Book Review & Deal: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, a Powerful Read

I went to St. Louis, Missouri over the weekend to visit my brother and his wife and their two kids, and I had long layovers going to and coming from, so guess what I did? I read. Three books. One of them was Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I’d heard how good this book was for years, but it had honestly sat on my bookshelf for a good while. I’m super glad I finally took the time to read it, and that I was able to find you a deal on it so that you can read it too!

What is Red Queen About?

From Goodreads:

Mare Barrow’s world is 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.

Who Would Like Red Queen And Why?

Because it deals with monarchical power structures and has magic in it, it’s similar to Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson, Traitorborn by Amy A. Bartol, and its sequel Secondborn. Anyone who liked those books would like Red Queen. I’m definitely seeing a motif in all of these books, one that seems to extend into reality a little bit these days: it’s not good to bestow too much power on one person or group of people, because it’s hard for anyone to handle too much power without becoming greedy or hungry for more, and because that always makes everyone else feel disenfranchised. What do you think?

The writing is crystalline, meaning that it’s clear and multi-faceted and sharp. The emotion is tense throughout without being overwrought. The plot is big and far-reaching but still personal. Trust me, it’s a good read. Also, you’ll probably have the buy the sequel, Glass Sword.

What’s the Deal?

Get Red Queen for $4.66 on ThriftBooks.com.

Visual?

via GIPHY