This is the first dark romance book in the Four Horsemen series. The first book centers around Pestilence the Conqueror who has come to spread plaque throughout the world as punishment. Throughout his journey to wound the Earth Pestilence meets Sara Burns when she tries to put an end to Pestilence and the steed he rides. However, there is no death for Pestilence and Sara will soon become his prisoner who he plans to make suffer for her plan to end him.

I enjoyed Laura Thalassa’s writing and the plot was interesting. However, I felt the story was incredibly repetitive. How many towns/cities can you ride through with minimal action. I kept waiting for something different to happen, but it never really did. I had some questions about the horsemen that went unanswered in this book, hopefully we get more answers in the following books in the series.

CONTENT WARNING: plague, blood, gore, torture, death, death of children, violence, gun violence, grief

I’ve had my eye on this author, and have been meaning to pick up one of her books for an embarrassingly long time, but haven’t gotten around to it. This indie series was picked up by a traditional publisher to be rereleased, and I was thrilled to get approved for it.

This book was tough for me to rate because I have some mixed feelings about it. There were some things that I enjoyed and that were done really well, and some things that I didn’t like as much. Let’s get into the things I liked.

Thalassa’s writing is smooth and reads effortlessly. The pages would fly, and I went through this book surprisingly fast. I loved the way Sara spoke fluent sarcasm, because her inner monologue sounded a lot like mine at times. Once I got past the initial meet-not-so-cute, the enemies-to-lovers trope was done beautifully. I can’t forget to mention the spice, which was slow-burn and fantastic. Finally, there’s a light-hearted and fun dynamic at times, which almost had me forgetting that I was reading about the end of the world.

However, there were also some things that didn’t work for me. I always try to put myself in the character’s shoes when I’m reading, and I guess there’s a huge difference between Sara and I, because we have some seriously different responses to things. Like torture for example: if someone tortures me, I don’t care how pretty they are, I’m going to hold a grudge until the end of time; whereas Sara seems super quick to forgive Pestilence because he’s pretty. Also, their smexy times seem to happen at times when there’s some seriously unsmexy stuff going on … right after throwing up, when people are dying of the plague right nearby, etc.

The relationship is given time to build, and readers get to see the dynamic change slowly as Pestilence and Sara are forced together. But as they do this, their daily routine was repetitive. They go to a town, enter a house, spend the night, leave and repeat the process. Throughout the entire book. And for so much of the book, Sara’s internal dilemma was repetitive as well. She spends half the book trying to convince herself that she hates him and does want him because he’s pretty, then almost the rest of the second half trying to convince herself that she isn’t in love with him when it’s blatantly obvious that she is. It got a bit frustrating at times.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad read, even with the issues I had with it. I especially loved how it ended, and can’t wait to start reading the next book in the series.

Such an amazing series! Pestilence hooks you immediately with the themes of dystopia, survivorship, revenge, and lust. The characters have banter, and angst, have a drive towards each other despite being mortal (or immortal?) enemies. Ah you just want to keep reading and diving into their lives together and the story! And each book that follows in this series is equally as amazing.

I had heard wonderful things about this series and recalled the basic premise but had not got around to reading it. When I saw this available as an arc I thought I would be stupid not to pick it up and it did not disappoint!

Genuinely one of the most creative romances I have read in years. Very well paced, gripping and deeply moving my the end of it.

As soon as I finished this book I ran for the next one. There’s absolutely nothing else like it out there so you must give it a read!

Behold a white horse and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown given to him and he went conquering and to conquer and Pestilence was his name.

They forgot to say Pestilence was golden haired & angelic looking – enough to make any girl get a little distracted when she’s trying to kill him!!!

This is the first book in the Four Horsemen series and so not what I expected when I started my read. It’s an enemies to lovers romance set in a dystopian world already ravaged by the failure of technology after the initial arrival of the horsemen. just as people were getting back on their feet, Pestilence rode once again spreading a deadly plague across the country killing all it came into contact with. Sara, a fire fighter drew the short straw and stayed behind when her town evacuated in a desperate attempt to stop him in his tracks. Sorry Sara, but you should’ve realised you can’t kill a supernatural being doing God’s work as easily as that and when he wakes up he might be mad with you. He keeps her alive as part of his vengeance so she can watch everyone else die by his hand but along the way the hatred and sparring soon turns to attraction and passion but will this newly awakened feelings in Pestilence be enough for him to see there is hope for the human race or not even love can stop a man on a mission?

