Fast paced dystopian fantasy

Aveyard, V. (2015). Red queen. New York, NY: HarperTeen. Red Queen is an ambitious first novel by Victoria Aveyard. Set in a dystopian society where the ruling class, the Silvers, have extraordinary superhuman abilities as well as absolute power. The Reds are the commoners who live in poverty, forced to labor for the Silvers. Mother’s sons are conscripted into the army, forced to fight and die in a seemingly unending war between factions in the ruling class. The story’s heroine, Mare Barrow, bears the burden of supporting her family along with her younger sister, who works as a seamstress in the palace, since her brothers have all faced conscription.

Then Mare meets a mysterious stranger and a chain of events is set in motion. She finds herself employed on the palace grounds as a servant, thanks to that mysterious stranger who turns out to be the crown prince. Her arrival at the palace coincides with the arrival of Silver families presenting their eligible daughters to the crown

prince and his family. And during this presentation, Mare discovers that she also possesses a power never seen before, and one unheard of in those with Red blood.

Thus, Mare becomes a pawn in the middle of a royal intrigue. If the truth about Mare’s abilities becomes known, the Reds might rise and usurp the Silver’s rule. As she learns to cultivate her abilities and play the role of a Silver lost to her family, Mare struggles to survive in a world surrounded by those who fear her power and resent her intrusion into their elite society. But as tensions mount, Mare must put her faith in someone, and finds that her trust was sadly misplaced.

I loved this fast-paced fantasy featuring a strong, smart young woman. Mare’s character not very unique among dystopian fantasy, but she is memorable. The plot also feels somewhat contrived, but since this is the first in a series, the hope is that Aveyard develops Mare more fully throughout the series. The strength of the novel is the imaginative setting, context, and fast pace, as well as some interesting peripheral characters, most notably Prince Maven and his mother Queen Elara. I’m very much looking forward to reading the Glass Sword.

#dystopianfantasy #fantasy