I really wanted to like this. The premise of Pestilence had so much potential — one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse falling in love? Yes please. But unfortunately… this was not it for me. It very quickly turned into Stockholm syndrome ahoi. The dynamic between the heroine and Pestilence felt repetitive and uncomfortable rather than intense or romantic. Instead of meaningful development, they mostly just… bicker. Over and over. Same arguments, same tension, no real progression. And plot? I kept waiting for something to actually happen. We’re told the world is ending, but it felt oddly stagnant. I had no clear sense of direction or stakes beyond their back-and-forth. Maybe it picks up later, but at the point I stopped, I was bored, frustrated, and confused about where the story was even going. Sadly a DNF for me.

⭐ 5/5 💖 5/5 🌶️ 3/5 Wow. Dieses Buch ist mein erstes Highlight für 2026! Und das kam komplett überraschend. Hat mein unwissendes Ich gedacht, ich lese mit "Pestilence" eine nette Dark Romance für zwischendurch, so wurde ich mit jeder Seite weiter ins Buch hinein eines Besseren belehrt. Ich bin so geplättet von der Geschichte, die so viel besser war, als ich erwartet habe. Laura Thalassa hat hier nicht einfach nur eine Dark Romance auf Papier gebracht, sondern eine tiefgehende Story über Liebe, Glaube, Loyalität und die Eigenschaft, über seinen eigenen Schatten springen zu können. Und das verpackt sie in eine wunderbare flüssige Mischung aus Humor, Coolness und Emotionen. Dachte ich zuerst, dass nicht viel passiert, weil Sara und Pestilence eigentlich jeden Tag reisen und abends irgendwo unterkommen, so habe ich doch schnell gelernt, dass es hier nicht um große Events geht, die im Buch passieren. Nein, es geht vielmehr wirklich um die Menschenfrau und die von Gott gesandte Urmacht Pestilence, die geschickt wurde, um die Menschheit zu vernichten. Und wie diese beiden Charaktere, die sich anfangs hassen, mit jedem Tag weiter zueinanderfinden. Es gehört einiges Talent dazu, ein Buch zu schreiben, in dem es nur zwei Hauptprotagonisten gibt, um die es geht, und es trotzdem zu schaffen, einen spannenden, tiefgehenden Roman zu erschaffen, bei dem man das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen möchte. Die Charaktere wachsen an sich selbst und an einander und dabei kommt der Dark Romance teil nicht zu kurz, bleibt aber absolut stilvoll. Ich kann kaum erwarten die anderen Teile der Reiter der Apokalypse zu lesen!

Als die vier apokalyptischen Reiter die Erde heimsuchen, kommt als Erster Pestilence, dessen Berührung Krankheit und Tod bringt. Die Feuerwehrfrau Sara Burns versucht, ihn aufzuhalten und erschießt ihn sogar – doch der unsterbliche Reiter überlebt und nimmt sie als Gefangene. Auf ihrer brutalen Reise durch ein sterbendes Nordamerika konfrontiert Sara Pestilence mit Menschlichkeit, Mitgefühl und Liebe. Zwischen Grauen und Hoffnung beginnt eine verbotene, feindselig-zu-liebenden Beziehung, die die Zukunft der Menschheit beeinflussen könnte. In Pestilence von Laura Thalassa stehen Menschlichkeit und Moral im Angesicht der Apokalypse im Mittelpunkt. Während Krankheit und Tod sich ausbreiten, zeigt die Geschichte, wie unterschiedlich Menschen in Extremsituationen reagieren – mit Angst, Gewalt, aber auch mit Mitgefühl und Hoffnung. Die Beziehung zwischen Sara und dem apokalyptischen Reiter Pestilence ist Enemies to Lovers, das stark ins Gebiet der Dark Romance führt: Liebe entsteht in einer toxischen, von Machtgefällen und Trauma geprägten Situation. Dadurch stellt der Roman die Frage, ob selbst ein Werkzeug göttlicher Vernichtung Erlösung und Veränderung erfahren kann. Gleichzeitig reflektiert die Geschichte Schuld, Vergebung und das menschliche Bedürfnis zu überleben – nicht nur körperlich, sondern auch emotional. Diese Geschichte ist voller düsterer Themen wie Tod, Leid und moralische Grauzonen mit der Hoffnung, dass Liebe selbst in der dunkelsten Zeit eine transformative Kraft sein kann. Vorallem gefällt mir hier die Entwicklung der Charaktere, deren moralischen Ansichten sich nähern und in durch die Extremsituationen gewisse Erfahrung machen, die sie eine andere Perspektive einnehmen lassen.

