When I first heard of the four horsemen series, I was not sure if there was going to be a way for me to see them as a likeable love interest. Especially Pestilence, right after a pandemic like covid. However, I do enjoy a lot of dark romance, and I always love learning a bad guy's arc. So, with an open mind and being excited to learn more about Laura's writing style, I jumped all in.

The story had me gripped pretty quickly, and the world-building was really interesting. There are definitely triggering aspects of this story, with a lot of sad death. However, I really liked our firefighting protagonist, Sara. She's strong both in body and mind. I was very interested in her character and her role. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Pestilence and Sara as they both learn more about each other and why the four horsemen are there.

Overall, I actually really liked the story. Laura's storytelling is easy to follow and really pulls you in.

Was Pestilence my favourite LI in a novel? No. I didn't leave the book adding him to an embarrassingly large list of book boyfriends. I did like him, though. There were parts of him I really liked, others feel a bit flat. Again, the plague horseman was going to be a harder sell for me.

Do I want to keep reading this series? Yes. Absolutely.

“I come to you now like a thief in the night, for I fear you’ll never listen to me under the light of day,” his voice is whisper soft, “and I must confess all the things in my heart.”

This was my very first book by this author and made me an instant fan. Even before reading this book, I was so intrigued about the Four Horsemen and I couldn’t wait to dive into this story. I wasn’t disappointed! I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a dystopian romance like this story. I couldn’t not get enough! Pestilence and Sara’s story was the perfect enemies to lovers romance set during the apocalypse.

I typically don’t read many fantasy or dystopian romances, there was something about this story that captivated me. This story was so addictive and I was immediately hooked from the beginning. Who would’ve thought that I would actually be rooting for Pestilence especially after some of things that he had done. But this author did such an amazing job in making someone like Pestilence likable and redeemable. Half way through this book, I was already rooting for Pestilence and Sara to get their HEA. Overall, I really enjoyed Pestilence and would recommend it. The Four Horsemen series is a definite must read!

I was so nervous to start this series. I absolutely loved this book and it was a crazy roller coaster the entire time. I absolutely loved Sara and her determination. I don’t want to say to much and ruin anything but if you like post apocalyptic, slow burn, a little bit of bully romance vibes, and a traveling journey this one is definitely for you.

This was the perfect mix of fantasy and romance.

Pestilence (Four Horsemen #1) - Laura Thalassa
5⭐️/5 ~🇪🇸
~Es un placer releer como ✨ARC✨ este libro que tanto amé cuando me lo leí por primera vez🥰
~Adoro la saga por completo, pero sobre todo al primer libro le tengo más cariño. Tenemos: enemies-to-lovers, además de verdad😂; mundo post-apocalíptico, el protagonista es un Jinete del Apocalipsis (que más se puede pedir🌝) y la protagonista femenina es una tia dura.
~Me encantó la trama, la historia en sí y la relación entre ambos. No es amor a primera vista ni por asomo (y me encanta😌). Se produce decir que es un poco bully romance, dado que el MMC está en la Tierra para acabar con la humanidad y nuestra FMC es una humana…(ups😬).
~Dadle una oportunidad a la saga entera, porque lo merece🥰

•••••

5⭐️/5 ~🇬🇧
~It is a pleasure to reread as an ✨ARC✨ this book that I loved so much when I first read it🥰
~I love the whole saga, but I'm especially fond of the first book. We have: enemies-to-lovers, enemies for real😂; post-apocalyptic world, the main character is a Horseman of the Apocalypse (what more could you ask for🌝) and the female protagonist is a badass.
~I loved the plot, the story itself and the relationship between the two. It's not love at first sight by any stretch of the imagination (and I love it😌). It comes off as a bit of a bully romance, given that the MMC is on Earth to wipe out humanity and our FMC is a human...(oops😬).
~Give the whole saga a chance, because it deserves it!🥰

TW: Torture, burning, death, disease, gore

The end of the world has begun, the four horsemen of the apolcolypse are present on Earth and Pestilence the Conquerer is making his way across North America spreading a deadly plague to any towns he rides through. Sara is the last firefighter left at her station and is determined to save the world by killing Pestilence. After a gruesome and awful attempt she comes to realize that he can't actually be killed. And he's none to pleased with her attempt either.

I read this years ago when it first came out and remember loving it, but when I reread it for review purposes (Go Laura, getting traditionally published!) I am realizing how wild of a book it really is. This review will contain spoilers so beware!

Sara is pretty badass, you pretty much have to be if you're a female firefighter right? Even tho it felt absolutely awful killing Pestilence she went through it for the good of humankind...or so she thought. Pestilence is so pissed he literally tortures the hell out of her making her run miles and miles with her tied to his saddle and ends up actually dragging her at one point...it was super brutal. And Pestilence starts out as the unfeeling "humans are pathetic" type which was again brutal seeing him not care even with children dying from his plague.

