Renegade by Kerry Wilkinson Review

"Silver Blackthorn is a fugitive from the law.
Silver Blackthorn has committed treason.
She is dangerous. Do NOT approach her.
A large reward is on offer. Report any sightings to your nearest Kingsman.
Long live the King.

Silver Blackthorn is on the run. She fled Windsor Castle with eleven other teenagers, taking with her something far more valuable than even she realises: knowledge.

With the entire country searching for the missing Offerings, Silver must keep them all from the vicious clutches of King Victor and the Minister Prime. Until now, no one has escaped the king and lived to tell the tale.

Or have they?

With expectations weighing heavily on the girl with the silver streak in her hair, will she ever find her way home?"

YABC.

The stakes are even higher now. With more than ten lives relying on Silver Blackthorne, Silver knows that she has to be good. No, she has to be better, sly as a fox. She has to avoid the Kingsmen, and she has to make sure no one sees her. Or else, she is dead. Plus, she is becoming quite a face for a rebellion. 

With rising tensions, Silver is increasingly desperate. She heads towards a known location of several anti-King's-government rebels in hopes of surviving. But that is only the beginning of her journey. As said in the previous book, Reckoning, Silver isn't just bent on surviving. She is going to overthrow the king. And that brings a whole lot more of complications. It is a long-term goal that has to be put on stall though Silver makes some notable steps towards a revolution. (Now, how many of you want to shout "Viva la revolucion" with me? I'm tempted to yell it from the rooftops.) 

Imrin, Silver, and Opie are not exactly a love triangle. Yes, Silver and Opie have history and some feelings for each other. But Imrin and Silver are survivors who managed to live through the King Victor's terrible rule. The romance has yet to unfold (because Silver is trying to live another day); but I hope the author will nudge it. (Yes, I ship Imrin and Silver.) 

The conflict is very fascinating. The first order of Silver's business is to survive. She dodges betrayals, attempts on her life, and personal problems. As the book moves forward, Silver finds herself questioning her morals and asking herself how far would she go to keep her people safe. Lying, deals, manipulation, murder? She realizes so much, and in the end, she grows. She takes a good look of herself in the mirror in Renegade. 

King Victor is only one of the villains in this book. As more of his background is revealed, it turns out that it isn't really King Victor Silver has to defeat. No, it is the public perception of Victor that has to be destroyed. The public needs to see who he really is. It is about bringing the truth to light. 

The ending is an intriguing part of the book. I can't wait to see the payoff for Wilkinson's foundation, and Silver's journey has yet to finish. The ending is a nice closing and has a wonderful "I'll be back" feeling. (Yes, that is an Arnold Schwarzenegger reference.) 

Overall, Renegade is an exciting sequel to Reckoning. It is a story of a girl, who is learning and evolving as she goes. Once again, I can't wait to find out what happens next. Hopefully, the author has surprises up in his sleeve. Best recommended to teens who love Dystopian. 

Rating: Four out of Five