Year One

This is a dystopian fantasy set in a future world in which a virus has wiped out most of the planet except those left behind have magical powers.

I love dystopian future books. I also love fantasy so this was a match made in heaven for me. Nora created such a detailed yet believable universe. There is a powerful female lead and she is pitted against the evil version of herself in a battle to end or save the world.

It’s got magic, it’s got action, it’s got romance, it’s got everything! I was hooked from start to finish and… show more.

I’d always liked reading Nora Roberts for her dialogue-driven stories. I hope her style teaches me to communicate through my characters the way hers do to me.

This book, not only had me wanting for more, it scared me to my core.

I was sitting on a plane—mask on my face—beginning to read, when the story punched me in the gut. Hit me like reality. The characters were on a plane, heading home, and about to start a world-changing pandemic—I tossed the book down.

Thought, “Wow!” This is life now.

I had to continue to see what would… show more.

I’d never read anything by Nora Roberts because I considered her to be a romantic fiction author. However, when I picked this book up I saw that it was most definitely in the Fantasy genre, and I gave it a try. Her characters were interesting and coming on the heels of COVID I found it very dark and gloomy but a good introduction to her Fantasy writing. I believe now it’s pretty evident that good character development is key to a great read. If you can find something to like about the characters – even if it’s not Fantasy you… show more.

Nora Roberts is one of my all-time favorite authors. If she writes it, I’ll read it.

Year One is a departure from her typical fare. It’s an apocalyptic urban fantasy that begins with a pandemic and ends with an unmasked world filled with magical characters. Published in 2017, it predates the COVID-19 pandemic by three years.

Rather than make me think life imitated art or that Ms. Roberts is psychic, I view it more as Nora Roberts’s take on a story similar to The Stand but written in her unique style. For any of her fans seeking another paranormal romance,… show more.

Another solid post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, Year One perfectly balances sci-fi, fantasy and has a twinge of romance thrown in for hard-core lovers of Roberts’ prior love stories. The science evolves throughout the story, drawing the reader in as the characters strive to save the world from impending doom.