First of all, thank you so much to Clara Diaz and Little Brown publishers who approached me to read a copy of Year One, the first book in The Chronicles of The One series in exchange for an honest review. I've now read a couple of things by this author - the first I came to very late and that's the forty-fourth (!!) book in the In Death series called Echoes In Death which she writes under the pseudonym J.D. Robb. The second was under her own name called Come Sundown and was a romantic yet very surprising read for me. When I read the synopsis of Year One, I accepted a digital copy very willingly, I've recently had a bit of a hankering for apocalyptic type fiction and with the added fantastical elements I was intrigued to see what Nora Roberts would do with the narrative. By and large, this is definitely a series I want to continue with. The vast myriad of characters, a fast paced plot and of course, the magical components held my attention throughout and I can't wait to see how the story develops in future books.

So, as with many other stories in this vein, the substance that wipes out almost an entire population of humans is a virus, at first thought to come from birds after the first victim is traced back to a farm in Scotland. However, doubts are rising about where exactly this virus has come from and why it seems to enhance magical abilities in a chosen few. Trying to survive in the world becomes a dangerous prospect with raiders hell-bent on looting and violence, mindless of the hurt they cause to others in their efforts. There is also one strain of the magical folk (elves, fairies, shapeshifters, telekenetics etc) that have embraced the dark side and cause murder and mayhem when they attack both regular humans and the "good" magical people. Especially when one of the individuals that they are hunting becomes very special to them for something she carries with her.

As I mentioned there are a multitude of characters to get to grips with in this novel and on one hand, I loved this and embraced all the different personalities but there were occasions when I had to think to myself: "Okay, who's this again?." My favourites were probably the ones we hear most from - Lana, Max, Eddie and his dog Joe, Arlys, Fred, Rachel and Jonah and I enjoyed how they all had definitive roles in the story, from a paramedic and a doctor to a journalist, witches and a fairy - there was a real mishmash and variety of individuals that kept me intrigued throughout the novel. The world-building is pretty fantastic, I especially loved the scenes when our characters were on the run and when they had to face difficult situations (physical or emotional) as I felt I could really see their personalities come across more vividly during their struggles.

I may have had to suspend my disbelief occasionally as at points, some wonderful things like land, animals, gas, food etc just almost fell into their laps and in a real apocalyptic situation I doubt it would be that easy to be honest. There's also a situation near the end of the book that I can't really talk about for fear of spoilers but it took me a little while to come round to the idea, I felt it all happened a little too quickly considering what the character involved had been through. Apart from these very slight things, I hugely enjoyed this novel. I'm still so curious to discover more about the virus, about the magical qualities of the chosen few and what's going to happen to the characters I've become quite attached to in the next book in the series. Looking forward to it!

I love Nora Roberts books- but this veered a little too far from the type of book I enjoy. I am not a fan of dystopian books and will freely admit that it was Nora Roberts name alone that drew me to select the book. I really struggled to engage with it- but I know that it's because of the genre.

Loved it, loved it! So unusual and a great new departure for Nora. The depth of character is still there - and I can't wait to meet them again!

I have never read anything by Nora Roberts (or her many pseudonyms) but will be rectifying that as soon as possible! I absolutely loved this book! Now I enjoy a post apocalyptic novel but never have I read one with fantasy elements. Sure we have death, destruction and literally Doom as that is the name of the virus which wipes out most of the population but there is also hope and optimism. Throw in the creation of the "Uncannies" ( a side effect of the virus) and we have witches, faeries and elves in the magickal mix.

I raced through this book and can't wait for the next!! My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of the book

Wow...not in Nora's normal style at all and I have pretty much read every novel she was written, very dark and full of doom. Mainly setting the scene for the books to come. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to see were the story goes from here.

4.5*
The story begins in Scotland in the run up to New Year, with the extended MacLeod family on an annual trip to their farm. As Ross MacLeod and his twin brother, Rob, were out in the fields shooting pheasant for the pot, they could have no idea of the horror that would be unleashed that day.

