RED QUEEN (Red Queen, #1)

by Victoria Aveyard

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

• ISBN10: 0062310631
• ISBN13: 9780062310637
• Publish Date: 1 January 2023 (first published 1 February 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: THE BOOKHUT PUBLISHING
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[readingwithwrin]

4.5 stars

“But I'm not a princess. I'm not the girl who gets saved.”


Mare is the heroin who is slightly naive but always keeps the bigger picture of what she needs to do in her mind at all times. She knows that she won't
become queen and she doesn't want to be. All she wants to do is to save her family and her people from being treated like dirt by the Silvers. Sadly
she doesn't really know how to do this since she is a Red and knows little about how to actually manipulate the silvers, and how to get around there powers.

Now onto the Princes Cal and Maven. I know we were suppose to have a love triangle with them but I never really fell for either of them. I knew we
shouldn't trust them and that at least one of them was using her if not both. I was surprised though by the one who betrayed and used her the most.


While I do see how this book had some similarities to others, it was still very enjoyable and had me on the edge of my seat.

See more reviews like this on my blog

Re-Read
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this, but I didn't love it as much this time.

[Nessa Luna]

Read this review and more on my blog October Tune!

A while back I heard about Red Queen, and was immediately intrigued by the cover. It just looks gorgeous, wow! It took me a while to actually pick it up, because I heard some mixed things about it, but when I finally did I got pulled right into the story and couldn't stop reading.

Red Queen tells the story of Mare Barrow, who is a Red. In this world, there are two kinds of people - Reds and Silvers. Silvers are the beautiful people with wonderful powers, and Reds are - well, the poor people basically. But then it turns out that Mare has powers too, and she's immediately sucked right into the Silver court, having to pretend to be Silver, pretend she's happily engaged to one of the princes. But you and I both know that will never last.

At first I was a bit cross with the fact that there would be another book series with ANOTHER love triangle, but in the end I must say this one didn't really bother me at all, because I knew right from the start there wasn't really that much of a triangle thing going on. But still, I decided that I want books with love triangle to come with a warning, like 'WARNING: LOVE TRIANGLE' or something like that, so I can proceed with caution.

I really liked the main character, Mare, and her family was amazing as well. I liked her friend, Kilorn, even though sometimes I could just smack him in the face because he did something I didn't want him to do. I wasn't too sure about the princes at first, but I think Cal kind of grew on me in the end. Maven, I am still not too sure what to think about him.. (show spoiler)[ I kind of saw that plot twist of him being the evil person in the story coming from MILES ahead, and I wasn't that shocked when it turned out to be true in the end] (hide spoiler) . I absolutely HATED the king and queen, but I guess that's what the author wanted when she wrote them.

The world building was done very well, but I really wished there was a map of the world they live in so I could imagine it better, because now it was just a tiny bit confusing for me at some points. Maybe there'll be a map in the next book? *fingers crossed*. It was a bit confusing as well, because the setting felt so historical - but then there were mentions of TV screens and security cameras and (I guess) cars and stuff, so then you know it's a very futuristic/dystopian story.

A lot of people had talked about THAT PLOT TWIST so I was expecting something massive to happen. Unfortunately, for me at least, I had guessed both plot twists (or well, the massive plot twist and the reveal at the end) already so it wasn't really that surprising to me, which is just such a shame. But I like the way they were written, and I think the author did a good job! Her writing just sucked me right out of my reading slump and I really hope I will be able to read books at my normal pace again after this!

In the end, I loved Red Queen even though it wasn't that surprising to me. I will certainly read the next two books and hope those will be just as great as the first one!

My opinion on this book in one gif:



(yes it's Nori and Bombur with party glasses.... It's a HobbitCon thing! Gif credit)

[reveriesociety_]

In a world divided by the color of your blood with a clear system, Mare's power being a Res is certainly no well received by the ones who benefit from the system. This is when it's agreed that she'll pretend to be the long lost daugter of a Silver, so life can go on as normal.

Only, Mare's nerves are as far from normal as it gets.

What I really liked about Red Queen is that there's a lot at stake for Mare. She's just in this situation 'because'. Her life is at risk and those of who she loves!

Another thing, is that she's FAR from perfect. From the beginning, she's scraping for what she can grab and making mistakes and being moderately miserable.

