Estimated Reading Time: 5min

When the bad have the power, the rest are powerless (wink if you know), and a select few are planning to prove the current power structure and system is wrong. This series was brutal, bloody, powerful and political.

Red Queen

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.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Blood
Moderate: War, Torture, Murder
Minor: Suicide, Death of a Parent, Child Death

My Review

I actually really liked this book.
I liked the “super power” element rather than magic, and the separation of Red and Silver is something we can relate to (with various divisions we have in our own world).
I did gloss over the world and surroundings descriptions, but the plot was good. Granted, it was similar to other YA dystopians but if you know what you’re getting into, I don’t see that as a problem.
I liked the characters, but admittedly looked up the spoilers before reading so I didn’t have any shock moments at the various twists and turns.
No graphic sexual content but pretty violent fights and scene depictions. Not really any cuss words either.

Glass Sword

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Child Death, Murder, Fire
Minor: Pregnancy, Panic Attacks, Grief

My Review

A lot darker than the first.
Little to no hope throughout was a theme. Dark emotions, dark choices, refusal to let go and revenge and darkness the guiding force in pretty much all characters.
Powers are interesting, and it makes the fighting great. Just wish the characters were a little more likeable and a little less of a combined whine and bloodthirsty mess.

King’s Cage

Content Warnings

Graphic: War Violence, Death
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual Content, Alcohol, Cursing

My Review

The first half of this book could have been 25 pages instead of 250. It was entirely too long, and I was so close to calling it quits when read 200+ pages of a non plot same old same old. THEN, it started getting good. Honestly, I wish it had reached the halfway point way sooner, because that book would have been amazing. The second half was great but by the time I got there I was almost over the whole thing. It was quite long and the last book is even more so…
The powers are always fun to see play out. Characters were the same, and while some were good, others were tiresome.

War Storm

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Death
Moderate: Grief, Torture, Blood
Minor: Death of a Parent, Kidnapping

My Review

Book 1 was Court Politics
Book 2 was Rebel Politics
Book 3 was Prisoner Politics
Book 4 was War politics

We finally made it to the end (if you don’t count the mish mash follow up of Broken Throne.. which I don’t – at least for now). This was the longest book by far, and the one that was the least interesting for me. Politics of three nations/groups all battling in secret and in the open, with personal stakes and grudges… it was quite dull. Outside of the scenes where people were actually using their abilities, I found myself feeling scenes drag on way too long, and things were quite convoluted.

Real world politics does have run in a similar way from my understanding, but I think this kind of a story is not where my interest lies. Give me the action scenes with way less back and forth and I would have been happier. Having said that, I think it was a true to story and character ending. Drawn out, but oddly satisfying.

Would I Recommend This Book?

Yes, I would. Keep in mind some of the darker themes and content warnings – the first two are DEFINATELY a good read, the second two were debatable for me, but on the whole I really enjoyed the world and the series and Victoria’s writing.

Similar Books You Might Like

If you are thinking what kind of books would have similar feel, themes or content, here is a list that you can consider:

• Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi)
• Divergent (Veronica Roth)
• Legend (Marie Lu)

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See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace