Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

I finished reading this while I was at the salon, rebonding and trimming my hair. I suspect my hairdresser was extremely annoyed with my holding a book and hindering her work. But I couldn’t put the book down once I started to get really into it. Having not read a YA book that deals with the Fantasy genre, but without a strong presence of some form of magic, recently, I’d say this book is a great find in the library (which was where I found the book 🙂)

Synopsis

This book follows Cas, the second Lord of Palmerin, who came back home after 3 years of horrific experience in prison. But the welcome home he expected wasn’t to be, because his King, and Queen, has retreated to his keep for some reason, and had an assassination attempted on the day he came back. Amidst the chaos and danger, Cas was thrust into action and a fight for his and his people’s life.

Spoilers Alert!!

First things first, I want to mention how much I appreciate a male character’s POV. So many YA books are written in the female’s POV that they tend to be more emotional and like a female, difficult to understand HAHA.

Cas is a really well written character. He’s not perfect, but he tries to uphold himself to his own moral code. Sometimes something might overwhelm his sense of morals, but he always get to the right place in the end. (At least, by the standards of the codes in medieval eras). He past has damaged him somehow, and in a world where trauma is practically evident in every single living person, he persisted and fought tooth and nail to overcome his past.

One scene I was touched in was when Bittor cuffed Cas up in the mad scientist’s basement, which turned out to be a trigger to Cas’s traumatic time in the prison. When Lena came back for him and freed him, Cas was so angry he left Lena by herself and rode the only horse home. Bittor blamed him for the thoughtless gesture, but what I thought was how it might be difficult for Cas to control his emotions right after finding out his brother is in danger of being killed by his King, his friend was a threat to his brother, and his friend knocked him out and triggered a flashback by cuffing him to the wall. Lena had a right to be upset, because he did hurt her with his actions, but Bittor had no right. (Of course, I might be biased...Cas did try to bash his head in with a mace). But maybe in those times, being a gentleman and ensuring a girl doesn’t get harmed is more important than mental health?

In this world that Lucier built, family and honour weren’t the most important thing that was touched upon. Instead, it was the friendship between characters. Jehan and Mari, King Rayan and Ventillas, Cas and Bittor, Mari and Lena, even Cas and Lena who even though are each other’s love interest, the foundation of their relationship is still companionship and friendship. And I love that about this story, that even though there is romance, the warmth with which each character brings to another is amazing. In this world of plague, I would expect humanity to be under a microscope, betrayal and schemes intertwining everyone. But no, Lucier keeps the relationships between the core group quite clean.

I would, however, love to know the backstories of some of the characters. Like Ventillas for example, how did he survive the three years Cas went missing. Lena as well, how did she come to respect and love her sister-in-law? I’m also interested in Rayan and Mari’s relationship! But the fact that these were not totally explained makes the story simple, sweet, and very open to our imagination 🙂 Which I also love.

The ending was rushed, especially if you compare to the whole story, where events unfolded smoothly and slowly. I felt that it was quite abrupt when the bad guys are suddenly dealt with so easily when they had been taunted at every turn by these same people.

Also, I’m very interested in what happens 5 years from now, when Ventillas comes back.

Favourite Quote:

“I remember you stole my horse, and I saved your life anyway.”

“I remember I fell out of a tree, and you dropped me.”

Smiling, Cas kissed her. On a bright spring day, without a cloud on the horizon. “I like my memory better.”