Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen has definitely been a hyped-up young adult fantasy book. Published in 2015, this story is set in a world where the people are distinguished and divided by the color of their blood. The ones with the superior blood are called the Silvers, and the commoners are the Reds.

The protagonist of the story, Mare Barrow is a 17-year-old Red blood who despises the Silvers. She slowly discovers that despite being Red blood, she possesses a few unique powers that no Silver can ever take over. Subsequently, she becomes a threat to the structure and balance of power.

The Silvers afraid of her capabilities, give her a new identity as a long-lost Silver princess. She is forced to live in the Silver society and is engaged to a Silver prince so that they could conveniently keep an eye on her. 

In spite of living under the circumstance where one feeble mistake could result in her death, she is determined to secretly help the Scarlet Guard, a group that aims to bring down the Silver Regime.

Mare has entered the game of betrayal and lies.

‘This is Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart…’

Red Queen is a magnificent fictional book that steers the hearts of the reader by perfectly blending twists and surprises with romance. The story straight away makes the reader enter this unequal world of Reds and Silvers and Mare’s struggle to survive with her burning hatred for the Silvers.

Apart from our main character Mare, every other character introduced plays a significant part. The story doesn’t bring in characters that do not have a role and hence eliminates unnecessary information throughout.

Mare, however, being an 18-year-old herself (her powers are recognized when she is 18), can agitate the reader with her dainty bit of indecisiveness and thoughtlessness. However, each action of hers did bring about a consequence that gave a new turn to the story.

Anyhow, the other characters, to an extend, have stereotypical traits with less scope of character complexities that usually enhance the plot of a story. This can slide because the unexpected twists and cliff hangers make up for it and one can not put down this story.

Each chapter leaves ends that need to be tied up and the suspense builds up throughout. The romantic side to the story is however just a subplot, giving importance to the actual brutal world of survival and betrayal.

This book although resembles The Hunger Games and Divergent, has a unique story of its own. The book is great in its genre and deserves the appreciation it has received.

The book compels the reader to continue the series by constantly building the elements of suspense, thrill, and uncertainty. It is one of the best debut books that will certainly keep up to the hype and admiration it received.