Broken Dove
by Dani Francis
Contents
Overview
Broken Dove follows Wren Darlington after her escape from the Company-controlled wards into the hidden mountain base of the Uprising. Gifted with several rare abilities and carrying secrets about her identity, Wren must decide whether the rebels who offer sanctuary are truly safer—or more ethical—than the regime hunting her.
At the center of the story are Wren, her telepathic love Cross Redden inside the Company, former enemy Xavier Ford, and Uprising operative Grayson “Gray” Blake. As war hardens between the Company and the Modified, Wren is pulled between loyalty, love, survival, and the burden of powers that can violate another person’s will.
The book explores trust in wartime, inherited guilt, radicalization, found family, and the moral cost of resistance. Its conflict is not simply rebels versus rulers, but a struggle over who gets to decide what sacrifices are acceptable.
Plot Summary ⚠️ Spoilers
After helping Wren Darlington escape, Cross Redden is imprisoned by his brothers in a torture cell he once helped design. Roe taunts him, Travis consolidates power as the new General, and Cross hides both his telepathy and his role in Wren’s escape. Through their secret mental link, Wren confirms she reached safety with Xavier Ford, and Cross resolves to protect her while navigating his family’s tightening control.
Wren arrives at the Uprising’s hidden Blue Dagger base and learns that Grayson “Gray” Blake, once presumed dead, is alive and part of the Authority. Xavier, despite helping her escape, is imprisoned as a former Command lieutenant. Wren is stunned by revelations about her true birth name, Stella Hess, and her parents’ infamy as the Tin Block Traitors. She meets Kallister, Uncle Jim’s twin, and begins formal assessment: she can link telepathically, read minds, project, and incite others. The Uprising keeps her, but under close supervision because incitement is feared.
At the Dagger, Wren learns the Uprising is both refuge and war machine. Adrienne reveals her corruption power and admits using it on Vinessa Redden to destabilize the regime, forcing Wren to confront the rebels’ ruthlessness. Wren trains with Kallister and Hawkins Jost, the only other known inciter, learning to harness “gold,” a frequency that can bypass shields and compel minds. She also integrates uneasily with the Dagger’s operatives: Gray supports her; Evlynne and Neema distrust her; Mako, Saint, Henley, Luisa, and others gradually become part of her daily world.
Wren pushes for Xavier’s release, arguing that he is loyal to her and cannot return to the Company. The Authority frees him into her custody under a lethal shared-liability bond. Meanwhile, Wren’s bond with Cross strains under distance and politics. She covertly meets him in Sanctum Point and learns he has been beaten, stripped of command, and sidelined by Travis while Roe escalates violence against Mods and Faithfuls. Cross refuses to defect. After Travis retaliates for an Uprising raid by executing civilians, Cross reveals a wider horror: corrupted Primes, including children, are filling wards across the Continent. He begs Wren to run away with him, but she refuses to abandon the Uprising, Xavier, or the victims of the war. Their relationship breaks.
Wren throws herself into training and missions. During an Ice Canyon extraction, she joins Saint’s diversion team. A force field unexpectedly activates, killing Neema and nearly killing Declan until Wren incites him to jump clear. The prisoners are rescued, but Tana Archer is left behind. Defying orders, Wren goes back for Tana, aided by Cross, who diverts guards and supplies a code. Wren saves her friend, but the disobedience deepens mistrust at the Dagger.
Months of uneasy recovery follow. Wren grows closer to Gray, whose loyalty and steadiness help her move forward, though Cross remains emotionally unresolved. She learns more about her mother Marina Serrano and father Jake Hess, including their role in Valterra Ridge. Gray later takes Wren to the ruined Ridge and reveals it was his childhood home, where his family died; afterward he discloses years of abuse by his uncle Taylor while his aunt Jenni did nothing. Wren withholds her mother’s culpability, and she and Gray become lovers.
The Uprising seeks allies. Jasper Reed leads Wren, Gray, and Xavier to the Hollow, a hidden Faithful settlement where Primes and Mods live together. Xavier chooses to remain there, finding a place outside both Company and Uprising. A mission to Tierra Fe fails when the team is compromised; Wren falls into a trap and shatters her leg. To save Gray from capture, she incites him to leave her behind. In captivity, Commander Vásquez rejects alliance, but his daughter Valeria secretly reveals herself as a healer Mod, mends Wren’s leg, and hints Tierra Fe may quietly loosen restrictions.