Back in New York Jonah Vorhies, a paramedic, and his partner rushed Ross MacLeod, with his wife in attendance, to hospital. Jonah knew Ross was already dead. He’d ‘seen’ the events leading up to this moment, even as he hated this…thing…whatever it was he had…he couldn’t stop it.

Across the river, Lana Bingham experiences an unexplainable and huge surge of her powers. She and her partner, Max Fallon, are witches but Lana’s abilities had never equalled Max’s. Until now.

Arlys Reid, a national news reporter, with her intern, Fred, tries to keep her reports up to date without causing more panic. The newspapers however are full of reports of deaths, murders, suicides, attacks, as well as acts of kindness. There is meant to be a vaccine available which never seems to materialise. When Arlys gets word of the true tally of deaths her outlook changes.

As the plague, known as The Doom, spreads, the world descends into chaos with magic rising, both good and bad. The authorities that remain want the gifted and the immune taken as test subjects, before they are hunted and killed by fanatics and those possessed of dark magic. A state of disorder and lawlessness takes over, with pockets of small groups trying to survive by whatever means possible.

Year One is a departure in genre for Nora Roberts which makes a welcome change from the previous paranormal trilogies which had become quite formulaic and, although the magickal element is still there in spades, the pandemic storyline gives it a whole new perspective. Romance is very much in the background, with the focus on the survivors – how they cope and coexist (or not) in the aftermath, as well as forming as a steep learning curve for those with enhanced powers.

There’s a large cast of eventually connecting characters, loveable, hateable and those you can empathise with. All have their own stories and, in the main, are well defined and individual, developing as the story progresses. The story is full of emotion, a mixture of light and darkness, told from several of the major characters’ points of view, which, as well as giving a wider angle on the story, helps the reader keep each group in order. No-one knows whether the next person they meet will be friend or foe or where exactly their journey will end, but there is a promise which will determine what comes next. I hope the next book picks up with those characters, some of whom we get to know well, whose stories were left hanging. An intriguing read.

I chose to read and review Year One based on an advance reader copy of the book supplied by NetGalley and Clara Diaz (Little, Brown Books)

Out shooting pheasants in the Scottish countryside, businessman Ross MacLeod inadvertently lets loose a deadly virus. Spreading at an alarming rate, it's barely any time before millions are dead, and the survivors struggling to hold the world together. The story follows three separate groups who leave New York, heading for the perceived 'safety' of less populated areas, trying to re-establish their lives there. So far, it's your average apocalypse tale, but there's a twist. Some of the survivors suddenly find themselves gifted with uncanny abilities - to see the future in a person's touch, or to move people and things, for example. Of course, these gifts don't pass un-noted - there are rumours of governmental, scientific or military departments imprisoning them to investigate and harness these talents, and lynch mobs roam the countryside looking to kill them. There's hope though for the survivors, particularly in the shape of three babies born at the height of the plague, and another conceived then.

Now, I'm generally up for a good apocalypse - from Twenty Eight Days Later or I Am Legend to Shaun of the Dead - and yes, they do generally all follow a pattern, with a group of lucky survivors struggling to re-build civilisation (or grab a pint down the Winchester) despite all the forces ranged against them, but Year One just didn't work for me. In part it was too similar to many novels that have gone before; on the other hand, the sudden appearance of paranormal abilities and the whole mystical aspect rather turned me off. I think if you've read /seen less apocalyptic fiction you'd find it more compelling, but as it followed the tried and trusted tropes associated with such stories, it failed to hold my interest. The ending too I found a bit of a let-down - a lot of sub-lots abandoned as the novel followed one story-line, but these others may be re-visited as Year One is the first book of a planned trilogy. For my money, I'd go for Station Eleven by Emily StJohn Mandel or Micheal F Russell's Lie of the Land

I started out full of hope for this book but it didn't really go anywhere for me. That's not to say, I didn't enjoy it. It was easy to read and the characters were certainly likeable but after the initial impact of the virus, I felt like it didn't take off. I probably wouldn't read the other books in the trilogy.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC copy of this book.