She's a relatable character because she's beautifully flawed.

Only... I was bothered by how much she panicked when having to lie and to pretend to be a silver. I got that she was nervous. I mean, I'd also freak out if suddenly I had to leave my family and move with people I despise to be one of them for the rest of my life. But, also, on top of that, she's kinda dumb too.

Let me explain, there's a war going on. People aren't happy, so she has a plan. But it's a child's one. I admire her bravery, yes, but I thought she'd be smart enough to realize that she was messing with stuff she didn't know shit about. Something she later painfully realizes.

Anyone can betray anyone

My favorite Quote in this book!

Hold your breath! I promised myself no spoilers!

The romance is... Decent. Not an insta one. In fact, there's hardly romance at all. What we have are snippets of what could be, and that works here because hey, there are bigger things on the line.

Aside from the main plot twist there also a lot of things I'd expected would happen a certain way and they didn't, steering clear from annoying me, which I appreciated.

I really recommend this book. I admit it's been overly hyped about, but it's not a bad one.




Find this review also at A Writer's Tales

[inlibrisveritas]

3.5 Stars
Red Queen is a book of political intrigue and revolution, focused on the rift between the Reds and the Silvers. While Re Queen was a fun read i found that it didn’t bring anything new to the table.

The world-building for Red Queen is almost there, but never quite gets around to answering some of those big questions I had. Silvers are the upper class, separated by their silver blood and their strange abilities. The abilities are definitely really awesome, but I have no clue why they have them or why Mare develops her own. I really liked the overall world that Mare lives in, and the idea of a super powered higher class…but it’s unfortunately something I’ve seen in other books. However, I did enjoy the overall writing style though as it’s quickly paced and Aveyard let’s her characters lead the way.

The characters are where my biggest problem lies. As much as I wanted to love Mare, I could only get myself to like her. She’s sort of…one note and reminds me of a basic version of several other dystopian heroines. Even after a few days of finishing the book I found myself having issues conjuring up what exactly she was like. It didn’t help that instead of focusing on her as a person,especially the person with whom the revolution is connected to, it focuses on her relationships with two princes and her best friend back home. I’ll never get why love geometry is a thing…like is it too much to ask to simply be friends? Not everyone has to fall in love during the single most stressful time in their lives.

I’m definitely interested in seeing how the story plays out because there are some great villains that don’t get enough page time in this one and the rebellion story, while not mind shattering, is pretty good and holds a few promises of surprises to come. But overall I found that this one lacked the depth I needed to truly enjoy it, though it’s certainly fantastic for those who enjoy lighter fantasy fare.

[girlinthepages]

There seem to be two kinds of readers when it comes to Red Queen: Those who unabashedly love the novel in all of its dystopian glory, and those who were severely disappointed, after such a hyped up marketing campaign, and found it to be laden with tropes from other popular YA series. Despite knowing how polarized readers are on this title, I couldn’t help but order it (I succumbed to the cover, let’s be honest) and after having a few days to digest it, I’ve decided that Red Queen was a pretty middle-of-the-road read for me.

There’s no denying that Red Queen is laden with tropes that span across dozens of other popular YA series. There are elements of The Hunger Games (fighting in arenas for a political spectacle), The Selection series (Queenstrial, in which daughters from all the high houses show off as prospective brides to the heir of the throne), and especially the Grisha trilogy (the upper class have different elemental/physical/psychological powers, and are often identified by their colors). It honestly was like a big mash-up of all of the popular series out so far, without bringing anything particularly unique to the table. I was SO curious about WHY and HOW evolution had turned certain members of society into silver-blooded super humans, but there was no explanation for the physiological difference that the entire social structure was based on, which really, really disappointed me. I really think the blood aspect is where Red Queen could have stood out, but it is basically just a fact some citizens were silver and some were red, and readers have to accept it.

