Thank you to Netgalley and Balkon Media for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Fifth Horseman" by Jon Smith was quite an entertaining read. It's packed with humor and features characters who are genuinely compelling. Emma and Mark, for instance, come across as real and multifaceted, which adds a lot of depth to their adventures.

However, the book does tend to linger a bit too long on the philosophical aspects, especially in the chapters dealing with reaping, which could have been condensed for better pacing. But then, there's this one reaping scene that's beautifully done and really emotional—it actually brought me to tears, adding a whole half-point to my rating.

My main critique would be with Veronique. For such an important side character, we end up knowing surprisingly little about her, which feels like a missed opportunity. Fleshing out her story and her motivations would have given the narrative a more rounded feel.

Overall, It's a fun and engaging read with plenty of laughs, though it has its slow moments. If you can look past some of the heavier dialogues, there’s a lot here that’s worth checking out, especially for fans of comic fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously.


3.5 stars out of 5.

Not my usual read but the description caught my attention and, it was really impressive. I do wonder whether there was a deeper meaning about wealth, debt and the current must have world we live in. But I'll just enjoy it as a story about Death and the Horsemen. There was a morale in there, wasn't there....

Title: A Darkly Comic Odyssey: Jon Smith's "The Fifth Horseman" Rides the Line Between the Mundane and the Afterlife

In Jon Smith's "The Fifth Horseman," death is not the end—it's just a day job you can't quit. This darkly comic tale introduces readers to Emma and Mark, two thirty-somethings thrust into a surreal existence caught between the realms of the living and the afterlife. As they grapple with the complexities of their new roles as reapers, they find themselves inadvertently entangled in a cosmic threat that even the four horsemen of the apocalypse are ill-prepared to face.

The novel kicks off with Emma and Mark having a bad day, which takes a turn for the unexpected—death. However, Death himself, the Rider on the Pale Horse, has different plans for them. Stuck between life and death, they become Death's assistants, tasked with reaping souls until their final clock out. The narrative cleverly blends existential dilemmas with a healthy dose of dark humor, turning the afterlife into an oddly relatable and comical workplace.

The existential threat faced by the four horsemen adds an intriguing layer to the story. As they navigate the challenges of their unconventional day job, Emma and Mark find themselves thrust into a cosmic conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of existence. Smith weaves suspense and romantic tension into the narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while maintaining a delightful sense of humor.

The ensemble of characters, flawed yet loveable, brings the story to life with wit and sarcasm. Emma and Mark's journey is filled with humorous twists and turns, making it a delightful read for mainstream fantasy enthusiasts, hopeless romantics, and anyone in search of a good story that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Smith's writing style is engaging, and the novel strikes a perfect balance between fantasy, romance, and comedy. The exploration of profound themes is cleverly interwoven with lighthearted moments, creating a narrative that is both thought-provoking and entertaining.

"The Fifth Horseman" is a refreshing addition to the fantasy genre, offering a unique blend of humor, romance, and suspense. Jon Smith's witty storytelling and the charmingly flawed characters make this novel a standout choice for readers seeking a fantastical journey that tickles the funny bone and tugs at the heartstrings. In a world where death becomes a quirky occupation, "The Fifth Horseman" stands tall as a testament to the author's ability to craft a story that defies expectations and delivers a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Irreverent, fun, and original. A recommended purchase for collections where Christopher Moore type titles are popular.

TW// mention of suicide

May contain spoilers ahead!

Emma has given all she can to her life, but somehow she's always overlooked, ignored and disregarded. She's just been let go from her insurance job, battling with loneliness and crippling debt, she's decided to end her own life. Her best friend and flat mate Mark reads the note she left, adamant on saving her life, he climbs the Liver Bird despite his fear of heights, to have one last ditch attempt at convincing the woman he loves to live another day. However, when this heroic and heartfelt action leads to them both toppling to their death, Mark and Emma are suddenly swept up by Death on his white steed and taken to the afterlife. Even though technically they're dead, Death finds their hourglasses which hold their life span, stuck on the top half, so are not quite dead but also not quite alive. Whilst stuck in limbo, Emma and Mark find themselves on opposing sides of the coin, Emma whose accepted her fate and wants to remain in the afterlife, is hoping the hourglasses move the last pieces of sand down. Mark however, is frantic and determined to get back to the land of the living, with Emma. Veronique, death's personal assistant is becoming increasingly more worried about Death in his old age, and his inability to keep up with reaping souls as the population ever increases. She turns to Emma and Mark to nudge them into helping Death by becoming his own assistants, helping reap the souls and achieve their ultimate goal for their own souls in the process.