Das Buch hat mich echt überrascht. Ich hatte nicht erwartet, dass Pestilence und Sara so eine Tiefe zu ihren Charakteren haben. Vor allem die Entwicklung von Pestilence war extrem und die Momente zwischen den beiden waren lustig und traurig, aber auch tiefgründig. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass mir das Setting so gefallen würde. Mein Liebling ist definitiv Trixie Skillz.

This is the second book that I have read by Laura Thalassa. I first read The Curse That Binds and love it immensely. I didn’t read the other two books in that series because they don’t peak my interest but the Horsemen Series did. Unfortunately, I didn’t like Pestilence even though it interested me enough to keep reading and finish it. I didn’t realize when I first picked up the book that the Horsemen were going to be based off the Book of Revelations in the Bible. I’m a former Catholic turned non-religious and so all the religious references, the relationship between God and Pestilence, etc. gave me the ick. Then the smut scenes when God was mentioned (and I’m not talking about using God’s name in vain when orgasming) gave me the ultimate ICK. The romance between Sara and Pestilence is weird. I’ll get to this in a bit but just some background that built the formation of why I thought the romantic relationship was weird: Pestilence claims multiple times that he is simply “a purpose”, he’s not a human, he’s not a spirit, he is just the definition of pestilence. But on Earth, he has taken on a beyond “beautiful” human male form. Despite following the human race since the beginning of time, poor dude is absolutely CLUELESS about human emotions, habits, etc. The only thing he knows is that humans are evil and need to be destroyed (because God said so). It also needs to be mentioned that the man, and I use that term extremely loosely, is a virgin. Sara, is a Canadian firefighter, who comes off as the “butchiest” straight woman ever. Her entire personality is being a firefighter/first responder and an Edgar Allan Poe fanatic. The only description we get of Sara is her cinnamon colored hair. That’s it. So back to the statement of the romance between Sara and Pestilence is weird. Throughout the story, Sara is so incredibly disgusted with who Pestilence is (keep in mind, Pestilence is a purpose and his purpose is pestilence) that she is constantly trying to change him. The story starts out with her trying to murder him and after the failed attempt, he straight up kidnaps her, ties her up, and drags her behind his horse for weeks. They are enemies for 90% of the story. But that doesn’t stop her from turning into a complete horndog at the sight of his divine beauty and tight-fitting black clothes that she wants to “bone” him all the time. Yes, she does use the word “bone”. Ick. Despite Pestilence being “the villain” (taking Sara hostage, and having zero remorse for killing humans with plague, etc.), poor Pestilence is a confused virgin who mistakes the “mysteries of the flesh” with love. He even proposes marriage to her shortly after Sara takes his virginity. And somehow, I felt bad him. I could go on about the other things in the book that I disliked (Sara named the horse Trixie Skillz, kill me now) but I don’t feel like wasting the time of anyone reading this review. People say that Pestilence was the worst book of the series and that it gets better. I hope they’re right.

