The story follows Lord Cassia, Cas. Sent on a mission by his King three years ago, Cas has been feared dead by everyone who ever loved him, but the truth was worse. Kidnapped and forced into slavery by the neighboring Kingdom, Cas has borne a brutality he's not sure he can ever escape from, until the Plague that has been ravaging the Kingdom finds Cas and his fellow prisoners/jailers, and Cas is the only one who survives. But the plague still left it's mark on him, ever since he woke up Cas is able to see and talk to the dead, something he cannot explain. Cas is one of those characters who is so easy to empathise with. A little broken, a little lost and with plenty of self-growth to go, we really feel for him, not only for what happened in his past, but also for the man who returned changed, to a home he struggles to recognise and fit into.

Alongside Cas we get introduced to a wealth of side characters and I thought that Lucier did a fantastic job of giving them all distinct personalities, especially considering this was a standalone. We have Lena, the Kings sister who Cas first meets in a strange situation. The King and Queen themselves. Cas' brother, Ventillas, who is someone also dealing with a significant trauma. In fact I think it's safe to say that all the characters in this book are dealing with trauma in some way, be that from battle, torture, or simply loosing family members to the plague, and Lucier does a brilliant job of featuring it all without it weighing down the story in anyway.

I do feel like Cas' ability was kind of dumped in to give it a fantasy aspect and was nowhere near developed enough. Also, apart from it being set in a world other than our own, his power was the only real fantasy aspect to the story, so I would say it's probably a bit of a push to catergorise it as that. That being said, that's the only part of the story I can say was under-developed, everything else from the characters to the mystery were given plenty of page time to ensure we get invested and never feel like we're missing anything. Thanks to Lucier's propulsive writing style, the story moves at a fairly breakneck pace and, even when I wasn't 100% sure where it's heading, I still found myself hooked to the pages. The mystery itself was incredibly well developed and even when you think you have it down, another twist is thrown in for good measure ensuring we are kept on our toes until the very end.

It's a weird book to categorise because while the characters fell into the YA age range, for the most part at least, there were parts of this story that read almost MG in a way. And I don't mean that in a bad way, but it did mean that some of the past events seemed a little far fetched, like a King sending a 15 year old boy to bring his new wife safely to him. I guess had the characters been older in the current story it would have made more sense, but that's only a small gripe that I had. I enjoyed the romance and any slow burn lovers out there will eat this one up. Cas and Lena make the sweetest couple, but I enjoyed how she allowed him the time to grieve, not only his family, but himself, the man he thought he would become. The bring out the best in each other, and I enjoyed their dynamic throughout the story.

All in all I did enjoy this one. Yes, there were a few issues, but if you're looking for a fast paced YA with an intriguing and twist filled mystery, broken characters and romance, I would absolutely recommend giving this a go.

Year of the Reaper is such a beautifully written fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out Year of the Reaper today.

Lord Cas has been missing for three-years. In this time, a plague has ravaged the kingdom and he has long been presumed dead. His return shocks all those who knew him, as does the news that arrives with him, and the new threats all inside of the castle now have to face. An assassin lurks within its walls and a plague dominates outside of it. Who will survive remains to be seen.

I really enjoyed how this author wove historical aspects into something so fantastical and entirely its own creation. I vastly prefer the fantasy to the historical genre, and so I was glad to find it very firmly rooted in the latter.

Cas was our initial eyes into this world, and his status allowed us unbarred access to it. His privileged upbringing did not deter from his compassionate side showing and, through this, more than just the way of life for the wealthy was witnessed. The plague knew no such status and so neither did Cas's explorations.

The focus was split between plague and assassin and so death featured heavily within these pages. So too did a romantic focus. This latter was not my favourite but I loved how the other two aspects were explored and the twists that were continually revealed throughout this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a allowing me to have a copy of this e-arc

This was certainly a different read than I expected it to be, Year of the reaper is a ya/fantasy that deals with the black death plague and its aftermath and it was so gripping and compelling to read that I did not want to put down. There was a lot of healing and rebuilding, a lot of development within the characters that were written beautifully. I definitely recommend this read.