One thing that really stuck with me was how relatable the existential parts of this story were. Seeing how Emma and Mark deal with having to reap souls, particularly children and fighting with their innate empathy and drive to let these people live longer, and achieve their goals and dreams, whilst also grappling with the rules of their job and not get attached was really interesting and refreshing.

Death is a grump, who doesn't like being disturbed, finding joy in reading people's obituaries, especially of those he's helped pass over. I definitely got Karl from Up vibes from Death and I'm not mad about it. Death seems like the type to not want to hand over any jobs to anyone else because 'if he doesn't do it, it won't be done right' but it's clear how exhausting and draining his job has become as the population constantly ebbs and flows.

Mark was a really enjoyable character, he's witty, funny and ends up taking the reins quite early on. It was really captivating to see his confidence grow as he takes control, especially when some jobs they have to embark on are a lot harder than others. He's got a big warm heart and has this child like naivety that makes him really endearing and loveable.

Emma on the other hand is seen as more stand-offish, and more likely to prick holes in ideas. She's been through a lot so it's understandable that her mindset is more in the negativity bias range. She does seem to bounce off Mark quite a lot, and their banter was really entertaining, mainly because Mark's quips and self deprecating humour.. but still it was really wonderful to see Mark bring out a happier and more joyful side to her.

This story although witty and packed with humour, also has some really poignant and important messages running through it. Emma having to face her own choice of suicide by reaping someone else whose chosen to end their life, was so profoundly moving and powerful. Having to hear someone else's story, and feeling frustrated at knowing they have so much more in life to enjoy and fall in love with, was really impactful and really resonated with Emma. It felt like a real disorientating, poignant and gut punching moment for her to have to deal with head on, and having to process after her own experience.

I actually really loved this story it's so full of humour and quirkiness. It's just a whimsical and refreshing outlook on death and the afterlife. The setting and world building was so immersive and imaginative that you can't help but be enthralled. It has a wholesome ending (if not somewhat predictable), although I really did want Death to keep them on as his assistants at the end. Definitely give this one a go if you love dry humour, and a refreshingly unique take on death and the afterlife with some vibrant and chaotic characters and some beautiful world building and lore.

The Fifth Horseman is a fantasy novel that tells the story of Emma and Mark, two people who are caught between life and death. They are taken by Death to work as his assistants, reaping the souls of the living until it's time for their final clock out.

I was attracted to this book because of how much I enjoyed Terry Pratchett's depiction of DEATH in the Discworld books (and Good Omens) and that of Christopher Moore. I was not disappointed.

This humorous fantasy novels feels like it wants to be a Terry Pratchett novel – a bit of Mort, a bit of Reaper Man, a bit of Good Omens – but it just doesn’t have the same warmth or wit as the late great Discworld author.

All the ingredients are here: Death and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse as characters; the afterlife seen as a day job rather than the final frontier; a couple of human characters with a love-hate bickery relationship to provide a little light relief and a couple of relatable viewpoints. Unfortunately, none of these ingredients quite come together. I never quite got a handle on Death’s character, the day-job element of the plot started promisingly but became a bit stale and repetitive, and it was hard to appreciate Mark and Emma’s casual bickering when they are in their current position due to attempted suicide of one and accidental death of the other – it feels a little too dark to be so lightly-treated.

Most of the actual action in the plot falls into the final quarter of the book, while the first three quarters follow Mark and Emma’s training as Death’s interns. Once the big climax starts, it is obvious that the main characters will triumph over ridiculously overpowered supernatural odds, but the actual ending we get feels rushed and forced, and involves Emma suddenly completely changing her mind about Mark and about life in general (both of which she had been resolutely adamant about throughout the book), with no build-up or believability to her volte-face.

