Young Adult / Fantasy / Suspense
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars
BLURB (Amazon)Seventeen-year-old 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 her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
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HALL WAYS REVIEW: This was a great blending of a lot of elements found in popular YA books, and it was highly entertaining. There were definitely times that I had to suspend my disbelief and just go with it, and I think had I read this in a more concentrated time period (not an option: it was my toothbrush book), I would have figured out most of the twists and turns. Even so, I liked the premise, I liked/loathed the characters (sign of good writing), and I enjoyed the random steampunk-ish elements thrown in. Naturally, the grammar policewoman in me managed to find an error or two, but overall it was very well-written and easy to read.
I am likely to read the next installment, but there are elements that need to be addressed for this story to remain strong. Author Victoria Aveyard has left lots of opportunity to show growth, reflection, and self-examination in main character, Mare, and readers need to see it so that Mare becomes unique and exceptional instead of stereotypical. I also hope the next books give more of the backstory on how the human race evolved to produce the Silvers and what exactly happened to the world a hundred years earlier.
Epic Reads FIRST5 gets credit for setting the hook on this one. I took the bait and bought a hardcover just because I needed to read the rest of the story. (Way to go, book promotions team! It worked!) So my honest review is given with absolutely no strings attached.
I am likely to read the next installment, but there are elements that need to be addressed for this story to remain strong. Author Victoria Aveyard has left lots of opportunity to show growth, reflection, and self-examination in main character, Mare, and readers need to see it so that Mare becomes unique and exceptional instead of stereotypical. I also hope the next books give more of the backstory on how the human race evolved to produce the Silvers and what exactly happened to the world a hundred years earlier.
Epic Reads FIRST5 gets credit for setting the hook on this one. I took the bait and bought a hardcover just because I needed to read the rest of the story. (Way to go, book promotions team! It worked!) So my honest review is given with absolutely no strings attached.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Aveyard graduated from USC, where she majored in
screenwriting. RED QUEEN is her first novel. She splits her time between
Massachusetts and Los Angeles. You can visit her online at
www.victoriaaveyard.com.
