Red Queen

Aveyard, Victoria. Red Queen. Book 1 of the Red Queen series. 2015. 383p. ISBN 9781409151173. Available at FIC AVE on the library shelves.

In a world where red blood is normal and weak, and where silver blood rules, the lives of Reds are cheap, violent and short. At 17, Mare Barrow’s life is already all laid out in front of her. As a Red, she will head out to war through the draft, and either be killed in action, or eventually return home, maimed, to eke out a meager living, while Silvers will lead from behind and enjoy the fruits of riches and leisure. In the meantime, she’s a thief, stealing from other inhabitants of the Stilts, her village. Her three brothers are already at the front, and her father is a survivor of the war but has been crippled by it.

When Kilorn Warren, her best friend loses his job prospects and receives his draft notice, Mare decides she must save him from the war. Accompanying Gisa, her younger sister to her job as a seamstress in the summer capital, she plans on stealing enough money to pay the smugglers’ fees and save him. Unfortunately she is unable to do so for the Scarlet Sun, a Red rebel group, explodes bombs, throwing the entire town into chaos. In the fray, Mare and Gisa make it to the gate, but not before Gisa is caught attempting to steal from a silver, and has her hand broken.

With her sister now out of work, Mare is crestfallen. Kilorn will ship out soon, and her family will continue to struggle. That very night, she steals from Reds coming out of the tavern, only to be caught by a sharp-eyed boy. He gives her a couple pieces of silver, and the next morning an agent of the summer palace comes for her. Worried at first she has finally been caught, she is instead informed that she has been offered a job as a servant. And the boy from yesterday turns out to be the Crown Prince Tiberias Calore, next in line to the throne.

Now in the palace with the Crown Prince, Mare must make a choice. Help the crown, or stand up for the Reds. But as a mix of both Red and Silver abilities, where do Mare’s loyalties lie? A skillful mix of Graceling, the Hunger Games, and the Selection, Red Queen will not disappoint fans of dystopia. For a fantasy take on this theme, take a look at Ash Princess. The story continues in Glass Sword.