Rogue's Home

Summary: The Boys Are Back!

Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, can't seem to keep out of hot water. After five long years, Fisk has been called home to Ruesport to investigate who framed his sister Anna's husband, Max, as a blackmailer. Anna figures that Fisk, with his criminal past, is uniquely qualified to find out who set Max up. Of course Michael feels he has to come along to help his friend; but now he wears the tattoos of the unredeemed and fears he might be more hindrance than help.

Review: As many of you probably know at this point Hilari Bell is one of my favorite authors. Once again she proves worthy of all the obsessing I do over her books! I had enjoyed Last Knight, it was fun and the characters were well-written and hilarious. I loved Rogue’s Home. It was just the book I needed in the beginning of my senior year! I was stressing so much over college Applications and senior project; it was beyond relief to emerge myself in Rogue's Home every night.

The characters are as lovable as ever. Fisk's character is much more fleshed out as we are given more information about his past and his quirky, intelligent, and somewhat cynical personality. Michael is as sweet as ever, but perhaps not as naïve as he was in the first book. The growth he has made as a character and as a young man has been believable and somewhat endearing to witness. Being unredeemed taught him a lesson about first impression and how sometimes appearances really do matter. It is hard to dismiss the growth in Fisk's character as well, all ready so clever and cynical he learns to soften and care for others, Michael primarily. The bond between the two is like true brotherhood (some may choose to see it in a bromance kind of way). [P.S. If anyone out there is a Merlin fan {The most amazing British TV Show to ever air!} Michael and Fisk remind me so much of Merlin and Arthur that all I could picture through the entire book was the two of them.]

The dialogue flows easy and the old-speak English doesn't seem odd or out of place at all. As with the first book, there are parts in the book that are laugh-out-loud funny. There were times when I was literally dead tired and I would just burst out laughing at what I had read. The plot kept me questioning the entire time. I went back and forth through suspects in my mind attempting to figure it out before Fisk and Michael did. No such luck! At one point I really did think Judith did it! (read the book to get the joke!)

Basically Rogue's Home was fun, exciting, enthralling, funny, suspenseful, and just plain enjoyable. You need to go read this series.

Rating: 5/5 it was not life-changing no, but its book like these that make reading worthwhile.

Review from the Pros:

"The sequel to THE LAST KNIGHT, ROGUE'S HOME is a medieval tale of mystery and action that will captivate readers and keep them guessing until the end of the book."- From Teensreadtoo.com

"[P]art buddy comedy, part Don Quixote, and part mystery novel, Bell outdoes herself with this intrepid pair. ...Count on the book's humor, suspense, and plot twists to keep readers coming back for future installments." (School Library Journal )

"...the appeal of the series lies in the two strong protagonists, Mike and Fisk, and the fundamental tension as well as growing bond between them."-ALA Booklist

"Bell writes with a buoyant, easygoing style, creating character and setting...with economy and giving her readers a lighthearted, but also warmhearted, tale. ...Good-humored and thoughtful, this has the appeal of a dashing mystery-adventure, but the deeper elements of friendship and family loyalty give it substance." (Horn Book Magazine )

"[G]reat: lost of humor, likable people, mystery and suspense aplenty." (Kirkus Reviews )

I strongly encourage you to pick up any book by Hilari Bell. They’re supposedly for middle schoolers and early high schoolers but I am a senior in high school and still equally enjoy her books that I read in 7th grade.

Bonus! Awesome Quote:

Mrs. Trimmer turned beady eyes on me. "Humph. I've heard of you. I suppose you've gotten clever and come home to batten on the leavings. Serve you right there aren't any. I hope you're prepared to work."
If Mrs. Trimmer had been wearing an apron, I might have taken that more kindly.
"I never work." I smiled blandly. "If you're clever you don't have to. Are you a hard worker, Mrs. Trimmer?"-Fisk, Rogue’s Home

Happy Reading!

~She Who Reads A lot