The characters were the aspect of the novel that really kept pushing me away and pulling me back in. Some characters, such as Mare, are sadly forgettable, placeholders for actions that were mandatory for the genre. Of course it’s a poor girl from a family living in squalor who’s special and different. Of course she has a childhood friend who’s raging with jealousy when she hooks up with princes and joins the revolution out of spite. Of course there’s a seriously twisted royal family. However, the saving grace for this book for me was the fact that I really, really love Cal. I don’t necessarily love how the romance between Mare and him goes down (let’s be real, the book tries to juggle a love rectangle) but I love him as a character: responsible, logical, puts his country before his passion. A lot of readers would probably read his character and be bored by him, but it was so refreshing to see a male lead who wasn’t some cocky bad boy/rebellious revolutionary/etc who the protagonist managed to manipulate into sacrificing everything for love. Cal is also an enigma because he’s technically on the “bad” side (the silver oppressors) but his political reasoning and justifications for keeping the status quo as heir to the throne, combined with a critical awareness of the injustice of society makes him feel real. He struggles with his beliefs, but he also struggles to implement change, just as most people do. I really felt that he was a refreshing love interest (or maybe I’m just getting old and prefer the responsible to the reckless!)

The writing itself is easy to read but wasn’t especially sophisticated. I found that there were a lot of repetitive turns of phrase (the silvers are constantly referenced as “Gods” and everyone is constantly smirking, like it’s the only facial expression they know). Yet I finished it fairly quickly, and the last quarter of the book does have several big plot twists (I saw most of them coming but I still appreciated them) which lead to a lot of action that is compulsively readable. There is a pretty epic battle near the end and a cliffhanger ending that accomplishes its job at enticing me to read the sequel and care what happens.

Overall: If you like dystopians, and you don’t mind seeing elements here that appear in a lot of other YA series, Red Queen is a decent read. It moves around at a fast clip, the powers and training/battle scenes are pretty cool, and it has all the requisite revolutionary stuff (Mare is basically the Mockingjay). It does get pretty action packed toward the end, has some pretty deranged characters, and puts an emphasis on Mare’s family and her ties to her upbringing (which was nice, since family is so often downplayed in YA). However, the novel misses its chance to develop its own unique elements in the over-saturated dystopian market, with little explanation as to how the blood differentiation came about. I wavered between giving it 2 or 3 stars, but ultimately decided that for what it is, it did a decent job. I’m still optimistic that the sequels could be better, but if you’re familiar with any of the popular YA dystopians from the past few years, Red Queen won’t necessarily stand out.

You can read this review and more at my blog Girl in the Pages.

[kimbacaffeinate]

When I first began reading, I could not help but draw comparisons to other successful young adult novels. There are two social classes, the Reds who are the commoners make up the poor, oppressed working class ruled by the Silvers. The Silvers are gifted with abilities, own land and have wealth. They are ruled by a King, and entertain themselves with gladiator type arenas and squabble over land and power.

Our heroine Mare Barrow is seventeen, unemployed and living in the Stilts. She and her sister live with her mother and disabled father. Mare has three brothers who are all on the front lines in the never-ending war. For Reds, unless you are apprenticed and have a job at nineteen you are doomed to be enlisted in the Silver’s war for land, water and power. A sad future awaits Mare and she is ready to accept it. When her best friend loses his employment, she seeks a way to help him escape. This singular event changes Mare’s life and she soon finds herself within the walls of the King’s castle. Mare goes from servant to princess when it is discovered she has a power that could crumble the fine balance between classes. A rebel Red force is causing upheaval in the kingdom and the King and Queen seek to use Mare as a pawn to keep peace.

Mare is a strong character and I liked her, even when angered she kept her head. The King and Queen have two sons and a triangle emerged. It isn't a strong one, so no worries as it is resolved.  Although another player outside the castle holds affection for Mare, which could complicate things. Romance was threaded throughout the tale and got in the way of the rebellion and court politics. It is the nature of young adult fantasy but persevere because the novel gets stronger.

I struggled in the beginning, in part because I have read some truly stellar and unique young adult fantasies. I could not help draw comparison. Red Queen in many ways offered nothing unique but Aveyard knows how to spin a tale and through twists and turns, she kept me engaged. My favorite thread is that of the rebels and I am anxious to see where all of the characters will align themselves. The powers and gifts the Silver’s possessed where interesting and threads displaying those skills held me spellbound, sadly, romance kept creeping in and pushed these cooler elements aside. Parts of Red Queen were epic and held me spellbound and others reminded me of the Selection and Hunger Games  without having the depth. The last section of the novel was the strongest.The pace picked up, the action became intense and the promise of things to come confirmed that I will continue this trilogy.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