This is a different style to the authors normal types of novels. I was intrigued to find how she would handle it. I was pleasantly surprised, I found it very engrossing. Although a few places it did seem to drag. Jonah, Arlys, Lana and Max are the main focus of the novel, the latter two find out they are expecting while on the run. This baby is very important in the fight between good and evil. The doom brings out powers in some of the survivors, not every one is happy about that. Some blame the gifted for the doom. One thing i did notice was a big jump between some of the characters on the run and reaching their destination. That was a little annoying. ARC received from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

It was a slow start for me, getting into the book. But then, when I came up for air, it was dark outside, I was hungry and hours had past. Then I knew, I would love this story. It held everything I want in a book and the world building is brilliant. I cried with Arlys, feared the Purity Warriors with Lana, hated Wirk and Alegra, and hoped for a better world. It’s frightening that there always will be some trying to hurt, steal, destroy and hate. Even if there is almost nobody left and there is plenty of room to give each other space. Why is it so difficult to get along, accept, share, be peaceful? Is is fear? And, as it is so often, all this in the name of God. I hope, we never have to find out, how close this book comes to the truth. Brilliant! I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK!

I’ve read many Nora Roberts books in the last couple of years. So when I saw that there was a new book by Nora Roberts coming out I got immediately excited. I didn’t even see what the book was about, I just had to read it. So when I started reading ‘Year One’, I found myself being a little surprised that this was a post-apocalyptic read. But since I love Nora Roberts, I just kept going.. and I’m glad I did.

‘Year One’ is definitely not your ‘normal’ Nora Roberts read but I loved it. In ‘Year One’ there is a new deadly virus on earth that is killing almost everyone. In no time at all two billion people are dead and the world is crumbling down. Some people seem to be immune, witches, fairies but also normal people. With earth in chaos the people surviving most find a way to keep going. But with people dying, and the infrastructure going down humanity and kindness isn’t easy to find.

In ‘Year One’ we follow the stories of several groups of people. Normally I’m not a fan of many main characters but somehow, in this story it worked. We meet Lana and Max. A young couple who are witches and just started living together. Jonah and Rachel. A paramedic and a doctor. And there also was Arlys, Katie, Eddie and Fred. And I just loved reading about all those characters. They were all very different, but really fun to get to know.

In this book one year is passing by. And although it’s a lot of time, in not a very long book, I never felt like this book was rushed in any way. I really felt like I got the time to learn about this crazy world, and the characters. And what I liked most about this read is that I never expected what would happen next.

The characters in this book are all very memorable. Nora Roberts did a great job creating those characters. I loved that I was able to get to know so many characters, and not have a moment of trouble keeping those characters apart. For me that is very unique. Every character was very different and they all had their own charms.
And although the world in ‘Year One’ is terrifying, I also loved the way Nora Roberts was able to make me ‘see’ this world.

This book was amazing and I loved it from beginning till end. ‘Year One’ is definitely not easy to put into one genre. It is post-apocalyptic, there is romance, it is paranormal, fantasy.. this book has it all. And I really really loved it. If your looking for a fun and different read.. this book is definitely for you. And I can’t wait for the next book.

