I have been a fan of Laura Thalassa's books for years now, and this was a reread for me.
"Pestilence" has such a messed up story and I absolutely love it.
It keeps amazing me that Thalassa manages to write heroes - in this case Pestilence - who are completely despicable, but in the end I as a reader always root for them.
So yeah, this is a great book and I highly recommend it to every fantasy romance fan.

This new cover for Pestilence, the first installment of the Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa is giving me everything I need in life- and more. Pestilence is undoubtedly my favorite of the Four Horsemen, and Laura Thalassa's writing never ceases to amaze me. Her characters and world building is out of this (dare I say it... world). She has created incredibly flawed characters, that you cant help but love. I highly recommend Pestilence to anyone who loves fantasy romance, a bit of spice, and tough Hero's who are secretly a cinnamon roll on the inside!

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book.

It was okay. Average, I'd say. The plot is nearly non-existent and relies heavily on the romance and its main characters, because besides Sara and Pestilence, there are no secondary characters to the story.

I liked Pestilence enough and also found his character growth to be one of the best aspects of the book. Sara was also a likable enough character. The book had some moments I enjoyed (mainly the beginning, the dynamics and bickering between Sara and Pestilence was great) but unfortunately, that fizzled out rather quick.

This was a reread for me.

After completing the series last year, this reread hit a little different. It’s still just as heart wrenching to read. I mean, humans messed up bad and the horsemen have now come.

It hurt so much to watch Pestilence and Sara again fight each other. 😭
Just remember that he is NOT human, he is disease in a human form. Therefore, human emotions are new to him.

I have to admit that I would probably have tried to kill him if I ran across him. Never mind, who do I kid, I would be one of the first to die in an apocalyptic environment 😂

I love this series. But check trigger warnings if you are sensitive to things.

Pestilence by Laura Thalassa is a captivating, heart-wrenching story that reimagines the four horsemen of the apocalypse in a thrilling and darkly romantic way. The first of the horsemen, Pestilence, comes to Earth with the power to destroy all of humanity, and when he arrives in Sara's town, she is determined to stop him. But she quickly learns that Pestilence can't be killed, and he takes her captive in retribution for impeding his mission.

What follows is a gripping tale of survival, sacrifice, and unexpected love. As Sara travels with Pestilence and his plague, she begins to see a different side of him and comes to understand the complexity of his mission. Thalassa does an incredible job of developing the characters and their relationship, making it believable and deeply moving. Sara's bravery and compassion are admirable, and Pestilence's internal conflict between his duty and his growing affection for her is heart-wrenching.

Thalassa's writing is stunning, creating a vivid and darkly beautiful world that draws the reader in and doesn't let go. The tension and stakes are high throughout the book, making it difficult to put down. The concept of the horsemen of the apocalypse as romantic heroes is unique and intriguing, and Thalassa executes it with skill and nuance.

Overall, Pestilence is a must-read for fans of dark romance, apocalyptic fiction, and imaginative world-building. It's a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

I saw someone named Chan say "take me away, plague daddy" and instantly cackled. That is exactly what I would say if I were Sara. I'm one of those gals who is going to dive headfirst into the pool of red flags and morally grey. What's the worst that could happen?! haha! Prime candidate for Stockholm Syndrome.. Especially when its with a handsome, immortal, plague daddy.

I can see this being too dark for those with an intact moral compass, but if you are a little dark and realized that it's just a book, like me, you'll be fascinated and riveted by this story. Thalassa is amazing at composing dystopia/fantasy, new adult fiction novels. I was glued to this book and completed it in one sitting! I can't wait to consume the rest of the series. I can only hope that if we end up in an apocalyptical time, I can find a Pestilence. 😍

Thank you NetGalley, Laura Thalassa and SourceBooks Bloom Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.


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WOW. i liked this a lot. i love the world ending aspect. Definitely enemies to lovers vibes with mortality being a huge theme. I think a lot of people who like smut and romance with fantasy would love to read this book. i am looking forward to the sequel! I love this new cover the other ones are so outdated and unmaterialistic.

