I am giving this one two stars. I didn’t get to it in time to give a full review and I apologize for that

I could not get over the gore and violence of the first half especially the deaths of children in front of the mfc and then the immediate flip to romance. I felt disgusted at the first romantic scene and could not continue. I will try the next im the series and hope it doesn’t involve the same gore.

I actually enjoyed this book! I feel like it could've benefited from some well-intentioned editing, and I don't plan on reading the rest in the series, but I found it intriguing lol.

This was a strange one. A romantasy novel featuring Pestilience of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as the male love interest. This book is definitely romantasy, not fantasy, with the romance being central to the plot. Pretty gross concept for a sexy book imo, with.a lot of graphic violence. Steamy and enemies to lovers, which really didn't work for me in this setting.

This book gave "all of the feels." I love the enemies to lover plot, the world building, the character development... all of it. I do not have a single bad thing to say about this book. I am bummed that it took me so long to get around to this book because it is one of the best books I have read so far this year. I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for us in the future.

I love Laura Thalassa so much. Adult fantasy hits different special when it's written by her.
I really adore this series and this edition is just AMAZING.
Good characters, fast paced and additive narrative - everything people searching in books!!

This one is one of my favorites from her - BY FAR!!!

Looking for a spicy romance between an entity that causes plague and a woman who tried to kill him to save the world? This book is for you!

An unexpected romance, but oh so spicy! Fair warning- but also to be expected coming from a book about the apocalypse- there is a lot of death in this book- almost all involving plague and disease (he is Pestilence after all).

If you are uncomfortable with someone being set on fire and descriptions of people covered in things like boils, please do not read this book.

Otherwise, I liked this book. I liked how a mortal woman is slowly making one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse find their humanity.

I love a good enemies to lovers trope and this book hit the sweet spot. Not only does Sarah set out to kill Pestilence, but they fall in love during the process. "You have awoken my heart" was a 10/10 line and I am obsessed!

This book has been on my TBR for quite some time and I’m saddened I put it off for so long, but so happy I finally read! Seeing the development and Sara and pestilence’s relationship was my favorite part… from trying to kill pestilence to falling in love.. their relationship really blossomed from the understanding on both persons part. Who doesn’t love a good enemies to lovers? Off to read book two!

From Lala’s Book Reviews

This is a slow-burn, enemies to lovers type dystopian book told in a more modern time.

Earth is being ridden by a disease spread by Pestilence who is a higher being. He had recently been awoken to reset the earth from the evils that humans have created and live.

Sara has taken the daunting task of trying to take out Pestilence to save her family, but only discovers that he is unable to be killed. As her punishment, Pestilence decides to take Sara as his prisoner as he goes around the world.

Pestilence may have spent a lot time around humans throughout his various time on earth, but he has never interacted with them as he does with his time with Sara.

Despite being Pestilence’s prisoner, somehow Sara catches these rare moments where he starts to show signs or emotions and humanity.

The longer that they are together the less Sara seems to be a prisoner, and more of a travel companion who Pestilence picked up along the way.

But as fate would have it, the two starts to develop feelings for each other despite Sara being a human that Pestilence’s mission is to remove, and Pestilence being a higher being who doesn’t really understand and feel human emotion until he had spent so much time with Sara.

This was such an emotional story. The story was fresh and captivating and had me hanging on to each work! I can’t wait to continue the series with the other Horsemen to see how everything progresses!

Pestilence book 1 in The Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa is a great read. I love Sara Burns right away. Pestilence grew on me and even when I disliked him I still enjoyed him. The timeline and locations kept intriguing. A word to readers this isn’t a fluffy happy romance. This is post apocalyptic plague and torture romance. I loved it and can’t wait to start War.

Oh my goodness I adored it ! So so surprised and how much I lapped it up . So much so Iv ordered nearly everything else by this author and continue to recommend wonderful lustful smut and perfect escapism what a great idea for a series !

‘Pestilence,’ the first installment in Laura Thalassa's apocalyptic series, delivers a unique blend of dark fantasy and romance that delves into the depths of human nature and morality. Set against the backdrop of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse descending on Earth, Thalassa crafts a narrative that is both harrowing and enthralling, centered around the characters of Sara and Pestilence.

Sara Burns, a fierce and determined protagonist, embodies the resilience of humanity. Her initial encounter with Pestilence is a desperate, albeit futile, attempt to protect her town. Her subsequent capture and journey with Pestilence evolve from hostility and fear to a complex understanding and emotional depth that are the core of the book. Sara’s character, laced with wit and sarcasm, brings a lightness to the otherwise grim circumstances, making her instantly relatable and likable.

