Review of ‘Renegade’

Book Synopsis

“The time for Kiero’s reign in prosperity is over.”

Six years before the Black Dawn Rebellion, Adair Stratton and Emory Fae are following in their parent’s footsteps and living at The Academy, a home for those who are gifted. The pressure to uphold the future of their parent’s dream falls on them. An outcast and feared by most, Adair longs to break away from the expectations dictating his future. Even if Emory tries to make him see differently. An unexpected group of friends keep him there, but as whispers of unexplained disappearances start reaching from the capital, Adair starts to doubt The Academy is all it seems.

An unexpected visit ignites new tensions as the roguish king from across the Black Sea, Tadeas Maher of the Shattered Isles, and his heir, Marquis Maher sail to Kiero. Notorious for their pirating and wrath- for the first time in years, they demand the Fae’s listen to their proposition for a new treaty, holding the news of Nei’s father’s abrupt death over them. Caught in the middle of politics- Adair and Emory, with the help of their best friends Brokk and Memphis search for the one thing that matters most- finding out the truth.

In this gripping prequel to Black Dawn, their world is tipped upside down as unlikely alliances are made. War ravages through Kiero and is torn apart by acclaimed Kings. Through the throes of betrayal, lies, hidden magic and love, Adair is faced with a life changing decision- to fight or to bow to the darkness within him.

Review

Renegade offers readers an exciting premise but fails to capture the readers' attention with poor pacing, lackluster characters, and poor storytelling.

Needs Work

The opening prologue sets up the stage for a union between two peoples who seek to change their world and bring out peace. Many details are glossed over, much history that is thrown in with little to no context. Nevertheless, it holds the reader’s attention as it follows these two characters set on changing their world.

However, the story jumps ahead to see their world created, following a new set of characters,

The pacing of the story needed more structure. The world-building lacks detail and structure, making it difficult to follow the politics of the novel. The politics are a part of the novel, and I struggled to get invested with them, especially after the opening. It needed more world-building to set everything and to make it easy to follow.

Given that there is magic at play in the novel, it would have been richer to see the importance of magic and how it played into politics more clearly.

Poor Characterization

Honestly, I could not find myself caring about these characters. They were all very abrasive, with Emory Fae being the exception. However, Emory is not given much focus, lingering on the edges as a girl who is friends to all these powerful men. That was a turnoff, but again to the male characters. Adair, Brokk, and Memphis are all unlikable.

McCartney made it easy to see the struggle Adair has with his inner darkness. That was one the few moments when the story was exciting and when the reader can connect to his characterization. Other than that, his dynamics with his fellow male characters were lackluster. Brokk’s attitude and distrust of the world he grew up in is not understandable; there needed to be more depth to build upon his anger and resentment.

Final Thoughts

Renege simply needed more structure and depth. As a prequel novel, it is easier to understand if the reader has read the rest of the series first, but that is not how it should be. McCartney wrote this book for fans of her Black Dawn series and not new readers because it lacks cohesive world-building, making this a somewhat enjoyable read.

Rating 2 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.