“When Ross MacLeod pulled the trigger and brought down the pheasant, he had no way of knowing he’d killed himself. And billions of others.”

Hello Everyone,

That first line in Nora Roberts Year One: Chronicles of the One started me on the pissed state I have been in since last week when I finished reading this book. Which is why it has taken me this long to write this review. Why, you may ask? Because the book was so good, it pissed me off that it ended in a cliff hanger ( which I knew it would since it is book 1 in the series, but still…) and I have to wait until the end of this year to read the next installment. The fact that I am impatiently waiting to read it should tell you how I feel about this book.

The first sentence in Year One,  had me expecting all kinds of mayhem. I expected the end of the world, a handful of survivors, lawlessness and the restart of civilization. What I got was the end of the world, more than a handful of survivors, lawlessness and discrimination and the restart of civilization in a manner of speaking. What I also got was something only Nora Roberts could give and excels at: the fight between good and evil, the battle of light against dark, the fight for their lives; add in witches, fairies and other magik and you have a recipe for an outstanding Nora Roberts book.

Now I have to be honest, I was disappointed in the two previous NR books (The Obsession and Come Sundown, which wasn’t bad, it just couldn’t hold my interest, although the storyline had some interesting parts), but this one put me back in the frame of mind I usually occupy when reading a NR book. Except I am still pissed at having to wait for the next one.

Year One is about an epidemic, named The Doom, that spread suddenly and quickly on New Year’s Eve. In just a couple of weeks, billions of people succumbed to the illness and died. The world began to collapse; no internet, limited TV and radio access, lack of government and law enforcement, you get the picture. With the power of science and tech failing, magik took it’s place. As it is with magic, there are some good like Lana Bingham and her lover Max . And some unimaginably evil, especially the ones closest to you, the ones you love the most.

The government entities that survived are hunting the immune and magical and the lawless are hunting everyone who are caught outside trying to survive in cities that have been looted and ravaged. Lana, Max and a group of survivors including a techie, journalist, DR, paramedic and a new mother with two newborns, travel together in a world where anyone you encounter could be a savage or savior. They have no idea where they will end up. All they know is the end is here. Maybe new beginnings will follow.

I can’t get into the characters and their development without giving spoilers, but know that every character adds to the story. The only thing was the twist at the end had me feeling some type of way. Regardless, the book had me on the edge of my seat. Year One is an easy but tension filled read and will leave you highly anticipating the next book in the series titled Of Blood and Bone coming December 4 of this year.

If you like a good witches and magik story, you will love this book as told in a way only Nora Roberts can tell it. So mote it be.

Happy Reading,

The Book Diva