This was a fun, unique story - a woman falls for a horseman of the apocalypse - who she tried to kill to stop the end of the world. They're natural enemies, and yet they had oddly excellent chemistry. This was also my favorite of the series.

LOVE THE CONCEPT!! Sexy, heartbreaking, and riveting! New author for me and was happily surprised with how much I liked this genre! Would recommend!

Pestilence is the first horseman to wake up and is determined to destroy the human race by spreading a plague. Sara knows that Pestilence is heading to her town and stays behind to stop him so he can't kill anymore. However, Sara soon learns that Pestilence can't be killed. Pestilence takes Sara prisoner and promises to make her suffer as he continues spreading his plague. Even as Sara is shown the evils of humanity, she's still determine to show Pestilence all that's great.

I really enjoyed this book and the introduction to the post-apocalyptic world. Pestilence was easy to hate in the beginning but as the book progressed you start to see that he has never been shown the good side of humanity. He was always treated with hate (granted he is Pestilence) so he thought people were terrible creatures that were destroying the Earth. Once he meets Sara and sees how she cares for the victims even though she knows they're going to die, he starts to realize that maybe there's some good out there. Maybe not all humans are bad.

I loved Sara and how she worked to humanize him. We see that Pestilence doesn't necessarily enjoy what he does, it's just a task he was assigned. I cried for Sara and what she went through but I loved watching Pestilence evolve. I really enjoyed this book and it's definitely one of my favorites.

If you enjoy
-post-apocalyptic
-forced proximity
-enemies to lovers
-one horse
I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC!

Good story. Loved these characters. Set a whole new world for the one we live. Wouldn't call it much of a romance but i really enjoyed it.

I received an adance readers copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy.

Laura knows how to make disease and death in a post covid world sexy!
I absolutely LOVED Pestilence. The characters were interesting, the love story was at times sweet and also sizzling. I loved getting to know them better and enjoyed seeing them come together.
However, this story is not for the faint of heart. It is DARK! And Violent.
Overall, this storyline is unique and tries to highlight how humans can show their worst or best in the face of death and destruction. On to the next book!

3⭑
„because naming things humanizes them. and once you humanize something, you are essentially recognizing it‘s existence.“

this was the first laura thalassa book i read. it was so fun and easy to read. some of sara‘s action’s were really relatable which made me like her so much. the building of their relationship was amazing written & pestilence character development was so great to follow through out the book.

This book was deliciously fun. Who would have thought that Pestilence could be so adorably yummy. And Sara is so easily relatable. I feel like her actions throughout the book not only made perfect sense but would be a similar thought pattern and behaviors that I would have done. Overall the flow and development of this book was fantastic. An easy read that you wanted to know what happened next and kept you interested. I read the book in the matter of a couple of hours and look forward to reading the next one as soon as possible.

The way I devoured this book in a day 🙌🏼 I was hooked from the get go. The FMC, Sara, is one of the last firefighters left in town. All of the residents have already evacuated knowing Pestilence and the apocalypse are upon them. Her team draws pieces of paper to see who will be the last to leave and fend off Pestilence. Unfortunate for her, she gets chosen with the black piece.

She makes a valiant effort and plots to kill Pestilence. However shooting and burning him alive fail, as the next day she wakes to the horseman’s rage filled eyes seeking revenge for her lack of mercy. He ties her to his horse and has her trail along his journey to spread the plague and get a front row seat to the destruction. Throughout their travels the close proximity and companionship has them questioning everything as some feelings start to form.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read and all of its ups and downs. Definitely teared up in some chapters. I don’t know how both Sara and Pestilence were able to deal with all the suffering 😭 Those last chapters were the best … especially when he showed up at her front door. He literally went against everything for her 🥺 I adored how the super scary Pestilence literally would become a teddy bear only for her (definitely not right away… but a bit further into the read). Also, loved how Sara brought the humanity out of him and made him try foods/drinks 😂 I can’t wait to read about his brothers and what will come next during the years of the horsemen.

