unserious, which i do think that the cover is slightly misleading. but don’t judge a book by it’s cover ig. sometimes thalassa’s writing was pretty profound & sometimes it was… very weird and quirky? i don’t know man.

oddly enough, i would recommend this book to people who say they need something fun, quick, but not your typical everyday romance book.

I would have never thought a romance with the Apocalypse Horseman Pestilence would be so enthralling, but clearly, I was wrong. Laura Thalassa's Pestilence is the perfect true enemy to lovers highlighting that true love brings only the best out of both people. I can't wait to pick up the next book and see how love affects Pestilence's brothers.

This surprised me so much when I read it.

I wouldn't say I was expecting to hate it, but I wasn't expecting to love it as much I did.

The way the four hoursemen worked in this stories really worked for me. I was happily surprised at the end by how it all unfolded. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

This is the second time reading this book, and it's just as good second time round. Great characters and great storyline.

Oh man, oh man, oh man!!! This is the MOST amazing book! I loved every freaking moment of it. A story about the apocalypse is not one you would usually consider to be romantic. However, when you put a strong, determined woman into the path of Pestilence, one of the four horsemen, and mix in just the right amount of humor, kindness and mercy, you couldn’t be more wrong.

I loved Sara and all her quirky one liners. Her internal monologue had me smiling and chuckling throughout this story. And then, even as I was still smiling over one of her witticisms, the truth of Pestilence’s purpose would reinforce itself and I was left gasping for breath or fighting against tears.

Pestilence is a hero unlike any I have ever read before. There is no insta-anything going on here. He has a task to complete and the end result will be a world of illness and death. He would be the first to proclaim he has no humanity and his actions certainly give proof to that. If you think this is some trick and he’s not really killing masses of people, think again. He is the ultimate anti-hero and I absolutely loved him.

With the exception of just a few scenes, this book has very few secondary characters. The most memorable is Rob and Ruth and I found the scenes with this couple to be some of the most poignant and eye opening.

I do not want to get too much into the story. I suggest you read the blurb and then let it unfold on its own. But I will say that there is so much that’s good (and that’s a weak good because what I mean is incredibleness) in the midst of the turmoil that this book carries you through. You will enjoy it all the more for not knowing where Sara and Pestilence’s journey will take you.

This author has the ability to convey so much in just a few simply spoken words. Nothing is ever bogged down or overstated. And the feels! Oh my gawd! Again with just a few words Ms.Thalassa had me feeling every emotion conceivable. The writing is fresh and the story so incredibly original as soon as I finished I wanted to reread it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bloom Books, and Laura Thalassa for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was so excited to discover that these books were being rereleased. It felt like the perfect excuse to finally read them. They have always been on my radar but I never found the time. I also really enjoyed The Bargainer by Laura Thalassa so I felt that this book would be an easy favorite. Sadly I didn’t connect to this book. The writing wasn’t for me and I found the characters to be rather annoying and one dimensional. I did love that the chapters were short, it’s easy to fly through this book.

In Pestilence by Laura Thalassa, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are unleashed upon the world, tasked with bringing about the end of humanity. Sara Burns, a brave firefighter, attempts to kill Pestilence but fails, only to be taken hostage by the angelic-looking horseman. As they travel together, Sara finds herself torn between hatred and an irresistible attraction to Pestilence.

The book delves into a captivating urban fantasy world, filled with danger and suspense. Sara's journey to stop Pestilence and save the world becomes a thrilling rollercoaster ride of emotions. Thalassa's storytelling skill shines through as readers are immersed in a tale of betrayal, romance, and sacrifice.

With a unique twist on the Four Horsemen mythos, Pestilence keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Sara's complex relationship with Pestilence adds depth to the story, leaving readers eager to discover how it all unfolds. Prepare for a heart-pounding adventure that will keep you hooked until the very end.

This was good, but not excellent. I liked the main character but it felt a little forced. Was a fine read, but probably wouldn't purchase it for myself!

This book will grab you from the first chapter and won’t let go until you finished.

Beautifully written, the author crates a world where the reader experiences both the worst and best parts of it. It’s an emotional ride, and leaves the reader with so much hope.

Readers will reaching for the next book in the series right away!

I admit that paranormal romance isn’t my favorite, but I do like it. I had read a book by this author, and I thought I’d give this series a try as I couldn’t resist a series about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I was a tiny bit put off at the beginning of this as it felt like I was dropped right in the middle of the plot. However, it improved once I was engaged in the book. The author does a great job with descriptions and character development, and the slow burn romance was spot-on. There was enough suspense to keep you entertained if romance isn’t your thing. Well-written, slow-burn romance sure to please paranormal romance readers. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Loved this even more the second time I read it. Laura Thalassa really knows how to create fantasy romance that sucks you in. The four horsemen is my favourite series from her and the new covers are amazing 🖤