BOOK REVIEW: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

BOOK REVIEW: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

April 2015
MIRA Ink
Paperback, £7.99
Reviewed by Aly Locatelli

7.5/10

Review for Talon (Book 1) can be found here.

“What I’m trying to say, if you’re going to stand against Talon, you have to do whatever it takes to stay alive.”

Rogue picks up directly where Talon left off. After the fight at Crescent Beach, Ember and a very reluctant Riley are on their way to break out Garrett from the St. George western chapter-house, where he’s being held prisoner for treason after he helped the dragons escape.

Now, not only do they have St. George on their back, but they also have Talon who are ruthlessly using Ember’s twin, Dante, to draw Ember back to the organisation.

Rogue is action packed and exhilarating, making up for everything that the first book lacked. Not only is the reader plunged straight into the deep end, but Ember’s struggle with balancing her human side to her dragon side is ever more evident, and the relationships in the group are fraught with tension. Rogue brings into question loyalties, family, and the true meaning of being ‘free.’

It felt like the characters barely had the chance to pause for breath after a battle with one enemy, before they were attacked the other. Wes, the British human hacker, is constantly glued to his computer as he tracks the movements of both organisations; Riley struggles with guarding Ember and keeping his eyes peeled on his safe houses; Garrett is torn between leaving the group that saved him, and staying for Ember; and Ember herself struggles with the confusion and betrayal from her brother, and discovering the truth behind Talon’s top secret organisation. As the story unfolds, readers will find themselves clutching the book, heart pounding, and wondering what on earth could possibly happen next. Every time they figured out a plan, someone put a spoke in their wheel, cornering them.

Unlike Talon, we also get Dante’s point of view as he begins to work for Talon in earnest, Riley’s point of view – both in the present and in flashbacks as Agent Cobalt, Garrett’s and Ember’s. Needless to say, although they could get confusing (and ever so slightly annoying) at times, there was never a boring moment within the book. Riley’s past as Agent Cobalt and how he came to the decision of going rogue, Garrett’s internal conflicts with what he’s been trained for all his life against the real life truth staring him in the face, and Dante’s ascension from hatchling to full-blown Talon agent were all highly enjoyable. Although I believe Dante’s heart is in the right place, it’s interesting to see how far he is willing to go to bring his sister home.

Even the love triangle that was incredibly prominent in Talon takes a backseat in Rogue. Ember no longer wastes time with thoughts of “Will he kiss me?” and “Will I choose him?”, but takes the situation in hand and realises that if she doesn’t fight for her life, then they will all drown together. It’s not until the very end, where things wind down a bit, that we get a little more insight into what’s happening in the Riley-Ember-Garrett problem. There is a lot of character growth, with Ember going from shy, naive hatchling to rogue-soldier in training, desperate to help Riley free more hatchlings from Talon, no matter the cost.

Keep your eyes peeled for this fantastic, successful sequel by Julie Kagawa.

(Rogue is book 2 in the Talon series.)

Category: Book Reviews, Other Reviews