Dynasty of Rogues by Jane Fletcher

Dynasty of Rogues by Jane Fletcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


End of the line for me – as in I’ve read all of the other books in this series having read them in the chronological instead of publication order. (I found it a good way to read the series, though I’m sure others might feel differently).

This story here focuses on a new character and a side character seen previously. Rikki was something like 12 when her mother fled the ‘Homelands’ with her. Rikki herself would have preferred to stay with her . . . crap I forget now, gene mother? I think gene mother. But wasn’t given the choice. She’s spent her life showing her mother (the one who took her away from her home) how much she hates what happened – by always getting in trouble and being quite . . . horrible really. At least she’s mostly done that. But she’s an adult now. A Ranger (should I word that as a ‘heretic Ranger’? No, that complicates things – a ranger for the heretics, though she herself puts on a show of ‘still being a believer’).

Right, got distracted there. As I was attempting to say – Rikki is an adult now, and it’s been ‘years’ since she has been ‘bad’. Except . . . small community, everyone knows everyone. Really bad reputation – and unlike the Rangers who operate in the Homelands, the ones the Heretics created operate more like Militia (at least in terms of being stationed where they joined the Rangers – they still do border patrol and the like – no actual mention was made of who ‘maintains’ order in the two heretic villages). Meaning that the same town that Rikki grew up in (well 12 to whatever age she joined the Rangers) ‘knows’ Rikki and knows she’s a massive trouble maker and a really bad seed. Even if she doesn’t really want to be that any longer. That’s still the role she has been slotted into. By her own actions.

The other main character, and the one who has been seen before in these books, is Tanya. Daughter of the Rangers Captain (that one with the C name I can never remember how to spell, Caperllini is probably massively wrong). Tanya is a newly promoted corporal in the Ranger unit Rikki has been transferred into (and yes, a big mention was made about an earlier Ranger transfer in a prior book, and how ‘nothing good’ comes from that type of situation, well, it’s not a ‘good’ transfer here either).

Once Rikki learns Tanya’s relationship to the overall Ranger captain, as in daughter of said individual, Rikki immediately assumes Tanya is there because of that relationship. And makes a snide remark to one of her new squad mates. Who immediately and I mean immediately, trots forward and whisper the words into Tanya’s ear. New opportunity . . . blown immediately.

One thing leads to another, Tanya ends up in the Homelands, Rikki is in prison, escapes to the homelands, meets people, learns some things, stuff occurs.

The book was quite interesting, plot and story wise. Neither of the main characters are exactly my favorite characters, though. I kind of really disliked Rikki, and Tanya was a little too quick to jump to conclusions and be very . . . well, she had some obvious bad characteristics as well. Still, they were ‘livable’. Until they weren’t.

They weren’t? Let me insert here status update I did while reading the book:

“I was in the part of the story I thought I really wanted to read but. Something like 15% of the book, since 15% ago I mean, has been a really really long fucking 'Tanya thinking while acting very pissed off towards Riki: I like her but she can't like me; Riki thinking while acting like she'd rather hump a goat than Tanya: I like her but she can't like me.' For 15 fucking percent of the book. Over and over and . fuck"

That little thingie, the inability to express themselves, etc., was very annoying and way way too extended.

Well, as I said, the line ends here. Book and series completed (barring another book suddenly appearing, though the author has kind of gotten into the habit late in the game of writing these things out of order, so if there is another book, it’d probably be set either 100 years before the start of the series, or 100 years after this book here).
Rating: 3.50

December 27 2016




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