Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

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As a part of the official international blog tour for Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen, I’m excited not only to be sharing my review but also a special Q&A with the author herself! But first, here’s what you need to know about RED QUEEN:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Book #1, Red Queen Trilogy
Published by HarperTeen on February 10th 2015
ARC from Publisher
383 pages
Purchase on AmazonFully Booked

Synopsis

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart ...

Books like Red Queen remind me of how a great fantasy world can suck you right in. Seriously, I had such a hard time putting this one down- the story was so compelling. And that’s a tell-tale sign of an amazing read for me.

The blood that runs through Mare Barrow is red, dooming her to a shoddy life where she has to steal to get by. That is until her superhuman powers arise, something only Silvers are supposed to have. Mare then is whisked away into the Silver palace forced to pretend to be one of the elites and engaged to a prince, one of the sons of the king. From there on, the story unfolds into a series of rebellion, deceptions, betrayals, deaths and plot twists.

“Some say those are just stories, but I don’t believe that. The gods rule us still. They have come down from the stars. And they are no longer kind.”

To say that Victoria Aveyard’s world-building is excellent would be an understatement. Really, it was exceptional. I loved how the oppression and politics were so conspicuous, how the story expertly showed the huge divide and difference between Reds and Silvers. I liked how the Red Queen society was presented in a cut-throat and ruthless way.

I think my only setback with this one was that I wanted more character development. I liked Mare and I definitely wanted her to survive and overcome the struggles she faced but I didn’t think much of her as I did what’s going to happen to her or her story for that matter. I also was kind of not as invested in the romance (although I definitely know which team I’m on) but maybe that’s because there was really only a touch of it in the story.

“You better hide that heart of yours. It won’t lead you anywhere you want to go.”

So yes, Red Queen was absolutely plot-driven- but I definitely still highly enjoyed it! It was so fast-paced and action-packed and fierce. The ending, most especially, came on very strong (and bloody!) and had me shouting expletives.

Red Queen is badass. I don’t know how else to describe it. The words intense and fantastic come to mind but I think badass definitely sums this one up. I’d very much recommend Red Queen to lovers of YA Fantasy!

Q & A:

Red Queen question 2

AHHH SO EXCITED FOR BOOK TWO!!! <3 Many thanks to Harper Collins International for having me on the RED QUEEN tour!

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10 Responses

  1. I’ve heard mixed things about this book, either GREAT and OMG but others aren’t liking it. Your review has definitely tipped it on my TBR tho.

  2. AHHH! I am so excited for this book! Detailed fantasy worlds are the best because they provide such an immersive reading experience. I also really love the occasional intense book that leaves me breathless and wanting for more. Eep! I’m so excited for this trilogy!

  3. one of my most anticipated release this year…there has been mixed reviews…i’m glad you enjoyed this one :)

  4. HAHA I’m so glad you loved Red Queen, it’s actually one of my best reads for 2014. I liked Mare for who she is, there’s wasn’t much development like you said, but she sparked my interest from beginning to end. :) I hope you’ll read the sequel!

  5. Ahh sounds great! I’m a very plot-driven type of readers so I might add this one to my TBR :) but maybe I’ll read it after I’m out of my slump…I’m sooo in love with the cover though! Really liking that elegant look ^^

  6. Wow I can’t believe she’s working on book 3 already! I wish I could write that fast haha. I’m glad you enjoyed Red Queen, Hazel! I wish there were more character developments too and not just for Mare’s character, but to the princes and antagonists. I gave this one a 3.5 stars because I already saw the twist coming and the world building resembled a lot of the books I have read in the past.

  7. She’s a fast writer WOW, I loved the concept of Red Queen, unfortunately, the plot fell a little too short for me – although, I did love that ending and Cal! Hopefully it gets better for me in the next installment. Glad your loved it though x

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