I loved the character development here. Pestilence wasn’t really evil or self-serving. He was simply doing what he was created to do and it was intriguing to see his journey as he opened himself to human emotions and the conflict he had between his duty and his growing feelings for Sara but a part of me wonders while Pestilence was falling in love, was it more a case of Stockholm syndrome in Sara’s case. I’m looking forward to reading the remaining books in this series.

An easy 5 star book! Gosh, this book was such a good read! I enjoyed every banter, every moment between Sara and Pestilence, every word written by Laura. I had already pre-ordered the series in paperback before i got approved to read the book for a review with Netgalley so I was already really interested in the book and it did not disappoint! I cannot wait for the other 3 books to arrive so I can finish up the rest of the series!

Pestilence est un livre que j’avais déjà lu en anglais il y a quelques années mais quand je l’ai trouvé sur Netgalley dans la version Bloom, j’ai décidé de me lancer dans une relecture de cette saga incroyable!

Les quatres cavaliers sont arrivés sur Terre, Pestilence est le premier à devoir accomplir sa mission. Sara Burn est une humaine qui va tout faire pour l’empêcher d’y arriver quitte à y laisser son cœur.

C’est donc une relecture et j’ai adoré me replonger dans cet univers apocalyptique qui est bien construit et qui est addictif. J’ai adoré la complexité du personnage de Pestilence mais aussi son évolution au fil des pages au contact de Sara. Celle- ci est une tête brûlée, pensant devoir sauver tout le monde mais elle apprend à prendre du recul et elle mûrit. Leurs interactions sont juste parfaites! Certes, il y a des facilités dans le récit mais on passe quand même un excellent moment avec ce livre! Qu’est ce qu’il me tarde de relire le tome sur War!

Ps: ce livre est déjà disponible en français aux Éditions Bookmark, ne passez surtout pas à côté! Et si vous êtes téméraires, la réédition anglaise sort le 15 août!

As the first book in Laura Thalassa’s Four Horsemen series, this book gives us more than an introduction to Pestilence as a character. It introduces us to the apocalyptic world that she is building and gives us hints on what’s to come in the future with War, Famine, and ultimately, Death.

From the very beginning, Thalassa’s descriptive writing brings the reader into the book, making you feel every bit of Sara and Pestilence’s pain, discomfort, worry and affection as it starts to grow.

While I love all of the books in this series, Pestilence as the first horseman will always hold a special place in my heart and will forever be my favorite!

This ARC is a reread and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. As far as post-apocalyptic books go this was probably one of the best ones I've read. It was well thought out and the things that were happening made sense, I liked Sara's character a lot, especially in the way that she interacted with Pestilence. There was so much character development from both sides that was really interesting to watch unfold. I love this cover, and I'm eager to read the rest of the series!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
SPICE: 🔥🔥

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, and I fell in love with this book. Almost four years later, I assumed that re-reading this with a more experienced lens would change my view.

I assumed wrong.

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 assuming that 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 of 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. A feat that Thalassa crushed really well. I mean, how she managed to create tension even when Sara discovers that Pestilence isn't gone is mind-blowing.

The spice is relatively tame. It is not fade-to-black, but it isn't as prolific and creative as I've read in others. (This was the only change in my POV of this book since I last read it. Yeah, I've read a whole lot of spicy books since 2019, it seems.)

It is the first of the four-part series, so it can be read as a standalone. I am kicking off a month of binge-reading the series, so I am excited to move on to War.

** I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of this book. Thank you to Laura Thalassa, Bloom Books, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for providing a copy. **

This was such an interesting take on the apocalyptic horsemen! I loved the way Pestilence grew more and more human over the course of the book. Sara really helped to bring him to the human side of things. I wasn’t sure if I’d read the rest of the series about halfway through this one, but after finishing it I have to!!!

I looooove everything Laura writes and this was not an exception! THe whole vibe and world setting is chilling and the lovers part is wrong but good and everything is wrong but good????????????????????
Thank you NetGalley and bloom - i just dont have any words.

