I would give it 4/5 rating since it took me alot longer to read that usual since I did struggle to get into it but I loved it; the plot, the characters and the world of the reds and silvers was so interesting and unique
So the novel follows Mare, a 17 year old, lowly Red. She is living in a world which is divided by blood (Red and the Silver). Mare survives in this harsh world as thief but when her bestfriend is conscripted into the army, she risks everything to save him. She is soon led to the Royal Palace itself and in front of the Silver King and all his nobles, she realizes that she has a superhuman ability which should be impossible for her to have. To hide this impossible power Mare possesses, she is forced into the role of a lost Silver princess and she becomes betrothed to one of the Silver princes. As she becomes more involved in the Silver world, she risks her position to aid the Scarlet Guard (the rebellion forces), risking her life and the brotherhood of two princes.
This book was an incredible fantasy read and I recommend that anyone that loves the X-Men and Game of Thrones needs to read this book as it is perfect for you!
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!
Mare, the protagonist, was such a powerful female lead. I love her fierce and independent nature and how she was so determined to protect her family. She always kept her cool and didnt let her love interests influence her which is particularly signifcant since most YA fiction nowadays has the lead character overshadowed by their possible love interests. It was refreshing to have such a badass and complex lead within Red Queen such as Mare.
Fun Fact : I have the exact same birthday as Mare (17th Nov) as we are the exact same age when the book was published which is pretty cool, although I don't really understand how time works in the Red/Silver world but hey
I loved the Red/Silver world, which was so intriguing and different to anything I have previously read about in books. I did feel that there could have been further development of the world but I feel like Aveyard will work to cover that in the second novel.
I really liked the social aspect introduced within the novel, alot of moral issues (poverty and war etc) were covered which is something I love as it just adds so much to the story and really makes you think.
I loved the powers that the Silvers possessed, it was such a simple but clever idea
I would like to dedicate a paragraph talking about Cal (who is my new fictional crush aha!), he was such a complex and interesting character and a great addition to the story! Without his help, Mare would never have survived and i loved how as a soon-to-be King, he left the palace regularly to see how people really lived. Also a tall, dark, handsome and a prince with magical powers ?! Thank you Victoria since I didnt realise how much I needed Cal Calore in my life until I read this book. I just loved his relationship with Mare (the moonlight dance scene was perfect), and his complex relationship with his brother Maven.
Julian was such an interesting character and I really hope he isn't dead since he was one of my favourite characters. His protectiveness over Mare and his friendship with her was so refreshing.
I loved the Scarlett Guard and Farley! It was great to see another strong female leading a rebellion against the deadly Silvers. They were such a clever and important part of the story and I loved how they were fighting for equality, not dominance over the Silvers, but equality and freedom for the Reds.
The plot twists in this book left me reeling!!!!! I loved them since I could never guess what would happen next and I was always shocked by them. I mean the amount of betrayal in this novel was unbelievable but Aveyard didnt let it overpower the story. She worked well to provide a balance.
Can we just talk about Maven !! I really thought Maven was a great guy and I felt sorry for him as a character, growing up in the shadow of his brother but the ending of the book, nearly made me scream. He had betrayed them all. I wasn't expecting it at all either and I am usually really good at guessing plot twists but nope. I was so shocked by his secret alliance with his mother but then again, it all made sense.
The only plot twist I guessed was about Shade, I mean he couldnt be dead and Victoria get dropping clues throughout the book so it was relieving to see he had survived since he just meant so much to Mare.
The evil of Maven and his mother, Elena arghhhhh they were the perfect antogonists. For me, I find it pretty difficult to find bad guys within books that I really hate and the thought of them makes my skin crawl but Aveyard managed to perfectly create the evil Silver royals that were Maven and Elena. Even Elena's power was terrfying, I mean she can read your mind and control you, no thanks
I loved this book so much, it was a fantastic read and the ending woah. 4/5
I cannot wait for Glass Sword to be released on Feb 9th 2016
