eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest reviewRelease Date: February/March 2015
Publisher: Orion
Description:
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.
But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?
My Opinion
Firstly I want to say thanks to Orion for allowing me to read this book so far in advance. I've been holding of reading it for a few months but I finally couldn't wait any longer. Red Queen was an interesting read that was very different to what I was expecting.
Red Queen wasn't what I was expecting because of all the supernatural abilities. It's a while since I read the blurb so I'm not sure if it's mentioned, but they took me be surprise. At first I wasn't sure about them, but they make way for an action packed final few chapters and for some great high intensity moments. While they aren't that different, I did like the slight twists and I also felt the elemental powers reflected the characters' personalities well.
It was the revolution element that intrigued me with this read. The Red and Silvers reminded me of Russia, and because I'm a bit of a history nerd, it sounded like it would make for an interesting plot. I felt the setting had a mixture of modern and old that worked well together. It was like the book was set back in time but aspects also seemed too advanced so while it's a weird combination, I've seen it done before with great success and it worked here; especially with the primitive methods of execution and how the royals deal with threats. I will admit that certain scenes did feel rehashed and taken from other big fantasy books, so it wasn't all that original, but it was still interesting.
I'm not too sure about the characters still. I liked Mare and she did grow on me, but I felt she was stupid and trusted too easily. I found the romance really unbelievable but predictable, as I mean how can it develop that quickly when it's literally forced? However, I thought she was in things for the right reasons, had strong morals, and stood by what she believed. I can't say the same for the princes, and I found the way their stories played out a little predictable, but they were still interesting to follow.
If there's one thing that let this book down for me, it's the back story. I never fully felt I understood what and where the Silvers come from or are. They have silver blood and powers so are they a supernatural being, superhuman, or some kind of alien? I never felt this side was developed or what created the divide in the first place. I didn't understand why there was a war (not revolutionary one), and I felt this plot strand was lost more and more as the book went on. It's the only real criticism I have for this read, except there were a few slow points, and I feel the back story and world building on this side of things needed more development and explanation.
Overall though Red Queen was an interesting read and I'll definitely be looking out for more, which is going to be so far away because I got such an early copy ...
Firstly I want to say thanks to Orion for allowing me to read this book so far in advance. I've been holding of reading it for a few months but I finally couldn't wait any longer. Red Queen was an interesting read that was very different to what I was expecting.
Red Queen wasn't what I was expecting because of all the supernatural abilities. It's a while since I read the blurb so I'm not sure if it's mentioned, but they took me be surprise. At first I wasn't sure about them, but they make way for an action packed final few chapters and for some great high intensity moments. While they aren't that different, I did like the slight twists and I also felt the elemental powers reflected the characters' personalities well.
It was the revolution element that intrigued me with this read. The Red and Silvers reminded me of Russia, and because I'm a bit of a history nerd, it sounded like it would make for an interesting plot. I felt the setting had a mixture of modern and old that worked well together. It was like the book was set back in time but aspects also seemed too advanced so while it's a weird combination, I've seen it done before with great success and it worked here; especially with the primitive methods of execution and how the royals deal with threats. I will admit that certain scenes did feel rehashed and taken from other big fantasy books, so it wasn't all that original, but it was still interesting.
I'm not too sure about the characters still. I liked Mare and she did grow on me, but I felt she was stupid and trusted too easily. I found the romance really unbelievable but predictable, as I mean how can it develop that quickly when it's literally forced? However, I thought she was in things for the right reasons, had strong morals, and stood by what she believed. I can't say the same for the princes, and I found the way their stories played out a little predictable, but they were still interesting to follow.
If there's one thing that let this book down for me, it's the back story. I never fully felt I understood what and where the Silvers come from or are. They have silver blood and powers so are they a supernatural being, superhuman, or some kind of alien? I never felt this side was developed or what created the divide in the first place. I didn't understand why there was a war (not revolutionary one), and I felt this plot strand was lost more and more as the book went on. It's the only real criticism I have for this read, except there were a few slow points, and I feel the back story and world building on this side of things needed more development and explanation.
Overall though Red Queen was an interesting read and I'll definitely be looking out for more, which is going to be so far away because I got such an early copy ...
4
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