The first book in the Four Horsemen is about Pestilence which is disease. The story begins with Sara who is tasked with going after Pestilence and killing him. While she tries at first, she quickly realizes that he cannot die and he ends up taking her as his prisoner. The two have an understandably rocky start but they eventually start to get to know each other.

I wouldn’t exactly call them friends, but there is a turning point in the story where they start to understand each other and they end up tolerating each other. While a romance seems unbelieve at times, Laura Thalassa made me believe it because these two somehow managed to fall in love amidst the apocalypse.

While the romance was amazing, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Sara’s character. She was so strong and unafraid. She went through so much and made some tough choices that I’m sure most people couldn’t imagine. Regardless, she was such a huge part of why I was so enthralled by this book.

Aside from Sara and Pestilence’s romance, we’re watching the apocalypse unfold and how humans are dealing with it which is so interesting. I don’t want to give away too much about the ending, but I feel like it was the perfect thing to help segue into the next book which is War. As far as being the first book in a series, I loved Pestilence. I’ve never read a romance book like this before so I was surprised by how much I loved it yet with Laura Thalassa’s beautiful and engaging writing, I’m also not surprised.

I loved this book It was a great take on the four horsemen. Sometimes you want a sweet love story and sometimes you need a dark romance with a morally dark main love interest. If you aren't into borderline Stockholm syndrome then this book probably isn't for you but it's done so well. Definitely keep reading if you're on the fence about it! I can't wait to read the next one.

I've always enjoyed Laura's writing and the worlds she creates. This book is no different.

Pestilence is the first book in the series, which follows the four horsemen of the apocalypse. When he arrives to Sara's town, it had been decided she would be the one to take him down, no matter the cost. Her plans go awry when shes informed that he can't be killed and he takes her as a prisoner. She slowly grows closer to him and they start to feel something more than hatred toward each other.

As a bully romance and enemies-to-lovers fan, this story was everything I wanted. I love the dynamic between the two. Sara is headstrong and would sacrifice herself for the ones she loves. She is a very lovable character and its easy to love her and her resilient ways.

If you love dystopian romance and a hate-love dynamic, I'd think you would really enjoy this one. I can't wait to check out the rest of the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Blooms for the arc.
Unfortunately i couldn’t finish this book as i found myself putting it down because of how cringe the writing and story is.
Seeing a horseman of the apocalypse casually wear tshirts and sneakers while the girl he’s torturing only lusts over his abs doesn’t make sense to me and the writing is sometimes poetic and sometimes very cringy.

I received this as an ARC on net galley and I don't know why I liked this book so much but I did. The same things kept happening over and over, like they go to each town/ city so Pestilence can spread his plague then one of them gets hurt so the other one helps them heal and recover, all the while they fall more and more in love. Yet even as repetitive as it was I couldn't get enough. I had to keep reading because though I should have been bored the writing kept me enthralled. Laura Thalassa has a real gift and I will definitely will be picking up the rest of the series.

Fun book with the four horseman starts with Pestilence sending the plague as he walks the earth. Sara draws the short straw to end Pestilence but becomes his prisoner. Intriguing book! It was recently bought by Bloom books and I love the new covers!

What did I like? Ok, the covers on these books are not only eye-catchy but some gorgeous men. I say if this is what is bringing me the apocalypse then please count me in. I'm not a huge fan of apocalyptic reads but this one had a humanity aspect that just sucks you in. I devoured this book and have already reread again.

Would I recommend or buy! I own a copy so yes! I was completely crazy about this series and read it in a day. I've recommended multiple times on group chats and I just finished rereading to get ready for the release of death!

This series has a unique setting as it takes place in an apocalyptic dystopian world. I love the concept of the four horsemen.

When Pestilence arrives with his steed, a plague took place which wiped out most of the humanity.
Sara tried to kill the horsemen, unfortunately like all the previous attempts, she failed her task and was being taken as a hostage.

There's a potential that this would be a better read.
Pestilence is the cold hearted/broody male lead, his stone cold heart slowly cracks after his feelings for Sara developed.
On the other hand, Sara is not really my fave as there's so many questionable and cringy moments from her.

Tropes: stockholm syndrome, death, I came to kill you, dark romance, we were never meant to be, dark romance

Okay. I don't know how to feel about this one. I can definitely see why it has a lot of criticisms. I don't really know if I enjoyed it, but I'm also not saying I didn't like it. So definitely I'm in the in-between.