But even after all of this they actually end of up falling in love with each other and Laura writes it in a way that doesn't make it seem crazy at all, it's actually very sweet. Pestilence becomes quiet the simp for Sara and it's very sweet and sighworthy and a bit funny too. The struggle of realizing she loves Pestilence even when he does such awful things really wars within Sara, but you can't help who you love. I really enjoyed all the scenes of her teaching him what being human was like, most of them I laughed out loud. Overall a really solid book and one that makes you want to continue the series to see what happens in the world with the other horsemen. I would recommend this to any romantasy readers who enjoy a mild amount of spice with a solid plot.

Thank you so much to Bloom Books for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

this surprised me! essentially, pestilence comes to town and our dear friend sara tries to murder him and burn him alive. he’s not real happy about being made into human bbq so after his immortal ass recovers he takes sara prisoner and true love ensues. duh.

I was definitely surprised at the discussion of immortality and morality in this. also by the characterization. plague daddy was really endearing after the whole rah rah pustule nonsense & sara was compassionate and a badass the whole time.

also the sex wasn’t that descriptive but it was cute. definitely interested to read the next book.

"Were you born with all your organs intact?" he responds.
"Yes..." I say cautiously.
"Good," he responds, "then I expect you to use the one beneath your skull."
4/5 ⭐️

I've been in love with Laura's writing since i read The Bargainer series and I thought I should give this series a chance. Be aware that this is dark romance, so check the TW first.

Pestilence is a horseman of apocalypse sent to k!ll humans because of their deeds. He does not have any kind of morals or ounce of kindness in his bones so he treats the main character, Sara, horrible. His character development was very abrupt as he, throughout the book, injured Sara a lot, didn't care for her needs until the middle-ish of the book when Sara started to teach him small, but significant, things like eating a pie.

Sara is the definition of female rage. She doesn't give up even when the world is giving her all the crap. She is a bit foolish and thinks things can be solved easily, but she quickly learns that is not the case. She shows the horseman kindness and how to feel happiness, mercy, sadness, and most importantly: love. Sara is a strong main character and she throws back whatever Pestilence gives her (as much as she can lol).

This book is easy to read, but sometimes it drags too long. It is a very quick read and it doesn't have much worldbuiling (it is set in the real world) and very few and easy to understand fantastic terms and the magic system is, as well, easy to get through.

**Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for giving me this arc!

A fantastic series! And this opener really hooks you in. It’s a truly unexpected kind of book, def taboo, and violent, but wow - Thalassa pulls it off!

I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book, as I went into it on a blind recommendation. Loved it. I loved Pestilence as a character, and I really enjoyed both he and Sara’s character arc/growth. The only thing I felt it was missing was a little more explanation for why the Horsemen came when they did, but I’m looking forward to reading the other books for some more answers!

Ok but why was this so much fun? I’m going to devour this entire series. Seriously the world building was so interesting and unique and I’ve literally never heard of a romance involving one of the four horseman and it was just as wild as it sounds.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are brought to life in a fresh and interesting way in Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. In this tale, protagonist Sara Burn fights the first horseman, Pestilence, in an effort to prevent the end of the human race. Unfortunately, she unwittingly becomes Pestilence's prisoner when she shoots him off his steed, and the two of them are now stuck on the road together as Pestilence spreads his terrible plague.

The world after the apocalypse and the horrors that Pestilence brings are described in this story with great detail. Sara's strength and resolve make her a fascinating heroine, and Pestilence's layered and conflicted feelings give him a more three-dimensional personality.

Sara and Pestilence's romance is an unexpected and genuine addition to the plot. The plot moves quickly, with plenty of exciting events and unexpected turns. Pestilence is a great book for those who like post-apocalyptic romances because it is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

4/5 Stars from me.

***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.***

This was a fun read! I did feel like Pestilence and Sara went from enemies to lovers a bit quickly. I couldn't really see why Sara was falling for him after all the things he did to her and the ways he hurt her and at the same time I couldn't see how Pestilence was going against his nature to fall for her. However, once I got past that hurdle, their relationship was sweet. I'm excited to read more of this series!

Finished it in one afternoon. Could not stop reading!
Pestilence and Sara are both super stubborn, which made this a frustrating read, but in a good way. The world was really cool (if somewhat depressing lol) and the character development was fun to read. Overall, I really liked it and am looking forward to meeting War next.

I'm so glad this book is being picked up by Bloom Books. I love apocalyptic fiction and I love fantasy romance. This is the perfect blend of both. I could've actually taken it even darker but I love the premise. The writing is easy to read and follow and the characters believable. This series is definitely buy-worthy.

Really awesome!
This book was really good!! Very well crafted with enough tension, no insta-love. It was awesome! Can’t recommend it enough. Sara is dynamic and awesome. I also love the new cover! Can’t wait to hand sell the new version.

“𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐧.”

Pestilence is book 1 in The Four Horsemen Series. I did read this entire series already and was a fan of it, but when the chance to reread this came up, I jumped on it. I love doing rereads and picking up on things I may have missed the first time around. Pestilence was definitely a bit darker than I remembered it being, and as a dark romance fan, I was here for it. Pestilence’s character growth was strong, and I feel like he fully redeems himself by the end. I do wish there was some more spice in this, I feel like maybe the other books in this series are spicier. I can’t wait to reread the rest of this series now!

