A review by lktx
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier is a YA fantasy that follows Cas, a young lord returning home after disappearing three years earlier during a war. Since that time, a plague wreaked havoc across the land and the war ended, thanks to his king’s marriage to the princess of the opposing kingdom.

The story is primarily a mystery of who is trying to assassinate the queen and successfully killing off members of her retinue from when she traveled to the kingdom the year prior. I saw the twist coming, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story as it unfolded.

Cas is an interesting character and I enjoyed seeing him interact with the world after so much change, both in himself and in the world. I also liked that he was generally a kind, caring young man. I found the other characters loveable and relatable, even though they were royalty, lords and ladies.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Jonathan Myles, did a great job injecting humor into Cas’s narration and was able to be serious at the right moments. His voice was a bit over the top at times, but overall, a good narration experience.

As a standalone, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to everyone. Great read for anyone looking for a YA fantasy, especially with a mystery.

Added bonus of my favorite quote: 
“Loss is a part of life, my lord Cassiapeus, and grief is constant. It is unbearable at first. Then you find you can indeed bear it. Over and over again. As many times as necessary.”

Pros:
- Strong voice.
- Good antagonist, believable. 
- Loved Cas and Ventillus’s relationship.
- Mystery was intriguing, especially watching Cas connect the dots.

Cons: 
- The end wrapped up really quickly. I would’ve liked the answer to how Cas was able to see ghosts, what happened to Ventillus, etc.
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