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#Giveaway Review RED QUEEN by VICTORIA AVEYARD @victoriaaveyard @HarperTeen

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I received this book at no cost from the publisher

#Giveaway Review RED QUEEN by VICTORIA AVEYARD @victoriaaveyard @HarperTeenRed Queen by Victoria Aveyard
ISBN: 978-0062310637
Published by HarperCollins on February 10th 2015
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Love & Romance, Royalty, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Goodreads
five-stars

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

I used my 50 page rule when starting this book and didn’t think it was for me. It just didn’t grab my attention straight off the bat and then I went back to it after a week. What a difference not being sick can make on your reading attitude.

This reminded me a bit of a Game of Thrones type story except that it was much more a YA version crossed with The Selection and The Hunger Games with a bit of Harry Potter’s magic sprinkled through. This basically boils down to an oppressed people being enslaved by a ruling class using magical powers to keep everyone in line. The Reds versus the Silvers based on the color of their blood rather than their skin. Mare Barrow thinks she will be sent to the frontline of war when she turns 18 in a few month, but in a Cinderella like moment, she is plucked from obscurity by the crown prince, Cal.

In a Selection meets the Hunger Games moment, all of the eligible girls show off their deadly skills to impress the prince and be chosen as queen. Until Mare falls from a viewing booth where she is serving one of the elite families. She almost implodes on the arena floor when she is electrocuted and almost takes out the chosen princess and evil bitch, Evangeline with her new-found power of electricity. Quickly, she is noticed by the Queen and betrothed to the second in line to the throne. Nicknamed “little lightening girl”, she learns to control her power and must now decide her own fate.

There is rebellion brewing and Prince Maven, her husband to be, joins up with the rebels to an undecided end. It remains to be seen if this couple will be used to good or evil since they are both a bit naïve. I really enjoyed this first installment and can’t wait to find out where the series takes us. There are strong female characters with an appropriate amount of violence but no real romance yet. Oh, and it ends with a cliffhanger, so be prepared to wait a year for the next installment.

victoria aveyard

About the Author:

‘m a screenwriter/YA author who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

My book RED QUEEN will be published Winter 2015 from HarperTeen at HarperCollins. I’m repped by the incomparable Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.The genres I’m into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic – if people are dying, I’m buying.

 

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Comments

  14. I’m reading Red Rising by Pierce Brown 🙂 Pretty good so far (after you get past the slow beginning)

  15. I’ve just finished Our Dried Voices by Greg Hickey and am now reading The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini.

    I’m glad you picked it back up once you felt better. There are so many mixed reviews that my curiosity is growing for Red Queen!

  18. Yay! I was seeing some blogs that were not leaving favorable reviews…so happy to have seen yours! I read the preview and it sounded soooo good but many have said after that point was when it started going downhill. But “This reminded me a bit of a Game of Thrones type story except that it was much more a YA version crossed with The Selection and The Hunger Games with a bit of Harry Potter’s magic sprinkled through.” …umm…yes please! *happy dance*

    As to what I’m currently reading…well, just finished Water So Deep by Nichole Giles for review (still need to write up the review) and next on my list is Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little. 🙂

  19. I’m currently reading Anomaly by Tonya Kuper. Thanks for the awesome giveaway! Have a great week!

  21. I am currently reading “These Broken Stars” by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner, and it from what I have read so far it is amazing.

  32. Just started Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. So glad I waited until at least 4 of the books are out, so I can binge read.

  39. I am currently reading the second book in the Game of Thrones series, Clash of Kings. I absolutely love the series too! I also finished “The Young Elites” by Marie Lu and it had left me on the edge and waiting for more.

  40. I’m currently reading Alex (Verhœven Trilogy #2) by Pierre Lemaitre. :]
    Thanks so much for the giveaway!

  59. Right now, I am reading A Certain Magical Index. It is good so far, but I also hear the series gets ridiculously complicated though, so I am a bit worried.

  60. I just finished Ignite Me by Mafi and I am starting Cress by Marissa Meyer
    Can’t wait to read Red Queen!

    Thanks for the giveaway 🙂

  65. Red Queen was a good read. A little on the predictable side, but interesting nonetheless. I haven’t read The Selection, so, I didn’t really see, other than what I know about it from the synopsis, how it compared to RQ. Glad you enjoyed this one so much.

    Currently reading: The Turnip Princess…and a few others whose names I’m blanking on right now.

  68. Burned by Karen Marie Moning. I read and loved the entire Selection Series by Kiera Cass and the description of this book seems like it would appeal to a similar audience. Needless to say my curiosity has been piqued. I would love to win this!

You'd have to have, like, a lentil for a soul to hate wiener dogs. ~Zuzana from The Daughter of Smoke & Bones by Laini Taylor