Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this title. The premise of this intrigued me - Four Horseman of the apocalypse but make it - raunchy.
I had fun with this read. I thought it was a little long but it had some great scenes and I enjoyed the read. I don't like to read apocalypse books but this one I liked. I found myself questioning what else was happening in the world, where were the other horseman and what was happening in other countries. I will probably read another title in this series. The spicy scenes were very good.
Absolutely a dark romance

Thank you for the eArc.

There’s something about a book that has a true enemies to lovers story that is brutal and harsh while still having glimpses of softness, making you root for them, that really works and this book had just that.

It makes you experience the same conflicting feelings the main character has towards War, hating him for what he does while seeing a side of him that hints at what he could become.

One of the only criticisms I have was it felt a little long, with some of the scenes (especially in the first half) feeling a bit repetitive.

If it wasn’t clear, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to scratch the enemies to lovers itch and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

i really enjoyed this book! i personally liked this book even more than the first! i did have some issues with miriam but for the most part i really liked her character. i really loved how war had two sides to him which made his character much more likable! i also really loved getting to read how his character developed throughout the book! another part of this book i liked was how there was more interaction with people besides war and miriam!

overall, i really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read famine! thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks for sending me this arc! all opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom for a digital arc of War - the second book in the Four Horsemen.

Swoon!!!!! I am not surpised by the average of 4 star ratings on Goodreads, I whole heartedly agree with that.
I have always loved apocalypse stories but this one takes the crown. The steam, love, pain, everything in this book was balanced. If you've read from Thalassa before you will not be let down by this one :) :)

Coming into book 2, I was a bit more prepared for this story as we got a small glimpse into who the book would follow which is War. Regardless, this one felt like a steep departure from book 1 but not in a bad way. If anything, the plotline of War was exactly what I was hoping for yet more than I expected.

War follows War, the second horseman as he’s wreaking havoc upon the Earth which is fine until he comes face-to-face with Miriam. As in the previous book, she stands her ground against him but War doesn’t follow the same formula. War declares Miriam is his wife and spares her because of that.

While the two have an understandably rocky relationship, they eventually start to warm up to each other although it takes a while. I feel like War really honed on why War existed and how it became such a human thing. That didn’t mean this was an easy read as it’s a lot of death, killing, and general brutality.

Despite the difficult subjects and moments, there was real love and tenderness between War and Miriam. These two were truly soulmates in every sense of the word and I don’t say that lightly as this book featured a trope I don’t love. In this context though, that trope being included was great and made a lot of sense for how the story ended up.

As for the writing, Laura Thalassa ensnared me once again with her amazing writing and I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down despite it being over 500 pages which made me even more excited to pick up book 3 in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book (new cover) for an honest review!

I've now read half of this series and will continue on! This series emotionally confuses me in the best way. I shouldn't be cheering for one of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse to get an HEA, but here we are. I was not expecting the twist at the end!

Laura Thalassa knew what she was doing when she wrote this series! This book, the four horsemen, and they're reigning queens are just impeccably written! Each story is unique and stands apart from the other but as a whole, the series is so cohesive and flows so naturally. That's a paramount of Thalassa's writing and world building and the reason why I'm so obsessed with War and Miriam. Both characters are so strong and resilient and their chemistry could easily burn your tongue. Alpha male, warrior heroine, fated mates, and enemies to lovers means this is a recipe for my dream and humanity's suffering and I just know Famine will bring it all to a head! This book is everything the world didn't even know it needed and I couldn't thank Laura Thalassa enough for sharing it with us!

I really liked the Bargainer Series by this author, but was a bit disappointed by the first book in this series, but I’m glad I gave War a second chance!

An improvement on book one, however I still prefer Thalassa’s Bargainer series. It was a decent read- easy and quick to get through, but nothing mind blowing.

I loved it from the start, did not want to put it down. She is an amazing author and is excellent at telling a wonderful story.

<strong>Loved it</strong>

This book was just amazeballs! So totally different from Pestilence. War was absolutely terrifying and Miriam was such a strong and resilient female character.

What did I like? These covers…. Just wow! Author really outdid herself! So War is the next horsemen to visit the earth and falls for Miriam. The chemistry between these two just singe the pages. The world building in this book was incredible! Prepare to get sucked in.

Would I recommend or buy? I have the series in paperback! All of them have great Alpha men and strong heroines that save the day! I highly recommend! Love the new Bloom covers!

I'm glad that the sequel didn't let me down!

In the second book of the series we meet War, the possessive alpha male who came to destroy humanity.
Miriam is not a damsel in distress, she knows how to weild a weapon and kill to survive. She crossed path with the horsemen, then she was claimed as War's wife. She's able to understand the Angelic language although she never learnt it beforehand.

Miriam hates War from their first interaction, but she was forced to leave with him as his "wife." She tried several times to escape and run away from him, I admire her courage when she saved some innocent lives despite knowing War's plans--which is to bring suffering for the humanity.

Trope: fated mate, enemies to lovers, war, possessive alpha male, dark romance

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of War by Laura Thalassa, this was definitely a trippy book and probably best purchased as an ebook.

Such a good read! I'm just recently getting into fantasy romance and this was a great book. This was my first read from Laura Thalassa but now I'm going to look into her other books!

