Book Review - Year One by Nora Roberts

When you think of Nora Roberts you generally think of romance novels, the kind that you take on holiday to read on the beach or on the plane. You may also know of her crime writing under the pseudonym J.D Robb, but the Dystopian genre isn't one you would normally associate her with. But Year One is just that, a dystopian novel, still with some romance mixed in mind you, but this is the beginning of a new three-part series that I will definitely be following.

Year One begins in Scotland where a pheasant is shot down on a standard hunting trip. The blood from the bird begins a plague called The Doom which wipes out a very significant chunk of the worlds population. As you can imagine, chaos ensues and as those who remain fight to survive, others become dark and violent. Among this, people with powers - magic - start to manifest in both dark and light forms, and a new fight for power begins.

Arlys Reid is a news reporter who survives the plague and escapes New York with some friends. Max and Lana have practiced the Craft and now their power has grown as they find themselves in charge of a very special light. Both groups combine as they attempt to create a safe haven, a New Hope, but the darkness is hunting the light and will stop at nothing to extinguish it.

It is tricky to write a synopsis without giving away some major plot details so I will leave it at that and if it peaks your interest then find yourself a copy! If plagues and magic aren't your thing then give this one a miss.

I am a big lover of the dystopian genre, though I tend to stick with YA novels. The maturity level of Year One is definitely a step above YA. I found that the tone of the book changed about 1/3 into it but I could look past that. I was also a bit annoyed with how some of the characters were left, although I'm hoping they still play a big part in the next two novels. The book is clearly setting the groundwork for the rest of the series and working up to some sort of epic showdown. Now to wait until the end of next year when Book 2 is due to be released!

Year One by Nora Roberts is available now from bookstores and libraries. Thanks to Hachette for my review copy of this book.