MEINUNG: Das nenn ich mal eine Achterbahnfahrt 😅 Zu Beginn war ich voll in der Geschichte. Mir gefiel es, wie erklärte wurde, wie sich die Welt verändert. Kein Strom, Autos und Flugzeuge waren mal usw. Dann kam es zum ersten Zusammentreffen unserer Protas und ich war schockiert. So etwas schreckliches hätte ich Sara nicht zugetraut 🥺😞 Aber es kam noch besser und zwar die Rache von Pestilence. An dieser Stelle war ich kurz davor abzubrechen. 🫣😨 Hätte ich das getan, hätte ich wohl die berührendste Szenen verpasst. In diesen Kapiteln wurde nich nur Abscheulichkeit (in detailreichen Form) gezeigt, sonder auch Vergebung, Verbundenheit und Glaube (kein religiöser Glaube). Ich war gerührt. Es war schön zu sehen, in welchen menschlichen Mann sich Pestilence verwandelt hat. Hab dieses Buch auf englisch gelesen und ich fand es nicht all zu schwierig. Jedoch hat es mich nicht nur einmal abgestoßen, aber es ließ mich auch fühlen. Es war besser als Mittelmaß, aber ob ich es weiterempfehlen sollte ... Bin mir unschlüssig. Genauso unentschlossen bin ich, ob ich die Reihe weiterlesen soll. 🤔🫣🤯 KLAPPENTEXT: 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.

Vielleicht auch eher eine Tendenz zu 3,5 🌟 Das war eine ziemliche Überraschung. Oder ein Fiebertraum, wie man‘s nimmt 😂 Ich habe eigentlich so gar nichts von dem Buch erwartet, außer, dass es trashig wird und spicy, aber ich habe nicht damit gerechnet, dass ich dann doch auch hooked bin 😂 Trashig wurde es trotzdem, und auch cringe und etwas weird, aber ich wollte irgendwie trotzdem wissen, wie die Autorin die Geschichte zu Ende bringt. Sie ist insgesamt sehr dystopisch, wir haben hier das Ende der Welt und als erster Reiter der Apokalypse tritt Pest auf den Plan. Der hinterlasst erwartungsgemäß nur Tod und Leiden, weshalb Sara es für eine gute Idee hält, ihn hinterrücks zu erschiessen. Leider ist Pest unsterblich und nimmt sie gefangen, um sie dauerhaft leiden zu lassen. Soviel zum Plot. Vielleicht erstmal zu den positiven Punkten: Sara ist insgesamt eine sehr reflektierte, emphatische und selbstlose Person, die nach meinem Empfinden viel hinterfragt und ihre Möglichkeiten realistisch abwägt. Zumindest in der ersten Hälfte der Geschichte. Pest ist kein Mensch und das merkt man auch. Von der menschlichen Natur, Emotionen oder menschlichem Verhalten hat er überhaupt keine Ahnung, und das zieht die Autorin recht konsequent durch. Das Ende der Welt ist definitiv kein Ponyhof, und vieles ist sehr ungeschönt und realistisch beschrieben. Das ist auf jeden Fall gut gemacht, ob man es nun mag oder nicht. Zu den negativen Aspekten: Mit der Zeit lernen Pest und Sara einiges voneinander, und klar führt das auch auch zu mehr, zwinker zwinker, denn das hier ist immer noch eine lovestory 😂 An vielen Stellen habe ich gemerkt, dass mein Einlassen auf diese Lovestory an ihre Grenzen kam, und ich das nicht so mitgehen konnte. Weil es sich innerlich so oft so falsch anfühlte, auch besonders, je mehr die Geschichte voranschritt. Ich war irgendwann einfach viel mehr auf der Seite der Menschheit als auf Saras Seite, weil sie sich mehr und mehr losgelöst von ihnen betrachtet, und ich mich selbst halt nicht 🤷🏼‍♀️ Die eine oder andere Szene ist bestimmt auch anderweitig fragwürdig, und spätestens ab der Hälfte war ich da dann ganz raus. Generell habe ich auch hier wieder gemerkt, dass Alpha Males gar nicht mein Ding sind, und Pest hat zum Ende hin bei mir dann leider auch immer mehr an Sympathie (wenn man da überhaupt Sympathie haben kann) eingebüßt 😅 Die Handlung wiederholt sich eigentlich durchgehend, man ist auf einem roadtrip mit den beiden, es wird dann gecampt oder ein Haus besetzt, irgendwann wird weitergeritten, es gibt wieder einen Anschlag auf Pest, Leute sterben, und dann noch mehr Leute, und dann geht das von vorn los. So ungefähr jedenfalls 😂 Auf Dauer war das dann nicht mehr ganz so spannend. Ich habe mich aber insgesamt gut unterhalten gefühlt (es fühlt sich so falsch an, das bei diesem Buch zu sagen 😆) und werde direkt mal Band zwei lesen, um zu schauen, ob die Autorin da noch Neues einbringen kann. We will see 😏

