Blood is important in Mare’s society. It tells who has the power, and who doesn’t. And Mare’s family, they don’t have the power, or the money or the standing in society. Because their blood is Red. Not Silver. The Silvers have special powers that can make people do things, or even control elements. Mare tries hard to make up for the fact she knows she is a disappointment to her family. After all, she has no special skills. She basically steals things since no one has picked her to be an apprentice. And that means she’ll follow in her three older brothers’ footsteps and head off to war once she turns 18, which is coming up fast. Still, at least her younger sister has a skill and she will be able to save the family, or so Mare hopes.
But when Mare finds out that her best friend, who she thought was safe from heading to war, has lost his apprenticeship, she is desperate to find a way to save him. When a way presents itself, the cost is huge, but Mare still thinks it might be possible. The problem is, she has no idea just how much she will have to pay in the end.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is the first book in a series that is both Fantasy and Science Fiction. Mare is thrown into a world she is unprepared for, yet must find a way to fit in or die. Or perhaps it would just be easier to bring down the entire ruling family? As with most beginnings to series, there are lots of ways the story could go. If you like impossible odds, and lots of twists this would be a good book for you!
Recommended for grades 8 and up.