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lin28's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
lookingforamandaa's review
3.0
I just am having a really hard time WANTING to read these books. I remember loving them when I first read them. But I’m just over it. Antonia said that they get really good in this book and the next one. While I didn’t hate Ember in this one as much as I did in the last one, I still didn’t love her for most of the book.
Ember is now a rogue dragon. But instead of helping Riley figure out who the mole in his system is or literally doing anything useful, she is determined to rescue Garret, who is going to die because he spared her life. I get that she loves him, and in any real situation I probably would do the same thing, but I just hate him. Aside from that, Ember does and experiences things that really affect her. It was nice to see her trying to work through these issues rather than just glossing over it like too many stories do.
I love Riley. He is the end game I want and if I don’t get it I’m going to be very upset with Julie. We get bits and pieces of his backstory and the events that led to him going rogue and I really enjoyed that. I just love Riley.
Garret is okay, I guess. I mostly just want him to go away. I don’t hate him only because he does anything in his abilities to protect Ember. I just wish Ember had never gotten involved with him.
Overall, Ember did grow and become less annoying in the second half of Rogue. I’m interested to see what the gang does next. I am going to do my best to finish this series, but if I’m not enjoying the next book I might just have to give up on it. There’s no shame in DNF’ing friends.
Ember is now a rogue dragon. But instead of helping Riley figure out who the mole in his system is or literally doing anything useful, she is determined to rescue Garret, who is going to die because he spared her life. I get that she loves him, and in any real situation I probably would do the same thing, but I just hate him. Aside from that, Ember does and experiences things that really affect her. It was nice to see her trying to work through these issues rather than just glossing over it like too many stories do.
I love Riley. He is the end game I want and if I don’t get it I’m going to be very upset with Julie. We get bits and pieces of his backstory and the events that led to him going rogue and I really enjoyed that. I just love Riley.
Garret is okay, I guess. I mostly just want him to go away. I don’t hate him only because he does anything in his abilities to protect Ember. I just wish Ember had never gotten involved with him.
Overall, Ember did grow and become less annoying in the second half of Rogue. I’m interested to see what the gang does next. I am going to do my best to finish this series, but if I’m not enjoying the next book I might just have to give up on it. There’s no shame in DNF’ing friends.
mollymortensen's review against another edition
3.0
A filler middle book, which is basically one continuous action scene.
We have 3 POVs that are mostly together so the head hops are unnecessary.
In Talon, Ember annoyed me a little, and here she's stupid and reckless at times.
The ugly love triangle hasn't improved. I'm not a fan of the burning feelings type of romance.
I'll keep reading the series but I've lowered my expectations.
We have 3 POVs that are mostly together so the head hops are unnecessary.
In Talon, Ember annoyed me a little, and here she's stupid and reckless at times.
The ugly love triangle hasn't improved. I'm not a fan of the burning feelings type of romance.
I'll keep reading the series but I've lowered my expectations.
lostintomes's review
3.0
2.75 Stars
Some times I write these really nice, eloquent reviews but this is not one of them.
There's a rant coming your way, and I cannot guarantee the quality of writing or the grammar that follows.
So... NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK! This entire book is just our "love-trio" on the run from St. George and Talon. (And a little backstory on Riley thrown in.) That's it. There's no plot, no secrets revealed, no character development, no romance... NOTHING. I am quite bummed because there was sooo much potential. After the end of book one, I expected a rescue mission... which we do get (at the beginning) but it's super slow and then after we save said person... Nothing? No plan? What's our objective kids?
For being such "experts" I really feel like these two soldiers Ember is with don't know what the heck their doing. You know... aside from tripping over themselves falling in-love with Ember. I honestly couldn't tell you why they even like her because she's not good for much. LOL We don't have any relationship building either so this love triangle falls terrible flat.
And our "surprise twist" before the action at the end was not surprising.
I don't understand how this series is so long either. What are we trying to overcome? Why do we care? Who is our villain? I feel so lost after this.
I'm just disappointed and full of questions (in a bad way). I have the next book but I am not going to be starting it right away, if I even pick it up at all.
ETA - Since this review is such a downer I want to reiterate my love for Julie Kagawas Iron Fey series. If you want to give her a try, start with that one.
Some times I write these really nice, eloquent reviews but this is not one of them.
There's a rant coming your way, and I cannot guarantee the quality of writing or the grammar that follows.
So... NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK! This entire book is just our "love-trio" on the run from St. George and Talon. (And a little backstory on Riley thrown in.) That's it. There's no plot, no secrets revealed, no character development, no romance... NOTHING. I am quite bummed because there was sooo much potential. After the end of book one, I expected a rescue mission... which we do get (at the beginning) but it's super slow and then after we save said person... Nothing? No plan? What's our objective kids?
For being such "experts" I really feel like these two soldiers Ember is with don't know what the heck their doing. You know... aside from tripping over themselves falling in-love with Ember. I honestly couldn't tell you why they even like her because she's not good for much. LOL We don't have any relationship building either so this love triangle falls terrible flat.
And our "surprise twist" before the action at the end was not surprising.
Spoiler
Why would they blindly trust these girls they just run into so easily?! REALLY?I don't understand how this series is so long either. What are we trying to overcome? Why do we care? Who is our villain? I feel so lost after this.
I'm just disappointed and full of questions (in a bad way). I have the next book but I am not going to be starting it right away, if I even pick it up at all.
ETA - Since this review is such a downer I want to reiterate my love for Julie Kagawas Iron Fey series. If you want to give her a try, start with that one.
sam_reads17's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book almost as much as the first, it managed to continue the story without having a choppy time jump unlike most sequels. It was nice to be back right where we left off. Now this book had several things I really loved, like cobalts past finally being revealed, the twist with mist and faith (genuinely caught me off guard especially faith) and embers relationship with her brother. I liked the tension between the two guys when it was about their rivalry of being born on the other side of the war but I wasn’t a fan of the cheesy romance stuff. The love triangle felt a little forced at times but this book was good enough that I could overlook that. The overall plot was good plenty of action and mystery, filled with twists and turns the setting also felt very fitting. And the research the author must have done to write a fugitive shows, either way it’s a pretty solid book, and I throughly enjoyed it.
I’m gonna go read the next book, I really hope Garret sticks around as I love his perspective and I also look forward to get more information on Talon and why they care about Ember so goddamn much.
I’m gonna go read the next book, I really hope Garret sticks around as I love his perspective and I also look forward to get more information on Talon and why they care about Ember so goddamn much.
celsius273's review
3.0
Undeniably action packed, Rogue has more of what I expected of a dragon packed book than Talon was but where it falls short is in its horrid character development. Talon was light and generic YA paranormal but it had a passionate cast whereas Rogue is the opposite doing better in some places and much worse in others.
Here’s what I liked about Rogue: the excitement I felt when reading all the fight scenes. There are multiple narrators in Rogue which leaves me as the reader with all the playing cards while each character only has pieces of the puzzle. When Ember and Cobalt walk right into Talon’s trap, I actually felt helpless because I knew that they were screwing up royally but that I couldn’t do anything about it and I was left in suspense waiting for them to realize what was going on. The author did that part quite well and it kept me reading and reading on. Then when everyone is fighting near the end, I found myself mentally cheering on Ember and her friends. See I felt really invested in them when they were fighting.
It was a whole nother story when they weren’t fighting. Ember, who was so strong in the last book, is a wisp of what she was and it’s frustrating to see. I wanted her conviction and passion but got this indecisive and sort of helpless shell of what she was. And on top of that, there’s a horrible love triangle that flares to life in Rogue. In Talon, it was pretty clear who Ember was going to choose and so I thought we were over that but no, Ember can’t make up her mind in this book and it’s infuriating to watch. For someone who should be focused on surviving, Ember spends way too much time debating Garret and Cobalt in her head. Seriously girl, just pick one and move on.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the love triangle, I could have liked Rogue much better. We learn about Cobalt’s background and more about Talon and all of that is really interesting. Here’s hoping that Soldier is better than Rogue.
Here’s what I liked about Rogue: the excitement I felt when reading all the fight scenes. There are multiple narrators in Rogue which leaves me as the reader with all the playing cards while each character only has pieces of the puzzle. When Ember and Cobalt walk right into Talon’s trap, I actually felt helpless because I knew that they were screwing up royally but that I couldn’t do anything about it and I was left in suspense waiting for them to realize what was going on. The author did that part quite well and it kept me reading and reading on. Then when everyone is fighting near the end, I found myself mentally cheering on Ember and her friends. See I felt really invested in them when they were fighting.