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝-𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞.”

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

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬.”

“𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛.”

I’ve read this book when it was independently published and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so dark and gritty that it’s definitely not for people who want a light hearted romance. If you’re fans of dark romance fantasies, this would be for you. It was a very very quick read, and I didn’t put it down at all.

Sara is a really strong female character essentially on the verge of giving up. I think she proved to be his match. She has conflicting feelings about him, but understands that this might be what they both needs. I also loved how much she challenges him, and how her kindness and soft heart is what got to him.

Pestilence was such an interesting character, His growth was so well done, he came from essentially just serving his maker to actually somewhat human. He was confusing at times and very frustrating at other times, but they ultimately did work very well together. I could see how much he loves her, and what he would give up for her.

I would definitely recommend this to people who can handle and enjoy very morally grey characters in a dark romance. The apocalypse really sets the mood here, so it does feel a little dystopian. But it’s very romance heavy. It’s definitely a mature book, so be warned.

First Link - Blog Post Goes Live August 8th

[Content Warnings:
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Child death, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, and Kidnapping
Minor: Stalking]

Pestilence by Laura Thalassa is everywhere if you spend a lot of time on the Fantasy Romance part of the bookish internet - or it was at one point and now it has just seeped into the collective consciousness there. It’s getting it’s traditional release this year and I grabbed a copy to try out (both an eArc and the physical edition at my local Barnes & Noble). And I can’t quite get my head around it.

The premise is simple enough. The four Horseman arrived on Earth some years ago, announcing our demise, then disappeared. The first of the Horseman has awoken, and it’s Pestilence who is slowly riding around the world and sickening and destroying the populace. Sara Burns (a hilarious name considering she’s a firefighter) takes it upon herself to attempt to kill Pestilence. Then ends up paying the price.

So here is where my first BIG problem with this comes. Sara does indeed manage to kill him, burns him to death in fact and when he gets back up (he’s a Horseman of the Apocalypse, of course you can’t kill him) he’s very angry. In an interesting twist, he can feel all the pain and agony of death and all that it does to his body but he never truly dies. So he decides to keep her captive and punish her. From there he does many things to her. Shoots her, drags her by the wrists behind his horse, verbally abuses her, etc. As this is a romance eventually he comes around and she ‘brings out his humanity and gives him hope’ - the usual. But the things he does prior to this, it’s a LOT.

There is also the weirdly added chunk of travel in which Sara constantly tends to those who are dying from his plague he spreads just by being somewhere. We read about these people dying, including small children, and his simple refusal to do anything. If the ultimate end game was for us to ****like**** Pestilence it didn’t happen for me. The man or whatever he is because at one point he tells her he’s is just what his name says - a walking cloud of disease? Is simply not appealing. It missed me. No thank you.

And yet I finished it. I cannot tell you why. I don’t think I recommend this one, but the writing just kept me going and I am just so convinced there has to be something more in the later books. I want the twist to be that these men are not what they seem. Or they are but in a way that makes sense for them to feel the pain they do?

I genuinely don’t know who I’d recommend this too. It’s not romantic, it’s sad then funny then so melodramatic. It has the Happily Ever After all romances do. She ends up sleeping with the personification of a cloud of disease and it’s implied they have children by the end when War appears - but I also can’t tell you I’m not going to read the next one.

If you do pick it up… just don’t think to hard about it. Like the boils his plague leaves behind it’s peppered with red flags and holes but it was fun and bingeable.

2 warm baths with a disease cloud watching you. (And yes. That line in the book felt like kink shaming)

Fantastic story! I loved the premise, the heat, struggles and character growth. This is a story I went in knowing there would be some decent smut but didn't expect not wanting to put it down due to the level of storytelling! I am excited to continue this series and can't wait!

💛💚 Pestilence Review 💚💛

Thank you so much to Laura Thalassa and netGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

Pestilence is a dark paranormal dystopian romance and the first book of The Four Horsemen series. Five years ago, the Horsemen returned and society as we know it collapsed. Plagues are spreading across North America and Sara has been selected to try to take out Pestilence in order to try to stop his rampage, even if she doesn’t survive the attempt. When her attempt fails, she is taken captive by Pestilence in punishment, but she soon learns that there’s more to this inhuman being than meets the eye

I really enjoyed this book!! It’s an original twist on the Four Horsemen lore and I loved that! Sara is a strong but compassionate firefighter who is just trying to survive in a harsh world. Pestilence is unfamiliar with human interactions and is determined to fulfill his mission to eliminate them. I loved watching their relationship grow and develop over the book! Watching both these characters grow was so fantastic!

Overall this was a 4 star read for me and I absolutely want to read the rest of the series now! I’m hooked!! This book was a bit of a slow burn, but once it got there - it was spicy! Three flames for spice! Please remember to check your trigger warnings - especially if you’re sensitive to prisoner/captive, torture, and violence

If you like books with intelligent women, broody possessive men, enemies to lovers, and “I’m gonna hate-bang you and pretend I don’t care” - then definitely check out this book! Pestilence is available now on ebook, paperback and on KU! The beautiful new Bloom cover shown above will be released in August!!