Year One
Year One: Chronicles of The One Book 1
Author: Nora Roberts
Published: December 5, 2017
419 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: January 25- February 8, 2018
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description from Amazon:
It began on New Year’s Eve.
The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.
Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.
As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.
In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.
The end has come. The beginning comes next.
Jessica’s Review:
Wait a minute. Nora Roberts writes more than just romance?!? What caught my attention to this novel was that another book blogger read and reviewed it. He doesn’t read romance, so why is he reading a Nora Roberts book? I read his review and it sparked my interest in Year One. Then the description also had me curious. I am not much of a Fantasy reader, so going into Year One I could have done without all that. My thoughts were: “Just kill nearly the whole world and let everyone start over!” Despite that, the story grew on me and I really enjoyed it! It took some adjusting to the fantasy elements (witches, fairies, elves) but then I just sat back and listened to the audiobook.
I became attached and invested in all the characters. There are three groups and you want them to all pull through at the end. There is of course goodness and darkness as we experience the end of the world. We see people come together while others fall apart. We also see people become prejudiced against others for their non-human differences. Yes, there is some romance in this novel.
There were a few things that seemed extreme to me, but I am sure Roberts has her reasons which will play out in the other two novels in this trilogy. (I’m sorry, but three infants were a bit much for me. But ok, I will suspend my belief in this. She HAS to have her reasons….)
The cover is simplistic but catches your attention. I had seen it in the store, but did not pick it up because I saw Roberts was the author. For that I must apologize to Roberts. Don’t let preconceived notions pull you away from looking at a book. If I did I never would have listened to this novel which I highly enjoyed. I look forward to the next in the series which is supposed to come out at the end of the year. I want to know what happens next in this world!
Year One is highly recommended.
**Special thanks to Drew over at The Tattooed Book Geek for bringing Year One to my attention! If you have not looked at his blog check him out. He’s not for everyone as he speaks his mind in the sarcastic, fun way that only he can! (Yes, there is cursing involved fyi… You have been warned!)
