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readwithde's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Another day, another strong, female YA/NA novel about overthrowing the government.
I have to say, this might be one of my favorite fictional worlds, and the story happening around and to the MCs is so overwhelmingly amazing. Mare, a simple thief and Red girl ends up having an amazing ability, just like the elite Silvers who rule. Like many female leads, she is thrust into this new world of court, politics, and betrayal, where only power and strength are honored.
Unlike the other heroines, Mare remains thoroughly different. She doesn't learn courtly intrigue, she doesn't come to understand the Silvers, and she never chooses romance over her family, her friends, and her Red blood. The comfort and protection and specialness never trick her into forgetting the pain and atrocities of her people. Also, she trains a bit, but she is still outmatched by those who have had decades of work; at the end of the book, she is stronger, but not unrecognizable. It's refreshing.
I saw a few of the twists coming, but it didn't run the story for me. The princes Cal and Maven are interesting and consistent, the Scarlet Guard is active as its own entity (aka not waiting around for the MCs), and the Silvers all have their own games and loyalty.
I loved it, and I'm dying for the next book.
I have to say, this might be one of my favorite fictional worlds, and the story happening around and to the MCs is so overwhelmingly amazing. Mare, a simple thief and Red girl ends up having an amazing ability, just like the elite Silvers who rule. Like many female leads, she is thrust into this new world of court, politics, and betrayal, where only power and strength are honored.
Unlike the other heroines, Mare remains thoroughly different. She doesn't learn courtly intrigue, she doesn't come to understand the Silvers, and she never chooses romance over her family, her friends, and her Red blood. The comfort and protection and specialness never trick her into forgetting the pain and atrocities of her people. Also, she trains a bit, but she is still outmatched by those who have had decades of work; at the end of the book, she is stronger, but not unrecognizable. It's refreshing.
I saw a few of the twists coming, but it didn't run the story for me. The princes Cal and Maven are interesting and consistent, the Scarlet Guard is active as its own entity (aka not waiting around for the MCs), and the Silvers all have their own games and loyalty.
I loved it, and I'm dying for the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Torture, Racism, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and War
ravensandlace's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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Finally! This book broke the reading slump that Babayaga had put me in. I was hooked on this book from the first page and I’m so mad at myself for sleeping on it for so long. It was one of those super hyped up books that I couldn’t bring myself to read at first because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I just want to scream from the rooftops about how much I love this book because in this case, the hype was so real. I already have all the books in my wishlist on Amazon, ready to be bought.
The world and world building was my favorite part. In any good dystopian novel, the world and how it’s created is a huge part of the book. If it’s not well done, then the whole book just falls apart. In this case, the world was excellent. It followed the trope of one population being poorer than the other and that population has to serve them. It’s common but it’s something I love. I love the idea of Reds and Silvers. The Silver powers were super interesting and I wouldn't mind reading a book about the genealogy of Silvers. It’s so fascinating that there could be a multitude of different powers.
I got Hunger Games vibes from Red Queen but it was still it’s own story. Mare was a great MC and reminded me of Katniss in a way. She was a realistic teenager with mood swings and indecisiveness. I’m interested to see how she is going to grow as the series progresses. Plus I am so anxious to see how this love triangle goes. This is the first and probably the only time where I am loving a love triangle and can’t decide who I want the person to end up with. Guess I’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out.
Overall, this book was amazing as you might be able to tell from the review. I can't recommend it enough. If you are a lover of the dystopian genre (like me) and like the Hunger Games then this is the book for you! I guarantee that you will love this book and if you don’t, you can yell at me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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