The Revolutionary
by Kristen Hogrefe

Series: The Rogues #2
Published by Write Integrity Press
Publication Date March 20, 2018
Genres: Dystopian, Christian Fiction
The Future
Main Character Ages: 18-24
Written for: High-School/Young Adult, Adult
Pages: 400

Synopsis:

Liberate the Captives!

Revolutions run on sacrifice … and blood.

Three months a satellite prisoner, Portia wonders if the Brotherhood has left her to die—until she plunges into the domain of a smuggler contacted by her brother. But her rescue comes with a price tag, and now, she must forfeit her identity to act as a spy. She learns that her enemies want the Dome to approve mass satellite executions, though no one knows why. Worse, they’re using her friend Luther, now a Court Citizen intern, to sign the short-term orders. She wants to confide in Luther, but can she still trust him with the company he keeps?

Plagued by shadows and guilt for leaving her protector Gath behind on the satellite, Portia must find a way, not only to rescue him and the other prisoners, but also to destroy the slave camps once and for all.

I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

Also in this series: The Revisionary, The Reactionary

Talk about a page-turner! Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to read this book because you won’t want to put it down. With twists and turns and not knowing who to trust, this story was great fun to read.

I loved the way that Portia now has a friendship with Gath, the gage (what we would think of as a policeman or maybe even Gestapo) who was always around when she was getting into trouble in The Revisionary. And how she told him a riddle each night while they were in the Satellite (prison) camp was a great touch. It was even sweeter when after she got out, she continued to write a riddle in her journal each night in memory of him.

I could tell when reading the first book that the characters from this atheistic society would end up meeting Jesus. The author did such a beautiful job of sharing the Gospel through the testimony of a man who was a prisoner simply because he refused to give up his faith. There was nothing preachy about the way it was done.

The story is not done at the end of this book. I am hoping that the next book will come out soon because I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Guest Post from Kristen Hogrefe

Identity, Coffee, and a Sprinkle of History in The Revolutionary

The primary purpose of fiction is to entertain, but I think good fiction goes deeper by teaching us something about human nature, something about ourselves.

The Revolutionary begins three months after Portia arrived at a satellite prison camp. She feels forgotten by her brother and friends who promised to rescue her. Deeper than the physical pain of starvation, she battles the emotional rawness from the dehumanization of her identity. A number replaces her name, and the Wasps who mistreat prisoners mockingly call them “rabbits.”

When a two-faced smuggler helps her escape, her identity struggles continue. She dons multiple aliases to survive and help the Brotherhood launch a daring plan to destroy the satellite camps and oust the ruling Friend and Dome.

The theme of identity is one I hope will resonate with teens and adult readers alike. At some point, we all ask ourselves, “What defines me?” Is it our friends, an academic program, a relationship, or a job? While those things describe our day-to-day lives, they themselves shouldn’t define us. The source of our true identity must come from somewhere deeper. That’s the question Portia has to wrestle with, and one I hope readers will consider.

A Cup of Joe

Confession: One aspect of characterization I enjoy is giving my characters a small piece of myself. One of my early readers for book one, The Revisionary, remarked, “Let me guess. You like coffee.”

I laughed and replied, “How could you tell?”

Maybe lines like this one gave the fact away: “I start a pot of coffee. At least the aroma makes life smell better” (Portia, The Revisionary).

In book two, I incorporate the memory-association of coffee for Portia as she thinks back to simpler times (like dorm life with Lydia). Coffee also serves as a catalyst for an important scene where Portia, in disguise, serves her enemies and in turn learns of their disturbing plans for the satellites.

What about you? Are you a coffee drinker? If you are, I hope you’ll enjoy a giveaway opportunity for a Starbucks gift card. After all, coffee does make life smell better.

A Sprinkle of History

Two summers ago, my brother and I had the opportunity to visit the North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. It’s the historical site for the “shot heard round the world” that ignited the American Revolution.

In book two, Portia and the Brotherhood launch their own threadbare revolution. Though the odds are against them, they’re determined to stop the abuses by those in power.

My own visit to this famous site helped inspire Portia’s journey of discovery and the Brotherhood’s fictional parallels to the American Revolutionary War. Writing the scene where she rediscovers this birthplace of liberty was one of my favorites, because I walked the North Bridge and poured over books researching what happened that fateful day. I hope the scene comes alive for my readers and quickens their interest in history and its relevance for us today.

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, April 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 10

Moments Dipped in Ink, April 11

Inklings and notions, April 11

The Fizzy Pop Collection, April 12

proud to be an autism mom, April 12

Aryn the librarian, April 13

Multifarious, April 13

Ashley’s Bookshelf, April 14

A Greater Yes, April 14

It’s Storytime With Van Daniker, April 15

Texas Book-aholic, April 15

A Reader’s Brain, April 16

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 17

Carpe Diem, April 18

MargaretKazmierczak, April 19

A Baker’s Perspective, April 20

Bibliophile Reviews, April 21

Simple Harvest Reads, April 22 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)

Pursuing Stacie, April 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

Janices book reviews, April 24

Bigreadersite, April 25

Reading is my Super Power, April 25 (Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kristen is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Starbucks Gift Card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/ca44

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