Tag Archives: princesses

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

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Red Queen - Aveyard, Victoria - 9780062310644 | HPB

If I had to pick an all time favorite book, it would be Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. The book is set in a futuristic fantasy/dystopian world which is divided between red blood and silver blood. The Silvers are born with powers or abilities, ranging from control over certain elements, to mind-control. Whereas, the Reds are born with no abilities. 

Mare Barrow is nobody, a Red pickpocket who tries her best to provide for her family. However, since she is unemployed she will be forced into conscription for the army at the age of 18. Desperate, she flees into the largest Silver city in hopes of finding work. Meanwhile, the Silver royalty is hosting a competition to find the next future Queen for their oldest prince – Cal Calore. Said competition consists of the most powerful Silver women showing off their powers in order to impress the prince. Suddenly, as Mare is watching the competition she is pushed into the arena by accident, changing her entire life in seconds. What should have killed her, instead left her with the ability to control lightning. Reds did not have powers, only Silvers, or so it had been up until then. 

In an effort to keep Mare hidden, the Queen forces her into an arranged marriage with the second born prince, Maven. Mare then spends months as both a prisoner and an anomaly, training and learning her own powers. Meanwhile, tensions between the Reds and Silvers are rising, a group named the Scarlet Guard is planning a revolution.

In secret, Mare joins the Scarlet Guard, only to be shocked when she notices that the second born prince, her fiancé, is already a part of the Guard. Maven Calore is the shadow of his brother and would rather see the Silver empire fall before his brother takes the throne. Together, they plan a revolution drenched in blood, heartbreak and betrayal. 

Red Queen is an amazing novel and a real show of creative world building. The way in which Aveyard describes the Silver’s abilities is a very detailed magic system unique specifically to the series. Furthermore, the series is a perfect mix of fantasy and dystopian to keep the reader craving to read more. This book also has what I would describe as the best, most painful, plot twist I had ever read. Not wanting to spoil anymore, this is definitely a book I would recommend everyone read. 

-Michelle L.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Book Review: All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

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All the Stars and Teeth is a dark fantasy book set in a world of mermaids, pirates, and princesses. Written by author Adalyn Grace, the book does it’s fair share of dramatics. Where people are gifted with powers allowing for displays of power and entertainment. The world is set in a series of magical islands with each one containing a singular power. In this world, you can master numerous powers, however it will bring death and destruction if you do. To prevent this, there is a long time tradition of picking a power based on your home and only practicing that single power.

At the heart of the kingdom, Visidia, lives Amora Montara, a princess. Who wields the power of soul destroying. She is soon to be the queen but must face a trail. A trial where she will read the souls of 5 people, and determine who is truly evil. If she passes, she shall be queen. If she does not- well, let’s just say it won’t be pretty.

Under a lot of stress, she panics and her powers consume her. Killing a man and melting his body, the people of her kingdom are disgusted and scared at this display. They scream how Amora is a monster and how she must be locked away. Amora is taken to a cell, where she awaits either execution or exile. Until a pirate named Bastian comes offering help, but for a price.

There is a bigger issue besides Amora. Where a man is not only trying to master numerous powers and soul destroying, but has cultivated a mass army to take over Visidia. After realizing the stakes, Amora sets off with Bastian. However this is a book of secrets and many will be uncovered, whether Amora wants to know or not.

Personally, I thought this book was sadly average at best. I think it’s perfect for getting into fantasy and YA. However, there isn’t much to it besides the plot. The romance was good in the middle and I enjoyed the witty banter and suspense. However, I found myself bored and a bit surprised because at the end it felt so rushed over. The plot was wonderfully done, although a little lengthy at some points. The villain was also rarely seen until the end, and was a bit underwhelming despite all the characters “fearing” him. 

It’s a bit confusing with the magical and political fantasy aspects, but I figured it out by the middle of the book. The plot was also extremely well written with twists and turns I kind of expected, but none the less enjoyed. It’s similar to books such as To Kill a Kingdom or Daughter of the Pirate King. I definitely enjoyed the pirate’s character and the side characters were beautifully done. 

Overall this book is a 3.5 out of 5 for me. Whereas it’s perfect for beginners. I definitely think that there are better books with more in depth characters. But, if you need a quick read or are in a reading slump, this is the book for you. Easy characters, heavy plot, and a sly villain make for a simple yet intriguing story.

-Ashley Y.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard

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King’s Cage picks up where Glass Sword left off. Mare is now Maven’s prisoner, and will be for six long, torturous months. Although Maven wasn’t born a monster, and his mother is dead, he continues on his path while at the same time being completely aware of it–and in some ways, even choosing it. Although Elara is gone, Maven still makes his own barbaric decisions in order to keep his power. He alienates his court, and most of the Silvers at court can see that he’s unstable and his reign is weak.

During her imprisonment, Mare learns that Maven harbors feelings for her, but in a twisted way–he’s more or less obsessed with her, continually demonstrating how his mind is still affected by Elara’s manipulation.

The first part of the book was slow–it was basically just Mare’s imprisonment, but it makes the second half of the book make more sense, because it sets up the characters’ growth. We also learn more of Maven’s background and the reason for the Lakelander war (which I thought was kind of obvious, but it was interesting watching the characters’ reactions to the knowledge).

There were also two new points of view: Evangeline and Cam. Regarding Cam, I felt like she was put in to give a contrast to Mare in certain ways, but it was kind of obvious. Evangeline shows a surprising side of her that we haven’t seen before, as we were never able to read from her point of view. I thought it was interesting, and it gave some background into her house and why her parents make the decisions they do.

-Aliya A.

King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded from Overdrive.