Book Review: Red Queen

Title - Red Queen

Author - Victoria Aveyard

Series - Red Queen Trilogy #1

Genre - YA Dystopian

Published - February 10th 2015

Publisher - Orion 

(Goodreads)(Amazon)

Synopsis

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of

those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

Review

I received Red Queen in return for an honest review from the publisher via Edelweiss. Mare lives in a world where the color of your blood determines your future either a poor worker or a superhuman living the good life. Mare is a red which means either she has a trade job or she will be sent to join the army like her brothers have all gone. Mare has a unique skill she’s an excellent pick pocket which has helped them get buy plus her little sister is training to sew cloth. When her childhood friend loses his apprenticeship he’s now being sent off to the army Mare comes up with a plan to steal from a silver something with enough value to pay for him to be smuggled. What should be easy quickly turns back and he sister is injured losing all chances of being able to sew again.

When everything seems desperate she makes one more

attempt to pick pocket a strange but ends up caught surprisingly he gives her the money because she clearly needs it more. Everything changes the next day when the guards show up to take her to the palace fearing the worst Mare is shocked to be offered a job as a servant. When her simple servant job should be easy quickly turns deadly when Mare falls onto the lightning shield and doesn’t die but can control lightning. Quickly nick named the lightning girl the king and queen decide to marry her off to their younger son and keep her red blood a secret.

As if being Mare isn’t hard enough she has to keep herself from bleeding which will reveal who she really is not the silver she’s pretending to be. Learning to be a princess isn’t easy but joining in the scarlet guard to free the red’s from being under the silver’s control. Finding an unlikely friendship with her future husband the prince they team up to rise against the king and change the future for the Reds. However Mare doesn’t just have one prince’s attention but the older future king as well who happens to be someone she’s met before. Will she follow her heart or choose to go with what is right? Will they save the reds?

I loved Mare she’s one of those characters you can’t help liking with a good heart who cares about her family and few friends. While being a red hasn’t been easy she’s made the best with what she has and done what it takes me it work. I like how she embraces her lightning abilities and uses them to her advantage. I wasn’t sure about the love triangle it’s a tough one but I think the author executes it will and I’m curious to see how it will play out in the new book between Mare and her future love interest.

I’ve been dying to get my hands on Red Queen so when I saw the chance I accepted a copy for review knowing I had to read it. Red Queen reminds me a lot of The Selection and Pawn which happen to be two of my favorite series so it’s only natural that I would love the book. The concept while interesting is a recurring theme in dystopian novels but I think the author does a fantastic job of putting her own unique spin creating an exciting new story.  I thought the characters where well developed and easy to connect with I loved Mare and look forward to more of her story. Red Queen is an action packed whirlwind novel that captures the heart as well as the imagination with hints of mystery and romance. The author has done well creating a complex story that I enjoyed every moment of it from start to finish. May just be my new favorite dystopian series and I can’t wait to read the next one. I loved Red Queen it's a must for all fans of The Selection and Pawn.