War

Rating: 2/5 stars

this review contains some minor spoilers

Not as pleased with this second book in The Four Horsemen series as I was with the first one. It just kind of felt like the author was using the same formula with this story as she did the first one, just with a different setting and characters; I noticed that the narrative voice of the main character, Miriam, didn't differ that much from Sara's. Both came across in the same manner mentally in the way they thought and how they responded to interactions with their different horseman. Of course, they are not the same person - that's not what I'm trying to convey - but I felt like each woman's fierce personalities reminded me of the other.

I also felt that the general set up for the plot of each book is becoming a little predictable; it seems that each book will be told from the perspective of the woman that will become the horseman's wife and that eventually - after clashing with one another on differing view points about the genocide of the human race, the feelings between one another becoming mutual, and after the loss of the horseman's wife or the possible threat of losing her forever - the horseman will cast aside his nature and his mission on earth for the one he loves. Although War claimed that he would be different from his brother Pestilence in completing his mission, he ended up following in his brother's footsteps after meeting Miriam. I was pleasantly surprised towards the end to read a chapter from War's POV and it definitely gave his character more depth. My only real complaint is that this book tended to drag a little bit compared to the first book, so much so that I had to take a break from reading it and then come back and force myself to finish it (instead of reading it in one sitting like I did the first book).

However, I don't mind the repetition of the general plot for the books too much - in fact, I'm looking forward the most to reading about how Death will meet his wife. He's the most fascinating of the four horsemen simply because he's so mysterious and aloof; his character has appeared in both books so far and yet, he's only been an observer looking in on his brother's trials. It will be interesting to see if he will fall in love like his brothers and if it will be even possible for him to give up his role as Death if he chooses love and valuing life over everything else. I imagine that he will be the most challenging of the brothers to be swayed, when the previous brothers have all experienced the loss of their loved ones through death or near death. Like, how will Death be brought to the brink of despair over losing his wife when he himself is death and could just easily bring her back? And how can anyone deny the inevitability of dying when it's a natural part of life? There doesn't seem to be anything to push him to change his mind like the others before him besides a very stubborn and influential woman by his side. Hopefully, with the coming of Famine, the trend of predictability won't become routine and the usual formula employed in the plot won't be too obvious or overused.