Admittedly, I was a bit weary going into pestilence. I never have been a fan of series that have diferrent characters per book. All I can say is I was wrong to be be hestitant about book 1. It was amazing.
Thalassa has a very specific voice in her books that rings out in each of her characters. Callie, Ember, and now Sara. The moment you start reading her words it's like okay...this book is definitely written by L.T. These are totally her made up words and phrases. They are hilarious and real. Cursing and making up different curses when everything goes to the crapper is a very real human trait and I loved it all the more in Pestilence since that's what we're trying to get at in the heart of the story: Humanity.
This is a post-apocalyptic novel that features Sara Burns, an ex-fire fighter who tries to kill Pestilence. The first of God's 4 horeseman to come to Earth in order to bring lost humanity to its knees in a highly virulent plague. Sara learns that the what can kill cannot be easily killed. Pestilence is a form of death incarnate, and he takes Sara prisoner. In her, he sees all the bad that humanity is. As his prisoner, she tries to teach him that he is wrong. That humanity is worth reedeming. In her, he finds humanity and compassion that he has never felt. Sara attempts to personify, in essence, the harbringer of death. The repercussions of her actions, and his are devistating. In what way? You'll have to read the book to find out.
The only downfall, which may not be a downfall for many, many readers is the lack of action in this book. It is, at heart a romance novel, and its focus is all romance. I wanted a bit more about the world itself. I suppose I went assuming the bringers of Death would have more action and active killing. Do not go into this book looking for that. If you are familiar with Laura's other books, you know that there is a plot that goes along with the featured romance. Pestilence is not that. Rather, it is emotion, and love, and devastation, and humanity (or lack there of.) It is different from her other works, but it is not bad. I'm just not a huge fan of books that are solely about romance, but other than that, Laura's writing is flawless.
I strongly feel that Pestilence can stand as a stand-alone novel. The ending is obviously open, leaving room for the series to continue in the form of Pestilence's 3 brothers, but it is the end of this particular duo's story. If you have read any of Thalassa's other works or enjoy post-apocalyptic novels that are heavy on the romance, then this book is for you.