Internal fractures worsen. Evlynne confides that her son Fisher has manifested a bloodmark and powerful abilities, and Wren promises secrecy. At a red-moon bonfire, Wren is poisoned with heartroot and her heart stops, but she survives; later Poppy confesses she accidentally poisoned Wren while trying to make Fiona leave the party early. Poppy also reveals her own hidden bloodmark and infliction power, including the ability to stop hearts.
Adrienne secretly pursues peace talks with Travis Redden, but the parley becomes a disaster when Command assaults Bramble Base. Fiona is fatally shot after making Wren promise to protect Poppy; Declan is killed, Teriq captured, and many civilians die or are taken. Wren learns Evlynne betrayed Bramble’s location to Travis because Fisher is Travis’s son and she believes he can protect their child. The catastrophe destroys confidence in Adrienne’s leadership.
Kallister invokes Order Five, disbanding the Authority and seizing sole control. He exposes Wren as Stella Hess, daughter of the Tin Block Traitors, rupturing her relationship with Gray. Suspicious, Wren follows Kallister and overhears him with Hawkins planning mass mind-corruption of Primes, including children, now that oversight is gone. Hawkins, revealed as both corrupter and inciter, attacks Wren and forces Mako to jump from a bluff. Wren’s ridgehowler, Prince, mauls Hawkins before he can kill her. Saint reveals he is a persuader and helps hide the truth as a wolf attack.
Kallister then schedules Adrienne’s execution for treason. Wren reaches Adrienne, but Adrienne refuses rescue, exhausted by guilt, and chooses heartroot herself. After Adrienne dies, Wren is tranquilized and abducted by Kallister. He suppresses her abilities with white daggerstone, reveals he is a precog who allowed recent tragedies to unfold, and takes her to Valterra Ridge to kill her. A Command helicopter interrupts; Kallister shoots Wren and knocks her over the cliff before fleeing. Cross arrives and pulls her up, having been drawn there after believing her dead because he lost their telepathic link months earlier. He steals an unlogged helicopter, but damage causes a fuel leak. Cross and Wren crash into the ocean together, still clinging to each other as the story ends in peril.
Characters
- Wren DarlingtonBorn Stella Hess, Wren is the protagonist, a powerful Mod with telepathy, mind reading, projection, and incitement. Her hidden parentage, moral struggle over her powers, and shifting loyalties between Cross, Gray, Xavier, and the Uprising drive the story.
- Cross ReddenCross is Wren’s telepathic lover and a Redden brother trapped inside the Company’s power structure. He protects Wren when he can, resists some of Travis’s brutality, and ultimately rescues her after Kallister tries to kill her.
- Grayson “Gray” BlakeGray is a Uprising pilot, Authority member, and grounder who becomes Wren’s closest ally and later lover. His trauma from Valterra Ridge and his trust in Wren are tested when her true identity is exposed.
- Xavier FordXavier is a former Silver Block lieutenant who helps Wren escape and is imprisoned by the Uprising before being released into her custody. He becomes Wren’s blunt confidant and later chooses to remain with the Faithful in the Hollow.
- Kallister AshKallister is Uncle Jim’s twin, an Authority member, and a precog who initially protects Wren’s identity. He later seizes control through Order Five and is revealed to be backing Hawkins’s plan for mass corruption.
- Adrienne KnoxAdrienne is a central Uprising leader with the rare ability to corrupt minds. Her secret dealings with Travis, history of using corruption, and eventual choice to die by heartroot make her a morally fraught figure in the rebellion.
- Hawkins JostHawkins is Wren’s incitement trainer and the only other known inciter at the Dagger. He is later revealed to be a corrupter working with Kallister, and he kills Mako by forcing him off a bluff.
- Travis ReddenTravis is Cross’s brother and the new Company General, publicly declaring war on Aberrants and escalating executions, camps, and raids. He secretly cooperates with Adrienne to depose Merrick before betraying the Uprising at Bramble.
