REVIEW: Pestilence

Pestilence (The Four Horsemen #1) by Laura Thalassa

Page Count: 382 pages

Release Date: March 21, 2018

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

"They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all." When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed. Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed. Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her … and hers towards him. And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she'll have to sacrifice her heart in the process

My Review:

I feel like I've been waiting for this book my whole life, and I just found out about it a couple days ago. I saw the cover, read the blurb and bought it. It arrived the next day (thank you one-day shipping!) and I devoured it in one sitting. I love the enemies-to-lovers trope and this NA book is, in a nutshell, why!

Sara Burns is both vulnerable and strong, and her thought processes are so relatable. She's funny and warm and, bonus, loves literature and often quotes Poe and Shakespeare. She is SUCH an awesome heroine.

Pestilence is such an interesting, complex character. He is ruled by what he thinks is right, doesn't understand humans, and although he begins as cold and unfeeling, his "changes" seems natural. The relationship Sara and Pestilence share is so realistic, and that's high praise seeing as the relationship is between a human and one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse! But the slow building from enemies to tolerating each other, to wary friends to lovers...it takes it's time developing, and never seems rushed. I absolutely loved the banter between them.

^^^ me, every time Sara and Pestilence say anything to each other

But this wasn't just a love story, it also raised questions about morality, right choices, good and evil, and religion. Thalassa didn't shy away from these questions and actually had her characters discuss them. This made the book become way more complex than a normal NA-paranormal romance. Overall, it made me think, it made me cry, and it made me swoon. I loved every second of it and can't wait for the next book!