This book was a rollercoaster when it came to rating. It left me feeling I wanted to give it 4 ⭐s and next chapter I was desperately looking for a thing to like. The overall plot and story idea was really good. Apocalyptic setting, a man on a quest to let humanity suffer because of what they did to earth, it sounds great. And was also well implemented. But in between it was so boring. It starts of really suspending, and then it just stops, except for a few situations. Overall it felt a lot more like a romance book, and I have to be honest I would’ve liked more of the end of the world vibes. In the end I did like the characters, but couldn’t decide often if Pestilence was too much of a 🚩 for me or if it just fit the character well. The other books from that series are supposed to be better so I’m looking forward to stay in this world (Laura Thalassas writing though 🤌🏼).

I really didn’t know what to expect! I read a couple reviews before hand and they really varied from awful to exceptional. So as always I opened my kindle to make my own decision. At times and especially in the beginning it felt a bit shallow and repetitive. Still the story intrigued me and later on you could really feel and see the evolvement of the characters and the reason why they had such a slow start. Then there was that scene… I rarely cry when reading but this had me padding one or two tears away. Also it made my heart throb with heartache and I mean it literally! Again a point made to just pick up that book yourself and make your own judgement. Tastes and people are different and that’s great - imagine how boring it would be, if we would all like the same things, but than we’d might redeem ourselves before the second rider arrives 😉🤓

I am... honestly surprised. When I picked thos book up, I was sure it was shameless smut an little else. I was so very wrong. This is a story of a woman desperate for her people, that is forced to see them fall. Meanwhile she falls for the only social interaction she has. I loved the severity of it, the brutal pictures and man and woman in their darkest hour. Many unanswered questions - as it is expected with a religious theme and I wouldn't have it any other way. I loved it.

Leute, das war ein Fiebertraum im positiven Sinne 😍 Ich habe nicht erwartet, dass das Buch sooo extrem gut ist! Für mich persönlich ist es Dark Romantasy mit einer guten Prise Humor. Ich liebe einfach beide - Sara und Pestilence. Er hat einen göttlichen Auftrag und sie versucht ihn zu töten. Er kann allerdings nicht sterben aber er kann fühlen...den Rest kann man sich denken. Es ist wirklich stellenweise sehr brutal. Wie die beiden aber zueinander finden ist einfach großartig gelungen, ich habe richtig Mitgefühl für dieses vermeintliche "Monster" entwickelt. Eine richtig dicke Empfehlung! Es lässt sich einfach so gut auf englisch lesen, kann ich nur jedem raten!

Gosh, this was a thirst-trap of a book I didn't know I needed right now. Cross your heart it's super predictable, but I couldn't stop reading because the story was unique and fresh. It was enthralling to get to know Pestilence's thought process. Some tiny details don't add up, and it's really sad that Pestilence isn't backed up with more lore. I'm left with the nagging urge to deep dive into this world and get to know more. It satisfied my every reading need in terms of Fantasy Romance with apocalyptic vibes.

⤷‧₊˚ 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.

The four horsemen have arrived to declare the beginning of the end of the world, causing most technology to break down, and then they disappeared. Now Pestilence is back and is spreading a Plague everywhere he goes, and only Sara is brave enough to try to kill him - or so she thinks. She was not the first one to think that, or to try, not knowing Pestilence cannot be killed. Now she’s his prisoner, and he’s taking her with him all over the world to finish his task. Can she sway him to change his mind? I had some conflicting feelings about the characters in this book. Pestilence is supposed to be neutral, unfeeling, and indiscriminating. But he decides to show mercy to Sara because he thought he saw a sign. But, even knowing that, seeing Sara chip away at that part of his exterior kept making me hope for a redeeming act from him. And I think that was the mistake Sara kept making - romanticizing Pestilence when he was clear about his intention to make her suffer. However, I was happy at the end when he actually broke down and decided he was done with his task, and that humans can, in fact, be redeemed. I am looking forward to reading War next.

Okay, this was a strangely fascinating read. Definitely not the best book I've ever read, but far from the worst. I probably should say that I am not religious at all and thus have no qualms whatsoever to read something like this and treat it purely as entertainment (as it should, I guess, this aspires to be nothing else). The male love interest is continuously called by his purpose and that is a tad annoying. The female MC cusses like a sailor and her thoughts can be a bit exhausting. Trying to keep this spoilerfree: I was entertained and I am now curious about the following book (truth be told, I really want to read #4, solely based on this book), so ... Mission accomplished?

Alright, another book from the famous booktok or bookstagram. I had this series longer in mind but after all books are completed and saw a fantastic fanart, I gave it finally a go. First things first: this book is not amazing and not meh. It's in the middle and a nice read. It has definitely more potential, some of the chapters could be gone but otherwise you need them to understand the history. There are not a lot of books wich are using the four horsemen as the actual love interest. And hello... Pestilence is blond. And we know, what we think about the blond type, eh? Back to the story: The end is nigh, the four horsemen have come to earth to bring about the apocalypse; Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. I loved everything about Sara’s Character, she is stubborn, brave, determined and compassionate and most of all not whiny or boring which was a refreshing change. I found connecting with her really easy. I liked how she was written, like an everyday run of the mill person who was living a normal life and until the world turned to shit. Lots of her inner thoughts had me laughing on more than one occasion. Pestilence is such a complex character, sent to earth with one mission: to spread the plague which he does and it’s his singular focus until Sara. Seeing him (through Sara’s eyes) slowly beginning to understand that humans aren’t just two-dimensional beings was really something. The story itself was addictive I finished it in a day it was that good. There are many ups and downs, you get to see a variety of ways mankind acts when the worst has happened and they are not all good reactions and I really think that gave this story a real believable feel to it. More than that, I loved the inner and outer dialogues and the banter between the two. How it grows and Pestilence learns how to love as a human and what feelings are. In short: the characters were complex, the intimate scenes not over the board with graphic details and impossible acrobatics which I really liked. Sometimes a good story with a little bit of

