Year One by Nora Roberts

Title: Year One
Author: Nora Roberts

Cover: A decent cover that represents the start of the plague and the crows that come with the darkness.

*Mild Spoilers Ahead*

Review: I will say first that I am not a typical Nora Roberts fan. In fact, I've only read three other books by her, that being the Seven Signs Trilogy that starts with Blood Brothers. If I remember correctly, those also had a fantasy/paranormal feel to them, while her typical books do not. It was the fantasy elements of this book that appealed to me.

A plague strikes, first taking a family, but since it is highly contagious and they are traveling after the holidays, it quickly spreads, wiping out large numbers of the population. There are already some people with gifts before the plague hits, but after, these gifts grow stronger, and others gain powers as well. These people, from witches, elves, fairies, and more, are called the Uncanny, and some people blame them for the plague, or are just generally hateful towards them.

This book touches on hatred towards people that are different, as we see the way the Uncanny are treated. There are Dark Uncanny who are bad, but there are bad regular people as well. Some of these people are the ones who mistreat the good Uncanny. We see those who have been bullied, stolen from, even raped and tortured. There are groups out looking to kill Uncanny. The group that calls themselves the Purity Warriors reminded me a bit of white supremacists. I thought it was interesting that Roberts could remind a reader of current day issues while within fantasy/paranormal topics.

Then there's the savior, and I'm not sure what to think about her. I mean because they called her the savior, I couldn't help but wonder if we were supposed to compare her to Jesus, despite that it was not a virgin birth and that she was a girl. I guess we'll see where that storyline goes.

For me, the first 50 pages were awkward, as I adjusted to Roberts's writing style. I wasn't fond of the style, but I liked the story, so I kept reading. I was quickly able to forget what I didn't like about it, and get more into the story. It did move a little faster than I prefer at times, but I realize she was covering a whole year in one book. I just prefer more details. But overall, I enjoyed it and I will read the rest of the series as it comes out.