Even though Nora Roberts books have become almost copy and pastes of each other they are still very readable. I have to be honest, despite all the faults and there are many, I will be looking out for the next in this series.

Year One by Nora Roberts is a dystopian novel that has a lot of diversity to keep you entertained. After a virus kills off billions on people the survivors are left with a fight of good against evil. Many of the survivors learn that they now have developed strange powers. In this new post apocalyptic world its survival of the fittest. I'm am looking forward to the second book in this trilogy to find out what happens to the many interesting characters. I would like to thank NetGally and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my E-copy in exchange for an honest review.

My first ever sci fi/fantasy book and I loved it. I've read Nora Roberts a long time ago, so this is definitely a departure from her normal style of writing. Very dark and disturbing stuff, that I didn't really want to read at bed time. I found the story harrowing, because it could actually happen, and coincidentally, having just read a fictional book about the Black Plague, some striking similarities with the lack of communication and the desperate need to stand alone, and be safe. I can see this as a film already!

I enjoyed this book. I do like a post-apocalyptic story and stories about magic. This has both. It is a fast moving story, perhaps a bit derivative in places but nothing to detract the reader too much. Ends on a promise of the next book which I would be interested in reading. Worth a read.

I’m a big fan of Nora Roberts and always read her books. This one is different from the others she writes and I was very excited for a chance to read it.
It’s different from all the others apocalypse genre books and although there’s a host of characters, Nora can make them unique and interesting. She really knows how to juggle them amazingly well.
I like when the stories have a little bit of the fantasy genre and putting that with the apocalypse, makes for me, this book unique.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one.

With one drop of blood, the old world is gone for ever. And in its place, something extraordinary begins…

THE OLD WORLD IS OVER, AND YEAR ONE HAS BEGUN.

This is the first Nora Roberts book I have read but I think I will defiantly be trying some of her other books now!

This book completely absorbed me and drew me in, I was hooked within the first few pages! I love to read pre-publication but in this case it will be a long time before I can read part 2 and 3 of this trilogy which I want to, need to, read NOW.

This is Nora Roberts first book in the apocalyptic and dystopian genre and she has nailed it! Any lovers of fantasy, dystopian fantasy, or paranormal romance/fantasy romance – read it! There are comparisons to Stephen King’s The Stand and although both books have a very similar plot, the writing styles make them very different books, thankfully!

Year One starts on New Years Eve, with the McLeod family in Scotland, whilst out shooting the men become the first people to contract this new virus, a virus that is extremely contagious. As the McLeod family part to return to their own homes they unknowingly infect everyone that they come into contact with, spreading it to different countries.

Within weeks over 5 billion people are dead. But there are survivors, people who are immune to the Virus, The Doom. Among these survivors some exhibit mysterious and dangerous new abilities. Those that had minor magic/psychic abilities before The Doom find their gifts vastly increased , while others are now able to shape-shift and become known as the ‘Uncanny’

Across the World as governments collapse, people start to leave the dangers of the Cities and try to find safe havens where like-minded survivors of all types can live together in relative Peace and Hope . The story follows Lana & Max, Jonah, Katie & babies, Rachel, Aryls, Fred and Chuck as they try to rebuild what is left of the world and look to the future, for Hope.

But not all the survivors are looking for peace, there is also Uncanny’s serving a dark purpose as well as bands of people searching for Uncanny’s to extinguish as well as anyone that stands in their way. Or just to kill anyone for their own entertainment.

During this turbulent time a child is born, conceived on New Years eve in love and magic. She must remain hidden and protected , taught magical and survival skills, she MUST survive in order to take up the reins of her per-ordained destiny.

Although Year One chronicles the near-extinction of mankind, the story is one of rebirth and the persistence of hope, rather than despair. The never-ending battle between good and evil and the reliance of the human soul.

Emotionally, this book ran the gamut from joy to relief, to fear and despair, and everything in between. There is a fair amount of tension, with periods of seeming contentment sprinkled in, but these brief periods often felt like the calm before the storm. As quickly as Hope is found, Hope can soon be taken away.

