King's Cage (Red Queen #3)

                Hello happy readers!  I previously reviewed the first two books Red Queen and Glass Sword and waited as close to the release of the final book War Storm as possible to finish book three so I wouldn’t have long to wait.  Yep any time waiting was too much.  This author really knows how to sucker punch you with a cliff hanger that’s for sure.  So here are my thoughts on King’sCage (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard, spoilers for the first two books duh.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

                Mare, the Lightning Girl, is a prisoner to the boy king.  She gave herself over to him to save her friends and now she lives each day wondering what new horror she will face above the constant weakness of silence.  Maven has his little red pet but his grip on his country is far from firm as the Scarlet Guard continue to fight on.  It is no longer a right of Red on Silver or Newbloods.  Alliances, blood, abilities, it all forms and turns on itself as the battles grow stronger, leading to all out war!

                Okay first of all the ending of the last one was horrible.  I knew this was supposed to have a bad cliffhanger as well so I held off until close to release of the final book, still knowing didn’t prepare me.  I didn’t think anything could be worse than Shade.  Okay it probably still is the worst but this one breaks your heart in a different way.  It all continues to build upon itself as things grow and grow with the different splinters widening and spreading.  I loved seeing the slow boil inside the court as things began to happen.  Seeing from Mare as she was broken a little more each day was so very hard, because even when she wasn't my favorite and made some questionable decisions there are just some things no one should have to live through.  Okay maybe a few people but not anyone you even remotely like.    

                Speaking of liking characters.  I enjoyed in this that we got some new POV’s including that of someone I never thought I’d enjoy, Evangeline.  Yes we hear from a Silver POV in small parts though the vast majority I still Mare’s story.  This works for many different reasons the first being practicality given Mare is a prisoner and we need a way to see things she’s not privy to both in the castle and the rebellion (Cameron) and secondly it provides a deeper understanding for other character that I personally didn’t like as much.  With Cameron I didn’t want her dead like with Evangeline (seriously book one I just wanted her fried) but more that her attitude grated on me but seeing what she normally kept to herself I grew to enjoy her.  I even grew to understand if not respect in a small way Evangeline which is a miracle in and of itself.  We of course also see more of our other characters on all sides and even get to meet several new ones both on team good and evil. 

               

                All in all the final book comes out tomorrow and I can't wait to dive right in and see where these characters and this war is going to end up.  There are so many wheels spinning I can't wait to see where they end up and who is left standing at the end.  So many possibilities and to be honest I'm not 100% sure which one I want to happen more.  I'm hoping my heart will heal and I won't be broken even more but I don't have high hopes there as I think these books have always shown they can and will be ruthless just like war itself.  So now I just have to buckle up and hold on. 

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Glass Sword

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Out:  2/9

Book 2

From Goodreads:

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling:  she is not the only one of her kind. 

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive kind, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion?  Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

               

Why I’m Waiting:

                I read the first book Red Queen (review) and enjoyed it.  I did really enjoy it and even gave it 5 stars but I do think for some it can be over hyped.  I read it rather soon after release only knowing a bit of the hype and it was what I expected and had a twist thrown in I wasn’t expecting so props for that.  I think it was a good first book and really set up for what I hope will be a wonderful series and after the ending I’m ready to see what happens next!               

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!

Red Queen Fantasy Spy Game

                Hello world.  I am alive and though still on antibiotics, feeling much better.  With the bipolar weather my sinuses got into a hissy fit and caused all sorts of havoc which meant I pretty much slept all the time.  I did some reading to but writing my thoughts down, a bit tricky.  I am coming back at you with another book that came out on Feb 10th, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.  This is a debut novel and wow is it amazing.  And I want to share my thoughts with you. 

