I’m a huge fan of Laura Thalassa’s books and she is one of my auto buy authors.

The four horsemen series was a breath of fresh air in the NA fantasy genre, such a unique take. Pestilence my favourite of the set. This new cover is stunning and I can’t wait to add the paperback to my collection.

Pestilence is the first book in the The Four Horsemen series. I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. It was a 5/5 star read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books and Laura Thalassa for an opportunity to read a copy of this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"You want me to understand your kind, and yet when I show any interest you condemn my curiosity."

I've read the full Four Horseman series and, while Pestilence is not my favorite post-apocalyptic baddie (hello War), this first book has a special place in my heart.

The events in Pestilence take place right after the apocalypse has begun, with each book taking place in a different region and with multi-year gaps between. The plot of all four books can be summed up as "road trip love stories with pissed-off angels," and I don't say that as an insult.

This series has been on my To-Buy list for a while, especially now that these gorgeous re-print covers are coming out!

This book has a lot of truth in it about human nature. Yep, human nature tends to destroy everything and Pestilence comes to deliver God's wrath. WARNING! If you're weak-kneed, then probably you should know that you get the description of the plague infections and the wounds inflicted by shotguns AND burns. Literally burning flesh and missing parts!

Now, I'm glad that Laura puts these descriptions of the bad things because common! This is a HORSEMAN and it's a horseman's job to literally inflict pain and get a good description of the act. So again, don't expect to be privy to that.

I liked how Pestilence's story is written and I really liked the fact that the two main characters have the whole book. There are other characters, but let's name them "passing characters". So you get everything there is on Pestilence and Sara. I like how Pestilence grows and his curiosity about trying human things. Even if he knows his task, his mission, and his purpose, you can see the conflict in him. And usually, the people/species that don't like their mission, are the ones that are the best for the job. So, Pestilence is in this situation, and little by little, he starts listening to his heart and questioning things, a normal action that makes him look a lot like a human. Even if his literally the plague itself, you can see his evolution, not necessarily as a person [HE'S NOT HUMAN], but as a being, as a living, breathing, undying being.

Sara is his salvation. I AM WARNING YOU! SHE WILL SUFFER HIS WRATH! AND NOT IN A PLEASANT WAY! REALLY SUFFERING! I love that this isn't a story where the guy sees his prey and immediately falls in love with it. NO! She, like every other human, suffers and he hurts her really bad and nearly kills her. So everything is about communication, trying new things, and let's be honest. Sara has a lot of patience with him. A LOT! They change each other and the way they do that, that's their journey as beings, supreme beings, and humans.

I've seen the other reviews, but I really think this book deserves 5 stars. The plague is the first step in the apocalypse, so is normal and natural that after him comes the worst. Like in every torture or battle, things increase in their suffering and the magnitude of the danger, pain, and the end of life itself. So I think Pestilence got the right story. When bad things happen, is not just one thing, no. There are multiple bad things, and the worst is yet to come.

I’m so excited for the new covers for this series- they did throw me off a ton though. I originally requested this ARC because I thought it was the last in the series and I had read the first one a few years ago. Turns out it is just a cover redesign, but I did enjoy the re-read.

This is one of the classic enemies-to-lovers sub-tropes of “I was sent to kill you”. It is a stand-alone in an interconnected world with 4 total books, which is my total jam- anyone who knows me knows I love a good standalone book. As a paranormal romance, there isn’t a crazy amount of world-building to deal with, so your focus is almost solely on the two main characters and the buildup of their relationship and also the characters themselves as Sara works on convincing pestilence that the world is worth saving.

Such a well written story that I couldn't put down. It really drags you into an apocalypse earth with the four horsemen. The concept is interesting itself but the story was quite great. I enjoyed reading it and can't wait to read more.

I’ve got this and decided to read it before the other books in my TBR list. Good choice. A good story about the Horsemen, the world we live in and the choices we make and how they affect not only us right now, but others in the long term.

