The first in a six book series, “Red Queen” is a mix of fascinating dystopian and epic fantasy, written by Victoria Aveyard. Set in a kingdom separated by blood — red and silver — Mare is a powerless commoner, a red blood. Silvers have always been at the top due to their god-like powers, living lives full of riches and glamour. When a freak accident reveals a shocking truth to Mare and those around her, she becomes a huge threat to the silvers: a red blood with powers. From then on, she’s forced to leave her life behind to masquerade as a silver.

Throughout the book things are viewed from Mare’s perspective as she deals with the intense political climate, shaky alliances and the mystery of her power which I found intriguing. In the novel, we see her risk her life to destroy the current system of privilege.

 Similar to many works of fiction, you can find real world issues within the text. Issues that are important to point out, and were displayed perfectly. Social inequality is evident, beginning to the end — with the many advantages silvers are born with besides their powers. There’s also the minor theme of trust, shown in who Mare aligns herself with. Victoria Aveyard did a great job of creating something dark while managing to not over do it.

A few of my favorite things about “Red Queen” are not only how intriguing Mares powers are, but also the abilities of the silvers. With the little bit of information given, I find myself wanting to know more. So far with this first book I’ve learned the source of Mare’s powers and a few power types. The amount of world building so far is also pretty incredible — from the power dynamic between reds and silvers, the thought put into power classification to the history of the kingdom. It’s very pleasing how Mare’s power isn’t the only thing about her and it doesn’t make her invincible. The protagonist makes mistakes, proving she is human. The ending left me very shocked yet also very hopeful for Mare’s situation.  

This book has made me a fan of Victoria Aveyard and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of YA fantasy books.

“Red Queen”: ★★★★☆