Death

The Four Horsemen #4

by T.A. Chase

Death, the Pale Rider and the most feared member of the Four Horsemen, has been searching through the centuries for a soul to save him from his solitary life.

In the 1700s, Gatian Almasia was rich and a sought-after member of Parisian society. No one realized he’d lost his reason for living three years earlier. When his sister accuses another nobleman of raping her, Gatian does what any older brother would do. He challenges the man to a duel, and kills him. Later that night, the dead man’s family takes their revenge on Gatian.

Gatian’s death is just the beginning of the journey he must take as Death, the Pale Horseman of Apocalyptic fame. While he doesn’t regret taking the nobleman’s life, the guilt of not being there when his lover died builds a wall around his heart, and until he accepts forgiveness, he must always be Death.

Pierre Fortsecue is a spoiled rich young man whose heart is broken by the man he thinks he loves. Finding himself alone in Paris, Pierre sinks into a haze of heroin. He gets a tainted baggie of the drug, and almost dies from it. Death arrives to take his soul, and something about Pierre touches the Pale Horseman, who steals him away to help him heal.

As Pierre heals and Death begins to feel again, they begin to wonder if love really is the only emotion needed to overcome desolation and destruction.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Supernatural, LGBT, Gay

167 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2012

About the author

There is beauty in every kind of love, so why not live a life without boundaries? Experiencing everything the world offers fascinates me and writing about the things that make each of us unique is how I share those insights. I live in the Midwest with a wonderful partner of thirteen years. When not writing, I’m watching movies, reading and living life to the fullest.

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit I was so excited to read Death's book after reading the previous books in this series but for some reason this story just did not grab me as much as I had hoped it would.

Death feels guilt about a lover dying without him being there, than through a event which his sister had been hurt he kills a man and when revenge is taken against him for that death he is killed which causes him to be Death. I really loved Death's character in this book!

Pierre has a serious drug problem and was hurt from a previous lover. Well this is where I am going to be honest and say I believe the story did not grab me because I was really not a fan of his character at all and the two of them together I honestly did not get.
So while I really liked where the author was going with this story and Death's character I was just not a fan of Pierre and Death together. I just really did not feel a connection between them at all.

So I am sad to say as much as I have really liked this series this book was just not for me...
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.

[Yesska Xicará · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fue la historia que más esperé de los jinetes, dado que el misterio que rodeaba al jinete bayo hizo que conocer el por qué terminó siendo un jinete fue bastante interesante.

La historia me gustó y ver un poco más sobre Lucifer fue un punto extra.

[Pamela aka Scottieluvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

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WOW! Powerful book four in Chase’s Four Horsemen series. The perils and pitfalls of heroine addiction were well captured in this read, as the struggle to overcome that addiction. Gatian Almasia and Pierre Fortsecue were strong, believable characters, and their romance smooth and sultry.

[QUEERcentric Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Tams Kelly for QUEERcentric Books

Death is the last story in the four book series – The Four Horsemen by acclaimed author, T.A. Chase. Death started life as Gatian Almasia, a wealthy French businessman not of noble birth. He truly cared for only two people in his entire lifetime: his half-sister and his lover Oliver – who was a prostitute.

A few years after Oliver had died at the hands of a “client” – we find Gatian fighting for his sister’s honor. He shoots and ultimately kills the nobleman in a duel, but that’s not the end of it. No, it ends when thugs are hired by the man’s grieving family to attack and kill Gatian.

GATIAN IS JUST AS SOLITARY AS EVER

After centuries of being the Pale Horseman, Gatian is just as solitary as ever, though he still lives in the city of Paris surrounded by memories of his past. Paris is where he first sees Pierre Fortsecue, a rich and spoiled man addicted to heroin.

Pierre is at death’s door when Gatian appears to take him to the gates. But Death is confused as he never takes just one mere soul. Upon seeing the younger mortal’s eyes, Death finds himself intrigued. Lam and Day from previous books talk Death into weaning the man from the drug, but it won’t be easy for either of them.

Not only does Pierre crave those mind numbing drugs, but Gatian craves the lost love who still speaks in his mind. Will Gatian realize in time that it’s truly Pierre he wants? Will Pierre survive long enough for them to find out, or will three souls be lost to the darkness?

