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tinker_reads 's review for:
Red Queen
by Victoria Aveyard
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*A Slow Start, A Wild Middle, and an Ending That Left Me Shook*
I have to be honest—the beginning of Red Queen didn’t pull me in right away. It wasn’t bad, but it took a bit for me to actually feel invested in the story.
We’re introduced to Mare Barrow and the dystopian world of Norta, where the color of your blood - red or silver - determines wether you have power and confort, or if you’re nothing more than a poor commoner.
Mare soon finds out that she possesses powers supposedly reserved for the silvers, and becomes entangled in a web of political games, not only with the silver court, but as well with a rebellion of reds, called the Scarlet Guard. Between forging a new identity, passing as a long lost daughter of a dead silver lord, being bethroded to the second in line to the throne of Norta and acting as a secret spy hidden within the enemy’s walls, Mare still has the arduous task of understanding where her skills with electricity came from and, more importantly, how to control, train and turn them into a weapon.
Although the plot felt a bit slow in the beginning, it quickly gained pace, and I was headfirst into the story. The stakes kept getting higher, the political tension kept me guessing, and I genuinely had no idea where it was leading me. Regarding Mare, I think she is a solid YA Dystopian protagonist. Strong-willed, stubborn, impulsive, and sometimes even frustrating, she’s the archetype of the poor girl destined for a mundane life who suddenly discovers she has powers and finds herself the leader of a rebellion much bigger than herself. Mare doesn’t always make the right choices and she learns along the way that nothing is as it seems. Never.
About the ending, it was like the gift that keeps on giving, if the gift was surprises, plot twists, and gasps. Halfway through the book, I had the feeling something was off - *anyone can betray anyone* - still those last pages left me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars. Victoria Aveyards’ writing is easy to understand, with attention to details regarding both characters and world building. However, the intensity of the plot comes in waves, which causes it to lack cohesion, and at times, even to lose focus. Red Queen gives of Hunger Games meets the X-Men vibes, but brings something more to the mix, which is nice to read.
The following part of this review contains *spoilers*
----
Now, onto the juicy parts. As I said, I had a feeling something was off, specifically with Maven. Too good a character, a literal saving grace for Mare amidst all the chaos. Nevertheless, although I said aloud “I KNEW IT” when the truth was revealed, I DID NOT EXPECT everything that came afterwards. It was like a rollercoaster. Tiberias' death had me shook to my core, Lucas’s execution had me heartbroken, and the whole arena ordeal had me scratching my brain trying to figure out a way for them to escape.
Oh, and the brother-who-i-thought-dead/sister-about-to-die reunion? Chef’s kiss, it warmed my heart. Loved it, had me excited to read more about them, especially since I loved Shade right away.
Let’s address the elephant in the room now. I absolutely despise love triangles, even worse when its between family. And between Maven the little psycho, and Cal the boring, scream for help. OH, and I almost forgot about the other edge, which is Kilorn the pain in the ass. They all annoyed the hell out of me, Cal being the most tolerable one (making him the one I was rooting for since the beginning).
My love for Farley grew bit by bit, I do not hate Evangeline completely - actually, I see a lot of potential in an alliance with Mare - and I adore Julian, the only one with a functional brain.
I’m excited for the next book, a race against time to find more newbloods, but I can’t lie, at this point I’m traumatized with the plot twists and this book gives of GRR Martin and his main character killing spree vibes.
I have to be honest—the beginning of Red Queen didn’t pull me in right away. It wasn’t bad, but it took a bit for me to actually feel invested in the story.
We’re introduced to Mare Barrow and the dystopian world of Norta, where the color of your blood - red or silver - determines wether you have power and confort, or if you’re nothing more than a poor commoner.
Mare soon finds out that she possesses powers supposedly reserved for the silvers, and becomes entangled in a web of political games, not only with the silver court, but as well with a rebellion of reds, called the Scarlet Guard. Between forging a new identity, passing as a long lost daughter of a dead silver lord, being bethroded to the second in line to the throne of Norta and acting as a secret spy hidden within the enemy’s walls, Mare still has the arduous task of understanding where her skills with electricity came from and, more importantly, how to control, train and turn them into a weapon.
Although the plot felt a bit slow in the beginning, it quickly gained pace, and I was headfirst into the story. The stakes kept getting higher, the political tension kept me guessing, and I genuinely had no idea where it was leading me. Regarding Mare, I think she is a solid YA Dystopian protagonist. Strong-willed, stubborn, impulsive, and sometimes even frustrating, she’s the archetype of the poor girl destined for a mundane life who suddenly discovers she has powers and finds herself the leader of a rebellion much bigger than herself. Mare doesn’t always make the right choices and she learns along the way that nothing is as it seems. Never.
About the ending, it was like the gift that keeps on giving, if the gift was surprises, plot twists, and gasps. Halfway through the book, I had the feeling something was off - *anyone can betray anyone* - still those last pages left me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars. Victoria Aveyards’ writing is easy to understand, with attention to details regarding both characters and world building. However, the intensity of the plot comes in waves, which causes it to lack cohesion, and at times, even to lose focus. Red Queen gives of Hunger Games meets the X-Men vibes, but brings something more to the mix, which is nice to read.
The following part of this review contains *spoilers*
----
Now, onto the juicy parts. As I said, I had a feeling something was off, specifically with Maven. Too good a character, a literal saving grace for Mare amidst all the chaos. Nevertheless, although I said aloud “I KNEW IT” when the truth was revealed, I DID NOT EXPECT everything that came afterwards. It was like a rollercoaster. Tiberias' death had me shook to my core, Lucas’s execution had me heartbroken, and the whole arena ordeal had me scratching my brain trying to figure out a way for them to escape.
Oh, and the brother-who-i-thought-dead/sister-about-to-die reunion? Chef’s kiss, it warmed my heart. Loved it, had me excited to read more about them, especially since I loved Shade right away.
Let’s address the elephant in the room now. I absolutely despise love triangles, even worse when its between family. And between Maven the little psycho, and Cal the boring, scream for help. OH, and I almost forgot about the other edge, which is Kilorn the pain in the ass. They all annoyed the hell out of me, Cal being the most tolerable one (making him the one I was rooting for since the beginning).
My love for Farley grew bit by bit, I do not hate Evangeline completely - actually, I see a lot of potential in an alliance with Mare - and I adore Julian, the only one with a functional brain.
I’m excited for the next book, a race against time to find more newbloods, but I can’t lie, at this point I’m traumatized with the plot twists and this book gives of GRR Martin and his main character killing spree vibes.