"RENEGADE," by Antony John, Dial Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 294 pages (f) (ages 14 and up)
Antony John's Elemental series comes to a close with the final installment, "Renegade."
The novel begins aboard a pirate ship as Thom and the small band of elementals, or people with the ability to control specific elements, are sailing away from Fort Sumter in an attempt to escape. Chasing them down is the seer, Captain Dare, and a crew of cutthroat pirates.
As Thom's group of friends argue with one another on the best course, they quickly determine that in order to uncover the secrets of their past, as well as meet up with relatives long thought dead and gone, they must continue onward toward Roanoke and one fantastic ending.
Of course, they know the island is infested with rats and the deadly plague.
Not to mention, they'll first have to deal with Captain Dare and his fast-approaching ship full of pirates.
John's narrative is full of enough escapes, rescues, battles and near-death experiences to give readers quite a ride. The narrative drags a bit in some chapters while at the same time leaving out details about characters that some readers might find important.
However, the mystery of these children's elements as well as the history of their colony and, most importantly, the uncertain future of their fates, weaves a wonderfully balanced narrative that can keep even casual science fiction readers engaged and wanting to discover the end.
Readers should note that it would be difficult to pick up this third installment and know what's going on without having read the first and second books.
This novel contains descriptions of bloody violence, intense battles, mild profanity and some details that would be disturbing for children under the age of 14.
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