Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)

by Victoria Aveyard

[Kelly]

3.5 Stars
I absolutely adored Red Queen, a wonderful mix of fantasy and dystopian elements from some of our favourite young adult series. While Red Queen was uplifting and at times, brutal, Glass Sword is a much calmer read, the focus being on developing it's characters and relationships while edging towards what seems to be the next civil war.

Mare is still coming to terms with the deception she experienced at the hands of Maven, a point that readers are constantly reminded of. She feels betrayed, but longs for the quiet and reserved young man she believed Maven to be, a gentle fighter who believed in the rights for all.

The biggest difference between Red Queen and Glass Sword besides the shift from fantasy to dystopian, is Mare Barrow herself. She was fierce in Red Queen but is incredibly self doubting and seemingly feeds on her lack of self worth and guilt. She's now killed, but also has the deaths of others who aligned themselves with her on her hands and spends her quiet moments of reflection torn between bringing the Newbloods into battle or protecting them from Maven's Silver army.

If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.

She just felt... Hollow. Her inner thoughts were contradictory and seemingly didn't want the responsibility of being the Lightning Girl, but also relished in her title of power. Prince Cal is a character that I need more from. He was so overshadowed by Mare's catchphrases and indecisiveness that he felt like little more than a background character, rather than her potential love interest. I feel his character deserved much more development, especially seeing his life has been ruined by Lightning Girl entering his world.

And Maven?



Sadly he's mysteriously absent as is Queen Elara. Both characters make brief, cameo appearances which sadly is why I felt disappointed by Glass Sword. I love a well written villain, especially after audiences see the character transformation from good to... Not so good. The storyline needed to focus less on Mare's self pity and more on the kingdom who were hunting her and the Newbloods. Dual points of view may have ensured Glass Sword to be more widely praised by the reading community. It needed a point of difference and personally, I needed a break from Mare who seemed to be masquerading as Katniss Everdeen.

Some know what I am, and they have written it across the posters for all to see. Red Queen. The lightning girl. She lives. Rise, red as dawn. Rise. Rise. Rise.

I love the series, even though I wasn't as engaged with Glass Sword as I had expected. Apart from Mare, I loved the introduction of new and wonderfully sassy and moody characters none more so than Cameron. Her ability far outweighs Mare's ability to create and control electricity and she's lived to escape her confines under King Maven. She not only refuses to abide by Mare's rules but she challenges the Lightning Girl, merely a breath away from being able to take her life. I adored her, but there is more to Cameron beyond her abrasive facade and I can't wait to discover who she truly is.

As much as I enjoyed Glass Sword, I couldn't help but feel it was stretched a little too thin. Be prepared for character soul searching, an uprising, indecision and absolute heartbreak. The crescendo has me excited for book three in the series, let's just hope Mare gets her shit together in time.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2016/03/glass-sword-red-as-dawn.html