It was a whole nother story when they weren’t fighting. Ember, who was so strong in the last book, is a wisp of what she was and it’s frustrating to see. I wanted her conviction and passion but got this indecisive and sort of helpless shell of what she was. And on top of that, there’s a horrible love triangle that flares to life in Rogue. In Talon, it was pretty clear who Ember was going to choose and so I thought we were over that but no, Ember can’t make up her mind in this book and it’s infuriating to watch. For someone who should be focused on surviving, Ember spends way too much time debating Garret and Cobalt in her head. Seriously girl, just pick one and move on.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the love triangle, I could have liked Rogue much better. We learn about Cobalt’s background and more about Talon and all of that is really interesting. Here’s hoping that Soldier is better than Rogue.
sarahthuotte's review
3.0
3.5☆ I am very much enjoying this series and learning more about Cobalts background in this book. I'm still hung up on the love triangle, mostly because I really like both of them. How dare thee!
nikkidreads's review
3.0
“There was no way I was going to let him die. He was my other half; without him, I felt incomplete. I wasn't sure if this was my dragon talking or me, but I couldn't imagine a world without Riley.”
This is one of those series that are just easy to fly through. There's just the right amount of action for me. The tension from always looking over their shoulder as they escape Talon and St. George was intense. With the foreshadowing of Dante's plans laying there, you knew horrible things were about to happen. That's totally my thing.
Even though there were parts that were very predictable for me, I really do enjoy the book. I think I like the guys way more than Ember. Ember has brings some mixed emotions. I think it is mostly because she's a little immature and makes bad decisions because she has no impulse control. Then she makes it up for having such a strong moral compass. Like I said, mixed emotions.
I love Garrett and Riley. Normally I HATE a love triangle, but I'm ok with this one. I know Ember will most likely end up with Riley, but I think her relationship with Garrett is good for her. She needs to stay humble. Dragons are way too cocky.
If you are interested in some contemporary fantasy, I recommend it. It's a quick easy read of a series so far. I can't speak to how it will all end, but I hope Talon comes down in flames.
This is one of those series that are just easy to fly through. There's just the right amount of action for me. The tension from always looking over their shoulder as they escape Talon and St. George was intense. With the foreshadowing of Dante's plans laying there, you knew horrible things were about to happen. That's totally my thing.
Even though there were parts that were very predictable for me, I really do enjoy the book. I think I like the guys way more than Ember. Ember has brings some mixed emotions. I think it is mostly because she's a little immature and makes bad decisions because she has no impulse control. Then she makes it up for having such a strong moral compass. Like I said, mixed emotions.
I love Garrett and Riley. Normally I HATE a love triangle, but I'm ok with this one. I know Ember will most likely end up with Riley, but I think her relationship with Garrett is good for her. She needs to stay humble. Dragons are way too cocky.
If you are interested in some contemporary fantasy, I recommend it. It's a quick easy read of a series so far. I can't speak to how it will all end, but I hope Talon comes down in flames.
saraubs's review
3.0
This series is a perfect example of how sometimes I like to unplug and enjoy a little content over substance. I was gifted the first in this series, 'Talon', a couple of years ago for Christmas and read it late this past December. Despite the clunky writing (and some cringe-worthy similes), I always love a good dragon story, and the premise of a secret underground society of dragons was enough to hook me in. The Romeo-and-Juliet style dragonslayer/dragon romance appealed to the old, Buffy-and-Angel loving parts of my soul, and I enjoyed my read enough to pick up the others in the series.
While I enjoyed 'Rogue', the things that were less-than-favourable about the first became decidedly more pronounced in the second. The cute love story turned into an irritating triangle, the protagonist continues to talk about 'her dragon' in the third person, and the writing still failed to impress. That being said, I'm sufficiently invested in the world and the characters that I will continue reading, hoping that things might improve as the volume continue.
While I enjoyed 'Rogue', the things that were less-than-favourable about the first became decidedly more pronounced in the second. The cute love story turned into an irritating triangle, the protagonist continues to talk about 'her dragon' in the third person, and the writing still failed to impress. That being said, I'm sufficiently invested in the world and the characters that I will continue reading, hoping that things might improve as the volume continue.
armandulac's review
5.0
More of a 4.5 for me.
Also this book has a lot of cursing if you aren't into that, don't read it.
I enjoyed Rogue as a sequel, but Talon was definitely better. Julie knows how to keep the reader reading with her intense books. I will say, Riley was pretty annoying during this novel along with mostly every character. (Except for Garret. TEAM GARRET FOR LYFE!)
Now entering the spoiler section.