WILL GATIAN REALIZE IN TIME THAT IT’S TRULY PIERRE HE WANTS?

This is a close second – in my favorites for this series. Death much like Pestilence touched my heart. We later find that Gatian’s feelings for Oliver were only realized after the young prostitute’s death. It was only his love for his younger sister that kept him truly sane. For alcohol and foolishness kept him in some other man’s bed – the night Oliver was killed.

When Gatian first awoke as Death – he felt no guilt for killing the man who raped his sister. So, when all the other Horsemen were finding a second chance at life, he truly never believed he would ever have the chance. There would never be an escape from his torment.

Though he acts cocky and unapproachable to others – you can tell he cares about the men. For truly without his interference, they wouldn’t have found their lovers or redemption. Thankfully, Lam, the angel, feels Gatian deserves the same chance.

I found it quite refreshing that Death was aware that Pierre could see “sex” as a replacement for heroin. Death would never be a mere replacement for anybody or anything. Sadly, at first, he didn’t equate that from Pierre’s viewpoint. Pierre also didn’t want to be a replacement for Oliver. For Death found the mortal to be a lot like his dead lover: eyes, looks, tone of voice, sex appeal, etc.

WE SEE THE TWO GROWING CLOSER

Through their trials and tribulations – we see the two growing closer. We also see Pierre coming into his own after fighting the heroin. Pierre was finally growing up, but could he be just a mere substitute or distraction – for Gatian. Could he even survive that? After many fights and hot “makeup” scenes, Oliver again enters the story. This time – to talk to Pierre.

Pierre dreams of Gatian’s lover from the past. Oliver realizes Pierre can never have a future with the older man unless he moves on. Gatian still literally lives in the past. His country home was his old family estate. The room Pierre slept in had also been Oliver’s. The roses in the garden were in memory of Oliver and Gatian’s city apartment; part of the very pleasure house where Oliver once worked.

Pierre knows at this point that it’s time for him to move on. For Gatian never truly could. Gatian is angered when he returns from a mission – to find Pierre gone. But after torturing himself, he realizes it’s Pierre he wants. He lets Oliver go and gives Pierre time to live alone; a time to walk or fall – live drug-free or become an addict once again.

I LOVE MY HAPPY ENDINGS!

I won’t ruin the ending, but yes – I love my happy endings! I was not disappointed in this one or with these two as a couple. Plus, the other characters revisit us and that was a great addition. My only hope is that Lam and Day, or Daystar as he is sometimes called, get their own book.

I am really honored to give Death by T.A. Chase – a 5-star rating. This book deserves it and the author has definitely earned it. Though Famine wasn’t a personal favorite, please do not let that sway you from reading this series.

No one is perfect; therefore, no series can be either. Like movie sequels – there have to be some disappointments. It makes us human and we all must fight to achieve better. This author is well on her way.

Please note this series is best read in the sequence intended by the author. I wouldn’t recommend this as a stand-alone book.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, hands down, my favorite book out of the Four Horsemen by T.A. Chase. At least, so far, because after reading this one and doing some snooping, I found out there will be another book, but more about that later! Death was all I had hoped it would be, and more. While, yes, there are the same troublesome inconsistencies that pop up, the story vastly outweighs them.

From the start, Death has been different from the rest of the Horsemen. Unlike the others, he doesn’t feel guilt or regret for anything that he did that put him in his position. He killed a man who raped his sister, and, in retaliation, he was killed. Does he regret it? Not at all. And unlike the rest of the Horsemen, he makes sure his sister is cared for, even after he dies. So how will things end for him? Well, it appears he does have guilt from earlier in his life, and that guilt is what keeps him from loving another man.

Pierre is a character you should want to dislike, and yet you can’t help but be drawn to his self-destructive behavior, much like Death was. Of course, a little angelic intervention helped get Death to notice Pierre, but after that, it was fate. So will Death be allowed his happy ending just like his fellow Horsemen?

