Thank you to Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This started off the series and I really grew to love it while reading through the other books. It wasn’t my favorite on an initial read but it definitely was better to look back on!

Can a god be corrupted by a human? That’s the question we wrestle with through Laura Thalassa’s novel. The four horsemen of the apocalypse visit present-day Earth wiping away most of our technology. Planes fall from the sky, cars stop running, computers stop computing, and any remotely high-tech machine or device simply stops working.
After reducing the planet to the 17th Century, the horsemen disappear. Many die but a large number adapt and resume their lives. This is until one of the horsemen returns. Pestilence the Conqueror, crowned and arrayed in golden armor, rides across the land. Where he goes, a plague so deadly that none survive spreads.
Word of his progress causes people to flee, seeking some place so hidden and remote that the plague won’t find them. A very small number decide to resist.
Chosen by lot, Sara Burns, a twenty-eight-year-old firefighter, must stop the plague by killing the horseman. Her ambush is successful for a moment. Pestilence’s bloody body lies on the road along with that of his steed. Within hours he has regenerated himself and captured Sara. His plan is to make her an example of the level of suffering he can inflict.
From this point, Thalassa treats us to a steady battle between the hip, flip young woman, and the self-important Pestilence. He is committed to completing a task assigned to him by God, while she points out the cruelty and unfairness of the job, wiping out humanity.
Thalassa masterfully maintains the ordinary quibbles and compromises between two people traveling together without letting the reader forget survival of humanity is at stake.
Both characters are full-fledged and interesting. I wasn’t sure what ending I was hoping for.

This was absolutely delicious and I am so grateful to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the ability to read and review this wonderful book. Probably the best/most unputdownable fantasy-romance book I have read this year! I loved the characters, (especially Pestilence - be still my beating heart), and the pages literally turned themselves. I was so absorbed in the story I could not be bothered with eating or anything else. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

I'm not sure what I was expecting going into this book but I enjoyed it immensely.

Did I want more from the plot? Yes.

Did I eat up every page of this book? Yes.

I enjoyed the relationship between the FMC and MMC, and I can see myself going back to re-read this book in the future.

I do wish the plot gave us a little bit more, because this could have easily been a 5 star but it's still a fun read. I just wouldn't expect too much regarding the four horsemen or their history. However, I am intrigued to meet Daddy Death

I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was caught off guard with how much I loved this book! I had not read anything by Thalassa prior to this novel, but I’d had her on my radar, so when I got approved for this arc I was very excited to give it a go. Suffice it to say I will be reading the entire series, wow.

What I loved most about this book is the way it deals with themes of religion and suffering. Pestilence travels the earth spreading his plague, not caring about all the people who die because of him. Until, as the book progresses, we get to witness humanity’s effect on him and the way he grows as a character. Similarly, we get to witness how traveling with him changes Sara and how her perspective on life is challenged by him. I’ve always been interested in the four horsemen and the idea of humanity being so far gone that god himself sends them to wipe us out, I feel like it echoes a lot of today’s issues with man-made climate change, war, etc. It will also be exciting to see how Thalassa deals with hope and the struggle of redemption as the series progresses and more horsemen start roaming the earth.

The relationship between Pestilence and Sara is positively swoon-worthy. Pestilence is very much a character who experiences adoration and lust completely against his will, which I love. The emotional turmoil of Sara’s growing feelings was also appreciated, it made the romance feel believable and kept Stockholm syndrome at bay (in my opinion). Watching Pestilence try to navigate how relationships work was also very entertaining. Generally watching him try to understand how being human works was fun.

This story had everything! Excellent pacing, enemies-to-lovers, character growth, interesting themes, and emotional turmoil both for the characters and for me. I highly recommend this to any romance lover, especially if you love paranormal romances.

I’ve never had so much fun reading a post-apocalyptic fantasy. I always thought these were dreary depressing scenarios of doom and gloom. I’ve told my friends and family that I expect to be among original 99% who perish in an apocalypse, so there would be no “post” for me. Or, if I did somehow get “lucky” and survive, then I would be amongst the first to get eaten because I have no stamina, grit , or survival instincts whatsoever.

Imagine my delight, therefore, in a heroine who requires none of the above due to the fact that she has become the unwilling sidekick to Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and he categorically refuses to allow her to die.

“𝘚𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨.”

Sara Burns has massively ticked off the Horseman and now she is paying the price. Fortunately, she excels at being insufferably pestering and compulsively compassionate. It’s so much fun watching her annoy, confound, and finally sway Pestilence from his programmed destruction of humankind. Along the way they bicker about the stupidest things, like whether the privy should be located right next to the bathing vessel in bathroom or who should have the last bite of apple pie.

