Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Amazing. Easily a sweet and salty, but may have just scraped the caramel rank! 

Red Queen is set in a dystopian world, divided by race, (or more specifically, blood)  where the gap between the rich and poor is astronomical. The wealthy are the Silvers, supernatural humans with silver blood, who like to rule the Reds, who are normal, powerless humans. The Silvers' power makes them the ruling force, as their strength and brutality, coupled with their abilities, insure they stay on top. 

The story follows a Red girl, who gets entangled in the politics, battles and danger that surrounds the King and Queen, all due to powers she didn't even know she had. Even though her abilities make her a Silver, her blood runs Red. Which path will she choose? 

If this book grabs your fancy, click the Read More link below. If not, then keep scrolling down! 

The story is set from the viewpoint of Mare Barrow, a Red, who lives with her family in poverty. She makes her money by robbing the people in the town, and manages to cobble together enough coins to keep her family alive, just about. However, her profession isn't official enough to keep her from joining the army, so as the conscription date draws near, she has to find a job, or a way out of the country. 

When a mysterious stranger gives her a job at the palace, she is overjoyed. She is taken from her family to a lodge at the castle, and is instructed to help at the feast. But, whilst watching the performances, she is pushed off the balcony, and tumbles seemingly to her death, into a net made of lightning. She bounces. 

Because of this "incident" she has brought herself right into the heart of Silver politics. The Queen must cover up Mare's powers, and hide Mare from the public eye. After all, how can a Red have Silver abilities? Once she is safely disguised as a long lost Silver niece, Mare must make a big decision. Will she leave her family and friends and become part of the Silver nobility that she despises? Or risk making her and her family face the dangers of disobeying the crown?

I loved this book. It was well written, beautifully developed and containing several significant plot twists. There was one use of bad language (in the form of Bi***), and two very mild kissing scenes, as well as several fighting episodes. It explores themes of Racism and Betrayal. I would really recommend this fabulous book to anyone older than twelve, as a cracking and fast paced read.