Year One

Written by Nora Roberts

Narrated by Julia Whelan

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER (December 2017)

A stunning 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 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781531834425

Nora Roberts

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Reviews for Year One

[Valerie Ralands · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Outstanding this is one of her best books in a long time I had problems putting it down . Getting ready for the next one

[Kristen Taglialatela · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Perfectly fast paced dystopian fantasy. Fantasy elements felt a little manic at times but still one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in awhile.

[brownnoser111 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really good book. But way different from the next one. The next one veered way off course from this book. I enjoyed this storyline but the sequel somehow turned into a preteens magical princess coming of age story that made no sense in connection with this or at least hardly. .I don't think I'll be able to listen to the final one.

[Sabers Phoenix · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

DNF. I didn’t like the characters. The pace was choppy.

[auntieg0412 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was disappointed. Parts of the book were very good and parts were not. The pandemic story was told well, but the magic was a little over the top. It seemed like two book ideas smashed into one.

Oh well, it ticks off an item on my reading challenge!

[Maureen Michelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Apocalyptic with fairies but not in a young adult story. Would have been fine without fae also but I enjoyed it.

[Benjamin Bates · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Stand meets Sookie Stackhouse meets Swan Song. Okay but far from great.

[Jesscam Campbell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Just enough of a hook to get me to try Book 2.

[Makala Bridges · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this story!! Wasn't the usual Nora Roberts style and I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Can't wait to start book 2!!

[Bella · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't bear the American reader's attempt at Scottish accents. For crying out loud, hire a Scot, or dialogue coach.

[Barb Robbins Ward · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great read! My first Nora Roberts! Won’t be my last!

[Matt Hass · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Random, no story structure and disregards the rules of the world the author sets up. A very poorly written, boring book.

[Amanda Simopoulos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was a bit skeptical as this is different for Nora Roberts. But I read her works and her writing as JD Robb... she's such a brilliant, prolific writer and this work is no different. I listened to the audio book and just could not stop listening until it was over. Just wow. She's one of my biggest role models. I want to be just like her when I grow up ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[Cristina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, really enjoyed the mythical twist and can't wait for next book in series.

[Angela Baldwin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hey it's Nora Roberts Enjoyed ready to start book 2

[Mahogani Rayn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was amazing. I am a huge fan of magic!

[Jennifer White · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing story and wonderful narration. Can’t wait to listen to the rest of the series.

[anniik_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. Interesting and engaging dystopian fantasy that really pulled me in and had me caring about the characters. Very different from the author’s other works.

[jamestomasino · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Ugh. The male characters all sounds exactly the same, excepting one that has an accent. There's no personality. I'm also pretty annoyed this plot went so quickly to "Americans have to figure out how to survive without shopping". How dreary and boring.

[paven-14534 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story, well written. A bit to religious for me this Day. Still a good read.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a teenager, I devoured Nora Roberts novels like they were candy. I knew when I picked up this book that it was a little different from her typical writing, but I had kinda hoped to return to the familiar rhythms I remembered from her romantic suspense novels. Well, I was mistaken. This book opens with a deadly pandemic (timely) which kills a majority of the world population, while at the same time, some people begin to develop magical abilities. Society quickly fractures, with some people trying to help each other and others turning on each other. The characters spend a lot of time running from violence and arguing about how to build a decent society. Sometimes, reading this felt like a bizarre remix of the nightly news with some magic thrown in. This book is the start of a trilogy and, quite honestly, I don't think I'll being reading the next two books.

[paulagalvan-323293 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nora Roberts has done it again. At first, I thought, oh another end-of-the-world book. I could see a slight similarity to The Stand by Stephen King, but even though it is your classic "good vs. evil" story I love the way the destiny of The One draws you in and keeps you rooting for good to finally overpower bad. I fell in love with the outstanding characters Nora Roberts has created. Lana, the protagonist in this book, is both strong and weak. With all the new Magick, dark and light, the book has its own unique style and story. I can't wait to see what's in store for Fallon Swift, her very special baby, who is supposed to save the world. I couldn't put this down once started and will start on the second book as soon as I can.

[rumuse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A guilty pleasure ...

[al9g · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In some ways this was an eerie read considering the Covid-19 pandemic and the subject matter of Roberts' book - an apocalyptic plague that destroys 1/2 the world population. In some ways it compares to King's "The Stand" but in others it is vastly different. The strength of this novel lies in more than an interesting plot but in Roberts' wonderful characterizations and her explorations of human motivations, good and evil, light and dark. Roberts urges the reader to consider what motivates prejudice and hatred and how we often amplify those through our own social and emotional constructs. The book reads quickly and her plot draws the reader inexorably to the climax and opens the way to the second installment of the series. A really good read if you are into scifi-fantasy, horror and apocalyptic fiction.

[telenaw69 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Nora Roberts, so when I heard about this new book, I quickly placed my order. I started reading it the night I received it and I could not put it down. I was surprised with this book as it was unlike anything I had ever read of hers. However, I loved it and could not wait to get the second book. I now own all three and have read them all twice.

[mrnattania72 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

where the hell have I been that I have not read/ listen to thsi tale. I went to locate it in the store, and the listed it under Rimance, WTF. This apocalyptic tale is ritteled with Fantasy and the Supernatural.An awesome tale.of life, live and the evils that man encourages to tempt in today's world ( minus the supernatiral). Loved It

[sanyamakadi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Disclaimer: I love Nora Roberts and have read all of her full-length novels! This book was The Stand with fewer parallel stories and more magic, which are both good things. In true Nora Roberts fashion her characters are likable and the details are deep and immersive. Highly recommended.

[sonped89 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Nora Roberts books and decided to pick his up, I hear about it from booktube. I really like the beginning of the story, it starts with a family in Ireland and then people getting sick. I was not expecting to hear about elf and witches. If you like the end of the world stories, I think you will enjoy this book.

[twileteyes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While I kept comparing this to The Walking Dead as I read, I still really enjoyed the story. Nora Roberts created a believable post-apocalyptic world, even made me wonder if I should consider looking into the whole prepping thing haha.

I do feel like there were a lot of side stories that were not tied up and since the sequel is set 13ish years in the future I don't hold much hope for updates. Can't wait for the sequel this winter.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Post-apocalyptic with a supernatural bent, Year One is a dystopian novel with lots of interesting characters, both magical and not, whose stories will be continued hopefully in the second book of the series, Of Blood and Bone.