Blog Tour: Year of the Reaper – Makiia Lucier
I absolutely loved Year of the Reaper – in fact, I started reading the eARC and clicked with it so much I immediately begged for a physical copy. So I’m thrilled to share my stop on the Hodderscape blog tour today. This is a delightful medieval-inspired fantasy that values learning and cleverness, so totally up my street.
Many thanks to Ollie at Hodder for sending me a review copy and inviting me on the blog tour. All opinions are my own.
RELEASE DATE: 09/11/2021
STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶
SUMMARY: Three years ago, Lord Cassia disappeared in the midst of war, on a mission entrusted to him by the king. Since then, a devastating plague has swept the land, leaving countless dead and the kingdom forever altered.
Having survived a rotting prison cell and a merciless illness, 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.
When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer… one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They 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. (From Hodder)
OPINIONS: Year of the Reaper is a wonderful and compelling YA/crossover fantasy. It is one of those books that you simply can’t put down once you’re immersed in them – though I should add that it is set in the context of a Black Death-like plague, so it might be triggering for some to read in the current climate. At its centre is the recent political marriage between two countries that have historically been at odds – and Cas returns home from captivity to find his king married to a princess from the country that abducted him, his brother installed close to the couple and somehow, ends up rescuing the couple’s newborn – and thus also finds himself in a place of honour as he tries to navigate this new situation, the return to normal life and the threat to all of them.
And then there is Lena. A woman after my own heart. The king’s sister, but more interested in writing the country’s history in her grandfather’s footsteps. She is strong-willed, does not really conform to any sort of mold that may be expected from a woman of her status and yes, I may have been slightly in love with her. As you can tell, The Year of the Reaper has wonderful characters – not just Cas and Lena, but the whole cast is nuanced and they really explore what is right and wrong in difficult situations.
I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but this is really one of the most fun YA books I’ve read this year. It’s clever and it respects all of its characters – there is no reduction to stereotypes found anywhere here, which is wonderful to see. And no damsels in distress. This is one that I will keep recommending to people. Add Year of the Reaper to your Goodreads here, and order a copy via Bookshop here (affiliate link).