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A review by abby_ace_of_books
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier
4.25
I just rewatched Dune, so unfortunately I'm stuck picturing Cas as Timothee Chalamet and I'm not happy about it.
Year of the Reaper is a classic case of why I always try to read books multiple times. The first time I read it, I enjoyed it but didn't think much of it. Rereading it, I enjoyed the storyline a lot more, and, in classic Abby fashion, completely forgot the plot twists and got even more fooled the second time around. It's a YA fantasy mystery (and I've been really getting into a fantasy mystery phase for a while now), but the fantasy elements are relatively subtle.
Cas is a young lord who was recently imprisoned by his kingdom's enemies, but when he returns home, he finds that the world is no longer as he remembers it. When Cas manages to stop an assassination attempt directed at the royals, he's thrown into a world of mystery and intrigue as he works to discover who is behind this attack and why. I found the mystery elements to be well balanced with the court intrigue, and there's a sprinkle of action and romance throughout that really ties the story together. As I mentioned before, it has minimal fantasy elements (specifically Cas's ability to see and interact with the spirits of the dead), and I honestly appreciated it. Additionally, this is a standalone and the ending is satisfactory, at least in my opinion.
Despite the setting, the cast of characters is relatively small. I liked Cas as a protagonist. His narration style is enjoyable and I liked how his backstory was addressed. The other main character is Lena, a historian who works closely with Cas to find the assassin. Her knowledge of history was fun to listen to, and I also loved how she treated Cas as more than his title. Their romance is subtle - it's actually barely touched upon - but I liked that it gave their friendship room to grow first. Bittor is the other character who gets a fair amount of page time, and he's a soldier who slowly grows to be included in Cas and Lena's antics. I wish we got to see more of him because I really liked him as well, though I don't know why.
Year of the Reaper is a fast-paced and super twisty YA fantasy mystery featuring a plague, plenty of court intrigue, and a hint of fantastical and romantic elements woven throughout.
4.25/5
Year of the Reaper is a classic case of why I always try to read books multiple times. The first time I read it, I enjoyed it but didn't think much of it. Rereading it, I enjoyed the storyline a lot more, and, in classic Abby fashion, completely forgot the plot twists and got even more fooled the second time around. It's a YA fantasy mystery (and I've been really getting into a fantasy mystery phase for a while now), but the fantasy elements are relatively subtle.
Cas is a young lord who was recently imprisoned by his kingdom's enemies, but when he returns home, he finds that the world is no longer as he remembers it. When Cas manages to stop an assassination attempt directed at the royals, he's thrown into a world of mystery and intrigue as he works to discover who is behind this attack and why. I found the mystery elements to be well balanced with the court intrigue, and there's a sprinkle of action and romance throughout that really ties the story together. As I mentioned before, it has minimal fantasy elements (specifically Cas's ability to see and interact with the spirits of the dead), and I honestly appreciated it. Additionally, this is a standalone and the ending is satisfactory, at least in my opinion.
Despite the setting, the cast of characters is relatively small. I liked Cas as a protagonist. His narration style is enjoyable and I liked how his backstory was addressed. The other main character is Lena, a historian who works closely with Cas to find the assassin. Her knowledge of history was fun to listen to, and I also loved how she treated Cas as more than his title. Their romance is subtle - it's actually barely touched upon - but I liked that it gave their friendship room to grow first. Bittor is the other character who gets a fair amount of page time, and he's a soldier who slowly grows to be included in Cas and Lena's antics. I wish we got to see more of him because I really liked him as well, though I don't know why.
Year of the Reaper is a fast-paced and super twisty YA fantasy mystery featuring a plague, plenty of court intrigue, and a hint of fantastical and romantic elements woven throughout.
4.25/5