               

                I feel I have to mention first off the cover love.  The beautiful and simple crown inverted and dripping blood.  Simple and beautiful and in real life, vs. the pictures, it's even better with a slight raise to it giving it depth and even some shine.  LOVE.  Now if you're not familiar with the books premise then let me fill you in.  The world is pretty much divided into two types, the Reds, the commoners without power, and the Silvers, the elite and powerful who rule with their godlike powers.  It's blood pure and simple.  If you bleed red or if you bleed silver.  Moment to think about that, how cool would the blood look coming out silver though?  Anywho back to the story, we follow Mare, a red girl almost 18, age of mandatory military conscription without other prospect, and their job market is worse than ours.  She likes in a small and improvised area and feels her life will never change, until by some twist of fate she ends up working in the Silver Palace, surrounded by Silvers she can't stand.  Circumstances being what they are Mare ends up discovering she, despite being a Red, has a deadly power all her own.  This is unheard of and anything can go.  Power is ultimate and what happens in the pursuit of power makes one hell of a story.

                This is a fantasy book filled with things to keep you guessing.  Following along-side our street thief Mare as she goes from gloom and hopelessness to playing a game of power in the Silver Palace.  Mare is a likeable character, she has a rough run of things and she has some issues, but I found myself rooting for her.  I wanted things to move forward and see how they would turn out for Mare and the rest of our cast.  I had some theories, no doubt, about what would happen and was still surprised.  She has a depth to her that leads room to grow as the series continues.  She was a bit rash at times, but even as the book progressed she thought about things a bit more in the overall but she never lost that fast reaction attitude that was clearly hers.  Then moving to the Princes Cal and Mavin.  Step brothers, each with their own attributes.  It was clear to see, from Mare the good and bad of both.  How things come across and how they were intended are many times not the same. 

                Red Queen for me was an enthralling fantasy spy game thriller.  You have the different classes, the Reds vs. the Silvers.  But within the Silvers they have their own power structure.  Silvers might be above Reds but they could still be lower rank in the hierarchy.  The overtone of the Segregation and elitism at play between the Reds and Silvers was well done.  I wanted to be in the fight.  But more than class war, we have people with hard core powers.  The powers are wide and vary from controlling metal, fire, healers, and so many more. 

                I really enjoyed the book and the overall story and look forward to reading more.  I do think some areas were a bit vague.  Less development or explanation on some aspects that could shed light on the backstory.  I don’t feel it subtracted from the overall story though, and the way it was done seems purposeful to me, and only intrigues me further.  Like it will be more important to the next book in the story and flow from the stories arch.  I have a ton of theories about what shall happen.  I mentioned previously that while I was theorizing about the book I was also surprised.  There are twists, some I saw coming, others I should have seen coming but I was so shocked by something else I just didn’t see it.  I give Aveyard’s Red Queen a solid 5 Stars.

               

                Spoiler Part:  I have to talk about the end!  So don’t cheat or ruin it for yourself. 

                Speaking of twists.  I didn’t see the ending coming.  Okay that’s a lie, I did.  I expected it from the very start and I just knew he would betray them, I was only undecided on the motivation.  If it was the plan along bread out of resentment and duty or if it was more emotional.  Then as it got so close to the end I started to rethink, maybe I was wrong and that maybe that was the real twist.  I started to let my guard down then BAM!  Just like I imagined.  Dang you.  That played with my emotions.  Also while I was so caught up in the expected yet unexpected twist I didn’t even see the other twist with Shade, I suspected at the very start but then I got so wrapped up I honestly forgot about him.  And Lucas!!!  I was totally expecting something to happen but that just blew me away.  One shock right after another at the end.

                END Spoiler Part! 

                I can’t wait for the next book to come out and let me dive back into the world of the Reds and Silvers.  I want to see what becomes of all of our characters.  I feel some serious stuff about to hit the fan.  I also feel more backstory coming, diving deeper into the war and the society and maybe some romance.  As always please share your thoughts and such below.  I’m working on some more reviews to post soon, finished a couple more series and a couple stand-alones.