RED QUEEN BY VICTORIA AVEYARD {review}

Hardcover,  383 pages

Published February 10th 2015 by HarperTeen
Rating: ★★★

Red Queen is a fun, if bog-standard, young adult dystopian novel.

The world is divided into Reds and Silvers. Silvers are silver-blooded and hereditarily superpowered; their powers ranging from the ability to control fire or metal, or burrow into someone's mind and control them, or any other number of powers. Reds have red blood and no powers. They're oppressed, kept poverty-stricken and used as cannon fodder in useless Silver wars.

The world is divided into Reds and Silvers. Silvers are silver-blooded and hereditarily superpowered; their powers ranging from the ability to control fire or metal, or burrow into someone's mind and control them, or any other number of powers. Reds have red blood and no powers. They're oppressed, kept poverty-stricken and used as cannon fodder in useless Silver wars.

Our main character, Mare Barrow, is a Red on the cusp of adulthood, as is her best friend, Kilorn. Kilorn is nearly eighteen when the fisherman he is apprenticed to dies suddenly, leaving Kilorn no choice but to join the military. Thus starts our adventure with Mare, as she will do anything to keep her friend safe. A series of hijinks and situations later and Mare is working as a servant at the royal palace.

She falls into the gladiatorial arena where noble girls are literally fighting it out to become the betrothed of crown prince Cal. However, instead of being electrocuted by the energy field protecting the arena, she survives and is discovered to have the power of electricity, sparking Mare's new nickname: the Lightning Girl. That her blood is red, not silver, is kept a desperate secret and she is affianced to younger prince, Maven, and trained in her new powers.

Like the rest of the book, Mare is a pretty standard YA heroine caught between two brothers; of course, she is drawn to the brother she's not engaged to. Throw in a bit of rebellion and the narrative starts to take shape. It's not until a few twists are revealed at the end that the story really starts. Most of Red Queen feels like slow set-up to the remaining books in the series, trying to flesh out princes Cal and Maven, while always hinting at their potential downfall.

Red Queen was ordinary in almost every way, but enjoyable enough that I will still pick up the second book.