First of all, HURRAY LAM! Readers get to see more of the messenger angel, and it is revealed that he is in a relationship that is none too savory. Not even Death approves. So, it seems like the sweet angel is cavorting with a demon. I want to know more! How does that happen?! But it’s Lam and Day that put Pierre in Death’s path so that the two can find each other, so Day can’t be that bad, right?

Death is truly in his glory in this book. Not only are his secrets revealed, but the extent to which he differs from the other Horsemen is as well. While they hid from mortals and only interacted with them when needed, Death lives among them. He interacts with them even when he isn’t guiding their souls to the gates. In fact, he’s even ridiculously wealthy, as he was in life. He also does not care anymore about the rules. Although he told the other three Horsemen never to reveal who they are and chastises them when they do, Death breaks the rules straight out of the gates. Pierre is dying and he knows exactly who Death is. It was a breath of fresh air, really, to get the secrecy out of the way so fast. Instead of hiding, their relationship and pasts were explored to a level the others didn’t quite reach. It just felt more cohesive and of all the couples, I liked this one the best. While War and Russell were great and had a strong connection, Death and Pierre just fit. Both of them grew in this novel, and I enjoyed taking the journey with them.

Now for the excellent news. After finishing this book, I thought, there’s no way the author can leave us hanging after giving such a tantalizing view of Lam and Day! And after checking the Pride Publishing website, I discovered all is not lost! There will be a fifth book, Peace, featuring Lam and Day. Rejoice! All is well with the world!

That said, you absolutely must read the first three books before reading Death. He is revealed little by little throughout the series, and you don’t want to miss out on anything. Especially when it comes to him and Lam! Such great characters.

Reviewed by Jennifer for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Originally Reviewed for Love Bytes Same Sex Book Reviews.)

Today I’m bringing you the final book in The Four Horsemen series from T. A. Chase. As you know, if you’ve been following my reviews, I’ve reviewed the first three over the last few days, and I personally feel each one has gotten a little better than the one before it, which is good because in my opinion, book one was barely deserving of the “OK” rating I gave it.

Finally I’m up to this current installment, Death. It is almost like it was written at a different time or something, because it is hands down far superior to the first three books.

In Death, we meet a Frenchman named Gatian Almasia. Gatian is a very wealthy man living in France just prior to the French Revolution. While he is far wealthier than most of the Nobility, he does not have a title, so is looked down upon by the Nobles, but they respect him for his money regardless. But when he avenges his sister’s rape at the hand of a serial rapist Nobleman in an early morning duel, the family of that man sends some cut throat criminals to kill Gatian.

Gatian awakens (we’re getting use to this by now), as one of the Four Horsemen. He though is Death, the de facto leader of the Four. Any of you who are reading along with me on this series, will already know this character quite well, since he has been a fairly regular character throughout the previous three books.

Lam, the Lamb of God we’ve met previously, and his new boyfriend (?) Day entrap Death into finding a heroin addict who has just taken a bad dose of heroin. The bad dose was supplied by Day, and Lam has gotten Death there in time to save the younger man before he dies.

What is Death to do? He finds himself drawn to the young man, Pierre Fortescue. In many ways he reminds him of his lost love, who was murdered back in the 1700’s. But is that all it is?

I really enjoyed this wrap up (?) to the series. I added the (?) because there is a still a storyline floating out there regarding Lam and Day, which I’m not sure might not be another book in the future.

I liked Death a lot and would recommend it. It is best read as the final piece of the series so you know who everyone is. Obviously this leaves me in a quandary, because I didn’t rate any of the previous books high enough to warrant recommending them. I’ll have to end by saying I recommend this installment and I’ll let you, the readers, decide how you want to approach the series.

[Gaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a stand-alone, this story carried the most detail and was the most consistent within itself. Unfortunately, it doesn’t bring the whole series to a clear close with some answers, but of itself, this story was well-crafted with understandable motivations and emotions.

Death is the newest to assume the mantle within the horsemen, after his death at the hands of those who sought revenge after he won a duel with a man accused of raping his sister. Not upset or guilty because of his last actions, he is riddled with guilt from his lover’s death, and his inability to have been there weighs on him.

Pierre is a heroin addict and has been binging and despairing after his lover’s betrayal. Close to dying, Death is dispatched to escort him. But something in Pierre’s demeanor calls to Death, and he decides to grant a reprieve and give him another chance to live his life.

