Fugitive of Talionis (2024)

It's rare that a second book in a series is better than the first.

But that's exactly what I found in Fugitive of Talionis! Action-packed, lovable cast of characters, higher stakes, more exploration of the world, what's not to love about this dystopian story? Also, can we just talk about the tech for a second? I was very impressed by Milacci's sci-fi tech and had fun reading about how the fugitives used it in their daring escape.

Ultimately, though, what makes us tear through the pages is our investment in Bria, the main character. There's so much to love about her and the heart behind the story.

I need book three!!!

This was a delightful continuation of Recruit of Talionis. I loved watching Bria and the team work through the various challenges they faced and Bria's continued growth as a character and believer was beautiful to see. The developing romance was done just right to balance the tension and felt like a natural progression from what we saw in book 1. The river boat and crew were probably my favorite part and I could read a whole book surrounding them. The climax left my breathless and I can't wait to see where book 3 takes Bria and the rest.

How the characters, plot, world, and drive of this series has increased exceeds my mind.

As seems to be my nature, I have put off a review to let the book settle in my mind. And then forgot exactly why I loved it.

I could tell you it was the characters. Characters who are raw and real. Who make mistakes yet have the courage to fix them. Characters that are so intentionally crafted you aren’t sure who to trust and why you love them all so deeply.

Perhaps it was the secrets. The mysterious backstories that gave depth to minor characters. The way so much was unknown. The way intentions seemed to change.

Or maybe the plot and world. A continual climb into waters some authors can’t realistically write about. The way everything went right but suddenly it was wrong. How each page of this book kept flipping, seemingly of it’s own accord.

But if I were to tell you one this, it would be the faith. The faith that’s ever so present in this book. Bria grows in a slow process that couldn’t be more realistic. I’ve heard C.J. talk about her faith and how she desires to let it overflow in her work. And it doe. So I thank you C.J. for being willing to trust God in the extensive process of writing, editing, marketing, and the rest. Thank you for writing a book that seems a breath of fresh air.

I don’t often read YA dystopian fiction, but I’m glad I read The Fugitive of Talionis. The character development and unique mood of the story kept me thinking about it even though my busy schedule prevented me from finishing it quickly like I wanted.

Bria is a strong female character with some serious inner turmoil. Her family history and recent experience in the rigorous training and near impossible escape of militant city of Talionis gives her character depth. The Fugitive of Talionis is book two in the Talionis Series. I didn’t read the first book of the series, but this one reads well on its own. The first third of the book is very internal for the main character, with self doubt and a lot of stealthy traveling for the escapees. The intense action catapults at around the 30% mark of the plot.

I’ve never read a dystopian with faith woven so authentically into the storyline. The vulnerability and uncertainty of the characters feels incredibly realistic within their circ*mstances. I also appreciated the minor characters and new characters that are introduced, and the dynamics between them all.

While the end does come to the expected “mission accomplished,” The Fugitive of Talionis does suffer from the dreaded YA series crazy frustrating cliffhanger to encourage purchase of the third book. I responded so frustratingly that my hair dresser (where I finished the book) asked me if I was okay and I had to explain.

I have added both the first and third books to my TBR because I want to better know these characters.

Overall, this story is a refreshing take on a dystopian story that teens with trauma, grief, and/or young faith will connect with. I give it four stars and look forward to reading more in the series.

I was given an ARC copy of The Fugitive of Talionis for an honest review.

Oh wow….what a story!!! This is such a good read—the questions of faith & trust the main character has is dealt with well….this author’s work is amazing!!!

Now I have to wait for book 3…..!!!

My 14-year-old grandson devoured Fugitive of Talionis in a weekend and his response was, “When’s the next book?” He had been checking with me for months to read this book after devouring Recruit of Talionis. (Probably in a weekend, too.) That should illustrate how both Talionis books connect with YA readers.

Fugitive of Talionis is long on tension and action, which appeals to YA readers, and short (like zero) on bad language and sexual content, which should appeal to YA readers’ parents and grandparents. The characters grow in courage, trust in friends, and faith in God. There’s a clear conflict between our heroes as the good guys and the Talionis as bad guys. The story doesn’t preach, though. It shows the conflict in powerful ways.

The back copy of Fugitive of Talionis sets the stage nicely: They kidnapped her. Trained her. And now they’re hunting her.

This is the story of Bria, a teenage girl who faces overwhelming and seemingly-hopeless situations–even when she manages to escape the powerful Talionis (they did the kidnapping and training.) I think we all breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the first book, Recruit of Talionis, when Bria and her friends brave overwhelming opposition to break free.

