Ranking each series in the Renegades Epic on complexity
The Renegades Epic is a shared universe fusing fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, and military elements. And their plots are complex as hell.
Like shared universes with plots that are so complex they’ll play with your mind even when you ain’t reading? I got good news: you stumbled across the right author and the right series of books.
But I want to know what your heat level is. Do you want ultra-complex plots that’ll punch you in the face early, or do you wanna start lite with more faithful genre fiction? You decide. And to help you decide, I concocted a list.
Below, you’ll find all six of my series in the Renegades Epic, ranked from most complex to least complex. Now knock yourself out.
1 – Chronicles of Rondure
If you love books about prison breaks amidst a dystopian fantasy background complete with strong female protagonists, you’ll obsess over this series regardless of how complicated the plot is.
Even if you love the story elements, this is the one series where you’ll need a scorecard, especially if you dive into it before you do Elementals of Nordica. Chronicles of Rondure hits you with lore drops all over the place in Book I, Civil War, and that’s the tip of a larger iceberg.
When I wrote and edited Civil War, the pre-climax was my biggest challenge since the slightest error in the story would lead to a plot hole. Hell, I think I did keep a scorecard when I wrote the pre-climax just to make sure I didn’t fuck anything up.
Should you start with Civil War before my other series starters and make it through, then congrats. You’re one of my smartest readers.
2 – Elementals of Nordica
The series that kicked off the Renegades Epic, Elementals of Nordica isn’t for readers looking for simple plots. Hell, one reason I made it so complex was because Book I, Wind Wielder, is the true testing ground. It’s telling readers this: Are you in or are you out? Because this is Book I of a massive shared universe.
It’s dystopian science fantasy with sporty moments, a cocky protagonist, and it features numerous fight scenes with serious elemental magic. Think Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and you’ll know what you’re getting.
As with Chronicles of Rondure, the smart readers get what this book is doing.
3 – Cymraeg Tales
The 600-year prequel to Wind Wielder and Elementals of Nordica. Wind Wielder mentions the characters in passing, so there’s some familiarity if you read it before diving into Cymraeg Tales. But if you think Cymraeg Tales ain’t a whirlwind, you got another thing coming.
This series has its own old-world geopolitics, war, and themes like foreign policy, the class system vs. caste system, and the ever-expanding reach of State power. It’s shorter than your typical epic fantasy, but Cymraeg Tales has a protagonist whose character arc may be the best yet in the Renegades Epic.
She’s part of the outcasts who fucking hate Monarchs responsible for putting her ancestors in that caste. Then, she crosses a Monarch who wants to escape his dreary situation, and all hell breaks loose.
4 – Sentrys of Terrene
If you love Star Wars, the plot elements in this series might sound familiar. That’s because Sentrys of Terrene is Star Wars without the space opera backdrop. Instead, it’s post-apocalyptic science fantasy, with military and dystopian concepts dominating.
Book I, The Rebellion Awakens, is straightforward and leans toward a simpler plot. But Books II and III, The Last Sentrys and Rise of the Sentrys, are when the Five Worlds collide. Not to the same degree as the series listed above, since most characters from other works make cameos, and those who don’t look like they organically belong.
Like Chronicles of Rondure and Cymraeg Tales, you’re getting a strong female protagonist. Sabre Kjaergaard questions everything about the communist empire she’s living in. And when she questions too much, well, the State comes after her. Then she finds out she’s a Sentry who can control earth.
5 – Terrian Chronicles
There’s a bit of Harry Potter in Book I, Tarja Titan. But if you’re looking for whispers of the other worlds, yet focusing on just one series, Terrian Chronicles is it. Tarja finds out she’s a Spirit Elemental and attends Celestial University. But there’s more to the story than that.
A secret society sought and killed Tarja when she was young. But here she is, alive and well, eighteen years old and ready to craft an ability she never knew she had. It leans paranormal, but not too paranormal.
Why? Tarja’s co-protagonist and stepsister, Liza Fury, is a rough-around-the-edges girl who gets involved in some tight spots. While paranormal fantasy dominates Tarja’s story, thriller, suspense, and urban fantasy elements dominate Liza’s.
The plot’s simpler and more attuned with American history when I get political, but there are massive genre swings per book.
6 – Catenarian Chronicles
By far the most faithful to genre fiction, Catenarian Chronicles is a dark paranormal fantasy series with dystopian concepts in the background. While there are characters coming in from other worlds, I don’t even once mention their presence, so there’s no shock value or surprises here.
Instead, Kaija Jokiharju just thinks she’s suddenly able to chat with spirits. Until she finds out that something darker and more sinister than she could’ve imagined lurks in the background.
When she finds this out, well, she realizes something few of us outside the libertarian realm do: There are no good guys between the two major political parties.
If you want a clean entry into the Renegades Epic and not interested in challenging your mind, I’ll give you a slow drip with Book I in Catenarian Chronicles, Cursed Mage. Learn how Kaija ends up discovering her ability, and how she’s about to learn some disturbing-ass facts about herself and her heritage.
