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BOOKWORM REVIEW: War by Laura Thalassa

 

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥

It is hard to find someone who is tasked with ending humanity to be so relatable, but yet Laura Thalassa has done it twice in a row with two of the four bringers of the apocalypse.

War has landed near Jerusalem. The region has already been ravaged by humanity's war, and now the second Horseman has made the region the starting point of his dystopian campaign. Also in this region is Miriam Elmahdy, a fearless weapons maker who is trying to survive the streets filled with violence and suffering. 

When War's army comes to invade her town, Miriam gets trapped by the Horseman. Expecting herself to be on the receiving end of his sword, she is shocked when he puts it aside, declares her to be his wife, and whisks her away to his camp. 

Now she must deal with her destiny to be the wife of someone who brings destruction in his wake, but aside from the chaos he causes outside their tent, he is surprisingly a doting husband. Who knew? Her current dilemma proves to be more difficult than she expected: Should she surrender to him or save the human race by destroying him?

There are common themes between the first two books in the series: strong FMCs, epic backdrops, roller coaster journeys. Yet Laura Thalassa manages to serve us two unique tales about the harbingers of the world's end falling in love.

First of all, I did not expect War to be a reformed playboy, he-falls-first romance (two tropes I would have NEVER expected from a post-apocalyptic read) but yet here we are. I love that the bringer of chaos and violence is such a cinnamon roll when it comes to his lady love, and it made the tension and chemistry of their connection all the more enjoyable. There was a whole lot more of the emotional tug-of-war, especially on Miriam's part, and I think that made the read more engaging to me. There was a more palpable dilemma between choosing someone who has become the love of your life vs. humanity, and I liked that Thalassa dove deeper into that with Miriam's conundrums about and rebellions against War.

The spice has definitely leveled up from the first book. The chemistry is more raw and visceral, and War and Miriam's moments in the "bedroom" match that vibe to a T.

I also appreciated Thalassa's organic insertion of lighter moments to balance against the emotionally taxing parts of the read. I had to laugh at War's solution for Miriam's private guards when his own army proved insufficient. #IYKYK

I am absolutely loving this series so far. This can be read as a standalone, though it is so much more fun to read it together and there are some allusions to Pestilence and his story. Famine is next. Should I eat a big snack before I read that, or will I regret it?

** I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of this book. Thank you to Laura Thalassa, Bloom Books, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for providing a copy. **

ABOUT THE BOOK

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

The day Jerusalem falls, Miriam Elmahdy knows her life is over. Houses are burning, the streets run red with blood, and a traitorous army is massacring every last resident. There is no surviving this, especially not once Miriam catches the eye of War himself. But when the massive and terrifying horseman corners Miriam, he calls her his wife, and instead of killing her, he takes her back to his camp.

Now Miriam faces a terrifying future, one where she watches her world burn town by town, and the one man responsible for it all is her seemingly indestructible “husband”. But there’s another side to him, one that’s gentle and loving and dead set on winning her over, and she might not be strong enough to resist.

However, if there’s one thing Miriam has learned, it’s that love and war cannot coexist. And so she must make the ultimate choice: surrender to War and watch humankind fall, or sacrifice everything and stop him.


   

MEET LAURA THALASSA

Found in the forest when she was young, Laura Thalassa was raised by fairies, kidnapped by werewolves, and given over to vampires as repayment for a hundred year debt. She’s been brought back to life twice, and, with a single kiss, she woke her true love from eternal sleep. She now lives happily ever after with her undead prince in a castle in the woods.

… or something like that anyway.

When not writing, Laura can be found scarfing down guacamole, hoarding chocolate for the apocalypse, or curled up on the couch with a good book.

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