But the Talionis don’t give up easily and Fugitive of Talionis traces the journey of these young escapees working hard to stay a step ahead of Commander Ark and his forces. Bria faces resistance at every turn, even within her own team, and learns more about her new faith in God as well as trust in her friends.

Highly recommended for the YA people in your life. And you might enjoy it, too. I definitely did.

Wow! This book is so intense! Following the events of Recruit of Talionis, CJ Milacci takes readers on an epic journey through the remains of North America after the “Demise” that left much of what we know as the US reduced to rustic villages with limited technology. After months of training in the city of Talionis, Bria and crew are capable of survival on the run, but how can they escape an incessant enemy?

This story of survival is such a nail-biter! With each step toward help, Bria seems to find more danger and fights with insecurities as the friends she loves and trusts find their lives threatened. Bria’s fears were easy to relate to as she bore enormous responsibility, suffered guilt for making mistakes, and found herself in terrifying situations that tested her limits. While there were few reprives from the enemies hunting them down, I loved the camaraderie and priceless moments that wove their way into this engaging novel. Several light-hearted moments provide a chance to laugh with the crew even as the stakes get progressively higher. I really can’t wait to see what happens next in this series! Ark is a terrible foe, and it will be interesting to see how Bria figures out how to defeat him. She’s got a long way to go in learning how to be a leader and finding confidence in who she is in Christ and what gifts and talents lie within.

Themes of hope in the dark places and trusting God despite the uncertainties of life’s circ*mstances were inspirational themes worked into the story and felt a natural part of the journey.

I read the first book in this series, The Selah Award-Winning book, Recruit of Talionis, and was eager to read this one. It did not disappoint! Fugitive of Talionis continues the story of Bria Averton and her friends after they escape Talionis and seek the hidden city of Eryndale.

The story has a good tempo and mix of action and peril and scenes where the action slows down. As a reader, I like that because it allows you to catch your breath. I found reading books with continuous action exhausting, so I had to take a break halfway through. Sometimes, I did not finish the book because it was too exhausting to read. This book is not like that and is an enjoyable read.

I like the characters that carried over from Recruit and the new characters introduced in this book. They are a nice mix of unique and interesting. I also like how faith and trust in God are worked into the book.

Fugitive of Talionis is a worthy successor to Recruit of Talionis and I would not be surprised if it wins awards as well.

Bria thought escaping Talionis would be their hardest task. She was wrong. When you're on the run, everything can change in a moment. Already overwhelmed by what she has experienced, Bria doesn't know how much more she can handle. The pressure is too much. The unknown is too vast. The loss never ends.

It seems like the worst possible situation for faith to grow. It seems even more impossible to learn to love. Not when everything could be ripped away at any minute. But it's in the hardest of times that people need each other and God. Trust may be the hardest-to-obtain ingredient Bria needs to survive.

Sequels are often hard to get right, sometimes flagging after book one takes off with a bang. Not so here. If anything, I enjoyed this book better than the first. While book one followed familiar dystopian fiction patterns, in this book the dystopian elements seemed to take a backseat to a classic adventure novel feel with a stronger (though still very light and YA appropriate) romance subplot.

Will definitely follow this series through to book three.

Like Recruit of Talionis, Fugitive of Talionis is full of twists and turns, action, and dilemmas.
There is a prayer toward the end of the book where Bria asks God why he would bring her through so many trials just to have them fail. No spoilers here, but that really resounded with me. How many times in life have I asked something like this? I would encourage readers to read on from that moment to see what the author then says about hope. It’s truly beautiful, and I don’t want to spoil it. I love that the author doesn’t shy away from difficult situations and puts Bria, Nika, and the others through the wringer, including the loss of people they love. But she still leaves the reader with a sense of hope. I think the lack of that second piece might be why I sometimes shy away from this genre, and it’s a reason I’m a fan of this author. She shows that even when things are really bad there’s still hope

This book followed up all the promise of the first and delivered a satisfying sequel. I missed being in the city of Talionis, but the same danger, hope, and perseverance carried on.
Bria and Matthias are adorable (if a little frusterating some times, but...in a way I enjoyed? I don't know how that works but its true...) And all the obstacles were really well implemented. I was really nervous about what was going to happen to them the entire book, and now I have no idea whats going to happen in book three. While not exactly a cliffhanger ending....yeah you might want to wait until the next book comes out if you don't want to drive yourself insane wondering whats going to happen.
*as I am doing *

Fugitive of Talionis picks up right after the end of Book 1 and keeps the adventure going. Bria and her friends are on the run; outmanned, outgunned, and not sure who to trust. This book broadens the post-Demise world we loved in Recruit and I can’t wait to see how all of these new pieces of the workings of a larger world fit together. Milacci has sculpted believable characters who range from brave to heartbroken to funny, wise, and ruthless. If you're looking for a book to sink your teeth into, this is it. It’s a powerful story.

