Review: Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

I must share this fantastic series I just started.  The Red Queen series is a phenomenal world where the lower classes have red blood are looked down and forced to fight in a war that only loses their lives and the distinguishing upper classes have silver blood and all the power. That is until one girl changes it all.  For my full review keep reading after the book blurb.  Be sure to check back later this week for the second book in this series.

Book Blurb:

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart …

Review:

Mare has only ever had a real talent for pick pocketing.  But, as the time draws nearer to her conscription into the war and her best friend’s likely conscription she becomes desperate to change her station and those around her.  When an unlikely meeting with a stranger lands her a job serving the royal family she sees hope.  But her appearance becomes more.  An unexpected ability spills from her.  Something red bloods aren’t supposed to be able to have.  Suddenly, Mare is swept up into intrigue, rebellion and two princes who compete for her heart.  In Mare’s new world will she be able to survive to help those who need her and fight for what she wants? Or will she be swallowed up in so many lies she doesn’t know which way to turn.
This book was phenomenal.  From the first moment in this book I was pulled into a world that was fighting to be more than what it was.  With a character like Mare Barrow you are lead from the poorest of villages to brightest of castles.  Through Mare we see and feel the losses of war, rebellion and betrayal.  Victoria Aveyard has created a world that is both relatable and fantastical.  Her heroin of Mare is not perfect but very flawed.  But its the emotions she feels about her flaws that make her so phenomenal.  In this book, you will find yourself engrossed in a fictional world that has the reader crying, cheering and screaming with each page turn.  If you haven’t picked this book up yet,  believe me when I say you need to.