Review | Red Queen
6:00 AM
I love to read.
My love of reading (and tea) inspired my blog and youtube names. I don't get to do it as often as a I like any more, I'm often too tired after work, but as soon as holidays hit, I try and work my way through my reading list. And boy, is it getting longer and longer.
I got the recommendation for Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard through a Facebook group and it sounded like it was right up my alley.
It was. I enjoyed it.
It's definitely in the same vein as The Hunger Games and Divergent and it's a bit predictable, but truth be told, I preferred it to The Hunger Games. The world the story is set in is very different; there's an element of magic and mystery that drew me in where The Hunger Games never did.
I found the characters to be engaging; some I knew I could trust straight away, others I couldn't tell whether I should or shouldn't and that added to the suspense. It's not a difficult read, but I wanted to find out what happened and for me, that's the hallmark of a good book for me.
Is it a work of literary art? Of course not. However, it is a good example of young adult fiction.
This is the description from Amazon:
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. There, 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.
This sweeping story of palace intrigue, class hierarchy, and deception will keep readers hurtling along, desperate to find out Mare’s fate. Her honesty and determination, quick wit, and no-holds-barred attitude will surely make readers fall in love with her.
Also, I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but let's be honest: a well-designed cover draws a reader's eye first. (Well, usually.) I am drawn by pretty things, and the cover was pretty. I can't help it. I do like pretty covers!
As far as female lead characters go, Mare Barrow is not the strongest character I've ever read, but she's also not the weakest. She definitely finds herself out of her depth in this book and is trying to stay afloat when her world is turned upside down.
The book seemed to have a love square in it, with Mare caught between her long-time friend Kilhorn, Cal and Maven, but I don't feel like any of them were truly developed in any great depth in this book. Given that it's the first in a series, there is the potential to expand on those as the series continues. While the relationship aspect fell a little flat for me, I am still intrigued to see how these characters develop as individuals.
What are you reading at the moment? What are your must read books? Let me know in the comments, I would love to add to my 'to-read' collection!
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