Skin colour is something that is God gifted. Yet discrimination still exists in society, and the practice of judging people by their skin tone still remains.
Now imagine a world which is segregated based on something deeper that skin tone, something deeper that runs through your vein — the colour of one’s blood. Red and Silver.
The silvers are the royal ones and the red are the commoners. And the silvers make sure that the reds never forget that. The silvers all possess certain “abilities” that separate them from the reds and they use these abilities to fortify their place high in the pecking order.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is the story of a young girl, Mare Barrow who is only 17 and lives with her family. Her life is plagued by personal issues but at least they were somehow manageable. That was, until in a dramatic turn of events, she is summoned to work for the king. This is where things get interesting and Mare finds she also possesses an “ability” like the silvers. Not only that, her ability appears to be powerful enough to make the king think twice before getting rid of her. Fearing her power and potential, the king decides to keep her close yet hide her in plain sight because she’s a red commoner.
As it often happens in politics, in a carefully concocted lie, Mare is introduced as a silver and she is betrothed to the king’s youngest son, Maeven. However, the young girl has eyes for the older prince, Cal. And inevitably, a love triangle centring the confused young girl begins.
Now residing at the royal palace, Mare gets to see things from the silver point of view and it’s not comforting. She decides to use her newfound place in the court and her ‘ability’ to bring down the regime from the inside. Young and confused with her heart, she failed to see how deep she will have to dive and the price she will have to pay for liberation. It’s going to take all of Mare’s power to fight what is coming and the inevitable betrayal will leave her broken. Can she return and become the Red Queen?
Red Queen is the first book in the Red Queen series and is a good read as an introductory book. The universe-building takes some time but the mechanics and rules of this universe are enchanting and it doesn’t seem tedious. The love triangle and slow burn romance is fun to read and makes one wonder what will happen in the next book.
The protagonist, Mare, is a strong woman who does not back away from challenges. She’s sassy and outspoken but as most people are, she too was confused by love and it keeps the reader guessing. Amongst the other characters, the two princes are well established characters and they are well written with strong lines separating them from each other. There are plenty of other notable characters such as Mare’s mentor Julian and Queen Elara who are noticeably important. But some secondary characters were quite one dimensional, which is justifiable since focusing on every one of them would make this a very long read.
The twists of the book were interesting enough but for careful readers, they were predictable but that’s what makes it an easy read. Could the story be deeper? Yes. Was the plot twist exceptional? No. Are the characters enjoyable? Very much so. Was it fun to read in two sittings? Absolutely.
If you are looking to dive into an easy and fun read and a fandom that might get adapted into a movie and TV show in the coming years, Red Queen is your pick.