Firstly, this book appears to be advertised as a series. I would go out on a limb to say that it reads more like part one of a finite amount of books such as a trilogy. By that I mean that this book, as the title suggests, chronicles only what happens in the first year after a devastating sickness claims many lives. There is obviously more of the story to tell but, like other trilogy books I have read, it does leave several threads still wide open whilst also ending this part well. Just something to maybe keep in mind.
So, we follow a family together for the holidays. There's a bird shoot and one of the family starts to get sick. They disperse back to where they came from, all over the world and take the sickness with them. And so it spreads, killing all in its wake. Apart from the immune; leaving small pockets of people dotted around, fighting for survival. Soon it becomes evident that adversity, as well as bringing out the best in people, also brings out the worse in some. Especially when quite a lot of the people immune also appear to have fantastic abilities; magick even. But where there is light, there is also dark and such as there is good magick, there is also bad. But, as with all books of this ilk, there is also hope. There is talk of one to come. As people start to come together, meeting up and following signs to a new community this hope seems to increase. Until the darkness rears its ugly head once more and things take on a bad turn.
Ok so this book is going to be compared to The Stand. It's inevitable as there are quite a few parallel story arcs in common between the two. Whether these continue in subsequent books is yet to be determined, but there are definitely enough differences in this book to make it, for me, stand up in its own right.
There are many things going on in this book. As well as the fight between good and evil, we also have people turning on each other as they fight for their own survival. We have chaos where once there was order. We also have fear of the unknown. The gifts that people have discovered they have are strange to those without and, to be honest, quite scary too and, like a lot of people, there are some in this book that attack the unknown just because the fear what they do not understand. Even when all is explained, when order is trying to be brought about, there are those who just won't listen and they are the ones who are to be feared. Scary stuff indeed!
There are some cracking characters in this book too. It's almost like a coming of age for some as they have to face something they never dreamed of ever happening and have to find it within themselves to conquer their fears. There are others who find great strength within and take responsibility. More so those who discover that there is magick about. I'd single some out but there are far too many to mention and even if I did, I couldn't say much about each as to do so would probably spoil things.
It's quite an emotional read too. Not just regarding the death and destruction due to the doom. There are quite a few scary moments to be had that I read with my heart in my mouth. There's also a great feeling of hope bubbling under the surface. Coming up occasionally, such as near the beginning when the babies are born. There was also loss, great loss; some of the characters I had grown to love. But that is inevitable in a book such as this. There are also some great good vs evil skirmishes which were a bit exhilarating at times. Nothing major nor finite but then this is only book one and you can't do it all in the first book, there'd be nothing left for the rest of the series/trilogy.
All in all, a great part one of something I am glad I invested in and I am definitely looking forward to the next instalment. Hopefully I haven't too long to wait. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

3.5*

Ok, I must admit I really like Nora Roberts’s books. Through the disguise of giving us a romance, she offers us what I call ‘dream lives’ where you get friends, family and work that give you meaning - not ‘just’ the romantic componant. I particularly like it when she adds a thriller element, as she does in the In Death series.

Year One from early on felt very different and intriguing. Roberts can create suspense very quickly and expertly as well as pull you into her worlds. She does this to great effect here, the first few chapters painting a bleak but fascinating world falling into chaos. A pandemic swipes across the land, decimating a huge portion of society, leaving a handful of survivors. Yes, it did remind me of Stephen King’s The Stand, especially since those few characters divide themselves into two factions: the ‘Good’ and the ‘Evil’ ones, all setting up for a decisive battle in the future. The big difference is that the author goes a lot deeper into the fantasy aspect by giving her protagonists new superpowers. Roberts has used ‘magic’ in the past, as for instance in her Age of Seven trilogy, which I enjoyed, but here, I wasn’t totally sold on it. This mixture of fantasy and dystopia is an interesting one but weirdly didn’t make me connect as much as I would have liked. Still, a good read but not what you might expect.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and to Nora Roberts for the opportunity.

I really enjoyed this, it was an unexpected change of pace from Nora Roberts and that's what prompted me to try it. An easy read with some great ideas and some really well written characters.
Year One explores a post-pandemic year in which most of the world's population has been decimated. Of those that remain some develop superpowers or magick. There is a saviour (of course) and their story will be told in the next of this series, which I am looking forward to.

Well this was totally unexpected and took me back to the heady days when I first discovered the Circle , Dream and Signs of Seven trilogies. Whilst strictly speaking not a romance this book still called to my old romantic heart with characters to love and huge obstacles in the way of a happy ever after. Yes it's a bleak look at the possibility of a pandemic that could almost completely eradicate humanity but the author has given her fans a more mystical reason . If you enjoy books that pit good against evil then this first in what I'm guessing might be a trilogy should be right up your street.
Essentially we follow a rag tag bunch of survivors and some of them have had abilities awoken in them that are often too amazing to believe. Jonah the paramedic, Arlys the reporter, Lana the chef and Max the novelist really stood out but as they travel towards their destiny other characters appear both good and unfortunately bad. As the first book it obviously introduces people but it's at the same time a somewhat slow revealing of the evil forces in play here. Yes there are dark and wicked things happening but in contrast we also see just how vile and aggressive normal folks can be which is chilling. I became gripped but unfortunately as there was so much to understand I found a lack of believable explanations initially. Still I'm desperate to know what happens next and really do recommend this book but please don't go in expecting everything laid out because as a first book it's just setting everything in motion.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I must have read most of Nora Roberts books and I have loved most of them. This is a bit different but it feels like the right time for change - just as you think the trilogies are becoming a bit formulaic (you know and love them but...) then Nora changes up a gear. This is like a cross between The Hunger Games and Divergent but with the warmth of Nora’s characters and writing shining through. I thought it was great though it wasn’t without its drawbacks - there were many characters and it wasn’t always easy to see whose ‘book’ it was. However Nora’s voice shone through and I can’t wait for the second book to come out - and for once l’m not quite sure where this trilogy is going...

