Publisher:
Orion
Release
Date: 12th
February 2015
Edition:
e-proof,
NetGalley review copy
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 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, Silvers hide her away 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.
I have to admit that it was the
fuss of the Epic Reads ladies that led me to this one (again) and though I had
a rocky start with it, I thank you Margo and Aubrey.
At first, the set-up of the
world and the division between the Reds and the Silvers reminded me a little of
The Jewel. The Stilts lies just ten
miles away from the The Palace of the Sun, the summer house of the royals, but
the distance between them is staggering. The power of the Silvers means that
they rule the Reds with an iron fist; the Silvers have everything and the Reds
have nothing. I have to admit that while all of this was being explored and
Mare was setting up the events that would lead her to be imprisoned in the
Palace, I wasn’t too invested. And then Mare did something extraordinary and I was
suddenly hooked.
Within moments of meeting the
King and Queen it’s obvious that they are evil, but the princes, Maven and Cal,
are so difficult to define. I loved the ambiguity of good and evil; the wrestle
between a person’s teachings, their heart and their morals; the shadow of duty.
It’s gloriously indistinct and I loved being on tenterhooks and not knowing who
to trust. And yet a staggering betrayal still punched me in the heart. Now that is plotting and characterisation,
right there! You know what? I’m going to leave it there. Red Queen is too good and I don’t want to ruin a single second of
it.
Red
Queen is a
debut bursting with betrayal, jealousy, love and rebellion and it’s fantastic. YA
fantasy is really on the up at the moment and Victoria Aveyard is going to be
one of the leaders of the pack.
Thanks to Orion and NetGalley
for the review copy.
Sophie
I've heard people say that it's not very original as well, but I love conflicting loyalties and court intrigue, so probably will pick this up anyhow :)
ReplyDeleteI've heard mixed reviews about this one but it sounds like it's worth a go. I love blurred lines between good and evil, it makes it so much more interesting when everything isn't black and white.
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