Okay, ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass mir das Buch am Ende doch so gefällt. Das Cover hat mich sehr abgeschreckt... ist jetzt in meinen Augen nun mal nicht das schönste. Aufgrund des Covers dachte ich auch, dass es sehr smutty wird, ist es aber gar nicht. Vom Spice-Faktor würde ich 1/5 verteilen, also es enthält relativ wenig Spice, was gar nicht schlecht gemeint ist. Im Gegenteil, mehr Smut hätte die Geschichte zu plump werden lassen. Der Schreibstil ist wirklich so gar nicht meins und sehr unreif (?). Hier ein paar Beispiele: “An arm tightens around my stomach, feeling like a band of steel. … Waitonefuckingmoment. My mind screeches to a halt. No. Nononononononono. Nooooooooo. “ Beispiel 2: “I study his features, my heart unwillingly picking up speed because my body is an idiot that cannot discern evil mo-fo from hot male human.” ("mo-fo"... ernsthaft?) Ich konnte die Geschichte daher auch nicht wirklich ernst nehmen und Sara (die Protagonistin, aus deren Sicht das ja erzählt wird) nicht wirklich leiden, aber irgendwann habe ich dann doch gelernt darüber hinweg zu sehen. Und wenn man sich einmal an Sara gewöhnt hat, kann man sich entspannt zurücklehnen und die Story genießen. Die vier apokalyptischen Reiter sind auf die Erde gekommen und haben diese lahmgelegt. So plötzlich sie auftauchten, so schnell sind sie wieder verschwunden. Bis plötzlich der erste Reiter, die Seuche, zurückkehrt und die Seuche verteilend durch die Welt reitet. Sara versucht ihn aufzuhalten und hat ihm eine Falle gestellt. Sie hat ihn erschossen und verbrannt (und sein armes Pferd auch). Natürlich sind der Mann und sein Reittier unsterblich und heilen sich wieder von alleine. Er nimmt Sara als seine Gefangene, um ein Exempel zu statuieren. Sie wird hinter dem Pferd hergezogen, schürft sich alles auf, bis sie davon in Ohnmacht fällt und wird auch sonst schrecklich behandelt. Aber was erwartet sie? Sie hat ihn bei lebendigem Leib verbrannt. Und auch wenn Pestilence nicht sterben kann, so fühlt er doch den Schmerz davon. In der Zeit, die die beiden zusammen verbringen, lernt Pestilence mehr über die Menschen und vor allem über Sara. Und, Überraschung, irgendwann entwickeln sie Gefühle füreinander. Aber wie soll das gut gehen? Er ist unsterblich und bringt die Seuche über die Menschheit. ___________________________ Ja, es klingt alles so abwegig, aber ich habe das Buch (ab ca. 35 %) echt genossen. Es hat mich unterhalten und es war schön zu sehen, wie sie Vertrauen und die Beziehung aufgebaut haben, wie Pestilence sich verändert hat. Es ist kein smutty Buch, aber es kommen intime Szenen vor, die sehr gefühlsvoll sind. Ich bin mir unsicher, ob ich eine Empfehlung aussprechen kann. Einerseits ist die Story echt nicht schlecht, andererseits kostet es echt Überwindung den Schreibstil zu ignorieren. Entscheidet selbst, ob ihr damit klar kommt. Falls ja, lest gerne rein.