Standard Nora Roberts - but it doesnt matter - there is always long wait lists for this in all our libraries!

I was excited when I heard about Year One. Roberts's romances may not be my thing, but I did enjoy the first few books of her Naked in Death series, and I've really been in the mood for a dark, post-apocalyptic dystopia. But, sadly, I think what started as a really great dystopian set-up quickly became a very stock urban fantasy novel.

It's honestly quite jarring how quickly it changes. The first few chapters set the scene so well - the creepy arrival of the Doom, the disease that becomes an epidemic almost overnight, the devastating loss of human life across the world... It competes with some of the best pandemic fiction, like The Stand and Blindness. And yet, it failed for me when the fantastical elements came swooping in.

Suddenly, people are developing superpowers and running rabid through the streets. I felt like I’d just been dropped into the latest YA superhero novel and all of the subtle, dark suspense that had been created was obliterated by people shooting fire beams from their hands, and such. Lana and Max are even witches! The perfect opening fell into a chaotic story that seemed so at odds with the beginning.

I don’t know if it will make a difference to know what you’re getting into beforehand. I just know I found it unpleasantly disorientating to discover that the meat of the novel was very different to the feel of the set-up.

Roberts also uses a really strange fragmented sentencing style that I don't recall her using in her other books. I first thought there were a bunch of errors in my arc, until I realised that the author actually intended it this way. I’m not a crazy grammar person, but even I found the writing style very distracting. The dialogue is often stilted, it’s not always evident who is speaking, and comma splices make up every other sentence.

Jonah, Arlys, Lana and Max are the main focus of the novel, and the latter two are expecting a child who it seems will become central to the war between good and evil, but there are many, many characters in this book and all of them seem pretty black or white; good or bad. The antagonists are so despicable that it is almost comical, and the protagonists are well-meaning and good, without complexity. It's all a little bland.

This is actually the most disappointed I've been in a while - I think mostly because the start of the book was so strong that I had been subconsciously writing a five-star review in my head. It was so sad that this became a standard gory, end-of-the-world story with characters not worth remembering. A real shame.

I must say that the blurb for this book just didn't do it for me and I almost passed it over. In fact, if the author had been anyone else I would have. But come on, we're talking about Nora Roberts! The woman is a writing Goddess. That alone was what made me delve into Year One, and I'm so glad I did!

I don't particularly care for cliffhanger novels but again, this author is renowned for her many, many trilogies and she's done it again! And, to be honest, there is no cliffhanger, just the end of the first series!

In Year One, the world is brought to its knees by an infection known as The Doom. During the progression of this epidemic, some of the survivors have newly discovered 'abilities' whilst others set out to destroy what, and who, is left behind.

Two separate groups of survivors head out of New York to try to make contact with their families or to try to ensure their survival. They face many trials and tribulations along the way before settling in a town they christen New Hope. But Year One is just the beginning of the, to be continued, saga. In my opinion, this novel has some of the most complex storylines I've ever read. I honestly felt, at times, that there were three different storylines all developing simultaneously.

As I have come to expect from a Nora Roberts novel, we meet a range of kick ass characters that have interesting skills or abilities that you know will be of use in the storylines to follow.

In my opinion, this is a must read novel , but reader beware, this is unlike anything I've ever read from this author or her alter ego J.D. Robb.

