Series Spotlight Review: Renegade by J. A. Souders
PUBLISHER:
Source:
Library Book
I learned about this series when Tor sent me this for review consideration:
Sometimes if time is an issue I will read the second or third book in a series in order to give it timely blog coverage. Once I read the cover blurb for Revelations however I knew I needed to get the first book in the series. From the opening pages we are guided through the world of Elysium through sixteen year old Evelyn Winters narrative. The ease of her narrative often calm and robotic thoughts, make the existences of a fully functioning society at the bottom of the ocean seem plausible.
Evelyn’s life is “just about perfect”. She is Daughter of the People, a trusted branch of the governing tree that is headed by Mother. Evelyn spends time in her garden, enjoys the company of potential suitors and handles Request Day’s, the time where the citizens come to ask requests of their leadership.
All is well. That is what Evelyn tells herself even when shadows of other memories cloud her brain. That all changes when an outsider makes his way into Elysium. When Evelyn first sees Gavin she feels resistance to all her programming. She bargains to keep him alive and in conversations with him she learns that many of the unquestioned truths of her society are lies.
Switching her focus, all the little cracks in the perfect society become glairing obvious and extremely deadly. Gavin convinces Evelyn to flee, but the both discover the modifications to her life are more than skin deep, leaving not only brings death to an idea but possibly to Evelyn herself.
I really loved how this story unfolded. It is very atmospheric and slowly slides from a scientific mystery to a strongly crafted horror tale as one by one Evelyn’s mothers secrets become revealed. I also liked how there was some solid information revealed instead of the story ending in a cliff hanger. I'm really looking forward to the next book.
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