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fizzieee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Your run-of-the-mill enemies to lovers romance (with one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, of course). I did enjoy this although I did feel like I had to suspend some level of belief/ignore glaring issues of believability to enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal cruelty and Vomit
alex_baker's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A very fun book that I had a blast reading. The change in relationship between Sarah and Pestilence from enemies to š happened kind of suddenly. It isn't the BEST written, but is a good time and leaves me wanting to read the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Animal death and Child death
arianna9's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My god... Sara Burns is such a good character. Their love was so in-depth, yet Pestilence didn't know it till page 250. I love Thalassa's way of interpreting the horsemen. It wasn't frightening at all. But warning. This isn't for people who want a relaxing romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence
mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Writing: 3.75āļø/5
Alright, so the writing is serviceable, and honestly better than I was expecting. That being said, the main characterās internal dialogue often felt a bit contrived ā forced to be a bit sassier, a bit quippier than felt natural. However, it wasnāt bad, just a bit contrived at moments. And, on the more positive end, the writing is fast-paced and resonant, letting you absorb the plot quickly and easily. It takes talent to write with such smoothness, and I enjoyed reading it.
Characters: 4āļø/5
Again, our main character, Sara, started out feeling like a cookie-cutter ābadassā main character. As the novel progressed, though, she started to grow and I thoroughly ended up enjoying reading about her and through her perspective. I liked Pestilence a lot. The mixture of his naivety with his inability to forgive Sara seemed true to him. I enjoyed the slow reveal that he didnāt like his job, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him slowly become more and more human.
Plot: 4.25āļø/5
Again, I donāt think I was expecting too much from this novelās plot, and it pushed those expectations so very far. Part of my joy with the plot might be heavily attached to the fact that I didnāt expect too much, but, regardless, I loved it. I was a bit hooked from the start, when Sara explained her and her friendās half-baked plan to kill Pestilence. And I was extra hooked the moment Pestilence felt fear at her mortal well-being.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of ACOTAR and dystopian societies
- Someone looking for a romance with an intriguing plot
- Those who like fantasy/apocalyptic novels that centre on romance
- Readers who like (or donāt mind) a bit of spice, but not just spice.
Content Warnings?
Death, murder, illness, terminal illness, murder, sexual content, physical abuse, emotional abuse, kidnapping, fire, fire injury, gore, blood, injury, injury detail, gun violence, violence, animal death, torture, grief, body horror, pandemic/epidemic
Post-Reading Rating: 5āļø/5
Addicted.
Final Rating: 4.25āļø/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Pregnancy
joykeya's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A dark and confronting book with a hint of spice that makes you question some moral things about yourself.
The end sets up nicely for the next book and im excited to keep on reading. Lucky for me I bought the whole series in one go.
not a 5 star review because I wished there was a way to make sara immortal. Although I understand that the whole point of this book is to understand and appreciate humanity and all that comes with it.
Maybe it's that tiny bit of romancer in myself that wasn't completely satisfied by the ending.
The end sets up nicely for the next book and im excited to keep on reading. Lucky for me I bought the whole series in one go.
Maybe it's that tiny bit of romancer in myself that wasn't completely satisfied by the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Torture, and Dementia
bellebookcorner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
āWhen you find someone worth spending that time with, you donāt want to share those minutes with anyone else.ā
Read this book if you love;
ā¢ Dark Fantasy Paranormal Romance
ā¢ Morally Grey Character
ā¢ Enemies-to-Lovers
ā¢ Grumpy x Sunshine
ā¢ Forced Proximity
ā¢ Post-Apocalyptic World
ā¢ Touch Her and You Die
Pestilence is a story about one of the Four Horsemen who came to earth to destroy the world and a woman with a mission to stop Pestilence and save her town.
This story is intended for mature readers and I would highly suggest checking the trigger warnings below before reading this one.
I didnāt have any expectation toward this book and upon reading the blurb and seeing it a couple times on social media, I finally gave it a try.