The story is really well written and the characters are fleshed out enough to make you feel like you know them and care what the future holds for them. It is told from several points of view from the initial stages on through the first year. The story ends as it began, on New years eve with Lana. And the two nights a year apart couldn’t be any more different if they tried. From New York city and a swanky New years eve party to a rural remote farm-house.

As clichéd as this is – I do honestly recommend this book and it will make a brilliant book for book clubs, it will provide hours worth of topics and emotions to discuss.

Now comes the very long wait for Book Two!

It doesn't matter what style of fiction Nora Roberts writes as her storytelling is at the core of all her books and she just sucks you in until you can't put the book down until you've finished it. With prophecies and magic and mystical powers coming to life it is really a traditional story of good versus evil which everyone fights every day. I'm really looking forward to the next book to see what happens next. Fantastic read

This is a dystopian novel, set not far in the future. The world has been decimated by a virus, called The Doom, from which there does not seem to be a cure. Some people are immune, and various people set off to try to find somewhere to settle where they can be safe.
Lana is a chef, and is in love with Max who saves her from several horrible arguments, and fights. They both appear to have magical powers, and now Lana is pregnant. They are desperate to get away from some evil spirits, who are intent on killing them, and their baby.
Eventually Max is killed, and Lana travels far to the west of the USA to find somewhere to settle and have her baby. She meets an ex-soldier, who seems to care about her and the baby. She starts to settle, although they are troubled by some people who wish them harm.
This is a grim novel, but it does have a driving narrative, and it makes you desperate to finish it to find out what happens. The characters are believable, and the plot drives the story forwards at a very fast pace.

This is seriously a really good book! It's the first book I've read by Nora Roberts, despite her being very well know and I wasn't disappointed. It is very difficult to write a book from so many different perspectives and manage to get the reader to connect with each and every one of the characters. I thought I would favour one side of the story to the others, but I actually loved them all equally and think it worked really well within this book. That was also the downfall of the story for me too though - being invested in every character meant that I found a certain death sad, but beautiful and also unexpected and it worked, until their partner moved on seemingly rather quick. I think their partner should be allowed to move on, but maybe it should have been left for book number 2, so that it didn't seem to sudden. That's the only reason I couldn't push this book to a 5 star, but I will read the rest of the series when the books come out!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I enjoy this authors books and she writes a whole range of different books. Not too sure about this one really and afraid skipped quite a lot so feel cannot really give an honest review.

I love post apocalyptic stories and I love fantasy stories with magical elements, but it turns out I didn't love this mash up of the two. I really like Roberts JD Rob series, but this was not for me.

I am a massive Nora Roberts fan and have read every book she has written, but her last couple I really struggled with and when given the ARC for this, I was hoping she would be back, and boy is she.
This story is a slight departure from her normal work, slightly more darker, scarier and not just based on one main couple. There are a lot of characters, but you get to know each one without it feeling rushed. Without giving to much away, the story revolves around a group of survivors, trying to find hope in a world where nearly 80% of the population has been wiped out by a disease known as 'The Doom'.
The only criticism I have is that it ended quite quickly and, again, without giving anything away, the ending only focuses on one person, and you are left wondering what happened to the others.
I will definitely be reading the next book in the series

Excellent book - Great characters and plot. I would highly recommend this book.

This was a scary book, it was definitely not one of Nora's comfortable romances. It was fantastic though and it would not let me put it down for a breather, it kept calling my name. Make sure when you read this book you have a couple of days straight, I think I would have chucked a sickie to remain at home to finish it.
Nora has twisted and weaved a number of peoples stories into this book. If you don't relate to one person you will another. The book ending is not really a cliff hanger, but I definitely hope there will be more books in the series, because I want to know how the world will progress after this disaster.

After reading this book I am slightly traumatised but I think before long I will be re-reading it; I also feel like becoming a survivalist or prepper.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me have the chance of reading this amazing book

i feel sorry for the next book i read as this one is so exceptional that it could put me off other books for a while

nora roberts has created a book that pulls you in from the first page and keeps the momentum going right to the end, this is an apocalypse style book and it brings all sorts of characters together...some good, some not so good, and the development of those characters keeps you reading to the end...

i just fell in love with the characters and the way they were developed over the course of the book it was breathtaking...no spoilers as any hint will spoil an element of the book and i dont want to do that...but this is one of the best books i have read in a long time..roll on the next one

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, not particularly being a fan of fantasy style books. However it was well written and full of intrigue. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Please don't tell me I have to wait another 2 years for the remainder of this trilogy!!!