Five years ago, the Four Horsemen came to Earth and started the apocalypse. Now, Pestilence is galloping through North America, infecting all those whose path he crosses with a deadly illness.

Before he can reach their town, Sara and her fellow firefighters draw matches to see who will stick around and attempt to end Pestilence’s crusade. Sara loses, and learns the hard way that he is unfortunately impossible to *unalive*.

Enemies to Lovers with a healthy dose of Stockholm Syndrome. I really enjoyed their journey through the post-apocalyptic Pacific NW, as their feelings slowly developed from hatred to something *more*. There were a lot of questions about whether humanity deserved any mercy, and after falling for this “monster” what Sara’s place amongst “her people” really was anymore.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was Sara’s sarcasm, whether it be in her inner monologue, or while speaking out loud, dealing with Pestilence and his “ways”.

This was quite an enjoyable read, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Really enjoyed this one. The entire concept of the four horsemen and the apocalypse was really interesting and very well done. I enjoyed the characters and the development of Pestilence. The pacing and journey of the plot was well done. It kept me intrigued the whole time and never lagged. I especially enjoyed the romance! I love all the books in this series, so fun!

How does one defeat Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen responsible for bringing in the start of the apocalypse? How does one stop oneself from developing feelings for said horseman? Sara has to figure out the answers to both questions as she navigates a post-apocalyptic world.

Wow, this had me hooked! Absolutely solid fantasy romance and not the last I will read from Laura. Such an interested premise and characters that felt entirely authentic. The ending did have me scratching my head a bit, but I cannot wait to continue onto the next book.

“The horseman has learned how to feel. Nothing good can come of this. Nothing at all.”

This book was intense. I say that with love. It was absolutely different from anything I’ve ever read before. The first 30% I struggled continually vacillating between “I’m not going to be able to finish this... it’s to brutal..” and “WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!”
What happens next won.

It’s dark. It’s apocalyptic. It’s heart wrenching at moments. Is it Stockholm syndrome? Is it severe abuse? Wait- is it love? HOW? I don’t have answers to those questions. But what I do have to say is that the questions presented were mind blowing. I highlighted hundreds, yes HUNDREDS, of passages and could not put this book down.

I could not put it down. Pestilence and Sara were hard and beautiful and painful and emotional. It was violent and there were tears, but also, it was fulfilling in emotionality and depth. I’ve never had such mixed feelings about a “Hero”(Is he a Hero? I don’t know.) and heroine relationship. My chest ached again and again because it was just so hard.

Biblical truths and questions littered the pages. Things never considered. Absolute fiction but also... possibly truths? This story stretched me. It broke me. I read parts of it with a hand over my eyes like one watches a horror movie. And then, through all this darkness and pain, there are hints of the most beautiful romance... a romance for the ages. I don’t often succumb to “book hangovers”... “Pestilence” however... I know this is one I will be thinking of long after I’ve finished.

“You have managed what no one else has: you have awoken my heart. So, no, Sara, of all the words I would use to describe you, fascinating would definitely be one of them.”

Imagine a world in the not too distant future, where the creature comforts we have come to take for granted no longer function, and a grim disease spreads in the wake of a mysterious, indestructible Horseman named Pestilence. Running from the disease does almost nothing, and the fate of humanity rests upon the shoulders of that same Horseman.

An eerie parallel to the events of 2020 with the worldwide pandemic despite being published before those same events, PESTILENCE hits home in a strange way. The main protagonist Sara is someone I wish I would be in this kind of crisis, unflinching in the face of danger and willing to risk everything to stop the apocalypse. A word of caution, however; despite being a romance novel, death abounds, painting a very grim picture of this version of Earth's future. If you're not particularly sensitive to death as it relates to disease and want to witness the power of love in the face of destruction, then I recommend this book for you.

