The Dredge
Jaimie Engle

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Crushed under the powerful Regime, Marrok and his mother slide deeper into poverty. Driven by a strange vision, Marrok spends the last of his money on a bet that’s beyond a long shot. And then wins. But what seems like his salvation soon becomes his worst nightmare. Ambrosia, a mysterious woman who leads a resistance network, knows about Marrok’s power and believes he has come to save them from the terror of the Regime. Ambrosia isn’t the only one interested in Marrok, though. He feels powerfully drawn to Chantelle, a girl he meets in the gambling hall. It isn’t long before she’s saved his life, more than once. When the Regime closes in around them, Marrok must find the courage to stand up against a terrifying evil.

At roughly seventy pages, The Dredge is a pretty quick read. A lot happens in those pages, so the story pulled me through from beginning to end. I liked Marrok as well as Chantelle, a girl who helps him along the way. There’s a little bit of romance, but it’s very sweet. I liked the storyworld created by Engle in this piece. It felt like the same kind of universe you might meet Captain Malcolm Reynolds or Luke Skywalker in.

Language Content
“Hell” appears one time.

Sexual Content
Physical contact between opposite sexes is forbidden. Marrok feels drawn to a girl and they touch hands and briefly kiss. They spend a night in one another’s company, sharing a mattress, but just sleeping.

Spiritual Content
A prophecy foretells a savior coming to destroy the regime. A powerful woman believes Marrok is the one to whom the prediction refers.

Violence
Brief battle scenes. The Regime is brutal, but the descriptions are not gory.

Drug Content
Marrok goes to a gambling hall and orders a strong drink.