Okay, so first let's discuss the plot.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel, and seeing Ember on the run as a highly wanted rogue. It was a really intense story, quite different from the nice, friendly plot Talon had. And I liked that. The climax was intense as always, and I just knew Faith and Ava were Talon agents. Even then, a student of Lilith's is not what I was expecting. Also Faith is a damn good actress cause I was all like, bruh there is no way she is a Talon agent cause she is crying and that ish is hard to do unless it is real. So good work Julie. I will definitely read Solider. Also what the hell is Talon creating in their labs?!?!
So now we will discuss characters.
Ember was kick-ass and awesome as always, even though she is stubborn and stuff. I like her as a main character and can kinda relate to her. Also she kinda reminds me of America Singer, but no as annoying.
Dante was clearly under Talon's spell, seeing as he thought Ember would be fine. Boy was he an idiot. But at the end of the book, he seemed just a bit evil to me and it was scary.
Garret was bae as always. Can I just say that I love Garret? He is just so sweet and funny that if I didn't ship him with Ember so much that he would be one of my fiction boyfriends. It pains me so much that he just LEFT at the end of the novel and Ember couldn't say that she loved him. I was like IGNORE YOUR DRAGON SISTER AND FORGET HE IS A HUMAN. YOU GUYS ARE MEANT TO BE. But, at the same time, Garret's mission is a good one that I can respect. So I hope to see more on his front of what he is doing.
Riley is a freaking a-hole. I strongly dislike Riley sooo much . I hate how he cannot respect Garret or be like, I get you kill a lot of dragons, and that isn't cool, but you were about to freaking die for that because you relized you were wrong. ALSO RILEY SAVED A ST. GEORGE BASE AFTER MEETING A HUMAN GIRL HOW THE HELL IS THIS SO DIFFERENT??? He also acts like he is in control of Ember's life and who she likes, but in reality he doesn't control her. That is one of the reasons Ember left Talon anyway. I wouldn't be sad at all to see Riley die.
Wes is also kinda an a-hole, but he is cool and better than Riley so he isn't on my nerves as much.
One last thing,
TEAM GARRET FOR EVARRRRRRRRR
Also this book has a lot of cursing if you aren't into that, don't read it.
I enjoyed Rogue as a sequel, but Talon was definitely better. Julie knows how to keep the reader reading with her intense books. I will say, Riley was pretty annoying during this novel along with mostly every character. (Except for Garret. TEAM GARRET FOR LYFE!)
Now entering the spoiler section.
Spoiler
Okay, so first let's discuss the plot.
I really enjoyed the plot of this novel, and seeing Ember on the run as a highly wanted rogue. It was a really intense story, quite different from the nice, friendly plot Talon had. And I liked that. The climax was intense as always, and I just knew Faith and Ava were Talon agents. Even then, a student of Lilith's is not what I was expecting. Also Faith is a damn good actress cause I was all like, bruh there is no way she is a Talon agent cause she is crying and that ish is hard to do unless it is real. So good work Julie. I will definitely read Solider. Also what the hell is Talon creating in their labs?!?!
So now we will discuss characters.
Ember was kick-ass and awesome as always, even though she is stubborn and stuff. I like her as a main character and can kinda relate to her. Also she kinda reminds me of America Singer, but no as annoying.
Dante was clearly under Talon's spell, seeing as he thought Ember would be fine. Boy was he an idiot. But at the end of the book, he seemed just a bit evil to me and it was scary.
Garret was bae as always. Can I just say that I love Garret? He is just so sweet and funny that if I didn't ship him with Ember so much that he would be one of my fiction boyfriends. It pains me so much that he just LEFT at the end of the novel and Ember couldn't say that she loved him. I was like IGNORE YOUR DRAGON SISTER AND FORGET HE IS A HUMAN. YOU GUYS ARE MEANT TO BE. But, at the same time, Garret's mission is a good one that I can respect. So I hope to see more on his front of what he is doing.
Riley is a freaking a-hole. I strongly dislike Riley sooo much . I hate how he cannot respect Garret or be like, I get you kill a lot of dragons, and that isn't cool, but you were about to freaking die for that because you relized you were wrong. ALSO RILEY SAVED A ST. GEORGE BASE AFTER MEETING A HUMAN GIRL HOW THE HELL IS THIS SO DIFFERENT??? He also acts like he is in control of Ember's life and who she likes, but in reality he doesn't control her. That is one of the reasons Ember left Talon anyway. I wouldn't be sad at all to see Riley die.
Wes is also kinda an a-hole, but he is cool and better than Riley so he isn't on my nerves as much.
One last thing,
TEAM GARRET FOR EVARRRRRRRRR