Tropes: Fantasy Romance, Apocalypse, Forced Proximity, One tent, One horse, Touch him/her and I’ll end you

Apocalyptically fantastic

World, I’ve found my new obsession. Laura Thalassa distilled all my dystopian fantasy dreams, wrapped them up in a bow, and handed them to me in one deliciously dark package. This book murdered me, in the best possible way. The four horsemen stories have always fascinated me, and this one hits the spot just right.

The book is equal parts uproariously funny and equal parts heartbreaking. The picture the author paints of a hopeless and desperate world is chillingly bleak, and she pulls no punches. Pestilence is a terribly flawed (understatement), deeply troubled, complexly layered male protagonist, and Sara Burns is one badass boss lady of a heroine. As befits the end of the world, the stakes are high, and they remain so even right up to the end, even though we get our HEA. But it’s not over yet, not by any means. There’s 4 of them, remember? And I cannot wait for them, each hopefully darker and deadlier than the last.

Laura Thalassa is a great fantasy romance author and this start of a series is no different.

I previously read the Bargainer series by her and have been really excited to give The Four Horseman a try.

With Pestilence we are fall him the youngest brother of the 4 four horseman. The four brothers to help bring the apocalypse to earth. But in walks Sara. She draws the short straw and is tasked with taking out Pestilence. Although know one told her Pestilence can not be killed and she is left his rag doll prisoner.

You follow them through this journey to bring the world down with the plague. It's vicious and unforgiving. But through it all Pestilence and Sara grow to love one another.

I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read the rest of the brothers.

The first book of Laura Thalassa’s Four Horsemen series, Pestilence introduces you to a contemporary world similar to ours, except for the whole “apocalypse is upon us part.” Pestilence and his steed are traveling through the Canadian/American Pacific Northwest carrying out his sole purpose, the annihilation of the human race. Sara Burns is looking to stop him, but that pesky immortality keeps getting in the way, so he decides to take her along for the ride down the coast! Let’s see if she can convince him to forsake his purpose.

The post-apocalyptic world that Laura Thalassa builds immediately sucked me in and wouldn’t let me go. I adore her prose and narration through the novel. Pestilence encompasses all of the intense emotions: tragedy, compassion, desperation, angst, a little bit of love! To be honest, for a post-apocalyptic romance, I thought alot more than I realized, especially with such an attractive man on the cover. The matter of religion is handled in a very respectful manner, in my opinion. Nothing is offensive or contradictory to the beliefs of the Abrahamic creeds: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. We are convinced God is beyond religions so all religions deserve respect. It is discussed in a very neutral manner. But thanks for the existential crisis, Laura.

-Canadian/American PNW
-Forced Proximity
-Enemies-to-lovers
-Opposites Attract
-Virgin Hero
-One Horse, Two Riders

CW/TW: Graphic Illness, Torture, Sexual Content, Hostage Situation, High Count Death

Can Laura Thalassa write a bad book? I’ve yet to see it happen. This was such a good read, I devoured it in less than a day. I love the author’s writing, and all of her books get me addicted from the beginning.

I was really impressed by how much I liked this book. I’m not big into darker romance novels, and this one got pretty dark at times. The author did an amazing job building a romance around it, though, that sometimes I forgot what was going on the world around them.

I really liked Pestilence’s character growth and how slowly begins to understand humanity. He was a complex character to understand.

My only negative was that it was hard at times to imagine falling in love with a being that is literally killing everyone and has no plans to stop. But that could be my own personal preference to lighter books. Either way, I’m excited to read the rest of the series!

Really enjoyed this romance/fantasy novel and can’t wait to read the next installment. Don’t think I can do it justice to try and summarize so I’ll just say read it and once you start won’t be able to put it down! I want to thank NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.