Well hello everyone.
I am back with my final post about Victoria Aveyard’s book series, “Red Queen”. I say “post” because I didn’t just read the last book, but I also got the three novellas left to read. Don’t worry, I will not discuss those stories too much as they are separate to the main tale that ends with this book, so i hope you’re not too bummed about that.
WARNING: There are some spoilers included in this review, so if you have yet to finish any of the other books–not just this–please skip this post.
Victory comes at a price.
Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.
But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.
War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?
In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.
taken from Goodreads.
I have been on this very long journey with the “Red Queen” series. It started right around the time the book actually came out, everybody was talking about it, and I remember buying it at Walmart and bringing it along when we had sleepovers at my nana’s house. The main reason why I loved this series so much is because I could see everything going on, piece-by-piece, and made me want to become a better writer.
“Strange that she is both the anchor against the storm and the storm itself.”
Mare has always been the main character, but it’s been interesting as the series continued how much Victoria wanted to share the thoughts and feelings of other characters that were just as important as Mare Barrow. When I read “King’s Cage” in the spring, I thought the way of having multiple point of views or POVs, was interesting as it gave you a different perspective; you were given a deeper understanding between the Reds and Silvers.
Here, you get Mare with Evangeline, Iris, Cal and Maven. I thought my shock of Evangeline’s POV in the previous book took me out, not as much with the addition of Cal and Maven. They are essential to this book, I was intrigued with learning what these two kings, half-brothers with their own set of demons would be contribute to overall story, and they certainly didn’t let me down.
“Our gods have no names, no hierarchy. Their blessings are random, their words sparse, their punishments impossible to predict. But they exist in all things. They are felt at all times.”
One of the things, through reading this series is, I keep certain scenes in my head and basically dissect it later on. I’ve done it with all of the books, and each story had scenes that were so detailed in architecture and dialogue, I am able to create a version of my own to help understand what is truly happening within these characters.
None of them compared to my initial reaction of Princess Iris and her mother Queen Centra of the Lakelands, gave a certain character their personal revenge. And this isn’t the big storm, this is just phase one. The scene itself was primal as you have these two nymphs torturing and slowly killing the person. I saw every bit of that scene come to life in my head and it’ll always been one that was difficult to imagine and absolutely terrifying at the same time.
“Lightning has no mercy, I said once. But lightning is only one part of me. It doesn’t rule me.”
I’m still trying to process the book, even as I’m typing this out. The fact I found this book at a really weird moment in my life, and considering how much I disliked the second in the series, I’m really proud of it. I think Victoria came up with a beautiful and modern tale of a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ concept. I found myself hoping for all of the characters, (well, maybe not Maven) and the one that shocked me the most was Evangeline. She really surprised me at the end.
Now, that I’ve finished with the books, it’s only fair I give you a little gift. I have been working hard on my aesthetic playlist for the books, but I won’t be really done with it until I’ve consumed the rest of the novellas. I’m currently waiting a bit at my library. If you think you’re ready, click here to be transported to the Spotify playlist now.
So, have you completed the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard yet? What were your thoughts on it? Did you find yourself rooting for an unexpected character and/or section?
Got Meghan's Blog