I broke my post-apocalyptic cherry with this novel and I'm so glad I waited. It was so much more important to wait for Year One.

REVIEW
I'd yet to read anything by Nora Roberts, so when I discovered this book had a deadly virus that seemed to be suggesting it would have an apocalyptic feel to it, I thought it was the perfect book to read. I was a little unsure about the Uncannies, what they would be and what part they would take in the book but the promise of the apocalyptic feel tempted me enough to give reading the book a chance.

There are multiple covers for this book, though the one I love the most is the one featured above this review which is a stark white cover with a large crown that looks like its ready to grab some sort of prey with its claws. There are also feathers shed around in the air/space surrounding the crow on the cover. The cover features a great byline "As this world ends. A new one begins" which fits the book perfectly. The font and colours on the book title, byline and author name all suggest darkness, and give a distressed apocalyptic feel to the cover. The cover is naturally the first thing you see and it certainly attracts the eye and makes you curious enough to know more to pick up the book or click to read the blurb. I think its a great cover and fits in with a few scenes in the book.

The genres I have seen assigned to this book so far have been General fiction, Fantasy, and Romance which I do agree with but personally I would also add, pandemic, post apocalyptic and magical. This book really has a fantstic mixture of genres that really do work well together. The virus is a major part of the book and its effects cause the world to spiral downwards pretty quickly making the world apocalyptic. Then there is the elements of magic with the Uncannies. There are many different kinds of Uncannies featured in the book, from people who can touch someone and see how they will die, to seers, those who have prophetic dreams, witches both good/light and bad/dark ones.

I loved this book so much I feel a little at a loss as to where to start reviewing what I have read. It really is an amazing read! It all begins with the Macleod family, who are celebrating at the family farm at Dumfries, Scotland, as they do every year. The only difference this year is that a couple of family members are missing are Tony and Katie, and that's because Katie is heavily pregnant so was unable to travel safely and comfortably. Ross, brother Rob and their cousin Hugh are out doing their traditional hunting and shooting whilst the women stay at the farmhouse cooking and baking all the food and making the preparations for the New Years Eve party. The Macleod men folk have a good shoot bringing home even more food to be prepared and cooked for the party. The party is in full swing when an old lady called Mrs Frazier grabs hold of Ross and says "The shield would be broken, the fabric torn, by the blood of the Tuatha Danann. So now the end and the grief, the strife, and the fear - the beginning and the light. I ne'er thought to live for it" Ross just lays his own hand over the elderly ladies, thinking to indulge her odd behaviour. Though some in the area believe Mrs Frazier to be fey. Others just think doddering and perhaps not all there in her mind. But when she continues speaking to Ross telling him it starts with him, he feels chilled to the bone as if he has been stabbed at the base of his spine. The old lady continues with the prophecy oblivious to the effect it is having on Ross. The party goes on and then ends with everyone finally retiring to bed to get some sleep before having to travel home the following day. When Ross gets up the following day he complains of feeling a little off. The family laugh it off putting it down to eating and drinking a little too much. Unfortunately Ross and his wife Angie along with all those that attended their New Years Eve party have contracted a strange new virus that comes to be referred to as "the Doom". Ross and Angie become the first two victims of the Doom to die but they have also spread this awful sickness to everyone they have had contact with. So everyone at their New Years Eve party, the rental car clerk they return their hire car to. They've also infected the porter who carried their bags, all the other passengers on the plane they traveled home with. Then those they infected have also spread the sickness to everyone they have had any interaction with and so on and so on.

The book then switches to other groups of characters and how they are coping in the increasingly dire consequences of the Doom. It seems some people are immune to the disease, which you would think would be a good thing, sadly with the world in chaos there are those who looting, stealing and killing just for the hell of it. There are also lots of strange sights being mentioned, such as those who now have wings and can fly, or people who can turn the street lights on and off with a flick of their wrist. These people are being referred to as the "Uncannies". As with everyday people there are good and bad, or as it is referred to in the book those who have the light within them that wish to heal and do good things as well as those who have the dark in them, who are violent and do bad things. The world has become a darker more dangerous place to try to survive in, let alone have any sort of life in.