But then the mood shifts to a more somber tone. What could possibly be more somber than riding with the entity that has been tasked with annihilating humans from the face of this green earth? Well, Pestilence catching feelings ironically.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦.”

Love changes things. Love should bring out the best in each of us, not the worst. Love is the greatest gift we can give or receive. Pestilence is humour, thoughtfulness, romance and eroticism all wrapped into a disturbing, tortured, morally challenging package. I’m surprised I waited so long to indulge in it and am definitely intrigued to read about the other Horsemen.

(ARC obtained via NetGalley.)

I'm not sure if would be happy to meet one of the four Horsemen and, after years of COVID, Pestilence.
That said it's a fast paced, gripping and highly entertaining paranormal romance.
Well plotted, humorous and compelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I read it in one sitting, this book drew me in from the beginning. 5 years of the horseman and Pestilence is riding around spreading plague when he gets shot at by Sara, but nobody told her that the four horseman cannot be killed. In order to make her suffer and pay for her acts against him he takes her prisoner and along the way they discover new things about themselves all while falling in love. Sara has a pretty great personality, her sense of humor made me laugh many times throughout the book. I also really enjoyed her compassion and what I loved the most were the interactions between the two. Pestilence felt ancient and wise but also young and innocent at the same. There were a lot of controversial themes also addressed in the book, especially with religion and god, but I felt it was handled very well. Will be reading the second book, War!

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for giving me a chance to read Pestilence by Laura Thalassa in exchange for my honest review.

The first of the our horsemen of the Apocalypse is here, and with him the beginning of a promising enemies to lovers series with the fate of humanity in the balance.
First things first , Trigger warnings and Tropes included .
TW : attempted murder, torture, graphic violence,death of minor/major character
Tropes : I was sent to kill you but i fell for you instead, banter, morally grey/morally ambiguous characters, enemies to lovers

What to say about this book ? First things first, I loved the apocalyptic/dystopian vibes above everything else, the way morality and humanity was handled in the future where humankind has suffered from the horsemen in the past and is now feeling the beginning of the end come again with Pestilence's arrival.
Sara and Pestilence have a very delilcate chemistry, sometimes inclining towards enemie, others to more than her just being his prisoner or victim to set an example to the world to show what happens when you mess with the horsemen.
Pestilence slowly changes and understands more and more about the human experience through Sara, and her seeing the kindness behind the cruel mask of the horseman makes for a compelling (almost slow burn) story full of tension
and morals being put to the question and in the end love being the force of human nature that even Pestilence the Conqueror cannot defeat.

Spicy romance with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Sign me up! I adored the different kind of hero that Pestilence was, really original and not seen much in books nowadays. Enemies to lovers is always a good trope to be and the story was intriguing seeing it from different points of view, from the side characters, made me change my perspective too. Laura Thalassa did something with this series and I can't be more excited to move on to the next "brother"!

I went into Pestilence without really knowing anything about it. First thoughts - wow Pestilence is a total asshole and Sara is a complete badass (lol!). Also - how are these two going to eventually become a couple I will root for?

Pestilence is set out to destroy the world, but he has mercy on Sara and keeps her as his prisoner. But the more time these two spend together the more complicated their relationship becomes. How can they ever have a relationship if Pestilence isn't even a human form, but one of the four horsemen set to destroy the world. The same world that Sara needs to try to save.

Laura Thalassa is an amazing author - this is my third book by her. I binge read Rhapsodic and Bewitched and enjoyed them both! I know that her fantasy romances can be a bit dark, but her humor is usually spot on! This was definitely the case in Pestilence.

I highly suggest you go into this book without reading too much about it. I can't wait to start the next book in the series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

This book was much more of a slow burn than I expected, but it did not ultimately disappoint.

Pestilence has been spreading his plague across North America and runs into Sara Burns, a firefighter who was chosen to kill him (of her group). She tries, and when it ultimately fails, he takes her captive to go with him on his journey. At first they are at odds, but they end up falling in love.

Sara has to see the plague in action, trying to help people as she can, and the media calls her a whore, etc. Pestilence learns more about humanity. Along the way they meet good and bad people.

I enjoyed this book and it had an ending I enjoyed, but I'm not sure if I'll be reading the rest of the series.

I dont know if this book was meant to be as much of a comedy as it was but I was laughing all the way through. The internal monologue of the main character, Sara Burns, is one that i would compare to my own. This aspect of the book made me not want to put it down. I loved that this story was in first person. I loved how Pestilence was so obviously unaware of the world even though he had been walking the Earth for thousands. I think the love story is one that is realistic. Split between your own duties versus love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone. I love a book that doesn't take itself so serious, even if the topic is a great one.

The story had no plot. One of the four horseman of the apocalypse takes a young lady who fails to kill him. They travel across Canada and the west coast of the US spreading the plague to humans behind them. The horseman finally see a different side of humanity, but is it too late? This is a slow-burn, enemies to lovers romance.

Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Republication date: August 15, 2023

The Four Horsemen series, book 1

This was first published in 2018 independently by the author, and is being republished by Bloom books in August with updated covers.

This was quite different than my usual reads. I read the Bargainer series by the same author a while back after trying to find a series similar to ACOTAR and enjoyed many parts of her writing style, so I’ve had her backlist on my radar!

I am a fan of post-apocalyptic plots and so I was interested where this would go. I’d describe this one as more of a story of the apocalypse vs. a post-apocalyptic read.

This is a TRUE enemies to lovers story that had me so curious where it would go. I appreciated many of the themes that the story left you with and the interactions they made on their path to destruction were so interesting. A lot of this was HARD to read, but it kept me interested throughout.

Perfect for you if you like:
*it’s the end of the world as we know it*
TRUE enemies to lovers
🌶️🌶️🌶️

🛑 multiple open door scenes and explicit language
⚠️ several hard to read scenes of death and violence

Thank you @netgalley and @read_bloom for the advanced review copy!

It's the year of the horsemen and Pestilence has been spotted. So firefighter Sara and her coworkers pull sticks to determine who will stay and try to thwart him. Sara of course pulls the short stick and lies in wait. But after a failed attempt to stop him, she becomes his prisoner. This was my first spicy four horsemen retelling and I loved it.

The apocalypse is coming and the Four Horsemen have come to bring the end of days to humanity. Sara upon meeting the horseman ends up shooting and then burning him alive.

This is not going to be for everyone. It is an enemies to lovers story and not going to be for everyone with the darkness. Pestilence decides that death is too good for her and he intends for her to suffer. Sara is Pestilence’s prisoner traveling with him as he brings a plague on to the world. Their journey did get repetitive in places as the plague spread but I know this was used to get to know the characters so I could see past it.

This is a SS romance in a dystopian world. Stockholm syndrome in a dystopian world. I did enjoy this novel and the world/Characters that were built into it. I’m curious to see where this will continue and I will be reading more!

3.5 stars

Laura Thalassa's fantastic storytelling and writing style hooked me from the very beginning of the book.

Sara was an interesting and relatable character despite the unrelatable circumstances she finds herself in. How do you fall in love with one of the four horseman of the apocalypse? It was interesting seeing how Sara and Pestilence affected each other in big and little ways and how their relationship developed. I sometimes didn't understand how Sara softened toward Pestilence even knowing he was treating her kindly versus what he was doing to others. That did take me out of the romance a bit, but I still couldn't put the book down as I wanted to see how their story ended.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book. I picked up this series from Arcane Society and getting this copy was the motivation I needed to finally get around to reading these.

Some spoilers ahead!

After reading The Serpent and the Wings of Night, I am definitely in my fantasy romance era and I was hoping that this series would be another winner. While I didn't hate this first book, this definitely didn't live up to all of the hype for me personally.

I think the concept of the story is super cool. I liked the setting and seeing the world in this state. I can fully imagine the fear and what the people are going through and right off the bat, I was hooked. HOWEVER, Sara is a terrible main character. Her humor was. a definite miss for me. She thinks she is so smart and witty and instead I found her completely insufferable. Also, I don't know, but the concept of loving the man you know is literally going to murder your family-HELL ALL OF MANKIND, seems a bit outlandish. Because she knows this isn't like a distant possibility. She legit comes face to face with the pus bubble skin of this man's victims. Also, I found it super weird how she was CONSTANTLY concerned with the appearance of his stomach, and how even during sex, she was just calling him Pestilence yet I was supposed to believe in three hundred pages that this was love. ALSO, he was an actual virgin before her, yet the first time he gives her oral, he's a pro? HOOOWWWW? I just wasn't buying into the love story and the sex truly wasn't that steamy.

I am definitely going to continue on in this series because I want to see what the hype is all about and despite my low rating, I did finish this quickly and enjoy it well enough.

I thought this was absolutely fascinating, I could not put it down! Just an excellent story with page turning plot lines and twists you did not see coming. Read this now!!!