It was hard to go through the first chapters. I wasn't really liking Pestilence and I hated how he treated Sara. It's by the middle of the book that an elderly couple does the twist.
They don't fear Pestilence or try to kill him. They receive him in their home and talk with him. They accept their deaths and forgive the Horseman for the burden he carries.
It's only then that I stop to think and realise that I was reading expecting something of Pestilence instead of trying to understand him. I needed an open mind. I couldn't expect compassion from an horseman of the apocalypse that knows nothing besides his cause .

And then ... The human kid shows how cruel we are

SPOILER ⚠️

I cried when they crucified him and set him on fire. I cried when he begged for them to not hurt Sara.... Cause in thar moment, he cracked.

this book has so many messages. The power of words, sacrifice, feelings... I would say it's a strong book and it's perfect on its own way. ❤️

Enemies to lovers I think describes this succinctly. Poor Sarah is ready to sacrifice herself in order to kill Pestilence but it's such a shame that no one told her that he's immortal ! Oh he can suffer and really does but die not so much. What Pestilence can do though is take Sarah as his prisoner to punish and let her learn what it feels like to truly suffer. Too bad that Sarah isn't the sort to give up and it doesn't matter what gets thrown at her Sarah's compassion and resilience never falters.
This was a great start to this series with its complex hero , stubborn heroine and underlying message. We have wasted our resources so what would we do if the dreaded doomsday actually arrived ? This story had great pace with a romance that felt justified. You might start hating Pestilence but this author vindicates him and dare I suggest humanises him just a tad ? Definitely not an easy read at times but one I was eagerly turning the pages on.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This book was so far removed from my usual romcoms that I almost didn’t read it, but thank goodness I did! Once I started, I devoured it and I can’t wait to read about the other dastardly horsemen and their strong women. The world Ms Thalassa is creating is as exciting as it is troubling!

Thalassa does it again. I can’t believe I haven’t read Pestilence before now 😅

I think my absolute favourite part of any of Thalassa’s works is the banter-rich, witty and clever heroines she creates. They don’t need saving and boy do they make the hero’s job hard! 😂 Sara is no different. She has a smart mouth, puts others first and has so much courage and heart.

I loved the character growth in this. Pestilence is everything he should’ve been.

There were a few cringeworthy and super what-the-f**k moments. There were also suuuuuuuuuper long humans-are-bad monologues, and poetry quotes every other page, but aside from that the story was exciting enough to have me turning each page.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to review. Loving the new cover 🥳

Normally I’m not a fan of the female main character falling for her male captor but something about this story had me. Maybe it’s the fact that Pestilence started to redeem himself and change in a way. I liked this enough to continue the series.

A book about one of the four horseman was surprisingly spicy!

I know, I know this book is marketed as spicy but you have to give me a little bit of room for my skepticism when here. Pestilence doesn't really sound enticing but this book turned that idea on it's head.

Pestilence is a post-apocalyptic fantasy romance series starter that breathes some life into the old Four Horseman of the Apocalypse myths. In the story, the Four Horsemen descend on earth to cleanse it of ungrateful and sinful humanity; they arrive in semi-human form with their magical powers...what could possibly go wrong, amirite? We fast forward five years and the US & Canada have been decimated by a strange disease brought on by Pestilence. Pockets of humanity live on the fringes of existence attempting to evade disease. Sara, our female lead is one such human that belongs to the resistance attempt to kill Pestilence....except she fails miserably. But rather than kill her, Pestilence brings her along for the ride. Without going much further into the plot, expect a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance with gritty details about death. This is my second time reading Pestilence and I love the additional edits; initial writing is a little rough around the edges, but I enjoyed the story and that's what counts. Character development and world building in this first installment is solid and we all know that's my jam, There are some great gut-wrenching, heart-string-pulling moments in Pestilence; Laura knows how to get us with the feels here.

For those concerned, be advised there are grisly depictions of death and post apocalyptic war.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced review copy of this book for a voluntary review.