I really did want to love this story, as it appeared to be right up my street, but the characters and pacing didn’t work for me and the plotline just wasn’t enough to balance them out.

I liked it, there's echo of Fforde and Prachett, there's a lot of humour and two compelling story.
I laughed, it made me think and ejoyed the story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

There were so many things that I enjoyed about this book. It was such a fun, funny, and unique story that made something we usually see as sad and depressing, jovial.

I mean this story is so unique and has so many fun and twisted ideas about what death is and what we think the after life will be. This author took all the myths and ideas that we could possibly have ever had and twisted them in such a fun way. I have never read anything close to this hilarity and I had a fun time reading it.

THIS BOOK WORLD IS JUST SO FUN. I mean Charon is just a pure delight and I was so in love with the fact that War was a fierce Amazonian like female and Death was a depressed grump..... Although some of the characters turned out to be villains, I loved them all equally and I enjoyed getting to know all their points of view.

ALSO the start of this book was a very very interesting one and it just sucked me into the story immediately and I couldn't wait to read more. The way these main characters meet the world of death is definitely one that some people might find triggering, but it made a unique start to the book so I appreciated it.

The only thing I had a little issue with is that I feel like the story dragged a little.... It kind of hit a lull in the middle of the book and I had to take a couple breaks in order for me to continue.

BUT... the ending was so cute and what I hoped for for the entire book!

Overall, I did really enjoy the book, the book world, and its characters, but I just wish it was maybe more exciting all the way through.

The Fifth Horseman by Jon Smith is a modern comic fantasy that cleverly takes on established mythology and the rules of life and death. The story follows two Liverpool flatmates, Emma and Mark, who find themselves caught between our world and the afterlife, where they must embrace their role as reapers to prevent the End Times. Along the way, they work alongside Death and his assistant, Veronique, while facing an existential threat that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are ill-equipped and ill-prepared to combat.

The novel has a unique and clever plot and is incredibly well-written, with Smith’s talent shining through. However, the book falls a little short in some ways. While it starts and finishes strongly, some of the middle chapters don't advance the story much, making them a struggle to get through. Additionally, some of the humor feels out of place and lessens the great writing that came before it.

Despite these shortcomings, the book is still an enjoyable read, with two distinct storylines that eventually come together towards the end. The first storyline follows Emma and Mark as they become Death's apprentices, where they must reap 100 souls to fulfill their service to Death and potentially get the end results they both desire. The other storyline follows Charon, the boatman of the River Styx, and his increasing unhappiness with his role.

The book’s ending feels rushed and a bit forced, with Emma and Mark suddenly thrust into roles beyond their Death apprenticeship training to stop the End Times. After the battle over the fate of the world, the ending resolves each character's story.

In conclusion, The Fifth Horseman is an enjoyable novel that combines humor, romance, and suspense, utilizing a witty and sarcastic ensemble of flawed but loveable characters. Fans of Ben Aaronovitch, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman will enjoy this modern take on established mythology. While the book has some shortcomings, it is still an incredibly clever story, and Jon Smith is a talented writer who I look forward to reading more from in the future

Unfortunately despite an awesome premise this one was just not for me. I found the writing style a bit grating and I did not get along with any of the characters. It very much had a feel of a teenage boys fantasy, and any attempt at humor just felt forced to me. That being said I do think the right audience would love this book - maybe kids in their mid teens ?

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this novel. On one hand, I think it has a very unique and clever plot and is incredibly well-written. For those reasons, I admire the book and author Jon Smith. I think he’s tremendously talented.

However, The Fifth Horseman fell a little short for me in some ways. It started and finished strongly, but several of the chapters toward the middle just seem to ‘be there’ and don’t advance the story very much. They were sometimes a struggle to get through and I found myself wanting to skim them until a more interesting chapter came along.

Also, sometimes the humor in the book seemed out of place. For example, there are multiple scenes in the story that are heavily dramatic and very compelling, but then a joke or funny situation will suddenly pop up out of nowhere — and it feels like it shouldn’t be there. To me, those comedic moments sometimes lessened and diminished the great writing that came before them.

