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Cover of Famine

Famine

by Laura Thalassa

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy·The Four Horsemen #3
4.2 on Goodreads (54,500)

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Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

The cruelest horseman meets the one woman who survived him, and their banter-fueled war of wills escalates into the darkest, spiciest installment of the series.

Synopsis

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. Ana da Silva always assumed she'd die young, but she never expected it to be at the hands of the haunting immortal who spared her life years ago. Famine. But if the horseman remembers her, he must not care, for when she comes face to face with him for the second time in her life, she's stabbed and left for dead. Only, she doesn't quite die. If there's one thing Famine is good at, it's cruelty. He can't forget the pain humanity has brought him, and he's ready to bring it back to them tenfold. But when Ana, a ghost from his past, corners him for what he did to her, she and her empty threats captivate him, and he decides to keep her around. In spite of themselves, Ana and Famine are drawn to each other. But at the end of the day, the two are enemies. Nothing changes that. Not one kind act, not two. And definitely not a few steamy nights. But enemies or reluctant lovers, if they don't stop themselves soon, heaven will.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Famine is the horseman with the highest body count and the sharpest tongue, and Ana matches him beat for beat with bratty defiance that somehow makes an apocalyptic nightmare feel like foreplay. Thalassa leans harder into dark romance here than in Pestilence or War. This is the book where the kink dial gets turned up significantly. Best read at night when you want something that makes you uncomfortable and turned on in equal measure.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

4.19 ★ (54.5k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

512 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2020

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Fantasy Romance

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Dual POV

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Dual Narration (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Susannah Jones, Jay Ben Markson

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
enemies to loversdark romancecaptive romanceslow burnforced proximityvillain gets the girl
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

darkintensespicydangerousseductiveangsty

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

darkbanter-heavysuspensefulrawengaging

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

heavy

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

high

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

forbidden desiremorally complex

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

survivorsnarky/sarcasticgeneral badass

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

villain MMCmorally gray MMCgod/deityferal/unhinged

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

enemies to loverslove/hate tensionbanterpush and pullpredator x preymorally gray LIferal devotion

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
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🌶️
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Spice Level 4

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Explicit open-door scenes with inventive bondage and power dynamics. The spiciest installment in the Four Horsemen series.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

possessive/protectivedirty talk (sweet/playful)tensionrough but consensualmine declarations

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

bondage/restraintdominancepower exchangerough/aggressive intimacypossessive
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (7)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
child abuse (past)torturegraphic violenceabusechild deathreligious traumaterminal illness
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World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

dystopian

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

Post-apocalyptic Brazil ravaged by the horseman Famine

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

gods/deities

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

Latinx MC

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

feral brain activatedtension finally satisfiedthe angst delivered

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

at night

The Four Horsemen

Pestilence

#1 Pestilence

War

#2 War

Famine

#3 Famine

Death

#4 Death

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Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy
PagesHow long the commitment is.512
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2020
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.4.19 ★ (54.5k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

The Four Horsemen #3
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