Book Review
Of Blood and Bone
by Nora Roberts
St. Martin’s Press © 2018
Chronicles of The One Series Book 2
Plot Summary:
The sickness (“The Doom”) spread like wildfire. With a 100% mortality rate, the population was quickly divided into segments: those that are immune, and those that are destined to succumb. Many who survive find themselves with new-found magick. Such a surge in power can, and does, corrupt some survivors.
Into this world The One came. Now 13 years old, Fallon is forced to decide to accept her destiny and begin her training, which means two years away from her family. She will be tested mentally and physically, her strength brought out by a fierce and loyal teacher in whom she must place her trust in order to truly find her power.
Along the way, she will encounter people along the way she must convince to join her in her fight against the dark. The light cannot defeat the dark without trusted allies. Will she be able to instill fidelity in other survivors of The Doom?
My Thoughts:
One caution to readers: these books will not work as stand-alone stories. You will be hopelessly lost in characters and details if you do not start with book one (The One) and proceed through the story as intended.
I found books 1 and 2 of The One Series on the Barnes & Noble Annex recently. Feeling lucky to score a deal on 2/3 of a Nora Roberts trilogy, I purchased these books without reading the story summary. I quickly realized how (in COVID-19 quarantine) these books would make me feel super uncomfortable.
Once I separated myself from reality and immersed myself into Nora Roberts’ disease-ravaged world, I was truly able to enjoy the story. I quickly began this book after finishing Year One, the first book of the trilogy, eager to learn about The One and understand how the children from the first book will grow into their power later in the trilogy.
Usually the second story in a trilogy drags in places as authors struggle to building the story, only teasing resolutions which must wait to the third book in the series. Give away too much too soon and people lose interest in the third book. Don’t give enough away, and the story becomes as bland as unseasoned mashed potatoes. Thankfully, Roberts paced the books well enough that this is not a problem.
The book does have a “training montage” for The One, but Roberts uses this opportunity to develop new characters, folding them into the story with enough importance that they follow into the third book of the adventure, Rise of the Magicks. I love the way Roberts balances each of these characters with heroine, using them not just as exposition, but allowing them to contribute to the story in such a way as to both build tension and increase reader fidelity to the story.
In short, the character-driven narrative of the battle of good and evil had me hooked! Every character in the story contributes to the community; readers become drawn into the community as well. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories. Well done, Nora Roberts!