Laura Thalassa is one of my favourite authors for NA fantasy romance, I’ve read these previously when they first came out I devoured each one and I was happy to see a new release in paperback too, I will be getting these definitely as I only have ebooks. I loved my reread, the descriptions, the chemistry and her wonderful storylines. War is my favourite of all 4 books, but they are all 5 star reads so that’s just personal opinion and taste. You need to read these books they’re brilliant and I loved this the most, it needs more than 5 stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The second horseman has come laying waste to whole towns and amassing a huge army as he passes through Jerusalem. There is no stopping this indestructible man and when War takes Miriam hostage and calls her wife, she is forced to endure him. But he shows her a gentler side and she starts to wonder if love can conquer war, if only she surrenders to it.
I started out hating War with his uncompromising attitude toward his mission, but there were subtle changes in his character that started to show his humanity. By the end I was loving his relationship with Miriam and almost threw the book across the room when something shocking happened! I'm absolutely loving this action packed face paced dark romance series. Famine comes next... bring him on!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*2023 VERSION WITH THE REWRITES*
I compared this one to the 2019 version almost line for line and while there’s no major changes, I did notice that it definitely reads better. Some of the terms have been modernized, there are lines that are now italicized to set them apart, and little typos and errors have been fixed.

One of the things I noticed reading this for a second time were the locations. I loved how they traveled from the Middle East down through Egypt, following the Nile River. War used to be my favorite Horsemen, but knowing what’s coming next, he’s not as powerful as I once thought he was. However, what he lacks in intensity and drama he more than makes up for in sweetness. Seriously, you can’t help but swoon for this angelic destroyer no matter how much he doesn’t understand about human life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

War by Laura Thalassa, the second installment in the Four Horsemen series, delves deeper into a post-apocalyptic world where survival, passion, and redemption intertwine. This intense and gripping novel pushes the boundaries of enemies-to-lovers romance, challenging readers to question the blurred lines between love and war.

Miriam Elmahdy, the courageous protagonist, finds herself thrust into a nightmare when she becomes entangled with War, one of the fearsome horsemen of the apocalypse. Thalassa skillfully portrays Miriam's conflicting emotions as she navigates her complicated relationship with War. Their connection evolves amidst the backdrop of chaos and destruction, forcing Miriam to reconcile the atrocities committed by War with the glimpses of humanity she witnesses within him.

Thalassa's world-building in War is nothing short of remarkable. The author paints a vivid and desolate landscape, immersing readers in a war-torn reality that drips with tension and despair. The rich descriptions bring each scene to life, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the story.

The character development in War is commendable. Miriam is a complex and resilient heroine who wrestles with her feelings for War while striving to save humanity. Thalassa excels at creating multi-dimensional characters who navigate morally gray areas, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. The dynamics between Miriam and War are intense and captivating, albeit challenging for some readers due to the nature of War's actions.

The pacing of the story is swift and engaging, making it difficult to put the book down. Thalassa's addictive writing style draws readers in, making the pages fly by. While the overall formula of the series may be similar, War manages to distinguish itself with its unique plot twists and surprises.

This is the second book in The Four Horsemen series and I must say that I enjoyed it a whole lot more than Pestilence. Not that Pestilence was a bad book, I just didn’t like it as much as this one. But just like Pestilence, War was a really fast read. I don’t know what it is about these books but I both read them in less than two days so War was quite the page-turner.

This story is about Miriam Elmahdy who lives in Jeruzalem and is trying to survive, as best as she can, by making weapons. It’s what she’s good at. Then the day came that the horseman of War and his army come into the city. Once Miriam’s path crosses with War, he immediately declares her as his wife. Miriam, of course, is having none of that and so a battle of wills begins.

My thing with Pestilence was that the romance between the two characters went a little too fast for my liking but with War I felt it was paced in a way better way. And then there was War himself. I just couldn’t help but love him instantly. Even though he was making war and killing people along his army, I was really smitten by him.

And then there was Miriam, who fit perfectly with War although she didn’t want to see it herself at first. Miriam fought War with all her might. The bickering between them was actually hot at some points but bit by bit Miriam started giving into her heart. In the meantime she never gave up on trying to save humans from being killed, which I thought was really important. It enraged War until he also started giving in bit by bit. Like I said they fit perfectly together.

I’m really looking forward toward book three, Famine. I can’t wait to see how different it’ll be from both Pestilence and War. I’ve already seen good reviews of Famine so my hopes are already pretty high.

War by Laura Thalassa is an intense second installment in the Four Horsemen series. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this novel delivers a complex tale of survival, passion, and redemption - blurring the lines between enemies and lovers.

The protagonist, Miriam Elmahdy, finds herself thrust into a nightmarish reality as she becomes entangled with War, one of the fearsome horsemen of the apocalypse. Thalassa expertly portrays the conflicting emotions Miriam experiences as she navigates her relationship with War. The development of their bond is turbulent to say the least, and may not sit well with some readers, given the atrocities he commits. Meanwhile. Miriam struggles to reconcile the destructive nature of War with the glimpses of humanity she witnesses within him.

However, Thalassa's world-building in War is nothing short of remarkable. The vivid descriptions immerse readers into a war-torn landscape, where every page drips with tension and despair. Additionally, Thalassa excels at crafting memorable and multi-dimensional characters who navigate morally gray areas, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

Fans of the series will be entertained by the intense dynamics between Miriam and War, leaving them eagerly anticipating the next installment in this addictive series.

Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for proving me with an advanced copy of this re-release. This edition of War will be available August 15, 2023.

I finished reading War practically in one sitting. After reading Pestilence, I knew I had to go into the rest of the series with a strong sense of suspending my disbelief and it paid off for this book. I also liked Miriam and War's relationship better than I liked Pestilence's story (plus somehow crying out War's name in the throws of passion seemed less weird). War contains a couple of memorable secondary characters, like Miriam's friend Zara.

Not a ton of graphic sex in this book, but plenty of gore.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the preview read! I'm looking forward to the next one!