I’m not saying that the author isn’t good at writing humor. There are several funny lines and comedic situations in the book that I think are hilarious. I’m just saying that I wish that some of the comedy in the book didn’t take place during some of the story’s more dramatic moments.

Overall, I enjoyed The Fifth Horseman and am happy that I read it. I just didn’t love it quite as much as I had hoped to.

However, as I wrote above, I think it is an incredibly clever story. I’m looking forward to reading more fiction from author Jon Smith in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced free copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair review.

<b>the cover:</b> drew me in immediately- perfect depiction of a dark humor book… and look at that cute little pony!!!
<b>FMC:</b> Emma- we enter this book with Emma ready to take her life. As a 30-something with an unfulfilled life, a boatload of debt, and a dead-end job that takes her for granted she longs for a purpose- will she find one in her afterlife?
<b>MMC:</b> Mark- after some attempts at talking Emma off the ledge… literally… he instead pushes them both to their death. Except they don’t quite die. They offer to help Death by agreeing to reap souls in exchange for a second chance but those second chances look very different for Emma and Mark. Will they find common ground? Will they get their second chance?
<b>POV:</b> 3rd person, multiple perspectives
<b>HEA:</b> yes
<b>spice:</b> there are a couple fade-to-black or suggestive scenes, but this book does not focus on a true romantic relationship, so they are very minimal
<b>TWs:</b> death, suicide (multiple characters, nongraphic), murder, child death (nongraphic)
<b>standalone?:</b> yes
<b>final thoughts</b>: Death, Veronique, Charon, and the Four Horsemen were funny, interesting, and were very interesting to read. They were great side characters (and we get most of their POVs at different times throughout the book) that added different layers to this novel. I loved nearly everything about this book except a few concepts that were introduced toward the end (I’ll block the spoilers below if you want to read)

<spoiler>Mark confessed his love for Emma basically on page 1, she was very clear this was not reciprocated yet he mentioned it in almost every chapter until the end. It felt like we were beating a dead horse (pun intended? 😜)</spoiler>
<spoiler>after an entire book of denying her feelings, making Mark feel bad for expressing his feelings, and saying she just wants to stay alone she then turns around and expresses <b>her</b> love for <b>him</b>??? I was so confused but I guess if you want a HEA this is the easiest way to do it</spoiler>

read this book if you love
☠️ depictions of Death/the afterlife
😆 dark humor
⚔️ adventure
🔮 fantasy/magical elements
😈 supernatural characters

This tried really hard to be Terry Pratchett’s Death and failed pretty miserably. While at first I liked the concept, I had several issues with it in the end:

-I didn’t care about the main characters at all. They were very dull and underdeveloped.

-the plot felt like a complex series of incomplete things. None of them were interesting things

-I didn’t understand the motivation behind the clear-from-the-beginning telegraphed villain. Literally nonsensical.

-The Four Horsemen were very boring, which is a tragedy bc they are literally the horsemen of the apocalypse.

-The titular fifth horseman is literally a joke thrown in at the 95% mark. It’s not even pivotal to the plot.

This book kinda sucked. Extra star for trying to write something new?

I don't think I can put into words how much I hated this book. First it went straight into someone trying to commit suicide with no warning. I wasn't ready for that kind of content. Then it was just boring. It was meant to be funny, but I didn't really think it was to be honest. But most of the book was just one death after the next, just one reap after the other. There were different conditions and at some points he tried to get philosophical but it just felt really repetitive.

Then there was the misogyny. I'm not even gonna go into the fact that he had War as a woman because that's apparently all that men fight about. But the main character Emma was treated terribly. The entire "romance" in this book was Emma being pursued by Mark who just can't take no for an answer. And of course because this is written by a man, we all know how it ends. Also at every tricky death, she wavered and Mark stepped in and made the hard choice because apparently men are better at this sort of thing.

The ending came out of nowhere. I thought I could see how it was going to go but then something completely different which wasn't really foreshadowed happened instead.

To say this book wasn't for me is putting it really really lightly. Do not read without checking the trigger warnings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Balkon Media for providing a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

"Life without death has no meaning, no purpose. No measure. But life lived for too long becomes a heavy burden."

