Red Queen Book Review

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

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Blurb:

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 in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Review by Brittany:

For me, this book had a bit of a Hunger Games feel to it. Mare is disgusted with the way the world works and gets put into a position in which she has an opportunity to try to change things. She hones her skill set in order to be a useful member of the rebel group.

Of course, there are parts of this novel that differentiate itself, particularly the use of supernatural abilities to set characters apart. There were some really neat ideas - different types of healers, those who can manipulate elements like water and steel - and I thought this added a nice touch to the story that made it different than other books I've read in this genre.

This book does also have a bit of a love triangle, with Mare feeling torn between her feelings for both Cal and Maven. This is also pretty standard for this genre, although the focus of the novel is not on this triangle but instead on the battle between the Reds and Silvers, particularly the rebel cause.

I think my favorite part of this book was the last 25%. The ending reveals multiple twists and surprises that I didn't expect and that completely changed my perception of the story. I think there's a certain talent for an author to be able to reveal something that completely alters the tone of the novel in hindsight.

Overall, this book was just fine. It felt pretty typical of the genre, with nothing that really stood out for me too much. I know this book is kicking off a series, but despite the surprises at the end of the first book, I don't know that I'll continue reading this series.