The Four Horseman Book 1
Let me start by saying that if you have a serious intolerance of cases of Stockholm Syndrome then don’t even try this book. I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy a story about a woman who is taken captive by, and falls for, the first horseman of the apocalypse who spreads plague wherever he goes as part of a divine plan to punish humankind for their evil ways.
All in all, I’d say it was okay, but certain things were lacking for me.
The plot lagged after the initial action where Sara tries to kill Pestilence. The same things happened every day: they ride, he spreads disease, they stop to rest, people die, and then repeat. The loop included them getting attacked every five chapters or so, but that’s it. It got a bit tedious when this continued well past halfway.
I had so many questions that I wanted to be answered but they weren’t. I suppose it was the suspense and curiosity that kept me reading. That, and my strange fascination with their relationship. She hates him and all he stands for and he feels the same about her, yet they are drawn to each other and take care of each other when they are injured.
The story is slow-paced, low angst, and reflective. There’s plenty of commentary on human nature, society, divinity, and religion.
I would class it as a slow-burn romance, but that’s necessary. The heat between them builds slowly, the intimate scenes between them increase with intensity as their relationship progresses, and then when they do the deed, it’s a nice balance of heat and emotions. I would have stopped reading if they jumped into sex. At the end of the day, he’s heralding the end of the world, and I’d lose any empathy for Sara if she jumped him too soon. Here we have a definite attraction and a fight against it, combined with getting to know one another while feelings develop and grow. They both come to understand one another better and begin to change.
At first, I believed Sara to be pragmatic, but then she became naive. They ignore the glaringly obvious hole in their relationship until the very end. He’s immortal, she’s not. He kills everyone in his wake without even trying – people she cares about. The end of the world is nigh but what will they do after he’s done his job? These little things made the plot shaky for me and the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped because these issues weren’t resolved. I wasn’t engaged enough to bother reading the others in the series, so I guess I’ll never find out if the world does come to an end.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Feels: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
