I LOVE this series. This is the third time I’ve read this book because I’m one of those crazies that when the new book of the series comes out I have to read the whole series from the beginning. And the third installment, King’s Cage, came out this year and I HAD to reread the series. (I’ll do it again in 2018 when the last installment comes out).
Mare Barrow lives in a world broken by more then one thing. It’s broken by poverty, or “glorified slavery” as she puts it, a war that has gone on for over one hundred years stealing loved ones left and right, and it is broken by blood.
The color of your blood dictates how you live in this world. If your blood is silver you have a power that is unimaginable to people in our world as well as comfort and security in your livelihood. If you have red blood then you’re treated as animals and forced to work or die in a war that they had no control over. At least that’s how Mare see’s it.
Until one day, when pickpocketing the wrong person leads her to the palace of King Tiberius Calore and his silver family. That’s where she learns that not everything is black and white (or silver and red in this case) but multiple shades of gray. Where you can love and hate at the same time and power and strength come in the most unusual places. And above all else, “Anyone can betray anyone”.
I know I usually give more spoilers but I love the world Aveyard has created so much. Her characters are so real to me. And I want everyone to love it so please give it a read.
This book ... was a huge breather from other YA dystopian books. There was romance, but such as in Red Queen it wasn’t the driving point of the story. I find that (lately) most female protagonists’ driving force is about being with the guy in the end. While there was obvious romantic tension between Mare and Cal and a little between Mare and Kilorn, it wasn’t the main point. It was merely good seasoning on an already delicious dish.
In the sequel to Red Queen, Mare Barrow has been betrayed. she has left behind, harmed, or led to death all of the people who have been on her side. While she escapes from the new king’s attempt to humiliate and destroy her in front of all of Norta, she has been severely damaged.
I thought that this was an excellent sequel to an astounding first novel. Throughout the book Mare struggles with every decisions she makes and suffers from a reputation that she is not accustomed to having. She can no longer hide as a nobody in the crowd and due to her past experiences she struggles insanely with who to trust. Mare grows a lot throughout the novel as she sheds the Mareena Titanos skin and become someone new; a revolutionary and a leader.
In Red Queen we learning that anyone can betray anyone but in this novel we learn that even your own heart can betray you and becoming a monster is a choice that is to be made and not a fate of everyone.
Also, a little more spoilery for those that are sensitive, can I say that I really appreciated how Aveyard had Mare handle Kilorn’s feelings? There was no “oh I don’t know... I might love him.” and stringing him along. It was very surgical and it happened right away. “You’re like family.” and while of course he was hurt because he deeply cared for Mare for nearly the entirety of their lives he also acknowledges that people can not choose who they love and he can not hold that against her.