- Roe ReddenRoe is Cross and Travis’s volatile brother, promoted under Travis’s regime. He abuses his new authority, targets Mods and Faithfuls, and embodies the Company’s increasingly brutal crackdown.
- Tana ArcherTana is Wren’s best friend, imprisoned in a labor camp and later rescued from Ice Canyon. Her trauma, recovery, and relationship with Luisa anchor Wren’s commitment to saving oppressed Mods.
- PoppyPoppy is Fiona’s daughter, a sheltered teenager at the Dagger who bonds with Wren. After Fiona’s death, she reveals a hidden bloodmark and infliction power, including the ability to stop hearts.
- FionaFiona is an Authority member, healer, and Poppy’s protective mother. She heals Xavier after he saves Poppy and later dies during the Bramble assault after making Wren promise to protect her daughter.
- EvlynneEvlynne is a fierce Uprising pilot and sniper who distrusts Wren and Xavier but reveals tenderness through her son Fisher. She betrays Bramble’s location to Travis after deciding to protect Fisher, whose father is Travis Redden.
- FisherFisher is Evlynne’s young son, later revealed to be Travis Redden’s child. His bloodmark, telepathy, and projection make him a dangerous political and personal secret.
- SaintSaint is a quiet Uprising operative and mission lead who often provides steady support. Late in the story he reveals he is a persuader and helps Wren cover up Hawkins’s attack.
- Mako WilsenMako is a boisterous Uprising sniper whose humor and loyalty help Wren feel part of the Dagger. His death by Hawkins’s incitement devastates the base and exposes Kallister’s hidden agenda.
- TeriqTeriq is an Authority member and mission leader who distrusts Primes and initially opposes Xavier. He helps lead major operations, including Ice Canyon and the Bramble parley, before being captured in the Bramble assault.
- Karra ColferKarra is a communications and recon operative and Gray’s former partner. Her jealousy of Wren evolves into uneasy professionalism, and she survives the Bramble disaster with Adrienne.
- LuisaLuisa is a Dagger pilot who assists with transports, extractions, and valley travel. She becomes close to Tana and helps shelter Poppy after Fiona’s death.
- HenleyHenley is a Uprising pilot and operative whose banter lightens tense moments. He participates in missions and forms part of the social core around Gray, Mako, Saint, and Wren.
- Neema SharmaNeema is a security operative who distrusts Wren and Xavier. She dies during the Ice Canyon mission when an active force field blocks the decoy team’s escape.
- DeclanDeclan is a Bramble Base operative who works with Wren during Ice Canyon and nearly dies from force-field exposure. He is later killed during the Command assault on Bramble.
- Jasper ReedJasper is a smuggler and Faithful-connected Mod who negotiates with the Uprising on his own terms. He leads Wren, Gray, and Xavier to the Hollow and later forces Wren to confront Cross’s apparent attempt to move on.
- KittyKitty is a Faithful leader in the Hollow. She protects a hidden mixed community of Primes and Mods while refusing to formally ally with the Uprising.
- Marina SerranoMarina is Wren’s mother and one of the Tin Block Traitors implicated in Valterra Ridge. Wren’s research into Marina’s choices shapes her struggle with inherited guilt.
- Jake HessJake Hess is Wren’s biological father and Marina Serrano’s partner. He is identified as part of the history behind Valterra Ridge and Wren’s hidden identity.
- Jim DarlingtonJim is Wren’s guardian, Kallister’s twin, and the person who hid Wren’s bloodmark and raised her as Wren Darlington. His posthumous letter reveals her true identity and parentage.
- Merrick ReddenMerrick is the former Redden patriarch and General whose mind is destroyed through Adrienne’s corruption as part of a secret deal with Travis. His collapse triggers the Redden power struggle.
- Vinessa ReddenVinessa is Cross’s mother and a target of Adrienne’s long-term corruption. Her mental decline becomes part of Cross’s argument that both the Company and the Uprising are morally compromised.
- Lyddie De VeldeLyddie is Wren’s former friend who exposed her and later appears near Travis and Cross. Her connection to the De Velde family and Biotech raises Wren’s suspicions and jealousy.