This was such a unique read that really utilised the use of the plague in a fantasy setting. I absolutely loved this book so much!!

Another YA fantasy that promised so much but ultimately I felt failed to deliver for me.

I think my main issue with Year of the Reaper is that the plot is ultimately too similar to every other fantasy YA I've read in the past. While this isn't always necessarily a bad thing, in such a saturated market I need some elements of a YA story to stand out and this didn't. There's also not much world building. The reader gets a clear answer as to what the plague is and how it started, and for me I need lore and detailed world building to feel like I'm immersed in the world.

I also wasn't that keen in Case the main character. She just feels very generic and again, we get very little insight into her abilities and why she has them. Why can she see ghosts? And what relevance did it have to the plot? I felt that the ability should have either been expanded on or removed, because it was only ever utilised when the plot required it as opposed to it being a part of Cass's personality and backstory. The writing also reads quite young, and that's just what I'm looking for in my stories these days.

Lots of potential, but I thought this needed a lot more substance and fleshed out detailing to get me to really enjoy the story.

Full review to be posted soonish. I'll update review with links to socials.
I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I went into Year of the Reaper knowing very little about it. I assumed it was a full on fantasy story however, the fantasy element is so vague and hidden it's barely there. Whilst this book was really interesting and in depth in most aspects I found myself having more questions when I finished.

*Spoiler*
So Cass our main character can see ghosts... But why is this not the main focus of the story? How did he end up seeing them? Why was there just not more about this in the book instead of the 5 or 6 mentions? Also, how did he survive a plague that wiped out thousands, if not millions, and end up with a 'gift'?
*End of Spoiler*
I loved the relationship and the friendship between Cass and Lena and the end scene between them was just perfect!
The writing style was good and it was super easy to read and not a bad pace. I have no idea if I would be inclined to read a second book (if there is one) though.
Overall I gave this book a 3.5 star rating.
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Firstly I would like to say thank you to netgalley The publisher and the author for allowing me access to this eARC.

Apologies For the late review

This is an epic fantasy novel which is Relatively short for a epic fantasy as usually they are 500 to 600 pages. But this one was shorter but I enjoyed it a lot more it had less filters and was more to the point there was a constant battle throughout the book which kept the adrenaline and pace going

While the book certainly wasn’t bad, I personally feel like it lacked something.

The story was fast paced and interesting.
I hadn’t read a book solely from a male point of view in a while and was somewhat surprised since I’d for some reason assumed it was multiple POV, but Cas was an interesting character to read about.

In the end I didn’t quite love Year of the Reaper, but it definitely was entertaining.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

This was really good, my favourite book of the year so far (and I have read quite a few already)! Interesting plot and great character development - relationships that keep you coming back for more!

Its not often that you get standalone fantasy books, you normally have to read at least three but I really enjoyed this book and it was nice as it was a quick read. A bit of a pallet cleanser!

What a great surprise this book was! Telling the story of rival kingdoms joined in alliance by marriage, a devastating plague, court intrigue, ghosts and murder plots, this was a fascinating story that kept me gripped from page one. I thought that the setting was very well crafted and that the characters were believable, with motivations that made sense throughout. The plot was exciting and full of twists and turns, many of which I was shocked by, which is always a delight for me. Overall, I think this was an excellent read and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fantasy. I will be looking for more books from Makiia Lucier in the future with great interest.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book has everything you would want from a fantasy and from the first chapter you can’t let go until you finish. Replete with political intrigue, a sprinkling of magic and compelling characters this story sucks you straight in and spite you out unapologetically at the end.

The plot, whilst compelling, isn’t really what this story is about. Whilst there’s an obvious political agenda, a strange plague lurking about and the occasional attempted murder, this story is far more interested in character development and discovery of self. Despite this, given this may not be for everyone (and typically isn’t for me) there is unrelenting grit and a dark undertone to this novel which fleshed out each component perfectly. Equally the subtle sniff of a romance is more than enough - and satisfying to be just a sprinkling rather than a romance pretending to be a fantasy.

