Glass Sword was the Odd one of the Red Queen series
Red Queen may appear to be a standard YA dystopian novel with the typical tropes of love triangles, sassy female main characters, sibling rivalry, family drama, funny moments, and a brewing rebellion under an oppressed society.
Glass Sword was a darker turn to the horrors and a less glorious depiction of being a member of a resistance. Regardless of how the rebels fought for justice and freedom, the Silvers would retaliate not just against the rebels but also against any other Reds, causing tension among fellow Reds and reducing rebel sympathizers in the process.
Even characters who join the rebels for noble reasons, for justice, and for their loved ones who never came home, were given such tragic ends. Such as Nix and Ketha.
Nix was a widower who sold crabs in his village. Both his daughters drowned in the river, and the Nortan Army gave nothing back to him, not even their shoes.
Ketha was a schoolteacher, patient, and kind. During her free time, she would teach Kilorn how to read.
Both were victims of the oppressive regime who joined Mare's group in hopes of a better tomorrow, and both died, separated and overwhelmed by the Silver guards in their infiltration of Corros prison.
Their deaths happened offscreen, and their corpses were never found.
Given how uncommon their abilities are, Nix with his impervious skin and Ketha with her deadly gaze, they probably fought. They might have been captured, interrogated, and tortured, but they most definitely suffered.
They may be side characters in the Red Queen series, appearing only in one of the four installments. But their endings always haunt me whenever I look at my books. I think of them more whenever I watch the news—different names, different faces, the desire for justice, and a life cut violently short.
