Victoria Aveyard's thrilling debut throws readers into a futuristic fantasy world of clashing countries, segregation and a rebellion that depends on a young thief.
In the country of Norta, at the Feats of First Friday, champions with Silver blood compete against one another using their supernatural abilities to entertain audiences of other Silvers and their servants, the Red bloods. Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red, knows these fights serve as a warning that any act of rebellion will lead to punishment or execution via the Silvers' many abilities--mind control, telekinesis and super strength among them. In the small city of Summerton, Mare is pickpocketing the crowd when a group of insurgents called the Scarlet Guard rise up against the Silvers and bomb a castle in the capital. Mare's attempt to pickpocket a boy named Cal (the crown prince) serendipitously lands her a job as a serving girl at the summertime castle of King Tiberias. Mare discovers that she possesses lightning talents that no Red has exhibited before, which the court covers up by posing her as a long-lost daughter of a Silver war hero and betrothing her to Cal's brother. But if one lie from the king can save her life, another lie may take it.
Class tensions run high in this trilogy's first installment. Even when Mare is aiding the Scarlet Guard, she remains wary of the rebels. A gripping, high-stakes game of power and betrayal, Red Queen is an easy pick for those seeking electrifying action and royal settings with a touch of romance. --Adam Silvera, children's bookseller and reviewer