- Catherine De VeldeCatherine is Lyddie’s mother and head of Biotech. Cross cites her as a source confirming the existence of corrupted Prime patients, including children.
- Ivy EverseaIvy is Cross’s ex, seen within Travis’s circle and later asking Cross for reassignment after Roe’s executions. Wren overhears her conversation with Cross through an uncontrolled mental ability.
- Deron RadekRadek is the administrative captain placed in charge of Silver Elite after Cross is stripped of command. His promotion marks Cross’s loss of power under Travis.
- Commander VásquezCommander Vásquez is the Tierra Fe officer who rejects Adrienne’s alliance attempt and captures Wren. He refuses to execute Wren but uses her detention to pressure the Uprising.
- Valeria VásquezValeria is Commander Vásquez’s daughter and a hidden healer Mod. She secretly heals Wren’s shattered leg and hints that Tierra Fe may quietly ease restrictions despite official hostility.
- PrincePrince is the young ridgehowler Wren first spares in the wild and later bonds with during her mountain trek. He saves Wren by attacking Hawkins on the bluff.
- SethSeth is Luisa’s father and a burned survivor of Valterra Ridge. His testimony about the bombing forces Wren to face the human cost of her parents’ legacy.
- BeatrizBeatriz is Luisa’s mother and Seth’s partner in the valley. She hosts Wren and later helps provide Tana with stability after the rescue.
- JenniJenni is Gray’s aunt in the valley. Gray reveals she witnessed his uncle’s abuse and failed to protect him, explaining his coldness toward her.
- TaylorTaylor is Gray’s uncle, a healer who abused Gray and healed the injuries to hide them. His actions shape Gray’s refusal to forgive certain harms.
- Raven PersimmonsRaven is a Dagger member tied to Mako’s long-running grievance over stolen gold-chocolate cake. Her grief after Mako’s death underscores how deeply he was loved at the base.
Themes
Broken Dove is driven by the question of how to choose a side when every side is compromised. Wren arrives at the Blue Dagger seeking refuge from the Company, only to discover that the Uprising also relies on secrecy, coercion, executions, and Adrienne’s terrifying power to corrupt minds. Travis Redden’s broadcasts and civilian executions make the Company’s brutality undeniable, yet the later revelation that Adrienne collaborated with Travis to destroy Merrick Redden—and that Kallister and Hawkins plan mass corruption—prevents any simple moral comfort.
- Power, consent, and violation. Wren’s incitement ability becomes the book’s central ethical motif. Her guilt over forcing Jayde’s suicide shadows every training session with Hawkins and every hostile glance from Evlynne or Neema. Yet when she incites Declan to save him from the force field, and later forces Gray to abandon her in Tierra Fe, the same power becomes protective. The novel repeatedly asks whether a violation of will can ever be justified by survival or love.
- Identity and inherited guilt. Wren’s discovery that she is Stella Hess, daughter of the Tin Block Traitors, turns ancestry into a burden. Her secret matters most at Valterra Ridge, where Gray reveals his family died in the bombing her mother helped set in motion. Wren’s arc insists that legacy shapes but does not define: she refuses to be Marina Serrano, even while trying to understand her.
- Trust as both refuge and weapon. Nearly every relationship tests the cost of concealment. Cross hides his imprisonment; Wren hides her source inside the Company; Evlynne betrays Bramble to protect Fisher; Kallister weaponizes Wren’s parentage to break Gray’s faith. Against this, fragile trust forms in unexpected places—with Xavier, Tana, Poppy, Saint, and eventually Gray—suggesting community is built less on purity than on repeated choices to protect one another.
- Love versus duty. Wren’s bond with Cross is passionate but politically impossible: he asks her to run, while she chooses the war and the people still trapped inside it. Her later love for Gray is gentler but still entangled with secrets, trauma, and allegiance. Romance in the novel is not escape; it exposes what each character is willing—or unwilling—to sacrifice.
- Children and the future. Fisher’s hidden bloodmark, Poppy’s infliction power, and the rumored corrupted children widen the war beyond soldiers. The book’s darkest stakes are generational: whether the next world will protect gifted children, exploit them, or destroy them out of fear.