[b:Red Queen|17878931|Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)|Victoria Aveyard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411472322s/17878931.jpg|25037051] was an incredibly fantastic and entertaining read, that definitely kept me enthralled with the story, the twist of plot, and the characters all the way through. THAT ENDING! I can say that I'm absolutely pleased that I never truly saw it coming, because it made it that much more amazing. And yet, I had this constant little niggling in the back of my brain the whole entire time reading this book, that maybe just maybe...but, spoilers. [a:Victoria Aveyard|7074943|Victoria Aveyard|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1395682478p2/7074943.jpg] has truly managed to blow me away with the first installment of the Red Queen trilogy and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book to come. No, I NEED TO KNOW NOW!

I don't even now how to describe it properly, it's like this really awesome mish-mash of Red Rising by Pierce Brown and the X-Men that's set in this castle where the Silver's train to do battle and fight in the war. The girls who have grown up in this environment and vying for their hand in marriage to one of these two Prince's, are just as catty as some of the girls in [b:The Meeting|18247324|The Meeting (Vampire Academy, #1.1)|Richelle Mead|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403592705s/18247324.jpg|25698990] and Mean Girls are. It's just a brilliant concept all together and it's wonderfully written and equal parts intriguing. Tie all of that together and throw in a lowly Red girl who is so much more than she or anyone else expected her to be and you have one hell of an amazing book on your hands. Mare Barrows has this amazing ability, that is most assuredly a mistake, but in her case it could turn out to be the thing that promises hope for her people. It could possibly be the thing that saves her life and so many more from perishing or being held down, slaves to the Silver's for the rest of their natural born years.

Mare's world is filled with insufferable amounts of pain, terror, and hopelessness. [a:Victoria Aveyard|7074943|Victoria Aveyard|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1395682478p2/7074943.jpg] does a marvelous job at showcasing that, allowing you to feel what it's like to be so held down and kept under the thumb of the Silver's through Mare's eyes. It will make you thankful for the simple freedoms that you have, once you see everything they've had to endure from being conscripted into the war at an early age, from the loss of family and friends to the almost unbearable situations most Reds find themselves in. Mare isn't the type of girl who just falls in line and does what she's told like the good little girl. She is just as fiery and rebellious as she can be. She isn't afraid to stand up for her beliefs and she sacrifices so much of who she is for the people that she loves. Mare isn't without her faults though, she makes a lot of mistakes by trusting the wrong people, thinking that she can use them, without realizing that she's been used herself. Her self-pity wasn't something that I adored about her, but it was something that made her human and I can accept that much.

For me, one of the best things about this book was the lack of a true love triangle, where she loses both her head and her heart to either one of the Prince's. That's not to say that Mare didn't somewhat show her heart or have these gut twisting feelings for one of them, because she did. She was just smart enough not to let it engulf her, she kept her wits about her and made sure that she did what she was there to do. For the most part, the romance and the actual plot of the story worked very well together and I was happy to see that what love story we were given didn't over step it's boundaries. It was simply enough to satisfy and that's all it needs to be for right now.

All of the characters in [b:Red Queen|17878931|Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)|Victoria Aveyard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411472322s/17878931.jpg|25037051], were fascinating as well as entertaining in my opinion. They all contributed wonderful things to the story in their own ways. Some of them a little more memorable than other's, but each one uniquely interesting and crackling to life with their own flaws and abilities to either win you over or not. I love Cal, he's such an amazing character in such an impossible situation. He knows that change needs to come about, yet he's bound by his duties as the Prince and heir to his father's crown one day, that he has to carry out orders as his father would. Yet, he's the one who saw to it that Mare wasn't conscripted, that she was given a job in the Castle. He liked her, was drawn to her because she saw something different in him, didn't recognize him as the King's son. The sparks and the tension that ignited between both Cal and Mare was enough to put me on their team.

Maven, on the other, he is a Prince of a different kind. He is a character that I found myself liking, despite the fact that everything inside of me was screaming that I shouldn't trust me as I was reading. I suppose I really shouldn't have been all that surprised with the ending of it, but I think there's still a part of me that wants to believe that he's not quite as evil as he's turned out to be. I want to believe that deep down inside of him, is the Prince that Mare believed there was good in. And yet, with that ending, I just don't even know.

