Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen is the first book in the Red Queen series. In the world of Red Queen blood and power are the only things that matter. Blood divides the people into Reds and Silvers. It enslaves the people with red blood under harsh laws and an endless cycle of poverty. It elevates the people with silver blood flowing through the veins to a noble status and gifts them with power over the elements. Mare Barrow was born with red blood, but an impossible anomaly sweeps the poor thief into the glittering world of the Silvers.
Mare Barrow is a bundle of conflicting emotions. She grew up in a Red village with a large family. She has always been looking out for her friends and family as the conscription date for a war that has taken her brother approaches. With no particular talents, she began a life of thievery to provide for her family and lives under the shadow of her younger sister who found a job. Through an amazing series of events, Mare finds herself parading as a Silver and living among the very people she grew up despising. Too late, she becomes aware of the complex politics and people of the Silvers and soon finds herself entangled in a web of lies, betrayal and rebellion.
Red Queen is a great read. The plot starts off at a moderate pace, to bring you carefully into the world. The plot continues to build suspense and complexity as the story continues. The book draws you into a layered and complex world. The world is sharply divided by blood, and viewing the world from one perspective can never do it justice. Mare’s opportunity allows us the experiences both sides of the world, to feel the anger and hopelessness of the Reds as well as the indifference and quiet rage of the Silvers. Like many books with complex political systems, Red Queen shares many similarities to books like Mistborn, The Hunger Games, and Rook. While Red Queen manages to distinguish itself through a masterful integration of magic and interesting class system, it carries a lot of overused tropes. To make matters worse, the characters are a mixed bag. Some are well crafted, others are bland and forgettable. Most did not receive any form of character development until later in the book and remained one-dimensional for large portions of the story. The book also fails in expanding the world beyond the kingdom. Victoria Aveyard attempts to place the plot as one story in a wider world. Unfortunately, she does not elaborate on the outside world and fails to address big-picture components of the war that takes place during the story. Hopefully, the plot will continue to develop along with the characters in future installments. I give this 383 page book 4 stars.
Red Queen
Blood divides this world in two. Those with red blood are powerless and forced into an endless cycle of poverty. Those with silver blood are blessed with control over the elements allowing them to rise to nobility.