Pestilence, as a character, is a fascinating study in contrasts. Initially portrayed as a merciless harbinger of death, his character development is one of the book's strongest points. As he travels with Sara, his gradual understanding of human emotions, particularly love and empathy, adds layers to his character. His transformation from a seemingly invincible force to a being capable of human emotions is skillfully executed.

The relationship between Sara and Pestilence is the part that snared my heart. Thalassa navigates the morally grey area of their burgeoning romance with a careful balance, avoiding the pitfalls of romanticizing the captor-captive dynamic. Instead, she presents a nuanced exploration of how love can emerge in the unlikeliest of circumstances. The evolution of their relationship, from animosity to something deeper and more tender, is compelling and thought-provoking.

Thalassa's writing style is fluid and immersive, weaving a post-apocalyptic world that is as fascinating as it is terrifying. The narrative is rich in emotional depth, exploring themes of duty, morality, and the essence of humanity.

‘Pestilence’ is a bold and imaginative take on the apocalypse genre, blending romance, fantasy, and philosophical musings into a narrative that is both dark and captivating. Thalassa's ability to create multifaceted characters and a complex, emotion-driven story makes this book a standout in its genre. While it may not appeal to every reader, especially those looking for a more action-driven plot, ‘Pestilence’ offers a unique and intriguing tale that challenges the boundaries of dark romance and fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ebook for my honest review.

This was a super interesting, sexy retelling(?) of the 4 horsemen myth. There is not much I would praise the book other than it's so addicting I had to finish it? If you don't take the book too seriously, it's a fun, trashy, read with great potential. I think that it's generally lacking in all areas that could make it redeemable - it wasn't smutty enough, writing and pacing was choppy, the plot inconsistent, the character a little annoying, but.... it was fun to read.

This book disgusted me at first because of all the death and disease. But duh, that’s the whole point of the powers of the male main character. We’re supposed to hate him at first! I ended up really liking both of the main characters, and how caring and loving they grew towards each other. This isn’t a smut book. This is a plot filled book with a good amount of spice and steam, which is how I like it. I will say that if you hate the MMC at the beginning of this book and you want to DNF, stick it through. You will love him by the end. He’s just doing his job, after all!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley

I loved this book and the author did the four horseman justice in this sexy first book of the series.

I love all of her books! The characters were amazing and the story was absolute beautiful!! Laura thalassa has very quickly become a favorite author of mine.

No one does paranormal romance better than Laura Thalassa and The Four Horsemen series is her best one yet!

Pestilence is the first in the series and it is a phenomenal introduction to the four horsemen. He’s grumpy but also deep down a sweetheart and you fall for him along with the female lead.

There is spicy moments that in my opinion are well thought out and make sense for the story without being overwhelming. And yet there is also heartwarming moments that you perhaps didn’t expect.

Overall, it’s a romance unlike any other and one of my favorites!

New favorite for sure.

I love how this book starts out so into the action so quickly. We learn a little about how the world is after the horsemen first come and then we get right to Pestilence waking up and riding the earth spreading his plague everywhere he goes.

Sara is such a brave spitfire of a woman and I could truly see her being a firefighter. Her compassion is truly amazing. How she takes care of every single person she can who catches the plague even if they don't deserve it.

The relationship between Sara and Pestilence couldn't be any more forbidding and wrong. He is sent to the world to kill all of humanity with a plague. And she is seen by her own people to have turned her back on her own kind for falling for him. We really see her struggle with her feelings for him and how she truly wants him to stop and see that he has a choice to be different. To stop the plague. To stop the killing. Pestilence is such a cinnamon roll character but he would crawl to the ends of the earth for Sara. Kill for her. His protection and care is so kind it's crazy to think that a horseman of the apocalypse could love anyone. When they kiss for the first time I was screaming like a school girl. I was so excited to see them be something more than just prisoner and keeper.

This book had some parts that made me hate humanity and I'm sure Sara did too. How they tried to make Pestilence die but not only die. They wanted him to suffer horribly. I can't imagine being shot in the face having to be in so much pain from it and then the pain of it regrowing. But we also see the love and hope of humanity with those who open their arms to Pestilence and Sara willingly even though they know they will surely die.

The ending of the book left alot to be talked about. Sara dying and death allowing her to return. How they are walking around children's toys so did that mean they had children? I wish we would have saw if they did them interact with them. Especially Pestilence. We're they human or other beings? We also end knowing that his other brother War is waking up. And it will be his turn to ride the earth.

Laura Thalassa's "Pestilence" combines aspects of romance with the old telling of the four horsemen of the apocalypse to draft a compelling story of enemies to lovers between Sara and Pestilence. Their story represents complex dynamics and while Thalassa does not stray from the darker aspects of their relationship she does show the progression between these two characters as they slowly begin to understand one another.