Today lets take a final trip to the land of mystical stories and talk about a book that jump started by fascination with reading. I was an avid reader in elementary school, as well as in the beginning of middle school, which is when I read some of the books that I still consider to be very nostalgic today. However, around 8th grade I began branching out to more books and stories that I had never heard of before, and the first of these books was Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.
“The gods rule us still. They have come down from the stars. And they are no longer kind.”
― Red Queen
The story is centered around the protagonist, Mare, who lives in a world where the blood that you’re born with determines the life that you must lead. Everyone is divided into two groups, those with normal, red blood and the nobility who rule with silver blood showing that they were born with a special ability depending on which family line they come from. Those with silver blood rule with a cruel iron fist, in which those with red blood suffer and can barely afford enough to survive. This is on top of the fact that the country has been at war for what seems to be an endless amount of years with a neighboring country, with the silver-blooded nobility drafting those with red blood to fight their battles for them. This all turns upside down however when Mare discovers that she can somehow control lightning in front of the entirety of the silver nobility leading to a whirlwind of political intrigue with the perfect mix of magic.
“In the fairy tales, the poor girl smiles when she becomes a princess. Right now, I don’t know if I’ll ever smile again.”
― Red Queen
While the premise of this book may sound like the typical YA chosen one storyline, where a seemingly normal girl sudden discovers that she is special and faces a whole new life of royalty, war, and even a love triangle most times, this story manages to stand out from the rest. The plot never slows down, it has your attention from the beginning, and it manages to make the political machinations of the world the most interesting part of the story. Every single character within the cruel silver nobility have been raised to lie and manipulate their way into power because you did not survive without it and it is all they have ever been told to care about. Mare navigating this new world was actually an unexpected rollercoaster of a story that leaves you unable to trust anyone, but eager to know what happens next. This book is also fantastic at worldbuilding in which you can vividly picture the world that she lives in and even with the fantasy elements the world felt so real that it felt like you could go there if you wanted to. This book is the first in a completed four book serious and I would highly recommend checking them out if you’re looking for something new to read!
“Rise, red as the dawn.”
― Red Queen
