Bookish Mumma

Quite honestly, considering how jovial Victoria Aveyard is on social media, I was not expecting this level of intrigue and deception and to KNOW the weight of it with her words. There wasn’t much physical action in this block of chapters, there was a lot of politics, so there was a lot of foreshadowing and thinking ahead on my part. Personally, I like there to be a balance of action and intrigue and at the moment it’s heavily on the intrigue side which makes sense when you are setting up a story and a world. So here is more of my Red Queen chapter review

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If you’d like to follow along or to fill in the gaps, you can get the book here!

Chapter 7

Gone are the drab clothes he wore last night, used to blend in with the peasants like me. Now he looks every inch a future king, Silver to the bone. To think I trusted him.

In the world of Silvers vs Reds, at least he tried. I’m not saying that it’s the best way, but he got out amongst the peasantry and I like to think it’s because he knew that there was more that he wasn’t being told.

Suddenly, the platform lurches, moving sideways. I can’t help but jump, almost knocking into the servant next to me, as we slide along an unseen track. My heart rises in my throat as I watch the rest of the Spiral Garden spin. Lord Provos is a telky, moving the structure along prebuilt tracks with nothing but the power of his mind.

Even with tracks for these platforms to slide on, the Spiral Garden is a huge arena and this brings questions to me about the limits of the powers that Silvers have. Given that there hasn’t been much mention of or even exposure to limits and weaknesses this early in the story, it makes the ones who do show power, somewhat other in the sense that they don’t seem to be stoppable.

I want to marvel in awe as a creature-controlling animos calls down a thousand doves from the sky. When birds dive headfirst into the lightning shield, bursting in clouds of blood, feathers, and deadly electricity, my awe turns to disgust.

Another display of how deadly the Silvers are, similar to the nymph. This time, it is for sport and entertainment, vying for the role of future Queen. I’d be disgusted too.

Something moves beneath my skin, but it’s not the sparks. I look at my hands, my arms, marvelling at the lightning as it glides over me.

Well that was a shocking turn of events

Chapter 8

“I’d bow, but I might fall over,” I say to Queen Elara, and immediately I wish I could call back the words.

Well, that’s relatable! The amount of times I have said something without thinking because it was funny and immediately regretted it… If I had a dollar for every time, I’d be richer than Bezos!

“And in case you were wondering, the girl you nearly fried is a cousin.”
I almost choke on the air in my lungs, not knowing how to respond. “I’m sorry.” It sounds like a question.
“Be sorry you missed her,” he replies without a hint of jest. “Evangeline is a bitch.”

While Mare is choking on the air in her lungs, I’m over here choking on my coffee! I like this guy, Lucas!

“… All together you are poor rude, immoral, unintelligent, impoverished, bitter, stubborn, and a blight upon your village and my kingdom.”

I wonder if the king has a thesaurus tucked away somewhere because that was impressive!

“You don’t want to make me a lady, much less a princess.”
Tiberias’s face cracks into a grim smile. Like the queen, his teeth are blindingly white. “Oh, but I do, my dear. For the first time in your rudimentary little life, you have a purpose.”

This was interesting because Mare did have a purpose before. She was going to be conscripted to fight his war and then she was a servant. She has always had a purpose. He is so far apart from the intricacies of his kingdom, he doesn’t see her as a person until now. Until she can better serve him, closer to the crown.

“I want my brothers brought home from the war.” For once, I feel like I’ve said something right. “And for my friend, Kilorn Warren. Don’t let the legions take him either.”
Tiberias responds in half a heartbeat. A few Red soldiers mean nothing to him. “Done.”
It sounds less like a pardon and more like a death sentence.

I’m glad that she had the mind to ask for something in return. It is all to easy to be swallowed up in hopelessness.

Chapter 9

Lady Mareena Titanos, born to Lady Nora Nolle Titanos and Lord Ethan Titanos, general of the Iron Legion. Heiress to House Titanos. Mareena Titanos. Titanos.
My new name echoes in my head as the Red maids prepare me for the coming onslaught.

Imagine saying all of that 5 times fast! While it was both forced on her an necessary, it would be so strange to just be given a new name like that and expected to adopt a whole new persona at the drop of a hat.

“Don’t call me that.” The nickname stings more than the fake name I’m still getting used to. Little lightning girl. “That’s what your mother calls me.”
He laughs bitterly. “She’s not my mother. She’s Maven’s, not mine.” Just by the set of his jaw, I know not to press the issue.

Would you look at that, there are cracks in the crown!

Chapter 10

I used to think there was only the divide, Silver and Red, rich and poor, kings and slaves. But there’s much more in between, things I don’t understand, and I’m right there in the middle of it.

Welcome to the wonderful world of political intrigue! Where you won’t get killed straight out, they will try to kill you with their nice words and a knife at your back.

To look powerful is to be powerful.

That is so painfully accurate. People stay in power because they’re either smart or they are intimidating. God help you if they’re both.

“Mareena was a diamond in the rough, working on my own palace, the daughter of my late friend under my nose. But no more. To atone for my ignorance, and to repay her father and her house for their great contributions to the kingdom, I would like to take this moment to announce the joining of House Calore and the resurrected House Titanos.”

Like I said, nice words with a knife at your back! Let’s just ignore the fact that he was threatening her just a couple minutes ago, his words are pretty.

If there was ever a person begging for an elbow to the face, it is Evangeline Samos.

When that happens, I just hope I have popcorn nearby! I’m sure Lucas would be having a ball with that too

They’ve pulled me inside out, swapping Mare for Mareena, a thief for a crown, rags for silk, Red for Silver. This morning I was a servant, tonight I’m a princess. How much more will change? What else will I lose?

Very likely everything unless you can find your way through the intrigue and play it better.

Conclusion

I did say that this one was full of intrigue! I’m loving the webs that Victoria is weaving, though I do have some pacing issues here. While I like that it’s a whirlwind for her, I’m not sure how Mare is expected to adopt a whole new persona so fast to be convincing enough for an entire court of people who have been doing this their entire lives. She’s in a lion’s den with no weapon to defend herself and expected to win. I love an underdog as much as the next person, but even that feels like a lot. Regardless, I hope you have enjoyed another of my Red Queen chapter reviews!

If you’d like to follow along or to fill in the gaps, you can get the book here!