Makiia Lucier

"I love the magic Lucier weaves through this dark yet hopeful tale. I devoured it in one sitting!" --Kristin Cashore, author of the New York Times bestselling Graceling Realm books "A beautifully crafted novel containing everything I love in an epic fantasy: complex characters and relationships, excellent world building, and a compelling story full of twists and turns." --Juliet Marillier, author of the Blackthorn & Grim and Warrior Bards series A rich and captivating YA standalone fantasy that's perfect for fans of Brigid Kemmerer, Rachel Hartman, and Naomi Novik, from the writer whose stories have been called "brilliant" (Booklist), "masterful" (Horn Book), and "breathtaking" (School Library Journal), comes a captivating new standalone fantasy. In the aftermath of a devastating plague, a young lord is determined to discover the truth behind a mysterious attempt to assassinate the young queen. Three years ago, young Lord Cassia disappeared in the midst of war. Since then, a devastating illness has swept the land, leaving countless dead and a kingdom forever altered. Having survived war and plague, Cas, now eighteen, wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them. An assassin targets those closest to the queen, drawing Cas into a search for a killer. With the help of a historian-in-training named Lena, he soon realizes that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. Cas and Lena must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret--one that could threaten the kingdom's newfound peace and plunge it back into war.

Elegy

Melissa Palmer

Excellent young adult read....set in the time of the plague. Great characters, interesting plot...I think I'm going to use this as a lit circle book next year with my 9th graders.

Kelsey Munson

Ugh, I really love it when a book has a gorgeous cover and a story fit to match.

Year of the Reaper is a YA standalone that was inspired by/the aftermath of the Black Plague, Princess Joan, and the resilience of the human spirit. The story was written in a way that was easy to consume and captivating from the start. The main character Cas reminded me of Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows. If Kaz was a nobleman and not, ya know, a criminal. 

I wish there was more of the supernatural elements from this book, as the main character is able to see and communicate with ghosts/spirits, but it's not super prevalent or explained. I thought the relationships, both romantic and platonic, were handled fairly well. The MC and his brother had a stellar dynamic. 

Overall, a very quick and exciting read with great characters, a bit of mystery, and a fast pace. 
That and the cover I got is matte black and metallic gold with black sprayed edges. 10/10 would frame on my gallery wall.

Erin Banning

I don't normally read books with male MCs, but I absolutely fell in love with Cas within the first few chapters. There's something about brooding and broken men that really gets me and he's no exception. The romance between him and Lena is subtle and slow, something that I enjoyed, it wasn't the main point of the story but it was there enough that you saw it growing, gradually. This was a very well written book and it deserves every bit of the five stars!

Janne Janssens

Sahi K

CW: plague, medical experimentation, near drowning, burning, assault and whipping. 

I have been seeing early review for this book for a while now and even though they were pretty gushing ones, I never felt like I wanted to read it. For whatever reason, I wasn’t a huge fan of the cover either. But recently, I happened to see vaguely a couple more lovely reviews and decided that maybe I should give it a try. I’m so so glad that I didn’t miss out on it because of my cover vanity. 

This is in the description, so it’s not a spoiler but I never actually thought I would read a book, albeit a fantasy, featuring a plague just when it feels like the omicron variant of the coronavirus is gonna wreak havoc soon. But I dared myself and picked this book up and it was a wonderful decision. Yes, this book is dark with gory descriptions of the plague and it’s aftermath, the devastation it leaves behind, the legacy it leaves behind for those alive. The author doesn’t shy away from describing it all in intricate detail - the landscape and the corpses and the stench and the castles and hospitals full of dying and helpless people - it is not an easy read but it is also not gratuitous, it’s just the truth. Amidst this backdrop, we also have an assassination attempt, the digging through the past and following of clues to uncover the culprit, and twists and turns which just left me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down at all. 

While it feels like the whole book is dark and tense and mysterious - and it is - that’s not what one feels upon completion of it. Because in its heart, this is a story about hope and resilience in times of adversity, and the power of family and friendship. There is genuine love and joy to be found in these pages and I’m actually surprised and in awe of the author’s skill in writing such a hopeful book with a very opposing bleak backdrop. 

I can probably count on my fingers that number of YA fantasies I’ve read with a young man as the main protagonist, so that was a nice change here. And Cas is a brilliant one to follow along. He suffers greatly in prison, walks out alive almost like a miracle, sees the past and present devastation caused by the plague with gruesome clarity - but all he wants is to go home. He is not the same scrawny young boy he was at fifteen when he left on a routine mission, but the love he has for his brother and everyone present in Palmeran keep is immense and it is equally reciprocated. He needs time to recover but when a mysterious assassin keeps trying to kill off the Queen’s retinue, he can’t help but follow the trail of clues and unmask the truth. He is persistent, dutiful and compassionate in everything he does and it was so easy to appreciate him for everything. 

He is ably supported by a young historian Lena who also happens to be the King’s half sister. She is determined to follow the legacy of her historian grandfather and finish his account which was cut short. She is also very understanding of Cas’s circumstances, both the after effects of his imprisonment and his new found weird powers. She is lovely and cheerful, and maybe just the right person to befriend Cas in this new life, where he is still figuring out what he needs. Their friendship is another highlight of the book and I adored that any progression of their relationship was very natural and never forced, at a pace that felt true to Cas’s character arc. 

Ventillus, Cas’s brother is a solid presence and his love for his sibling whom he thought dead was palpable in his every word and action. He may still think his little brother needs to be coddled and protected but it is still out of love. But he is also someone who has been devastated due to too much death - both war and plague - and only wishes for peace and prosperity for his remaining loved ones. Queen Jehan is kind of the central character around whom the mystery revolves but we don’t truly get to know her well. But she is a good mother and an even better Queen, who doesn’t consider some tasks beneath her just because of her status. King Rayan also seemed like a reasonable ruler who values the good people around and treasures his relationships. There were also quite a few others who had minor but very heartfelt and impactful presence in the story and I’m glad we got to meet them all. 

In the end, I just want to say that don’t let the premise of the book scare you away. The book may seem bloody and bleak but it has some wonderful characters, especially Cas whom I really want to be best friends with, and a tale which is full of hope - hope that when we all work together full of love and compassion for each other, we will be able to overcome adversities. And I think it can’t be denied that in these trying times, it’s our bonds of friendship and family that have lent us strength to survive and hopefully continue to do so as we all navigate our pandemic stricken world.

danielle bush

After I started reading this book I just didn't want to put it down, and devoured it in just a few hours. 
I loved Cass! When we first meet him, he is on his way home, he stops to bury a body he comes across.. Not the first one he has buried thanks to the plague that has been ravaging the land.. He also happens to stumble across a young lady who is stealing... I mean borrowing his horse.. Thankfully he ends up gettin his horse back.. 
When Cass finally arrives home, its to find it much the same but also different. He has been gone for 3 years, and it seems the royal family has taken up residence in his house... 
When he ends foiling an someones attempt at killing a member of the royal family. Cass starts to ask questions, and begins investigating on his own.. 
While this book wasn't really action packed, it was still fast paced and had me needing to keep turning the pages to figure out how the mystery was going to play out and how it was all going to end.. There were some major twists and turns. some went pretty dark.. but. I loved all of it, the world building, and all of the characters.. 
I believe this is supposed to be a standalone, but I would love more stories set in this world, even if we didn't follow the same main characters. 
I will definitely be getting a physical copy of this book, and be checking out this authors backlist!

Paola C

I was hooked from page one. You know when you say 'just one more chapter' before going to bed? And then you end up staying up to finish the book? Yeah that happened last night. Loved this.

Elegy

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