In this second book in the Talionis series, Bria leads her friends, and readers, on a heart-pounding journey fraught with suffering, setbacks, and failures. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough since I felt immersed in the setting and circ*mstances.

I also enjoyed how well the author developed the relationships between Bria, Matthias, and other characters in the midst of their many challenges. Bria grapples more with spiritual questions as the story progresses, and I’m curious to see how that will play out in later books.

I liked book 2 more than I did book 1. While the story is still harsh and focuses on Bria as the main hero, she isn't alone in her struggle. We get to know her friends a little better. Also, her inner struggles with her past, with her new faith, with her friends all feel very authentic.

I'm still not sold on the YA Dystopia genre (see my review for Recruit of Talionis), but I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.

I can’t wait for the next one! This was a great continuation of the first book. The growth of the characters and the addition of so many great characters along with a whole lot of crazy twists kept me up late reading. My sister read the whole book in a week! I read it slower so I could really enjoy it. Thank you CJ for writing amazing books about hope, belief and relationships. I pray that God would touch so many lives with this series!

Super easy to read as the storyline is so intriguing that I didn’t want to put down the book. Contained deep themes that touched my heart; action and suspense; sweet slow-burn romance; comedic relief splattered throughout high-intensity scenes; well-written relationships and development of emotional connections. Loved the chapter sizes too. Love, love, love! Absolutely recommend!

Fugitive of Talionis is a perilous race against the enemy! Full of Recruit of Talionis’s great characters and fun new friends, this sequel explores hard moments honestly and offers hope in the midst of impossible odds. I look forward to continuing the adventure with Book 3.

Awesome second book, believeable journey in faith of the main characters, no preaching but showing how someone grows in the Lord. I love it and I am so looking forward to the third one in this series,

Powerful characters, a harrowing journey across a post-apocalyptic America while hunted by a dystopian death squad and danger from multiple angles: this book has it all. Loved the tension while appreciating how clean the book was.

Action and depth

In this action-packed sequel, the stakes keep getting higher as the world-building becomes more complex. The depth of the plot and the character arca create a satisfying read.

Book 2 in the Talionis series does not disappoint! Much like Recruit of Talionis, Fugitive of Talionis includes plenty of action, hope, and very high stakes. I felt like I was with Bria and the other characters, rooting for their success and survival. And my goodness—I am so excited to read book 3!

Re-read: (6/12/24)

*happy sighs* Just so action-packed, adorable, heart-racing, awe-inspiring, and amazing.

Original Read: (1/25/24)

Fangirl Time: Aaahhhh I stayed up until past 10 reading this because I couldn't put it down!!! Bria and Matthias' relationship is so sweet! I cannot WAIT until book three!!!!! What a cliffhanger!!

Real Review: Wow I devoured this book!! This was so good. The quality was superb and I thoroughly enjoyed this read!! I thought it was so impressive that Milacci could write a book where basically the protagonists are just hiking and make it so engaging, full of twists, turns, and unpredictable outcomes! The plot was fantastic, and so realistic- I loved it! Bria's struggles are so real, and her character is so deep. I love the threesome of Bria, Nika, and Matthias- they make such a great team and I always loved reading their parts! I think Bria and Matthias' relationship was so beautiful, and I can't wait to hear more from them.
My only critique would be the misspelling of y'all (ya'll instead of the proper y'all) which is a pet peeve of mine! ;)
I cannot wait to read the next two!

CW's: Potentially gory wounds an wrist gets cut off, though not very descriptive slight romantic touch, violence, death, blood, etc.

4.5/5 Stars

I read this book quite awhile ago but didn't get a review in! For some reason my Kindle isn't putting up the option to write a review for every book!

I have loved this series so far. After Bria and some of her friends escape the walled city they are immediately being hunted and have to find ways to hide themselves until they can reach Eryndale; but it seems that Commander Ark knows exactly where they are going and is attacking the cities along the way, killing friends and family.

This is a "sit on the edge of your seat" type story with very few places to rest from the action that is taking place. It's one that you just want to keep reading to find out what happens next!

This is a clean read!