Brandee: I found the premise for Pestilence (and this series) intriguing. I mean, a romance with a horseman of the apocalypse? But I couldn’t have imagined how gripping and thought-provoking it ended up being. I think the most provocative element was that love, although it’s supposed to bring out the best in us, sometimes awakens the worse. But even through that, we’re all capable of change. What did you find most thought-provoking about the book? Nadene: Knowing what the horsemen of the apocalypse signifies, I must admit the premise intrigued me. Having never read the author before, I was curious as to what creative licence she would take with this prophesied biblical event. Never, had I imagined such an engrossing and thought-provoking tale. The thing that stood out most for me is how we has humans tend to be judgmental of things which we have no knowledge of. Sara judged Pestilence unfairly without trying to understand his purpose. She in turn was judged by others because of her association with him. Brandee: We humans really do tend to judge that which is different and we don’t understand. A true human failing. Brandee: One of my favorite elements in the book is the playful banter between Sara and Pestilence. It didn’t start out fun, that’s for sure. But as they got to know each other, their interplay was fun and often had me laughing. Here are a few of my favorite quotes: I run a hand down the steed’s neck. “You know, beneath your hardened exterior is just a woman who wants love and acceptance,” I say to Trixie. ”My steed is a man.” Pestilence says as he enters the room. ”You’re human,” he says. “I don’t like your kind. I’m not supposed to like you.” I don’t breathe for a second. Don’t ask the question, Burns. Don’t— “But you do?” I say. His eyes drop to my mouth. He touches my lower lip with his thumb, rubbing it gently. “God forgive me, I do.” ”I cannot decide if you are a toxin or a tonic,” he says, lifting a hand to my cheek. “Only that you plague my thoughts and fill my veins.” Pestilence would really work on his compliments. Your favorite quotes? Nadene : I too enjoyed their banter. Pestilence is honest to a fault. He speaks exactly what is on his mind. No diplomacy for this horseman. Sara is definitely a riot. She has no filter and each time she speaks or thinks to herself I cannot help but laugh. However, I also enjoyed the moments where Pestilence never failed to let Sara knew exactly how he felt. “What are you speaking of?” Pestilence asks. “I’m quoting ‘The Raven.’ It’s a poem by Edgar Allan Poe.” Pestilence makes a noise at the back of his throat. “I should’ve known that brief flash of eloquence was not your making.” “Do you even have the ability to speak without insulting me?” I say. I swear this bastard is just trying to kill my morning buzz. “Of course.” I can hear the smug smile in his voice. “It is just that there are so very many things about you worth insulting.” “You’re human,” he says. “I don’t like your kind. I’m not supposed to like you.” I don’t breathe for a second. Don’t ask the question, Burns. Don’t— “But you do?” I say. His eyes drop to my mouth. He touches my lower lip with his thumb, rubbing it gently. “God forgive me, I do.” “Amongst my growing list of flaws is cowardice,” Pestilence says in the darkness. “I come to you now like a thief in the night, for I fear you’ll never listen to me under the light of day,” his voice is whisper soft, “and I must confess all the things in my heart.” Allllright. This should be interesting. “I find you beautiful, dear Sara, so beautiful. But it’s such a sharp, scathing beauty—like the edge of my arrowheads—because I remember you are not like me. One day, you will die, and I am growing anxious of that fact.” “And I cannot figure out what this is,” he continues, “only that I feel it when I see you and when I think of you. When we ride together and I hold you, I feel as though all is right. And when you laugh, I think I might truly die. This is an agonizing sort of pleasure, and it’s ever so perplexing. I don’t understand how pain and affection can coexist alongside one another.” “When you ignore me, I burn with restlessness; it feels as though the sun has turned its back on the world. And when you smile at me—when you gaze at me like you can see my soul—I feel … I feel like I am lit on fire, like you have been called by God to raze my world.” Brandee: I did find myself frustrated with Sara’s hesitation in admitting her feelings for Pestilence. I understood it at first because she (and the world) saw him as a monster. But then, once she’d seen he was more than meets the eye – despite his insistence otherwise – it aggravated me that she couldn’t verbalize what she felt. How did you feel about Sara’s hesitancy? Especially after Pestilence admitted his emotions? Nadene: I too understood her reasons for hesitating. After all, how would it look for one to be in love with the person responsible bringing death and sickness to the world. However, after awhile her hesitancy grated on my nerves – even after she saw the goodness within him. I believed that hesitancy was due in part to her fear of what others might think. Brandee: My favorite scenes were probably those with Ruth and Ron. These two were special human beings and definitely helped in getting Sara and Pestilence to see each other’s point of view. Your favorite scene(s)? Nadene : I loved several scenes, including the one with Ruth and Ron. It resonated with me. The scene which also resonated with me was when Sara finally came to terms with her feeling with Pestilence. It was where they came under attack and the lengths, she went through to protect him. Brandee: Overall, Pestilence ticked all my boxes. Nadene : Yup! One of the best books I’ve read since the start of the year. Brandee: My last question for you is WHEN CAN WE BUDDY READ WAR?