The Doom virus has permeated the world and is starting to kill off the population. Of those who survive some are left with magickal abilities. These people are known as the Uncannies but not everyone with the abilities are good and there are those who are drunk with the power and turn evil.

The story follows a group of characters as they struggle to survive and come to terms with their newfound abilities.

I don't want to reveal too much but I feel Nora has once again surpassed herself and I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one sitting (I had a quiet day in work) and just could not put it down. The characters are all wonderful, even the evil ones, and they intertwine seamlessly.

My only problem is that I have to wait - I usually hang on until I have a whole trilogy so I can savour them and let the story but who says I can't read them all again at the time!

I highly recommend this book and any of her other novels for you first timers.

Enjoy!!

Post-apocalyptic science fiction meets urban fantasy in this book from the well respected author, Nora Roberts.

The book begins with a perfectly ordinary family who start cold like symptoms which progress into a worldwide pandemic. People are dying in their millions, governments are falling and in some places anarchy reigns. This is not unlike many science fiction books of this nature. However, this book has fairy dust - literally - which takes it away from being run of the mill. As "Doom" progresses it seems many of the survivors have gained special powers with many becoming fairies (complete with wings), witches, sorcerers and even demons. Not all the new powers are being used for good in a world which has lost over 80% of the population.

For many readers the combination of post-apocalyptic meets fantasy is not going to be appreciated. I wasn't too sure how I felt as the book progressed. However, having completed and enjoyed this book I can say that it mostly worked for me.

There are some excellent characters in this book. We follow several groups of survivors as they struggle to survive in the new world and many of them struggle to come to terms with their new powers. We have the good guys who work together to save each other whether they know each other or not. Then there are those who have turned to the darker side of their powers. In between we have "The Raiders" who don't have powers, blame them for the virus and seek to destroy anyone with extra powers.

As you can tell there is plenty of plot structure in this book. There are several threads at the beginning though with time some merge. I had no problem keeping hold of the different groups in my mind. The characters were distinct enough that they didn't start to blur into each other.

Did the fantasy/science fiction merge work? I think so. I do have some reservations about people discovering new skills at a very useful moment but that isn't that unusual in a fantasy book. It is a similar plot device to the people with amnesia who suddenly remember things at just the right moment! I found it interesting that the bigots in the world - those who had probably been sexist, racist etc in the past, become anti-uncanny (Uncanny is the name given to those with powers). The author made an excellent job of showing that whatever the situation they are some people who won't rise to the occasion and some who simply revert to type!

The book is well written with clearly defined threads. The logistics of the pandemic made sense to me and I felt that it had been well thought out. Some of the fantasy elements were a little woolly with a few too many undefined senses and powers.

The ending of the book makes it obvious that there are more to come. I would certainly be interested in reading the rest of the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley

The Dawn of a New World.

Epically good this book is an awe-inspiring combination of The Passage and Station Eleven with elements of, dare I say it, Harry Potter thrown in for good measure. It literally has everything, taking the reader from pre-apocalyptic normality to a post-apocalyptic nightmare within the blink of an eye. Not since Rowling have I found a novel that dances so effortlessly between the real and the magical. Harrowing and yet full of hope, this is a book to be savoured. I can not wait for Book Two, simply incredible.

Thank you so much to the Publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review, highly recommended

This is a great start to Nora Roberts, new trilogy Chronicles Of The One.

Year One starts on New Years Eve, with the McLeod family in Scotland, while shooting something happens which then means that the family start to become ill, while being ill the family have left their family home and travelled across the world to their own homes.

This means they are carrying the illness with them, within a two weeks there are over a billion people are dead and the numbers could be far more than anyone can guess.

The book follows a mixed group of characters and what happens to their lives over the year and how apocalyptic the world has become.

Well written with a great storyline, good mix of characters and into the mix people start having different powers!! Which puts even a bigger spin on the storyline, thoroughly enjoyed the story and will look forward to reading the next instalment in the series.