Review: Pestilence

Pestilence (The Four Horsemen #1) by Laura Thalassa
Rating: ★★★★☆

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.

FUCKING BRAVO.

Okay, so here’s the thing, I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book like this. You know, one where there’s a borderline Stockholm Syndrome relationship going on.

Because feminist rage.

This author pulled it off for me, though, and I’m so frigging happy she did, because sometimes I just want to tune out and enjoy a love story that’s dark and twisted and oh so wrong that it’s right.

However, I can definitely see other readers having a problem with this book and the romance that blossoms between the male and female leads. And that really comes down to a simple question:

How do you feel about humanity?

Do you think we’re all worth saving, or are you at the point where you’re just like, “Fuck it, maybe we deserve the apocalypse.”?

Lately, I fall into the latter category, so I didn’t have much of an issue with the male lead (Pestilence, like, of the four horsemen of the apocalypse) leaving a trail of bubo-covered bodies in his wake.

And I didn’t have a problem with the female lead starting to fall in love with him, even though he was actively wiping out her species. Because it’s apparent from the beginning that he’s not really driving himself onward. Some divine order is.

Which made for a really interesting male lead. Because, through the heroine, he starts to learn that humanity might be worth saving after all. Or, more like, maybe some of us are. The resulting existential crisis is fascinating, and worth sticking around for, in my opinion.

So, ultimately, if you’re bothered by their relationship in the beginning, maybe try pushing through until the end. Because, and I still can’t believe I’m saying this, the male lead is fully redeemed by then.