Ich habe mich so auf die Reihe gefreut, weil ich sowas in der Art noch nicht gelesen habe. Und es konnte mich überzeugen. Es hatte Humor, zwischendurch war es etwas derb und war einfach mal was Neues. Das Ende kam überraschend schnell und so hatte ich es auch nicht kommen sehen. Ich kann es auf jeden Fall empfehlen und freue mich auf die Folge Bände ❤️

Für ein Fantasy Buch sind meiner Meinung nach zu wenige durchdachte Teile der "Welt" erklärt. Es hätte deutlich ausschweifender sein können, auch was die Handlung betrifft. Man erfährt immer nur mehr über Sara und Pestillence, aber es gab so viele andere potentielle Charaktere und mögliche Storylines, dass ich von dem bisschen tatsächlicher Story etwas enttäuscht war. Alles andere hat mich dagegen überzeugen können. Pestillence ist ein sehr tiefgründiger Charakter, der mich mit seinem neuen Blick auf die Menschheit mehr als ein Mal zum Lachen gebracht hat. Abgesehen davon ist er sehr "schön anzusehen", was die Autorin vielleicht 1-2 mal zu viel erwähnt hat. Sara hat alle, was eine tragische Heldin braucht. Sie ist moralisch in der Zwickmühle und handelt meist menschlich und verständnisvoll. Das bedeutet nicht, dass die damit immer die richtigen Entscheidungen trifft, aber das ist wohl im Leben selten so. Im Großen und Ganzen habe ich es genossen das Buch zu lesen, aber es wird mir wohl nicht besonders in Erinnerung bleiben.

First, I think Laura Thalassa's idea is genius. (The four Horsemen of the Apocalypse falling for mortal girls? Perfect. Immaculate. I was sooo looking forward to reading this!s) The execution...not so much and so I had some major issues with this book: The story. It was repetitive and dragging. Riding, spreading the plague and crashing in dying people's houses isn't exactly what I would call a great plot. Sara. Pestilence literally just tortured her and promised her (like 1000 times) to make her suffer and still she more or less immediately falls for him because he's pretty? Have some self-respect! Also her language was a massive let down for me, the excessive use of swear-word didn't make her look sassy and badass but rather juvenile and immature and I couldn't take her seriously. Pestilence. For a divine, otherworldly, terrifying horseman he seemed awfully mundane and boring. The ending. WHAT WAS THAT??!! I was HOWLING! But what I really don't understand is that even though I have so much to nag about, I still somehow enjoyed the book - it ist just so hilarious. I genuinely felt entertained and so much so that I want to read the next book in the series!

"Who gave you the task? God? The devil?" I throw my hand up in the air. "The fucking Easter Bunny? I thought you were Pestilence the Conqueror, not someone's goddamned errand boy!" 4.25 stars I wanna five star this. For the idea alone. It's been so addictive and I just wanna pick it back up again and dive back into this world. Or, here's a thought, READ THE DAMN NEXT BOOK BECAUSE THAT ENDING... I KNEW IT WAS COMING (PRETTY OBVIOUS) AND I'M STILL SITTING HERE AND SCREAMING BECAUSE I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!!! AND I DON'T THINK WE EVEN HAVE A RELEASE DATE YET! AAAAHHHHHHHH!! Then why don't I? Well... there were some parts that just didn't really fit together. I'll put examples in the spoilertag because they might be considered spoilery. That first kiss? That's how you spell disgusting! For God's sake, she had just puked her guts out and hasn't even washed out her damn mouth. I mean, I haven't laughed that hard in a while. But still... And there she goes, having mind-blowing sex with the guy and the next day she can't even walk away because she's so frigging weak. I never really got to liking Pestilence, there were scenes when I thought it was happening but then it didn't. Maybe that will happen in a reread (which will definetely be happening someday). But I also never got a clear picture of Sara. I definetely do not picture her like the girl on the cover but I never got a clear sense of who she is. But I still laughed a lot and as I already said: it's really addictive. And I can't wait for more!

I was really thrilled to read this book. We'll, in the end it wasn't all that thrilling. If you shortened the book to what was really important then there would be arround 100 pages left. I lost count how often the heroine describes Pestilence's look. And that's just one of her annoying features. She started out badass but couldn't keep it up. In the end she just seems like a serious case of Stockholm syndrome. If you like really really REALLY shallow romance, this book is recommendable. If you want the plot and the heroines to make sense, then better keep your hands off this book.