Year One by Nora Roberts

 

WHERE have you been, Smart Girls??

Oh, wait. It was me that was missing in action. I will not insult you by offering a weak excuse for my absence, but please know that I have recommited to sharing the books I read. The last couple of years have been less read-y for me, but I'm hoping that changes as well. All we can do is try.

My first book of 2024 is Year One by Nora Roberts. I've never read a Nora Roberts book before now because I only knew of her as a romance writer and that's not really my jam. When a friend recommended this sci-fi trilogy, I was intrigued. The copyright is dated 2017, but boy was this book about a global plague ahead of its time. Fortunately for us, the pandemic we just endured was not nearly as bad as the one in Roberts' books.

A mysterious flu sweeps the Earth, taking out 80% of the world's population. In its wake, some of the survivors discover new magical abilities. It isn't difficult to imagine the power struggle that ensues.

The cast of characters in this first book is lengthy and I did find myself forgetting who they were and needing to flip back a bit to remember. Max, Lana, Arlys, Fred, Chuck, Poe, Kim, Jonah, Rachel, Will, et cetera, et cetera. 

It's a lot.

I was immediately drawn in by the description of how The Doom, as they call it, makes its way across the globe. The different groups of characters that we watch as they begin their survival is interesting. This being the first in a trilogy, it needed to lay out a lot of information. At times, that became a little tedious for me, and near the end, I wasn't sure I would want to continue the series. Fortunately, the last couple of chapters renewed my interest.

I will give this book a hopeful three stars.

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I hope you're reading something wonderful, Smart Girls. There are so many fantastic books out there!