Book Details Author: Victoria Aveyard
Ages: Young Adult
Rating: 8/10
Number of Pages: 440
Plot: Following the shocking events of the Red Queen, Mare and Cal are on the run from the new Silver King, and Cal's evil younger brother, Maven. Mare Barrow, despite being a red blood, poses a threat to the Silver court due to her unique Silver ability of controlling lightening. Now with the knowledge that she is not the only of her kind, Mare alongside a group of red rebels, sets out to find and recruit these fighters to their cause - to bring down the king. In a tale of betrayal and rebellion, Mare is following a deadly path with the risk of becoming an even greater monster than the king threatening the lives of silvers and reds alike. Will Mare turn to the dark side? Or will her family and new recruits save the last of her humanity?
Review: I read Red Queen about a year ago and did really love the plot and characters that Aveyard created. Its unusual to find a series that incorporates the typical conventions of a dystopian with the more historical aspects of a royal court. I love this mix as it added a new lease of life to a genre, dystopian, which I feel has been over done in the last few years. I was therefore quite excited when I found this in bookshop and couldn't wait to delve back into Mare's world. The book continued with the interesting take on a world divided by blood and I feel that Aveyard still managed to make this believable and almost relatable in the current climate worldwide. In fact, throughout the book I felt myself comparing the distinct divisions between the silvers and the reds with religious and cultural divides across the world.
Another aspect that I think really makes the Red Queen series stand out is the integration of political aspects such as the ideas of protest and insurgent groups. Even though these political aspects have been used before in other dystopian novels, Aveyard leads with these themes adding a sense of individuality to her series. The use of the insurgent group the Scarlet Guard is a great addition to her storyline. Despite having shared characteristics with other groups in popular YA fiction, Aveyard I feel goes further into the running of the insurgent group as well as the many different roles that exist within it. For example one aspect I loved reading and learning more about was the divide in ideas between the leader of the group and his followers. I feel that this divide added a complexity to the group that other YA authors have yet to successfully delve into and explore.
"If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass and I feel myself beginning to shatter."
I always judge a book by how I feel as soon as I have read the final line and it slowly sinks in that I will probably not return to this fictitious world for a good while. Upon finishing this particular sequel, I was left with a desperate longing to know more. And this I think is what makes this book, and this series, one which is loved or hated. For me, this aspect makes the series more intriguing and, honestly makes a huge impact on whether I am going to continue a series or just abandon it altogether. I must say that Aveyard's development of Mare Barrow was truly breath-taking. The moral complexity of Mare by the end of the book was extraordinary and totally unexpected. I can, however, see why people don't like Mare by the end of the book and feel as if more needed to be said. A clear example of this is a clear lack of Maven. Maven I feel is one of the best villains ever created in a YA series. A bold claim I know but for me Maven incorporates the best characteristics of a typical villain and yet is still a royal, so basically he is the Scar of the YA world.
Overall, I love this series. Aveyard adds a complexity to her characters and plot that really makes the series stand out amongst the other YA books of its kind. I loved the moral complexity of Mare and I can't wait to see how this develops in the next book. I do, however, understand why some people haven't enjoyed this sequel. I did feel at times that more could have been developed in regards to Maven and his diabolical plans to eradicate Mare's kind. Despite this I cannot wait until the next book!
Have you read 'Glass Sword'? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!
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