Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1
Genres: Fantasy | Young Adult
Release Date: 10th February 2015
Publishers: Orion
No. Pages: 320
Source: Review Copy - Orion
Rating: 
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| Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood - those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.
To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion - even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
Initial Feelings
Amanda: Oooooo, I hate to start off this chat in a wild and laid back manner, but I seriously have a lot of feelings about Red Queen, lots of them positive, and simply have no idea how you were not just a smidgen more impressed with it all? I feel like a leper. Very few people seem to like this book like I do..
Stacie: I know you enjoyed it, and I'm really happy you did, but my biggest problem with the story was that it lacked originality and I didn't find much that was unique about it. It reminded me of so many books, better books, that I just felt like I had read the story before. Does that make sense?
Amanda: I think it makes sense.. I've heard a lot of people say that it reminded them of Red Rising, or The Hunger Games, or Throne of Glass, or, some other dystopian or fantasy read, and if I'm honest, I think I can understand and see why people would think that, originality is a tough cookie to bake. I personally couldn't see or feel anything that felt hugely like other books, or like anything I'd read and enjoyed previously, but then again, I didn't particularly enjoy Red Rising, The Hunger Games was good rather than great for me, and it didn't feel all that similar to Throne of Glass.
Stacie: I noticed a lot of similarities, but then again I read the 50 Shades of Gray books an all I could think about was Twilight.
Amanda: Oh.. I've not read either, guess that makes me safe right? I don't know though, Red Queen just felt so much like a 'me' book and I've got to say, I'm beating myself up for ever thinking of not reading this. It's true what they've say, you either love this book, or feel cheated by it. I get the impression you feel cheated?
Stacie: Honestly? Yes, but not the way you think. This should have been a 'me' book, you know my taste, tell me you don't think this book should have been anything less than perfect for me?
Amanda: This should have TOTALLY been a 'you' book, hence it surprised me so much that it wasn't..
Stacie: I felt cheated because no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't stop thinking about the other books. I felt cheated because of the plot holes and some characters not coming across how Aveyard intended. Most of all, I feel cheated because I was so looking forward to this book, only for it to not reach my expectations (Aveyard isn't fully to blame with that..)
Amanda: Ouch.. I guess we best go into more detail pronto.
