Reviews

Famine by Laura Thalassa

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Firstly, a very very very happy new year and I hope 2021 brings you all the happiness and joy that you deserve! I hope you find solace, love and lots and lots of good luck this year! ❤

You can also find this review of Famine on my blog, Heart's Content!

To be brutally honest, if I were an author I wouldn’t have chosen a series like the Four Horsemen to write. Why? Because all four books have the same basic plot line: humanity revealing each time time that they are worthy of salvation. But exactly how is one possibly supposed to write four stories with the same basic plot line differently?

But Laura Thalassa does it. Each book has its own voice, it’s own pain, struggle, fire, smoke and victory to it. Each book felt different to me than the previous and this book by far was the most different. I’m not sure how she does it everytime given how difficult a series it is (in my opinion) to write, but she does. Despite having two babies at home to take care of and let’s not forget how the lockdown has made it hard for everyone in general, working parents especially. So do I admire her? Heck, yes.

I love that Laura chose a protagonist who can take aback the reader for a bit. Why? Because it’s not often a protagonist is represented in a way that’s different from what the reader considers typically “attractive”. I for one, fell in love with Ana much faster than I expected to. Personally for me, she had many shining moments and most of them was when she was kind, truthful and real. Perhaps her honesty, even when she had to voice thoughts that we would all hide from saying out loud, is what makes her worthy of being what brings faith back into a Horseman.

A Horseman rarely sees the good side of man. Why? It’s hard to be kind when you meet eyes with the possible reason for your death. It takes a great person to be unshaken by it, but they are hard to come by. It’s harder when kindness comes at a front, in demand or exchange for something. Why would a Horsemen sent to destroy mankind after God deemed them unworthy ever see beyond that, when their purpose is to follow, trust and enact God’s will?

So, what truly happens that can change a Horseman’s mind? Whose pain is cruel and unimaginable? Why would a heavenly being like that decide man is worthy? I guess Laura Thalassa has an answer for you. Three times in a row.

The last book… I can already tell Death’s story is going to be particularly hard hitting. Finale and all that, and long anticipated.

Five stars. Definitely recommend this series. This series is dark, has violence and gore, explicit language and content and it can sometimes be hard. It’s something to keep in mind if that can bother you. It’s absolutely free for KU users! Happy reading and stay super safe y’all!

alana_reads25's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

annelemons's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

kdeleo's review against another edition

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5.0

The banter … the tension … the suspense … the fucking ending!!! I’m truly and wholeheartedly blown away… 10,000 stars

mrsbooknerd's review

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4.0

The first half was a three for me. It was too long and too repetitive. The same arguments and the same plot. Arrive in place, kill people, be sickened, attracted anyway, rinse, repeat. It was also too similar to War, where the same thing had happened, but with lots of dead zombie guys involved.

But the second half had me hooked. I just found the banter, the development, the relationship, the plot, everything was just so much more engaging and pacier.

Famine was - and I'll grant you, this not a sentence that I thought I'd ever write - by far my favourite horseman of the apocalypse - because he wasn't this naive being that had to be taught, he was sassy and funny and he had a genuine reason for his mass murder rather than it just being his god given purpose.

Loved the final half so much that I immediately want to get to Death. Again, not something I thought I'd be writing.

kateaintbeehaven's review against another edition

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4.5

if the apocalypse comes and famine is a sassy, sarcastic, stupidly unrepentant asshole who falls HARD in an absolutely fantastic slow burn, enemies to lovers type way, i hope the rest of the world can handle defeating him, because i sign up for horseman duty

nell_of_frell's review

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5.0

I mean wow. If its possible, I love this even more than [b:War|49390139|War (The Four Horsemen, #2)|Laura Thalassa|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562844592l/49390139._SX50_SY75_.jpg|60978483] and [b:Pestilence|41831210|Pestilence (The Four Horsemen, #1)|Laura Thalassa|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563320544l/41831210._SY75_.jpg|59407276]. With each book in this series, I fall for the heroine and then watch as her Horseman becomes something almost human for her. I am beyond excited for [b:Death|49491650|Death (The Four Horsemen, #4)|Laura Thalassa|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|71883500] and it looks like it's going to be epic.

“You are a human-shaped headache,” he mutters.

“What a compliment to headaches everywhere.”

“Do you ever stop talking?”

“Only if you put something in my mouth,” I say. “I’m partial to food, but dicks work too.”

Famine’s eyes settle on mine for a moment. “Do not read into this.” Oh, I’m planning on reading the entire fucking series of Famine Acting Abnormally Kind and What it Means.