The only lacking feature for me was that some of the elements felt designed for a series rather than this standalone (it certainly feels like a standalone towards the end, but perhaps not?) and leaves some ideas a bit wasted and unexplored. The plague, for example, which couldn’t be more relatable in our current climate, is largely irrelevant and just pops it’s ugly head in from time to time. The author dabbles in the unfairness of death, which doesn’t care for social status or deserved karmic justice, but doesn’t necessarily utilise this to its full potential. I found myself wondering why it was included when it played so little a part.

Regardless, I really loved reading this book and will certainly look out for this author in the future.

ARC provided from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this, I was instantly transported into this world and I was so intrigued by the plot! It was nice to read a book from a male point of view for a change as most books I read are female.

It was an incredibly well written book and I do have Isle of Blood and Stone by this author to read at some point as well so I'm definitely going to give that a go and keep an eye out for future releases too!

This book had a well wrapped ending but I'd be very interested if there ever were a second book down the line regarding Ventillas' story!

In a land marred by the threat of war and a peace held only through the fragile thread a recent royal marriage, and a devastating plague that has swept the lands, young Lord Cassia is returning home after three long years of imprisonment and trauma. Making his way home through a country full of pain and death, he has no idea what is waiting for him at the end. Is his home, his family even still there? Is there a safe place for him? Is there a young woman about to steal his horse right as he is about to discover the answers to his questions!!!!!!!

There are some beautifully written relationships between the characters. Between friends and siblings, and between those who hold devastating secrets together. There is space for grief, and for love. For bravery and sacrifice and courage. And betrayals with the potential to put everything at risk. Bold and gory, and filled with drama. And ghosts in a slightly underused way. One for fans of high fantasy with just enough depth, but not enough to make it hard work.

At some point in the future we are going to get to the point where we stop asking if a book with a deadly plague decimating it's people is inspired by what's going on in the real world, or just a matter of timing. It can be hard at times to read something like this and not relate it to our global trauma. Yet, it could also be a way in which to understand it. Something like Sarwat Chadda's City of the Plague god, intended for a middle grade reader, can help young people wrap their heads around things. And we can also definitely connect with the fear and suspicion that permeates the world of Year of the Reaper. So, I would possibly pick carefully who I recommended this one to. A reader looking for escapism is not going to be the right reader, but there will definitely be quite a few who will connect strongly with the material.

It's a dark, gripping and highly entertaining fantasy book that kept me turning pages. I loved the mystery element mixed with the fantasy plot and the great characters.
The world building is fascinating and I'd like to learn more about this world.
Good storytelling,a riveting plot that kept me turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
Keeping this short we follow a prince who is reuniting with his family after a plague and we follow what happens after the plague. There is nothing else needed. The author breaks free from the what is going on during th action and explains what comes after. The characters are well made and and interesting and the friendships and character relations were amazangly wriiten

I absolutely loved this story. I found it a slow burn but it's a good slow burn.
I enjoyed all the characters especially Lena and Cas.
I don't want to give away spoilers but I couldn't predict what was going to happen.
I felt the story flowed really well.
If you love enemies to lovers trope you'll love this.

I didn't expect to love this book so much.
Actually, I started it with a mix of excitement and dread. Despite the several praises I heard from my fellow readers, I feared it would end up as a very dark and grim reading.

I could not have been more wrong. Because yes, this book talks about loss, illness and grief but, at the heart, Year of the Reaper is a tale of friendship, love and, above all, hope.
The writing was soooo beautiful and inexorably hooked me from page one. I loved the vivid characters - especially Cassia, so bruised and flawed and utterly human. I loved the mystery that made me guess and wonder not only about the murderer's identity but, more importantly, their reasons. I loved the atmosphere that reminded me of medieval Europe struggling with the black plague and, in many ways, spoke to me of the challenges we are currently facing.

So my only regret about this book is that it is a standalone. Which means I have no certainty I will meet these wonderful characters again. (And, Ms Lucier, I badly want to see Cas and Lena and Ventillas and Bittor again - just a suggestion).

All in all, I highly (highly) recommend this one. It truly was one of my best 2021 reads.