In this story Archer manages to give glimpses into Paris of the 1700’s through Death’s eyes as he is hearing his dead lover’s voice as he cares for Pierre. Slowly Pierre is seeing his path leading to nowhere, with Death’s influences and sharing, and Pierre starts to find compassion and emotions that could mean more in Death. There are some wonderfully poignant scenes that combine heat, heart and a true connection between these two. Yes, there are quick moments with Pest and Bart, and a bit again with Lam and his lover Day, although neither did more than appear without any significant answers or real purpose to the story.

Now, Pierre was wonderfully built from despair to determination to stay clean and change his life, without relying on Death as a crutch, and Death’s ability to put his past behind him and move forward was well drawn and developed.

As a series? Honestly it’s got too many holes and unanswered questions, concepts that went unexplored and inconsistent moments that played into the lack of comprehensive development of each of the characters. Many (though not all) of those issues were addressed in this book, while plot holes and lost story potential were untouched and leave me saddened and frustrated.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher for purpose of honest review for The Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hearts

First published at MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Death has no remorse for the actions that lead to his death. But, he carries guilt over his lovers’ death. Now, he carries the mantle of Death, the Pale Horseman and his new orders take him to a man who is close to death from drug abuse. Pierre has plunged back into drug abuse after discovering his lovers’ betrayal, on the brink of death. He is visited and given a reprieve. Now, with the help of Death, he starts to pull himself out of the gutter.

*Sigh* Death, oh Death, what guilt you carry on your shoulders. How hard you try not to care and how soft your core really is. Death/Gatian has lived with the guilt of his lovers’ death for many years. But, meeting Pierre leads to some similarities, but also glaring differences. Death begins to hear his lost lovers’ voice, as he helps Pierre get clean. Pierre has sunk low before, but never this low and now, with Death’s help, he starts to see things a bit differently and begins to find his way out of the hole he has landed in.

I have to say that this is my favorite Horseman and not just because we finally got Death’s story. It’s also because of the level of detail that we are treated to; from the streets of Paris in the 1700’s, to Gatian’s country estate. And also the detail of the effects of the drugs and the overdose. We get to see Aldo and Bart briefly for a flying visit and we meet Lam’s lover, Day. God. I so want to read their story.

Death and Pierre’s story is really good. Pierre finally comes to face his own actions and grows up. Even going so far as to… ah nah read the book. Death/Gatian finally begins to process his own guilt over not being there when Oliver died. and Pierre and Death have some really hot sex. I thought that the way the relationship played out was great. And, I especially liked it when Pierre insisted on standing on his own two feet, without using Death as a crutch.

So the end to a well-loved series and I will recommend that everyone who loves paranormal, hot men, great back stories, hope for the future and a happy ever after.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I might be a bit biased towards Death as I have loved his character in the other three books, but I loved the insights into his past and his character that we got in this book. Death has his own lesson to learn, just like the other Horsemen did. And I will also admit to LOVING the growth of Pierre in this story. He goes from being a poor little rich boy, with no friends, high on heroin, to taking responsibility and standing on his own two feet. He no longer blames the world for his shortcomings, instead, he is working hard to overcome them. And he has done the big first step BY HIMSELF. He didn't use Death as a heroin replacement but instead took the first scary step whilst Death was away.

I think the only thing that confused me momentarily in this book is that Aldo (Pestilence) and Bart had both met Pierre, albeit when he was suffering withdrawal symptoms, but still. However, they are both confused in their own book when they receive a wedding invitation from Gatian and Pierre. Now they might not have known Death's 'mortal' name, but they did know Pierre's. Still, this is a very insignificant point that in no way detracted from my enjoyment.

Well-written, smoothly paced and with an amazing amount of growth, this book is simply delightful. This is definitely the star in the series for me although I have thoroughly enjoyed every book. I would love for a story of Lam and Day *hint hint*. Definitely recommended.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 24, 2015

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Avril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh. Did not like Pierre. At all.

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for The Novel Approach. Review to come soon.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in this series.

[Reason Scatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one. I'm glad Death finally got someone, he really did deserve it.