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Jewels (684 KP) rated Glass Sword in Books

Jun 21, 2018  
Glass Sword
Glass Sword
Victoria Aveyard | 2016 | Young Adult (YA)
7
7.7 (31 Ratings)
Book Rating
Better than the first book in the series. Starts out really slow for the first half, carrying the same pace and tone as Red Queen. The second half of the book picks up pace and becomes a better read. Worth reading to keep up with the story.
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Red Queen in Books

May 25, 2017  
Red Queen
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (64 Ratings)
Book Rating
Futuristic Fantasy
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a futuristic, fantasy novel where society is divided by rich and poor; powerful and weak; elite and commoners; Silver and Red. Those with silver blood have magical abilities which make them believe they are more important than the talentless Reds who are forced to live in dilapidated towns and be sent to their deaths in wars they cannot survive.

Mare Barrow is a Red and knows that her future is doomed. Desperate to escape she confides in a stranger and lands herself a serving position in the Silver palace. Suddenly, however, her world is turned upside down after an accident reveals that, although she has red blood, she has a magical ability too. Instead of killing her as she expected, the king and queen force her to pretend she is a Silver, threatening her family if she steps out of line.

Naturally Mare hates the Silvers and involves herself with the Scarlet Guard – a terrorist group of Red rebels. However a complicated love triangle, and a shocking plot twist, puts Mare in even more danger than she bargained for.

The Cinderella-like idea of Mare coming from a poor background yet finding herself a member of the elite is nothing new. The difference here is that Mare does not want anything to do with the Silvers. She does not trust them and is angry about the way they are treating her family and her people.

Red Queen reminds me slightly of a couple of other young adult novels. It is a mishmash of The Selection by Kiera Cass (the poor become elite) and stories such as The Hunger Games (violence, rich verses poor etc.) Therefore this did not feel like a completely original piece of work. Nevertheless it was still exciting and Mare is such an admirable character.

I recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, dystopia and romance as Red Queen combines all three ideas. It is suitable for teenagers and adults alike, and do not let the word “Queen” make you believe that it is going to be overly girly. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next installment of this series – the ending suggests that there will be a lot more fighting!
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Red Queen in Books

Dec 7, 2018  
Red Queen
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (64 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Red Queen</i> by Victoria Aveyard is a futuristic, fantasy novel where society is divided by rich and poor; powerful and weak; elite and commoners; Silver and Red. Those with silver blood have magical abilities which make them believe they are more important than the talentless Reds who are forced to live in dilapidated towns and be sent to their deaths in wars they cannot survive.

Mare Barrow is a Red and knows that her future is doomed. Desperate to escape she confides in a stranger and lands herself a serving position in the Silver palace. Suddenly, however, her world is turned upside down after an accident reveals that, although she has red blood, she has a magical ability too. Instead of killing her as she expected, the king and queen force her to pretend she is a Silver, threatening her family if she steps out of line.

Naturally Mare hates the Silvers and involves herself with the Scarlet Guard – a terrorist group of Red rebels. However a complicated love triangle, and a shocking plot twist, puts Mare in even more danger than she bargained for.

The <i>Cinderella</i>-like idea of Mare coming from a poor background yet finding herself a member of the elite is nothing new. The difference here is that Mare does not want anything to do with the Silvers. She does not trust them and is angry about the way they are treating her family and her people.

<i>Red Queen </i>reminds me slightly of a couple of other young adult novels. It is a mishmash of <i>The Selection </i>by Kiera Cass (the poor become elite) and stories such as <i>The Hunger Games</i> (violence, rich verses poor etc.) Therefore this did not feel like a completely original piece of work. Nevertheless it was still exciting and Mare is such an admirable character.

I recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, dystopia and romance as<i> Red Queen</i> combines all three ideas. It is suitable for teenagers and adults alike, and do not let the word “<i>Queen</i>” make you believe that it is going to be overly girly. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next installment of this series – the ending suggests that there will be a lot more fighting!
  
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Julie (77 KP) rated Red Queen in Books

Sep 9, 2017  
Red Queen
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
9
8.0 (64 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Red Queen (the first book of the series) had the perfect balance of a dystopian setting with superhuman characters, without seeming outlandish. Mare, a young woman trying to help her family survive, is captivating. She’s strong willed and has a sharp tongue, showcasing her wit. She’s a fun character to read because she’s someone that acts in the moment, and often times finds herself in trouble for it. Her actions and reactions keeps the reader engaged.

You meet two princes, half-brothers, who are very different from each other. They are both likable in their own ways. Mare finds herself being tugged back and forth between the two, which is obviously causing some down low drama." Read the entire review here: https://thenerdybookwormsite.wordpress.com/2017/04/23/red-queen-by-victoria-aveyard/
  
Red Queen
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
10
8.0 (64 Ratings)
Book Rating
Earlier today, I finished listening to the audiobook of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and I absolutely loved it. Amanda Dolan is also an excellent narrator, with a pleasant voice and a perfect pace.
 
Red Queen takes place in the country of Norta, one of many lands where every day people like Mare Barrow (humans, like us) face oppression from the elite. In a story that echoes the fight for equality, readers are carried along for the ride as Mare, whose blood is red, strives to bring equality to her people when a mishap and mutation put her in the lap of good fortune. The Silvers, or the elite, rule the Reds, and though they look much the same as a normal human, their blood is silver and they have special abilities. It is because of these abilities that they hold themselves superior to the far weaker Reds, forcing them into a life of submission and servitude.
 
With her new responsibilities, Mare finds herself caught up in a revolution – one where you can expect betrayal at any point. Aveyard’s characters are written in such a believable way that it is difficult to pinpoint their true natures. In the same manner that one might say beauty is only skin deep, the characters of Red Queen all wear masks – or do they?
 
Many books lose me when there is a lull in the plot. Oftentimes if I feel like I have to force-feed myself several pages, I am far less likely to finish the book. I am also more likely to be lost if the major plot is romance oriented, rather than conflict. While Red Queen does have some elements of romance, there’s never any definite answer as to who gets the girl (I suppose that’s something we’ll see in the later books), and that’s because Mare’s focus is solely on herself, her loved ones, and the cause for which she serves. The main function of the book is to tell the story of the Reds rising up against the Silvers, rather than focus on a forbidden romance, like many of the young adult books I’ve read have done.
 
I can’t wait for it to be my turn with Glass Sword, the second book in the series. Red Queen has also been optioned for a film, so here’s to hoping it’s at least somewhat as good as the book.