#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A stunning new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts–Year One is an epic of hope and horror, chaos and magick, and a journey that will unite a desperate group of people to fight the battle of their lives… It began on New Year’s Eve. The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything … 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, magick 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.
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I absolutely loved this book. It had everything I love, magical people in a real-world setting and how she handled the end of the world was inspired, original and so believable. Nora Roberts takes magic and makes it sound normal.
I found it a little hard to get into, but after a couple chapters, I found it hard to put down.
Year One by Nora Roberts.
There is a reason why Nora Roberts is known as the queen of romance. She was the first author inducted into the Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame, the author of 225 novels, with a combination of 861 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. But it’s not just about the numbers, no matter what pen name she uses, Nora Roberts knows how to ramp up the emotion. Her characters become part of our lives, she makes us care about them, and then she puts them in peril.
In Year One, Chronicles of the One, Book One, Ms. Roberts gives us all the feels along with romance, intrigue, mystery, catastrophe and heroism. Listening to the audiobook with narrator, Julia Whelan I found myself frozen in place as the terrible disease decimated whole families. No one left alive has been untouched by the devastation. Evil battles for control of as the rent fabric between the magical and human realms bring forth latent abilities in many of those left on earth. Good and evil exist between both magical and humans, while some are trying to rebuild the world, others are trying to destroy it.
We follow the lives of several characters from the family who unleashed the evil to the couple who would bring forth The One who will save the world. The strength and romance of Lana and Max are put to the test as they find themselves developing greater magical powers and becoming the targets for evil.
I became emotionally invested in these characters, laughing and crying and falling in love. Nora Roberts is the master of character development. With the narration by Julia Whelan, I experienced each up and down with the characters and feel if you don’t read any other book this year, you should read Year One.
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Sherri Lupton Hollister
Chrome Pink
Edge of your seat romantic suspense set in idyllic inner-coastal town.
https://sherrilhollister.com/
The worst thing about this book is that you have to wait a year for the sequel. I hated when I finished it because the story sucks you right in and you aren’t ready give it up.
So it’s safe to say Year One (Chronicles of The One #1) by Nora Roberts was one I was really looking forward to I was really excited when I got the ARC of this, like jumping up and down excited.
That is until I started and realised what a slog this was going to be for me.
Not because this was awful, it so wasn’t, It was just I couldn’t gel and was actually finding reading this a chore.
Anyone who knows’s me knows I devour books in one sitting and this took me eleven days to get finished which is a lot for me.
So Year one is a post-apocalyptic supernatural exstravaganza.
And this may have been my issue I would have prefered one or the other, for me, the two together didn’t quite work.
“Year one” shows the breakdown in society when a virus labelled DOOM! decimates the worldwide population.
As the world, as we know it, starts to disintegrate new factions spring up clawing there way out of the resulting chaos.
Of the five million dead, Mankind and the newly emerged magic kind, regroup into factions of light versus dark.
The wickedness of mankind, that has previously hidden behind a persona, soon becomes apparent in the decimated population left behind.
And It’s also a new world filled with all sorts of magical creatures both light and dark.
“Year One” itself follows different cloisters of individuals, analysing their daily struggles as they ultimately all eventually convene in the collective effort of the town they have aptly named “New Hope”.
I’m not entirely sure why I struggled so much with this as Year One was very well written and I have also enjoyed various Nora Roberts works before.
analysing it I think it may have been the hopping between characters that was an issue for me. although I do understand why it was done this way, Pieces of a puzzle all eventually connecting.
All roads ultimately leading to New Hope.
But I found this style of writing had me ultimately failing to connect with the characters.
As soon as I had sat down and got comfy things were changing directions for me it was making me giddy all the swift changes involved here.
I also found the many different individuals introduced somewhat confusing to behold, I would have to stop and think or check back pages to work out who they were.
I found this aspect very distracting indeed.
But despite my gripes, I did finish this I’m just not yet sure if I’m invested enough to continue on to the next book in this series.
On the one hand, I would really like to see what happens next in regards to Lana, but I’m just not sure that I’m invested enough to keep me going. I will have to decide nearer to the time.
Year One, I imagine will be a solid hit with many, for me, it just failed to live up to my expectations.
Thank You to NetGalley for proving me with an ARC of Year One by Nora Roberts of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
http://www.beckiebookworm.com
I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
For a full review please visit https://kittylishareviews.blogspot.com/.
Nora Roberts has done it again. She sent me chapter one, so after I read it, I had to finish this amazing book, so I got the hardcover. I read this entire book in one sitting. It is that good and I cannot wait until the next book comes out. I highly recommend Year One. Very cleverly written, very well written characters and a story that keeps you wanting to read more
A real page Turner. Strong character’s
From world wide dome to rays of hope.
A great read
Can hardly wait for year two
excellent read!! definitely a page turner and easy to read
Have to wait a year for book 2 in the trilogy. Bummer!!!
Year One by Nora Roberts
Book starts out overseas a couple has attended end of the year celebrations with family and return to NY after the first.
The husband becomes deadly sick and gives it to his wife who also dies soon after. The daughter is pregnant with twins and her husband has died from the virus.
The OB and EMT keep the woman going strong. There is another group of newspaper reporters and they strike out to get the real on the street story to report on. There is also another group of people who have strange powers and use them to keep safe.
There is also a group that want the cannies-those with powers – to die. There is no hope for a cure.
Found this book similar to the tv show=revolution except this one has magic. They all learn to survive and all have skills they bring to the table to share with all.
Good read, hard at times with harsh conditions to listen to about.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Not the Nora read you are used too. Certainly a page turner. She did a great job, can’t wait for the second book in this series. Thoroughly enjoyed this read.
A definite new approach by Nora Roberts. Could not put this one down. Totally different from her usual romantic inclined books. Give this a try, you will be hooked on this new series.
Awesome book. Love anything by Nora Roberts.
I LOVED it.! I can’t wait for the next one. I LOVE Nora Roberts. It was a must read. A departure from her other books but so good.
really enjoyed this ‘new’ world or Nora’s. not entirely original, but still an easy adventure.
A gripping portrayal of what life would be like in the wake of a pandemic, with Nora’s signature magical element mixed in.
I read cover to cover
This NR book scared the sh-t out of me. But it was Great writing by the Best that ever did it!!!