Surprisingly, I enjoy reading this book. The plot keeps me interested from the beginning until the end with easy to read writing style, nice pacing and a well writen post-apocalyptic world building.
So many emotions played in this story by seeing it from two different sides - Pestilence and Sara.
I really like the character development of both Sara and Pestilence, especially seeing Pestilence started to slowly change as Sara show him that mankind is not all that bad. As they get closer, feelings also grow which is how they find themselves at war with their own self.
I also like the funny moments of their never ending bickering and Saraās sassy comments that she would throw to Pestilence which liven up the story.
However, some parts got a bit repetitive especially about how much Sara keeps saying about Pestilenceās handsome face and hot body.
Overall, itās a good and enjoyable read. I found the plot idea really interesting and Iām looking forward to see what the next horsemen will do in the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape
katbenimble's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
I do not even know where to begin with this š it was so bad. The plot holes are big enough for Tricksy to ride through. The graphic violence was almost too much for me. The MCs are both idiots. The spice started like...75% through the book. The end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content
lacrimaeignis's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've always held a certain fascination for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse so when I heard about this series, I knew I would have to eventually read them (especially when I heard that Death, book 4, is being represented by Thanatos, the name of the greek god of death, whom I've always held an unexplainable but particular fondness for). I wasn't sure what to expect going in but this book definitely wastes no time in throwing you into the Apocalypse. This novel is graphic in detail at times and definitely not for the faint of heart or those who can't stomach violence or gore.
The book brought up many interesting points on the concept of religion/faith and why the Apocalypse was happening. It was very interesting to see Pestilence as a character and how he adapted and changed throughout the novel. The Female Lead, Sara, felt very realistic in how she dealt with what she was going through, especially as a young woman in her 20s. However she does come across as annoying at times, especially with some of her side comments that serve no purpose and ended up throwing me out of the story, and she fell flat towards the end of the novel. Because of her I almost DNF'd with only 20 pages left (although my interest was waning around page 200).
The book was also very repetitive at times and therefore, very predictable. Many of the chapters/events just felt too similar to each other but because most of the chapters were short, it was easy to get through them.
The only reason I continued the book was because I was so close to the end and also because I do plan on reading the rest of the series. I gave the book 4 stars because I did like the concept and I really liked Pestilence and it also kept me intrigued enough to want to continue the series.
The book brought up many interesting points on the concept of religion/faith and why the Apocalypse was happening. It was very interesting to see Pestilence as a character and how he adapted and changed throughout the novel. The Female Lead, Sara, felt very realistic in how she dealt with what she was going through, especially as a young woman in her 20s. However she does come across as annoying at times, especially with some of her side comments that serve no purpose and ended up throwing me out of the story, and she fell flat towards the end of the novel. Because of her I almost DNF'd with only 20 pages left (although my interest was waning around page 200).
The book was also very repetitive at times and therefore, very predictable. Many of the chapters/events just felt too similar to each other but because most of the chapters were short, it was easy to get through them.
The only reason I continued the book was because I was so close to the end and also because I do plan on reading the rest of the series. I gave the book 4 stars because I did like the concept and I really liked Pestilence and it also kept me intrigued enough to want to continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
bookmom92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Did I think that I would ever read a fictional romance surrounding the horsemen of the apocalypse?
No.
Did I have doubts that I would like it?
Maybe a smidge..
Did this deliver?
YES!
The transformation between Pestilence and Sara's relationship was set up beautifully.
We have a cruel horseman and an avenging human both bent on doing what they feel is right.
What transpires is a blossoming forbidden romance that hits you RIGHT in the feels!
Why it has taken me this long to read, I don't know but I'm hungry for more.
No.
Did I have doubts that I would like it?
Maybe a smidge..
Did this deliver?
YES!
The transformation between Pestilence and Sara's relationship was set up beautifully.
We have a cruel horseman and an avenging human both bent on doing what they feel is right.
What transpires is a blossoming forbidden romance that hits you RIGHT in the feels!
Why it has taken me this long to read, I don't know but I'm hungry for more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
itsnotri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Please pay attention to the trigger warnings