Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Series: Red Queen #1
Publisher: HarperTeen (2015)
Hardcover (383 pages)
Rating:
Reading Challenges: Read 2016
Synopsis
This is a world divided by blood - red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...
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My Review
So I finally picked Red Queen up off my shelf and actually read it. Red Queen turns out to have been an amazing book! I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting in this book though I know I did not expect to fall in love with Red Queen.
The first thing that drew me to Red Queen was the gorgeous cover. You can’t tell me you don’t think it is a beautiful cover. I really love it.
Then there is that synopsis: girl who grew up in poverty and yet possesses a “deadly power.” While that isn’t entirely original, it is intriguing. The mention of “a world of betrayal and lies” is spot on.
I love how Mare actually has great relationships with her family members. She truly cares deeply about her younger sister and her older brothers. Everything that she does, she does for them. She wants her sister to be able to lead a better life.
Things change for Mare when she is a servant at the Silver Palace. In the middle of the court she displays a startling power. To find an explanation, the queen declares Mare the long-lost daughter of a famous general and betroths her to Prince Maven.
There is so much intrigue and lies that Mare has no idea who to trust but she has to choose someone. It was hard, as a reader, to figure out who to trust as well because I didn’t feel like I could trust any of the characters.
The writing was beautiful and it was impossible to put down. The plot is ever-changing with all of the lies running around and you never know exactly what is going to happen next. The ending is also completely amazing! It is so full of twists and I loved it.
While I have seen widely varying reviews of Red Queen, I loved it. I will definitely be picking up the sequel, Glass Sword, when I am able to.
What!? That is so weird that she’s just declared related to someone and that she’s betrothed to a guy all of a sudden. I’m curious about the power that she possesses. I honestly haven’t been really crazy about this book probably because everyone is so excited about it (go figure). I’ll have to give it a try.
P.S. This is perfect for the Royal Challenge. The link up for February is up now. Sorry I was kind of out sick (:
I kept putting Red Queen off because I didn’t want to be disappointed which sometimes happens when there is a lot of hype.
I hope you love it when you read it!