Genre: YA dystopian

I first read The Hunger Games when I was 15, and I remember absolutely loving it . . . and wishing desperately that Christian authors would write something like it. The thing about dystopian fiction is that it tends to be a little depressing, and I craved a book that didn’t shy away from the realities of sin and evil in the world, but that was still filled with hope.

And it took me 4 years, but I found it.

Recruit of Talionis isn’t quite as fast-paced as The Hunger Games, but once I really got into it (about 50 pages in), I was hooked. There’s a lot to explore in the world of Talionis, and the unanswered questions left me turning pages late into the night. And aside from that, the main character, Bria, is very well done—and all the side characters are equally intriguing!

I was surprised by some of the overt Christianity later in the book, since the first half didn’t really touch on religion, and at first, I wasn’t sure whether I liked that. I knew the author was Christian, but it takes a special touch to make overt Christianity palatable in speculative fiction—often it’s better left to symbolism or allegory.

But the more I read, the more I understood what the author was doing. Bria’s depth of guilt over her past is so intense that only the explicit answer of grace in Christ’s redeeming death would be enough to comfort her. I really appreciated that there was no instant conversion scene—rather, her trust in God’s grace gradually increases throughout the story, as various friends and mentors remind her of God’s love even in the worst circumstances.

This is definitely intended for an audience of teens or older, and it was disturbing in a few places (hardly avoidable, given that it’s about teenagers who are forcibly enrolled in a dystopian military school), but it was never gory or overly violent. And all the dark moments were beautifully balanced with moments of hope and friendship.

My biggest gripe so far is that there was no romance . . . but on the other hand, that allowed more time for the female friendships to really shine. I really don’t see a lot of good female friendships in fiction—for some reason, there seem to be a lot more male friendships—and so it was refreshing to see the camaraderie between Bria and her two best friends. (And I’m pretty sure one character is developing into a love interest for Bria . . . so I’m still holding out hope for some romance in upcoming books!)

I’d definitely recommend Recruit of Talionis for teens who enjoyed The Hunger Games or dystopian fiction in general. It would probably be more appealing to girls than boys, but I think both would enjoy it.

You may have noticed I’m deviating from my typical review structure—like in this book review—in this review. I’m not sure which one is more appealing to readers. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!