Of REDS & Silver
Ever since the end of Harry Potter, I have been searching for a book that would grab a place in my heart like our beloved wizarding world did, and this is it. The book is indeed a refreshing take on a medieval tinged fantasy and it is one of the very few fantasy books that managed to attract my eye.
In Victoria Aveyard's dystopian debut novel, Red Queen, protagonist Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood. Mare's red blood has made her the member of a powerless peasant class, dominated by silver blooded elites. Standing atop the social ladder and equipped with supernatural abilities, the Silvers enslave the Reds all over the land.
Mare Barrow lives a seemingly ordinary rural life: going to school and looking for a job to feed her family and keep herself from being forcibly sent to war. The only friend she has by her side is a fisherman's apprentice named Kilorn. But all that takes a turn when a little twist of fate sends poverty stricken Mare plummeting right into the heart of the Silver palace. With a heavy heart, she leaves her family behind, and with the sudden discovery of magical abilities of her own, Mare questions the Red in her veins, eventually getting entangled in a bloody (pun intended) royal affair.
The story deals with racism in a whole new level. While in reality Blacks were enslaved and discriminated for their skin when everyone is comprised of the same flesh and blood, here people are prejudiced for what is inside their veins rather than the outside colour.
The story is kept flowing with a deadly and scandalous romance, beautifully weaved into the action packed background which has readers yearning for more. It is a perfect blend of adrenaline rushing action and heart wrenching drama. I would say I am satisfied with how it ended, even though the twist at the very end burnt a hole in my heart. I definitely did not see that coming.
Red Queen is a must read for basically everyone out there. Plus the shiny silvery spine will majestically glisten in your bookshelf like that crown you always wanted to put on your head.
The second instalment in the trilogy, Glass Sword, is out now. And to satisfy your needs further, Victoria Aveyard has also penned a couple of novellas illustrating the world before Mare Barrow.
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