Calling all my Science Fiction fans! I’ve got a recommendation for Rogue Heart for you today! If you heard me gush about Rebel Seoul, then you will not be surprised that I loved this companion novel.
Summary
Neo Beijing, 2201.
To escape the ghosts of her past, eighteen-year-old telepath Ama works by day in a bakery and cafe, and moonlights as a lounge singer in a smoky bar at night. She’s anonymous, she’s safe from the never-ending world war, and that’s how she’d like to stay. But then a resistance group called PHNX recruits her to help save young girls from a government experiment exactly like the one she fled. Soon, Ama is traveling with the resistance on a series of dangerous missions, using her telepathic and telekinetic powers to infiltrate authoritarian Alliance operations and gain intelligence for the democratic resistance.
As they move closer and closer to the warfront, Ama hears about a brilliant new commander rising in the ranks of the Alliance, a young man rumored to have no fear of death. Her unit is assigned to dismantle his operation from the inside. But when Ama sees the commander for the first time, she discovers his identity: Alex Kim, the boy who once broke her heart.
The plan is for Ama to use her telepathic abilities to fool everyone and pose as an officer in Alex’s elite guard. But as the final battle approaches, she struggles with her mission and her feelings for Alex. Will she be able to carry out her task? Or will she give up everything for Alex again–only to be betrayed once more?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
For fans of Rebel Seoul, let me just start this off by saying you have to read Rogue Heart – it will soothe your soul. Although Rogue Heart is full of all the angst! What I adored about Rogue Heart is a combination of the detailed science fiction world and the characters. It’s been so long since I read a science fiction world in the psuedo future. I’m such a sucker for technology! Oh delivers a world that feels far away from our reality, but also within grasp.
The Characters
At the same time, Rogue Heart is a book full of characters. I was reading for the side characters as much as for the main character, my precious Ama! Ama is a character that feels designed to get under my skin. I like girls with rough edges, and Ama definitely has some edges, but she’s also so beautifully soft. So vulnerable, but also while being scarred by the events of her past. Everyone is haunted by her past, but how will Ama confront her mistakes, betrayals, and ghosts?
Themes
Thematically, Rogue Heart is pure gold. In a world with super soldiers, we are asked at what cost? In a seemingly endless war, what will we do to get the upper hand? And when there’s this list of sacrifices and tough decisions, what differentiates us from our enemies? Rogue Heart asks us how we can achieve a true sense of peace.
In Rogue Heart there are new relationships and people, but will the past hold us back? There are old flames and new battles. The scars of how love can hollow us out and we’re left chasing the traces of ghosts. Ultimately Rogue Heart is also a story about hope. We don’t have to be enemies. We are all people underneath the helm. When do we give up on each other?
Find Rogue Heart on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.