Kilorn. He's so much akin to Jacob in the [b:Twilight|41865|Twilight (Twilight, #1)|Stephenie Meyer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361039443s/41865.jpg|3212258] series, that I don't even know how to feel about him. I feel incredibly conflicted, because I felt all of these feelings for him all through out the book and yet, there at the end there was even more. It's almost maddening to me in a way, because as anyone can tell you I'm pretty much not the biggest Jacob fan in the world. I loved him as Bella's best friend, but anything beyond was big fat NO for me. With Kilorn, there's just so much passion, incredible strength, and an immense streak of stubbornness that it's almost insane. He gives me ALL THESE FEELINGS, more so than Cal and I can't decide what or who I want for Mare at the moment.

What I think I want, overall, is for Mare to choose herself and her people. I want her to choose the path that she finds herself taking and I want to see the hope come alive for her people. I want to see her remain strong in her beliefs and do anything for that change she wants to see in her world, even if it means going to her grave for the cause.

The wonderful element of betrayal and the misplaced trust in people that shouldn't have been necessarily trusted, was a big thing showcased throughout [b:Red Queen|17878931|Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)|Victoria Aveyard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411472322s/17878931.jpg|25037051] and it brought about interesting surprises and revealed more lies and manipulation than I could have ever imagined. I was very pleasantly surprised as I sat reading the pages of this incredibly captivating book. There may have been a little bit of foreshadowing, but it wasn't enough that it bothered when I finally figured out one particular thing that's revealed at the end of the novel. For this to have been [a:Victoria Aveyard|7074943|Victoria Aveyard|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1395682478p2/7074943.jpg]'s debut YA novel, I have to say that I'm definitely impressed with her writing style, the imaginings of her world, and such a vast array of entertaining and interesting characters. The action and suspense of this novel, left me clinging to the edge of my seat wanting so much more.

I'm operating on feels here guys and this book has ALL OF THEM!

(Note: I received an eGalley of this book for review via the publisher on Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.)

[ellieroth]

Estuvo predecible muchas veces pero me ha gustado. Este medio cuadrado amoroso que hubo, bien hecho.

También en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Red Queen es uno de esos libros que tuvo la suerte de caer en buenos publicistas: la portada fue vista por primera vez en USA TODAY y, si tenías la suerte que HARPER TEEN te cediera el libro antes de su publicación, eras algo así como el Top-Top de los bloggers. Obviamente a mí me lo dieron :v Ok, el punto no era del todo presumir, el punto es ¿Es tanta publicidad engañosa? Harper Teen tiene una gran tradición en hacer escándalo por poquito (hombre debe ser), al menos conmigo la mayoría de veces fue así. La respuesta a eso es sí y no, ahora te explico por qué.

Al empezar el libro tuve un flash back con Pawn de Aimee Carter, hay mucha similitud en la manera que comienza, factor que casi me hace dejar el libro, porque como dije más arriba, los libros de Harper Teen o son muy buenos o son muy malos, no tienen casi un término intermedio. Hasta que leí un par de párrafos más y pasamos a esta escena que también fue otro motivo de 50/50 en mí: La Pelea de los Plateados. ¿Fan de X-Men o solo fan de los súper poderes? Vas a amar este escena y todas las demás que vengan con súper poderes porque hay un montón (y quizá lo veamos en el cine pronto, los derechos fueron comprados en 2013, aunque no tengo más noticias sobre algún avance).

Pero así como los poderes es uno de los puntos fuertes de RED QUEEN también es uno de esos momentos que no me convencieron del todo, para mí si usas poderes físicos (aka: telekinesis, fuego, agua o cosas parecidas), no hay forma que no te crea, para mí es algo que pasa y no hay fuerza de la naturaleza que me convenza de lo contrario PERO si usas poderes como Visiones, Lectura de Mentes o Control Mental (básicamente todo lo que tenga que ver con la mente, ¿tengo una obsesión con el cerebro, te has dado cuenta?) Se me hace complicado de creer porque ¿si puedes ver el futuro como no puedes ver todo lo que pasará y me refiero a TODO? ¿Si lees la mente como es que mantienes tales secretos? El libro explica que los poderse no surgen por arte de magia (:P ironía creo) y que hay formas de “engañarlos” pero aun así… No sé, esa parte no me convenció del todo.