We meet and follow different groups of characters. Like Jonah and Patti-Ann the paramedics that bring Ross Macleod and his wife into the hospital. Dr Rachel Hopman who is trying to find out what this weird rapidly debilitating illness is. Sadly more and more people die, it becomes apparent those in the medical profession have no real idea how to treat this disease all they can do is try to make the patients last hours as comfortable as possible.

Another person we meet is Arlys who at the start of the epidemic is a lower ranking TV news reporter but rapidly rises through the ranks as reporters die or fail to turn up for work. Arlys is determined along with a few workers who manage to continue to get into the studio to bring news updates to all those who have locked themselves in their own homes. Arlys is in regular contact with a computer hacker called Chuck who gives her the real news he has found out rather than the "official new updates" the government are releasing. It becomes more and more apparent that the government are trying to hide the scale of this disaster. Soon the situation becomes impossible and Arlys has to choose whether to deliver the real truth in her news report. Later in the book Arlys and TV station intern Fred flee before they can be arrested for telling the nation the truth. They have to make a dangerous journey across the city, seeing some gory sights, lots of violence as well as a few acts of bravery and kindness.

Probably the most important characters in the book and for the future of the world are witches Lana and Max. They have been living together just 6 months and practicing their witchcraft. When the Doom begins it seems that the witches power grows and they certainly end up needing that extra power on more than one occasion in the book. I won't explain anymore about their major roles in the book as it would reveal too much.

It seems the way to survive is to band together in little groups. People are trying to cross cities to family or friends they haven't been able to contact since the outbreak began. Some are reunited, others find their families perished either due to contracting the disease or being killed by others that wanted something they had. At times it seems like certain characters have found a place of safety and are well on their way to rebuilding society and the world but then someone who either wants what they have or are just set on violence and destruction, come along and take it away. Then the virus continues to kill people as well as giving power to some who cannot cope with it.

I guess this makes the book seem all "doom & gloom" but it really isn't. There are those who are willing to help those in need, such as Dr Rachel Hopman and paramedic Jonah who continue to turn up at work at the hospital helping those with the virus die as peacefully as possible and treat others that at survivors of violence or have more normal needs, such as mothers giving birth. When Jonah feels he can take no more of the illness and devastation around him and is going off alone, he is stopped by Katie when she is in labour. I loved the feeling of irony that it is Dr Rachel Hopman that helped Katie's parents Ross and Angie die as comfortably as possible, and was then the Dr who delivers Katie's twins.

This book really is like a rollercoaster ride, as just when a successful settlement seems to be working, there are those who seek to spoil things for everyone by taking more than their fair share. You would think after all that has happened both with humans and the Uncannies they could live side by side, grateful to work together for a better future, but still there are people who refuse to work together and will not accept Uncannies can be good and be part of a community.

There are lots of characters I love in this book, one of my favourites who features heavily in the book is Lana who uses her increasing powers for good and to help people. When she has to scavenge for food or clothes she only takes just enough for what she needs and even offers to barter in exchange for food. I am looking forward to reading more about her in the rest of the series too. Another character who comes into the book nearer to the end of the book is Simon, who is living on his parents farm, growing food and is willing to share what he has with anyone in need that passes by. Simon used to be in the army so knows how to handle a gun which comes in very useful when people seek to take things he has worked hard for.

At first I thought I wouldn't like the Uncannies element in the book but it does end up really fitting in well with the whole virus, pandemic and the apocalyptic components in the book. I loved the majority of the people that created and lived in the settlement they called New Hope, sadly there are those that bring disaster to Hope. Though I'd like to know who actually did survive and what happened afterwards. Maybe some of the characters will be re-introduced in the next book. There is a bit of a jump at one point where the different individual groups suddenly are together. I would have loved a little more detail on Max, Lana & Eddie's journey and those they meet that tag along with them. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series and learning much more about the baby that is born at the very end of the book as well as the babies that were living in New Hope too.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing this book were Brilliant! Loved it from beginning to end. What a great mash/mixture of genres resulting in a really fantastic book.