Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard (2015)

YA Fiction | Fantasy
Blurb:

“The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change. 

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?”
–Goodreads

---

pooled ink Review:

It wasn’t entirely unpredictable but it definitely had its moments. What I think it may be is that I kept finding blatantly obvious links to other mainstream books that I’ve read (i.e. Hunger Games, Divergent, Shadow & Bone, …) and although Aveyard definitely took her own twists and turns the similarities made some of her surprises/plot twists sadly predictable. Whenever she deviates from these now mainstream themes however, she’s awesome. Trust yourself Aveyard! You’re talented!

So besides those occasional speed bumps of predictability it was a quick read! Fast paced, action packed with cunning, secrets, betrayal and a dollop of romance. I loved the mix of modern dystopian fiction with sci-fi and even Camelot-esque fantasy. Aveyard succeeded in creating something both familiar and contemporary but also original and gripping. So, sure, perhaps some of the plots twists were a bit predictable, but that didn’t keep the pace of the book from rushing forward and I can’t wait to read what comes next. “Rise, red as the dawn.”

Cheers.

Posted on Goodreads on April 4, 2015

 Purchase here: Red Queen 

Check out the rest of the series: Glass Sword (Red Queen #2)

Similar recommended reads: Lichgates by S.M. Boyce, Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini, The Waking Land by Callie Bates

---

Meet Victoria Aveyard!

I’m a screenwriter/YA author who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.
My book RED QUEEN will be published Winter 2015 from HarperTeen at HarperCollins. I’m repped by the incomparable Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.
The genres I’m into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic – if people are dying, I’m buying.
-Goodreads

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

---