I am giving this book 3 stars. I think if the description below piques your interest, read the book. If the description below leaves you feeling "meh", I would't read the book

The Fifth Horsemen has two very distinct storylines; one of which I definitely preferred over the other. My favorite storyline is about Emma and Mark, two Liverpool flatmates who end up (through some unusual circumstances) becoming Death's apprentices. Death and his assistant, Veronique, oversee the apprentices' training in the arts of scythemanship, hourglass filling, and flying horse management. Then, it's up to Mark and Emma to reap 100 souls to fulfill their service to Death and potentially get the end results they both desire (as different as they may be).

The other storyline is about Charon, the boatman of the River Styx, and his increasing unhappiness with his role. No one brings gold to the afterlife anymore, which means Charon has fewer and fewer passengers to ferry. An unexpected revelation (pun intended) informs Charon that his actions affect the well-being of the Four Horsemen - Death, Famine, Pestilence, and War.

The Four Horsemen are great characters; the poker scene was a highlight for me. They are predominately in the Charon storyline and I wish they had more interactions with Emma and Mark. I think it would have been interesting to read how these two humans interact with the other horsemen besides Death and vice versa.

The two storylines come together towards the end, which felt rushed and a bit forced to me. Emma and Mark are suddenly thrust into roles well beyond their Death apprenticeship training at the behest of the Horsemen in order to stop the End Times from coming. After the surprisingly short battle over the fate of the world, the ending resolves each of the character's stories.

My cheeks hurt from smiling through this delightful book. This one kept me hooked and entertained until the last page…

The Fifth Horseman introduces us to Emma and Mark, who become Death's accidental assistants. Follow along as they learn the skill of reaping the dead, while contemplating their own (late) mortality. This book was a fun little tale and I would definitely read another book by this author.

Jon Smith swings for the fences with The Fifth Horseman, and from the cutting critique of the odds stacked up against millennials, he swings a scythe.

Of course there is a long legacy of interpretations and personifications of “Death” as a character in all kinds of fiction. Smith’s portrayal of the character seems most closely related to that of Terry Pratchett in the almost universally popular series Discworld (the premise of becoming Death’s assistant recalls Pratchett’s own Mort!). In a few instances, I think Smith even references Pratchett by having the character speak in all-caps, but it is not kept up consistently.

We also experience some very Good Omens style horseman of the apocalypse, and one very clumsy Ancient Greek boatman, Charon. Our two main characters, Mark and Emma, run around reaping souls in Death’s stead, gathering tid bits of moral philosophy before hauling the deceased off to The Great Beyond. If you’ve ever played an Assassin’s Creed game, the format will feel very familiar to you.

I was at first intending to decry these structures as derivative and unoriginal, but as I continued to think about The Fifth Horseman after two or three days from finishing (always a good sign), it occurred to me that these things — while fun — where not really the core of Smith’s work. They may have been the stones mixed into the cement used to pebble-dash the walls but they were not the home within.

That home was the trials of our two protagonists and the judgements they faced on nearly every step along their journey in the afterlife as well as Smith’s answer to all the arguments millennials are tired of hearing. Interestingly, these answers are not always rebuttals necessarily.

For the last part of this review, I’ll talk about the humor. There are a few good laughs in this book, but I think I was hoping for more. I’m American, and many of the jokes seemed to involve English places and events so perhaps I just wasn’t connected to them in the way someone from the UK might.

Given its comic lens, and the characters it seemingly shares with Discworld and Good Omens, The Fifth Horseman feels like a natural successor to Terry Pratchett. Reading it with this expectation will be a disappointment for you, and a diservice to the book itself.

Instead, consider the problems and anxieties laid bare within the text. How does Smith try to play the hand delt to millennials? Do you agree with his interpretations? These are the questions that make reading The Fifth Horseman a fun and engaging read.

I'm not sure what I expected from this book but it wasn't quite what I got, I realise that doesn't make much sense but I'm quite certain you get the gist of what I mean.
The story is good enough the characters were a bit hard for me to like, I just couldn't get interested in them for some reason. Try it out though it might tickle you. Definitely an interesting story.