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If you know anything about me, you know I'm one of those crazy dystopian fans. The struggle of a character against an entire society is kind of a modern David-and-Goliath story that we can understand, because the terms, the conflicts, and the eventual overcoming are things we can relate to in our own personal life. A dystopian is, I like to think of as a societal allegory. That character represents a real-life person, and that society represents our own demons or obstacles that we have to face and overcome. And it's always an unfair fight because our demons seem to know all the angles like the antagonist society does. They've got all the resources; they seem to have the ability to threaten us into submission, and we have to find the strength to stand up against it and turn to the Lord in the darkness. While Christian Dystopian isn't exactly a widespread genre or the "coolest" fad out there, it works maybe a lot more than you might think. I see it in my own writing, and I most definitely see it in one of my favorite series out there:
The Rogues Series by Kristen Hogrefe Parnell.
So, let's dive in:
The Summary:
Revisionary: The Rogues Book 1
A Revisionary rewrites the rules. A Rogues breaks them. Which one is she?
Nineteen-year-old Portia Abernathy accepts her Revisionary draft to the Crystal Globe with one goal: earn a Dome seat so she can amend the satellite rules and rescue her exiled brother. Her plan derails when Head Gage Eliab brands her as a suspect in a campus Rogue attack, and in her quest to clear her name, she questions if the vigilante Brotherhood responsible might not be the real villain.
Her shifting loyalties pit her against Luther Danforth, her Count Citizen ally who believes in reform, not revolution. Joining the Brotherhood makes a future with him impossible - and Portia must decide if it's better to rewrite the rules or to break them.
About the Books:
Written for young adults, THE ROGUES TRILOGY offers a suspenseful plot, flashbacks to America’s Revolutionary era, and rediscovery of the founding values needed to rebuild Portia’s unraveling world. “In school, teens hear that if they don’t learn from history’s lessons, they’re destined to repeat them,” author Kristen Hogrefe says. “Portia lives in a world where leaders wield ignorance to control citizens. Only when Portia sets out to rescue her brother does she realize the lie she’s been living and determines to break free.”
Blockbuster novels like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Giver popularized the dystopian YA genre. THE REVISIONARY builds a dystopia of a different kind—one that looks backward to find wisdom to move forward to offer an underlying message of heritage and hope.
So, I mean if that description above isn't enough to make you run out and read it right now...
Here Are My Thoughts:
The Characters:
Flawed and as such, completely realistic and relatable. That is everything our hero Portia Abernathy is, and more. From the very first sentence, I am intrigued by this headstrong nineteen-year-old girl who struggles with a debilitating physical injury but is determined to regain who's left of her broken family.
In beginning Revisionary, Portia was instantly someone I cared about. Hogrefe did a fantastic job at throwing in tiny glimpses of Portia's tragic past to explain why things are the way they are, and why she is the way she is. I came to understand Portia, her struggles, her goals, her determination. There isn't a moment in the book where I feel distanced from Portia. I see her bleak world through her eyes, feel what she feels, from the cold, quiet walk to the train station to the horrifying anxiety of seeing a certain, familiar phrase branding a tragic event.
One of the most important aspects of a novel is the characters, for if the characters are lacking, the whole story is. This is definitely not the case with Portia!
Our cast of characters continues to grow and each person, no matter how small their role is in the story, is 3D and believable, from the old man who asked if the seat next to Portia was taken to Gage Gath who becomes Portia's escort, due to her family's concerning reputation. Kristen did a wonderful job at giving each character their own voice and behaviorisms which made them recognizable and unique. They all belonged in the story, and all added to it in some large, or small, way.
The World:
The world is, at first, futuristic, rugged, and bleak, but it's painted in a way that is so descriptive and clear, that I can see each and every detail, from the texture of the sidewalk to the glorious Dome. But the details don't bog down the story. Instead, they're dropped in here and there, just enough to evoke a mental picture, but not enough to take away from the events of the story.
And, we're not confined to one part of the world. In fact, and especially in the third book we're taken on a journey through several squares, and beyond, to learn about the unique way people live... and connect certain characters to the plot because they might seem a bit secondary at first, but I promise, later on, they're vital!
As we step into the more elaborate and privileged Crystal square, we begin to see how political machinations and philosophies dictate even the poorest of the squares in comparison to those who have it all. For example, Crystal is the only square with ample access to electricity. Everywhere else is rather primitive in comparison, and the citizens believe having electricity is impossible due to the major EMP-warfare that once hit the United States. In this society that promotes equality, they don’t live it. The stark contrast continues to build the world and make the reader understand just how in-depth society's love of control is.
The History:
But if I had to choose just one aspect about this series that really stuck out to me was the history that our hero not only learned about but was able to witness in a life-like manner. Kristen didn't just tell us about the ASU's (American Socialists United) forgotten history. In an experience provided by mind-bogging technology, we were able to follow Portia and her fellow candidates into a strange, unfamiliar, yet inspiring time of America's Revolutionary War. We were able to live in history.
I simply can't say enough about the authentic interactions between our futuristic heroine and her historical counterparts. The accuracy of each event, paired with creative speculation on the conversations between our founding fathers as they penned the Mayflower Compact or the soldiers fighting at North Bridge, Concord, created a level of realism that not only entertains but teaches about our rich American history.
This is one of the few dystopian books that I've ever read that dove deep into true history in order to better create a futuristic, fictional world.
The Adventure:
I'm going to be honest with you: when I read a book, I can generally guess when and how the story will turn out. As an ever-learning author, I'm familiar with the basic types of storylines, I can sense when those plot twists will show up and can almost always guess what those might be.
Well... with the entire Rogues series, I was left trying to guess what was next and finding myself surprised at every turn. During the third book, the story expanded beyond Portia's world in the ASU, but familiar friends and enemies were still waiting to help her through the struggles to come. Three friends brought closer than ever, fighting for futures that were never guaranteed, and learning to trust the Lord, whom they’d barely begun to know. It’s a story with it all! My heart was on an emotional roller-coaster the entire series! I was laughing, I was near to tears, I was nose-to-screen, filled to the brim with intrigue and anxiousness as I absorbed each and every word.
To put it in perspective, I started reading Revisionary: Book 1 on February 3rd and finished the whole series on the 9th!!! I've always been told I'm a fast reader, but it takes a good book to make me so, and this is one of them!
My RATING:
Five out of five! The storyline was never dull, the characters were never flat, and the world wasn't ever blurry. This is honestly one of the best series I've read in a long time!
Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely! If you want clean, wholesome, and intriguing dystopian, this is a great series to find all those things!
Where Do I Find It?
You can find each book on Kristen's blog at https://kristenhogrefeparnell.com.
Or you can find them here on Amazon!
More About the Author.
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes novels, learns something new every day, and runs for pizza. She teaches English online and has a heart for young people, having also served in youth ministry for several years. Whenever possible, she welcomes inspirational speaking opportunities with schools, churches, conferences, and podcasts.
In all of her writing, her faith perspective is a shaping influence. Her currently published books are for young adults and include a dystopian trilogy, The Rogues. The first book, The Revisionary, and the final book in the trilogy, The Reactionary, both received the Selah Award for Speculative Fiction. Now, she is honored to partner with The Blythe Daniel Agency on her new projects.
Go step into a world of both the past and the future and watch how our new favorite heroine grows in self and Spirit… and inspires you to as well!
Until Next Time,
-Elizabeth Mae Wolfram
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