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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
I know, Nora Roberts....not my thing but this book was so very different from anything else of hers. The end of the world, the struggle to rebuild and a baby destined to save it all. I couldn't put it down. And I can't wait for the next installment.
Really great read, at times parts of the underlying story line reminded me of a very popular tv series, but it's easily to look past this and be engrossed in what's happening.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was different than the other Nora Roberts books I read, because it was less about romance and more about survival, community, and hope. In some ways, Year One reminded me of Stephen King's The Stand as well as many books and movies about a chosen one. Yet, Year One had something special and magical that Nora Roberts always brings to her books, and it reminded me of the first Nora Roberts book I read, Dance Upon the Air. There is a huge cast of characters in Year One. Most of the time I found it easy to follow along, except when large chunks of time were skipped. Then I got a little confused, but the story managed to get me on track again. I really enjoyed Year One and look forward to reading the next in the Chronicles of The One series. If you're a fan of Nora Roberts, like dystopian stories, or live for books about a chosen one, be sure to read Year One.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
**This is a review of the audio version of this title, via Audible.
This novel already has some 1,300+ reviews on Goodreads (only being released in December of 2017), so I am going to keep my summarizing to a minimum and quickly get to the things I loved about this novel and the one thing that threw me.
This novel starts out following multiple story lines and perspectives through a world where a plague dubbed "The Doom" is swiftly wiping out the population. Very reminiscent of The Stand by Stephen King, the beginning portion of the novel introduces the origins of the Doom and the initial contamination that lead to its rapid spread. As the story moves along, the character's paths begin to cross.
This novel has many very likable characters and the audio version did a great job with the various voices. The narrator really added a lot of fun and personality to the reading. While you get to know many of the characters in depth, Max and Lana are the two main characters who really push themselves into the forefront of the storyline. Prior to the Doom, Max was (and still is) an individual who practices witchcraft/magic. Once the Doom sets in, Lana, along with many others in the world, have suddenly discovered that they have various magical capabilities--some of which embrace the darker side of magic.
Things I loved:
♦ A lot of character depth
♦ Plot is driven by a very prophecy-like chain of events
♦ Captured the same plague-action as The Stand, without taking me 40 Audible hours to get through
♦ Has a great ending, not a true cliff-hanger, but leaves you looking forward to that second installment to see what is to come next
The one thing that threw me for a loop:
This novel was a very unique, yet odd mixture of post-apocalyptic, survivalist-type fiction and some pretty heavy fantasy. It may have just been me personally, but I would often get so into the on-the-road, survival action that I would forget that this was also a fantasy novel until someone whipped out their fairy wings or started flying into the air among black smoke... which almost always resulted in a quick eyebrow furrow as I had to remind myself of these powers that people are somehow acquiring after the onset of this epidemic. Since I was listening to an audiobook, which I do in short bursts while I am commuting, cooking, cleaning, etc... maybe this wouldn't be the case if someone sat down and powered through this book in its physical form. But.. just my two cents on the genre "mash-up" here.
Overall... a really fun and interesting read. I was very partial to several characters and I feel like this trilogy has a lot of interesting events and action in store for readers.
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I enjoyed this story -- it feels almost like it could end there and I wouldn't need to continue with the series but I will. I liked the characterisation, but there were so many to keep track of, which was difficult. It also felt a little too 'rooted in reality' for the type of fantasy I normally read, but that's absolutely a me problem.
This year I am seriously trying to make a dent in the unread books I already own. Year One has been on my bookshelves since 2021.
I have always enjoyed Roberts writing style. Her books are a go to whenever I just need an escape. The past few years she has added a new dimension to her writing adding in more fantasy (The Dragon Heart Legacy) and Paranormal (Morrigan's Cross Trilogy). After ready the dust jacket I thought Year One would be a mixture of these genres.
In a way it was, and yet it wasn't. I am a little late to the Stephen King party so I just read The Stand two years ago. The similarities are strong between Year One and The Stand. Both are dystopian end-of-the-world as we know it stories. Both have humanity coming together for the good of all. Both feature a struggle between the dark and the light. The Stand has a man made virus that causes the demolition of humanity, while in Roberts's the cause is clearly magical from the get go. However, the main difference is Roberts's tale adds more to the paranormal side of the story. As billions of people are dying, some survivors discover abilities previously thought to only exist in the mythical. Some sprout wings and have Fae abilities, some are elven, witches even shapeshifters. This does add quite a bit to the story.
If there is a main negative it would be this: There are several main characters that, as a reader, I became attached too. About 7/8 into the story some of these characters branch out; they don't die, they just aren't mentioned again. Not having read the following books in the series I can only hope their stories are continued.
I have always enjoyed Roberts writing style. Her books are a go to whenever I just need an escape. The past few years she has added a new dimension to her writing adding in more fantasy (The Dragon Heart Legacy) and Paranormal (Morrigan's Cross Trilogy). After ready the dust jacket I thought Year One would be a mixture of these genres.
In a way it was, and yet it wasn't. I am a little late to the Stephen King party so I just read The Stand two years ago. The similarities are strong between Year One and The Stand. Both are dystopian end-of-the-world as we know it stories. Both have humanity coming together for the good of all. Both feature a struggle between the dark and the light. The Stand has a man made virus that causes the demolition of humanity, while in Roberts's the cause is clearly magical from the get go. However, the main difference is Roberts's tale adds more to the paranormal side of the story. As billions of people are dying, some survivors discover abilities previously thought to only exist in the mythical. Some sprout wings and have Fae abilities, some are elven, witches even shapeshifters. This does add quite a bit to the story.
If there is a main negative it would be this: There are several main characters that, as a reader, I became attached too. About 7/8 into the story some of these characters branch out; they don't die, they just aren't mentioned again. Not having read the following books in the series I can only hope their stories are continued.
3.5 stars. Didn’t hate it, didn’t really love it. I was entertained by the story but agree with other ratings that once the magical elements were introduced it seemed to become kind of cheesy and too much like a YA about kids with superpowers. I did really enjoy the ending, though.