Red Queen (Red Queen series, #1)

Rating on Goodreads: 5/5 ★
Rating on Grace and Books: 5/5 ★


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 the 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, the Silvers hide her 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.

What a book. I loved it so much.

The story reminds me of all the dystopian novels I have read, but put together, dumped into a blender, and mixed thoroughly. The premise screamed "The Hunger Games" to me and I got a great, sweeping dose of nostalgia. And that's how I came to pick this up.


Story world

The world of super-powered people versus normal people was the main factor that drew me in. Following that, the plot. (which I'll talk about later.) God, it really took me back to those days when I started reading dystopian YA books, and enjoyed every second of it. Victoria has managed to turn a (admittedly) oversaturated concept into one that's somewhat unique and of her own style. The kind of world that has been written out, while not original, was a little breath of fresh air. Rather than completely relying on the 'hyper technology against poor technology' system, she transforms it into a fantasy setting, with mentions of Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses.

Also, I got Game of Thrones and The Last Airbender-esque vibes when I finished the first few chapters, with the introduction of the various houses within the established Silver royalty, where every Silver house has a power assigned to it. I'd say the references are not that explicit, but then again, neither are they extremely subtle. ;-)

Thirdly, I could see the contrast between the gritty, filthy Stilts (where Mare lives) as well as the seemingly flawless Silver lands she comes to explore, from Victoria's vivid descriptions. It's been a long time since I could actually fluidly hallucinate scenes from written word, until this book. 

However, the only thing I disliked was that the world wasn’t really emphasised on, as all Fantasy books normally do. Third person omniscient POVs would offer lots of chances to do so, but not in this case, since the story is told in the first person POV of Mare Barrow, who is the guiding voice throughout. What this means is that the world wasn’t sufficiently elaborated upon, as it constantly keeps running back to her emotions, thoughts, and actions.

I noticed that a map of the respective lands and kingdoms were not there. (It’s only mentioned within the story, just not preceding the first chapter.) Perhaps by including a map in future books, we can be more familiarised with the locations and general look of the world.



Plot

Once you start reading, you can probably never put it down. 


We follow the journey of a Red commoner, Mare Barrow. Where Reds are seen as powerless and weak, always shoved beneath the super-human Silvers, she isn't what a Red-blood should normally be; instead, she possesses powers that are meant to only belong to that of the Silvers. This then paves the way for Mare's self-discovery, as she navigates her way within the claustrophobia-inducing castle walls and through the dangerous politics of the Silver royalty. All while disguised as the Silver princess Mareena Titanos, and getting involved with a secret rebel group called the Scarlet Guard. 

The fast-paced writing and well thought out twists and turns are what make the story worth its huge hype. It did take me a while to get fully immersed, but the story eventually pulled me in! And OH MY GOD, that ending. I swear, it left me shaken and reeling--and yet, I wanted more, to know what would be the fate of our betrayed heroes. 

As for the romance, it was a little bit cliche, what with the 'love triangle' plot device being used. Because of this, it was not that big of a surprise when I found myself caring more for each individual character, rather than which 'ship' would make it till the end. 
There was, indeed, chemistry between our girl and two guys, Cal and Maven, but her relationship with Cal kind of felt predictable to me, compared to her and Maven's. 

The way the author writes these characters is excellent, nonetheless. She can leave you rooting for them on one page, and then gasping with shock on the next because you were not prepared for that.

So kudos to you, Victoria! I loved this story so much. 


Characters

Mare

I find myself supporting almost all the teenage (lady) protagonists who live in terrible conditions and get a calling to be 'the hero to the oppressed,' even though they may not realise that sooner.

And Mare is no exception. Kick-ass, non-conforming, and (sometimes) a bit too stubborn for her own good. Admittedly, I didn't fall in love with her character right away, perhaps because she had a bit too much of the third element mentioned above. But I still will root for her all the same, because what can I say? I inevitably will grow to treasure characters who are underdogs. 

She, of course, reminded me of The Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen. Maybe it's because of the initially poor living conditions and the way she protects (or tries her hardest to) her existing family members, but I couldn't help but think of how the transition from rags to riches paralleled that of Katniss' to some extent. Regardless, both characters are unique in their own way!

Also, I was (and still am) absolutely stoked by the fact that Mare was revealed to possess powers that go beyond Red and Silver capability--a Newblood. I'd like to see how she puts these specialties to use in the future books! 

Maven

To love or hate him? That question troubles me, even now. I don't even know. :/ 
But what I do know is he and Mare definitely deserve way better than Victoria's ending. While reading about him, I could see so much potential in his character, as well as his relationship with Mare. 

Though I was impressed with the twist and cliffhanger at the end, I was not satisfied either. (And I couldn't help it; my heart broke for him, too.) 
I'd like to know how and why Maven was manipulated in the first place, or whether he'll change in some way. i believe he has the ability to make good use of his position and role in the story as a prince to get rid of the corrupt Silvers, instead of ending up as a puppet, brainwashed by his mother. 

All I can hope is that his character gets a redemption arc. He does not deserve this shitty treatment from his mother. 

Cal

Personally, I did not feel much for him. I thought he fit the stereotype of the generic hero who appears in the early parts of the narrative, for the main character to fall in love with later on. He changes personality too quickly in the story, so much that I'm not sure if I should trust him or not. 

I was fine with him in the first half of the story, but by the end of the second half, I didn't like him as much as before. 

I can only wish for the sequels to make him likeable.

Farley

My favourite character (or side character) of all time! She's everything I could ever look for in a protagonist, and more. She does not take anyone's bullshit, and leads the Scarlet Guard well. She has suffered and got both mental and physical scars, but still chooses to stay strong. If Mare goes under Farley's wing fully in the sequel, I think she'd make a great mentor to Mare. 

I love Farley, and I hope to see more of her soon!

I'll definitely read Glass Sword (Book 2 in the series) soon! Overall, I enjoy the story world and the characters (most of them) are well-written. All I'm hoping for, is that Glass Sword surpasses Red Queen in the quality of writing and plot. 

Read all my other reviews here.