Red Queen, the debut novel by Victoria Aveyard, is an exciting YA fantasy that came out in February 2015. It was one of the biggest YA hits this year, becoming an instant New York Times Bestseller. Elizabeth Banks is already in talks to direct the movie!
It’s about a dystopian society where a poor, starving girl is brought to the big, fancy city and is forced to participate in a society she doesn’t understand, where she must fight in a series of games. She’s caught between an old, loyal friend who is attracted to her and a new love that she meets, who she must cling to for self-protection. Sound familiar? With the plot having some remarkable similarities to other novels you might have read, you won’t be surprised to learn that Red Queen has made a killing this year! What can I say? The formula works!
I bought Red Queen when it hit the shelves, partially because of the awesome cover, but also because I’d heard so much hype. I read it as part of my 50 Books Challenge and found it very readable and fun, though I often found myself picking out pieces of other popular YA novels, like The Selection and, of course, The Hunger Games.
What I will say for this book, as an individual, is that it has really cool, unique magic. Awesome magic always gets me to read a series, even if the plot is a little basic. The premise is that the wealthy elite have silver blood, and the poor have red blood. The silver-blooded elite have supernatural abilities in varying forms, while the red-blooded poor have none. When Mare is discovered as having both magical powers and red blood, she is forced to join the silver-blooded society and live under the tyrannical control of the evil Queen, who passes her off as a long-lost silver blood. She plans to marry Mare off to her son to keep the whole situation quiet. Mare finds herself in between the two princes, Cal and Maven, not knowing who to rely on or who to trust, as she works to assist the rebellion of the Scarlet Guard from inside the silver-blooded society.
The Pros:
– Unique system of magic that is very interesting and fun!
– Enjoyable, quick read. I read it in a day!
The Cons:
– The plot has a lot of similarities to other popular YA novels.
The final verdict: An enjoyable and easy read, but don’t expect too much from the story.
Cameryn Frost 
Loved this review. I really want to read this book! x
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Agreed! The magic system and its associated societal hierarchies were interesting and intriguing. I get weary of the “she must choose one boy to love” plot, even if the choice is ultimately rejected. Here, it’s much more interesting to see how different characters play the main character in their own ways.
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