[Review] Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen
Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1

Author: Victoria Aveyard [Instagram | Twitter | Website]

Publisher: HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Fantasy, Science Fiction

Release Date: February 10, 2015

Source: eARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Am I the black sheep? 

I got nervous as Red Queen inched its way up my queue. All of Twitter had been raving and so I started reading. The beginning moved really slow for me, I find this to be common when I read fantasy. I just didn't get it, I didn't understand how the book was going to earn its namesake, Red Queen. Lucky for me I'm not the black sheep and lucky for you (and me) the pacing picks up around the 15-20% mark. 

What's going down...

This is a fantasy/science fiction world where people are divided into two classes, Reds and Silvers. Reds are "normal" and bleed... you guessed it, red. Silvers bleed silver but that's not what makes them "special," they each have an ability that is passed down their family lines. Some can manipulate elements, others can read minds, etc. There's a little inconsistency in the use of the abilities but nothing to raise your nose at. Overall it's a really interesting world that is similar to a lot of other fictional worlds but the characters make up for the similarities setting Red Queen in a class of her own. 

Mare Barrow 

Honestly, the only thing I disliked about Red Queen is this girl's name. I keep reading Bone Marrow instead of her actual name. So I did take quickly to her "royal" name. 

Two Brothers... wait half brothers. One good, one bad...
I know these guys! They're Thor and Loki, I mean, Cal and Maven. One is heir to the throne, handsome, big, a warrior. The other is lanky, smart, and his mother's son. I cannot picture them any other way. I like both brothers for what they bring to the table and their value to the story. Cannot wait to see how they grow and develop after this epic conclusion and leading into book two.

Romance because it has to be covered.
There are a lot of prospects for Miss Barrow here. There's both brothers and Kilgorn, her childhood friend. It's complicated because really there's no time for romantic foolishness. There's hints of it but if you're looking for major swoons... well, they're not really here. It does set up some interesting possibilities for book two.

She said it once, she'll say it again.
The foreshadowing is strong with this one. Mare learns a phrase during her Lessons with Julian and even though she recalls it like clockwork it doesn't really sink in. She trusts too easily. Even as she gets stronger physically her mental toughness wanes through the last pages. Since it's a trilogy I'm looking for book two to round her out with some solid character development.

When -ish hits the fan... literally.
So a lot of stuff goes down, including the electric dome above the arena and there's a major cliffhanger. Thank goodness Victoria gives us a short epilogue to deter major Twitter stalking however it leaves a lot of anticipation for book two. I can't wait!!!!

You will like Red Queen if you enjoy high fantasy, superheroes, mutants, good v. evil... basically if you like reading you should read this. 

4.5 Stars – It's on!!!!!!! Bring me book two, like, yesterday.