Pestilence

2023 reread —3 stars
Why did I like this so much before!?
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I picked this book up because I saw it in the Goodreads Award nominations and also that cover is just beautiful.

At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to like this one since he literally is keeping her prisoner. That can always end up going the wrong way with like Stockholm syndrome and the captor still being a shitty person. The thing is, I think this was done really well.
This is truly a slow burn romance, even if there is insta-attraction. She thinks about his looks, but is also mindful of how she is stuck with him and he could kill her at any moment. But, like I said, it is a slow burn, so slowly they open up to one another and their relationship grows to being more than what either of them anticipated. It hurts, it is confusing, and it is so beautiful.

I enjoyed the characters as well. Pestilence is not human and so he learns new things and has to learn why Sara thinks the way she does. Sara is a firefighter who decided to give up her life to try saving the world. She isn't weak and Pestilence isn't truly an asshole– he just doesn't know differently. There is so much growth here between the two as they change for the better.

While the ending is super sweet, it also sets us up for book 2, so it is bittersweet... at least for the world the book is set up. The romance ending is adorable and I love it. I'll be on the lookout for book 2: War, and am not going to lie: I'm waiting for book 4 because how Death as a Horseman has always intrigued me.