A Cord of Three Strands - Kristen Hogrefe - The Rogues Book 0.5

A Cord of Three Strands
The Rogues Book 0.5
Kristen Hogrefe
Write Integrity Press
ASIN B07C89VGKP


I read this short story about five months before the first novel, The Revisionary, but had forgotten about it. Then after reading the novel went back again and reread this story. It is an excellent little read, either as a short story itself, or as a prequel to the series to give us some more of the back story to the Rogues books. I wrote previously that: “I am sure some readers will compare it to The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau, and as much as I did enjoy that book, there is something different about this one, that draws me in more. This was a book that I really did not want to put down.” Even more so for this short story. As soon as I had read this story, I picked up The Revisionary, but it fell by the wayside in my reading list. I lament that. 

These stories are set in the future. The United States has been devastated by a Electromagnetic Pulse that has wiped out most of the infrastructure. Now the country is broken into several cubes. But as with most things in life, all is not as it appears. Portia Abernathy has been working hard because she wants to go to the Crystal Globe and achieve the role of Revisionary. She wants to have access to the Codex, so she can change the laws and allow her brother to cone back from exile in the satellite's. But from her first moments in this new place she realizes that are many layers of observation, and that they do not want people there to learn, they want good obedient puppets.

This story gives us the back story. The story of how Portia’s brother was exiled. Her family’s fall in the community standing. And the incident that sparked her resolve to make it to the Crystal Globe. This is the back story, the trigger event that has set the path for the future that is explored in the trilogy. 

Writing good short stories is a different skill and craft than writing novels. And today it is often expected for authors to go back and write short stories to support series and promote them in between book releases. And this is a great short story! The strengths of this story is the characters. 

Write Integrity Press they believe in the inspired word of God, and their books are in alignment with their beliefs. There is not gratuitous sex, violence just for the sake of violence, no alternative lifestyles just to diversify the book. I look forward to reading more from Hogrefe and from Write Integrity! And I cannot wait until my girls are a little older to introduce them to Portia.

Books by Kristen Hogrefe:
The Rogues Series:
0.5 A Cord of Three Strands
1.0 The Revisionary
2.0 The Revolutionary
3.0 The Reactionary
...

Wings of the Dawn Series:
1.0 Captive Beneath the Bahamian Sky
2.0 Secrets Beyond Lake Winona's Shore
3.0 Awakening Sun
...