Lo que me encantó, amé con toda mi alma a es a las malvadas: Reina Elana y Evangeline. Son unas desgraciadas pero las amo.

Últimamente siento gran atracción por los libros con mucha política, Red Queen está bastante bien, quizá no tan espectacular como otro libro (cofcofTheWinner’sCusecofcof) pero sí me ha gustado un montón, sobre todo por los Rebeldes Rojos que amenazan el imperio, Farley es otro personaje que es bastante resaltante por su personalidad.

Si estás cansado de leer triángulos amorosos, te tengo sorpresa, no hay triángulo amoroso, hay cuadrado :D ¡Y NO SÉ A CUAL ELEGIR! D: No puedo comentar exactamente porqué, lo que me hizo confundir mis sentimientos fue al final, donde el infierno se desató (Primer libro, era de esperarse :P) y aunque hay uno que solo merece que le escupa en la cara, tengo fe que se redima ¿Si perdemos la fe, que nos queda kitten?

Por ahí leí que el libro exageraba un poco en descripciones, siendo la persona perezosa que soy, sería de esperarse que yo también lo dijera, sólo que para mí no hubo exceso de texto, luego de leer ese comentario estuve pensando exactamente dónde es que podía haber pasado y no se me ocurre ninguna, me gustó todo lo que leí, muchas veces incluso tuve la necesidad de leerlo en voz alta. Aveyard no tiene una prosa exactamente remarcable pero sí una narrativa atrayente, de las que te hacen leer un libro de más 500 páginas en un ratito.

Si bien el libro tiene algunos fallos, un poco con los poderes y algunas cosas bastante predecibles, ha sido una buena lectura, es un buen inicio de trilogía. Espero que la escritora no exagere en los próximo libros con el drama romántico, no lo hizo esta vez, lo usó pero en sus momentos precisos y sin dejarse llevar demasiado

Traiciones, poderes sobre humanos, una pelea por la justicia y muertes, Red Queen te pregunta, en el futuro evolutivo ¿Serás un Rojo o un Plata?

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[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/01/red-queen-by-victoria-aveyard-arc-review.html
Red Queen was incredible! An explosion of fantasy, a dystopian world and the story of a girl who defies an oppressive society against the odds. At eighteen, Red citizens are sent to the front line of the Silver waged war. With best friend Kilorn without a trade, his recruitment follows the same path as that of his father who died fighting, Mere's father who is now confined to a wheelchair and her three brothers who are all currently serving. Mere can't lose another. No one has ever escaped recruitment, but with the help of The Scarlet Guard, Mere is hoping both she and Kilorn can escape.

But Mere is no ordinary Red, and her journey to freedom takes a dramatic turn which will see her betrothed to a Prince, working alongside the revolutionaries and trying to survive within the palace walls with the cruel Royals that would rather see her dead. I loved Mere. She's tough and her choices are based solely on protecting her family and Kilorn. But as her character is immersed into the Silver world, she begins to fight for not only those around her but the plight of the Red population.

We will rise, red as the dawn.

Even without her ability to create and control electricity, she's a force to be reckoned with even though being betrothed to Maven is purely to keep her compliant. Mere and Prince Cal share an undeniable attraction, even though Cal is betrothed to marry another. Where Maven is sensitive and the neglected brother, Cal lives for the strategy of war and is a natural born leader of citizens and soldiers alike. From the poverty stricken streets of the Red towns, to the lush surrounds of the palace and Silver dynasty, even the secondary characters are in depth and well developed.

But what set Red Queen apart for me, was the world in which Victoria Aveyard created. Cruel and unforgiving, where hope shines in the form of a seventeen year old girl who is just starting to realise the power she holds. Red Queen is Victoria's debut. Yes, debut. If she's capable of creating such a phenomenal first release, seasoned authors should take note. Like Mere, Victoria Aveyard herself is a force to be reckoned with.

[Stephanie]

I like the second half of the book better than the first half. I think this suffers from a lot of world-building problems that should have been addressed sooner in the book rather than thrown in later (and then end up looking like a last minute ditch effort to fix a plot-hole problem.) I'm not sure how I feel about this not-love-triangle-square-thing. Eh.

It has potential, and I think that is what is promising.