Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

 Red Queen 

By Victoria Aveyard 

Published Year: 2015

Page Count: 383 pages 

Medium Used: Paperback 

Genre : Action, Young Adult, Book Review, Booktok, Fantasy, Magic, Political Intrigue, 2024-read. 

Rating : 3/5 

I, somehow, couldn't build enough interest in this story to make me move it faster. I took well over four days to finish .. dozing off intermittently and picking up when awake. I am surprised that this book has so many ratings on goodreads and majorly positive ones at that. I am a bit disappointed with the world building and the character development. The characters are not what they seem to be. Few of them switch their alliances and true colors in the story. 

Reds are red blooded people who have been living an oppressed life as servants, workers and slaves for centuries. Silvers are silver blooded people who have been their oppressors and extractors of their loyalties with a steel hand. Silvers have special talents with magic like they can manipulate or fight with water, flame, turn invisible, read thoughts, implant their own thoughts into others etc. Cal is the crown prince who is in line to become king after his father. His mother was long dead and some speculate that it is due to the reigning queen, his step mother, Elara. The king and Elara have a son, Maven who is the prince but is second to Cal always in his abilities or favoritism from his father. Enter into this world, a Red thief, Mare Barrow, who is discovered to be possessing of some amazing magical abilities that surpass even the noteworthy Silvers of the court. The royals spin a tale that she is a lost Silver and match her up to Maven to marry. 

We see her romancing Cal sometimes and be united with Maven at others. I think it is safe to say that she is cared for by both the brothers..to a certain extent..in their own ways. One of the brothers turn into a betrayer of the Silvers by joining hands with Mare and her folks from back home who are hedging a rebellion for freedom, liberty and equality with the Silvers. But does he stick to the end? What are his motives behind this maneuver? There are no alliances and strong bonds between people vying for power and this tale enforces that belief. 

I think author was able to create a very good world..of royalty and their slaves who want equality .. but botched it with addition of modern day equipment like cameras, metallic trains etc. She should have stuck to her version of a different and well crafted world. Mare's character is very conflicted. She is forced to leave her family and old life to embrace a new one with the royals. She trusts and repeatedly fails in assessment of people and keeps doing the same mistakes. I didn't understand what the on going war in the Lakelands is about..what are the Reds sacrificing their lives for?