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Review of The Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado

03.27.2023 by Jen Ryland // 6 Comments

If you are a fan of Serial Killer Fiction you do not want to miss this one. It’s a little bit Sherlock, a little bit Clarice Starling, a little bit Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Check out my thoughts in my Review of The Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado

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The Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado

Published in English in the US on March 14, 2023 by Minotaur Books. Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.

Plot Summary for the Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado

Antonia Scott has a gifted forensic mind, an ability to reconstruct crimes and solve baffling murders. But after a personal trauma, she’s refused to continue her work or even leave her apartment.

Jon Gutierrez, a police officer in Bilbao, is disgraced, suspended, and about to face criminal charges. But then he is unexpectedly offered a chance to salvage his career.

He’s approached by a secretive organization that works in the shadows to direct criminal investigations of a highly sensitive nature. All he has to do is succeed where many others have failed: convince a recalcitrant Antonia to come out of her self-imposed retirement, protecting her and helping her investigate a new, terrifying case.

The case is a macabre, ritualistic murder—a teen-aged boy from a wealthy family whose body was found without a drop of blood left in it. But the murder is just the start. A high-ranking executive and daughter of one of the richest men in Spain is kidnapped, a crime which is tied to the previous murder.

Behind them both is a hidden mastermind with even more sinister plans. And the only person with a chance to see the connections, solve the crimes and successfully match wits with the killer before tragedy strikes again…is Antonia Scott.

What Else Has Juan Gómez-Jurado Written?

His work is new to me. He’s a journalist and one of the three most successful contemporary Spanish authors. You can read more about him here.

He has written nine international bestselling novels: God’s Spy, The Moses Expedition, The Traitor’s Emblem, The Legend of the Thief, Scar, and the Red Queen series ( Red Queen , Loba Negra (Black Wolf) and Rey Blanco (White King). He is also the author of the young adult science-fiction series, Alex Colt, Space Cadet.

I love thrillers set in other countries. I’ve watched a lot of European thrillers (like Scandinavian Noir streaming shows and the Polish version of Harlan Coben on Netflix). I’ve also read thrillers and mysteries in translation (like those written by Katrine Engberg , Anne Marie Hancock and Camilla Lackberg ).

I wasn’t familiar with Juan Gómez-Jurado, but I am now a fan.

Like Stieg Larsson, I think Juan Gómez-Jurado is a big thriller fan himself. I suspect he’s read a lot of Serial Killer books. I’ll discuss his influences more in my Spoiler Discussion Post for the Red Queen , but I see hints of Thomas Harris, and maybe a bit of Jeffrey Deaver.

I also see a lot of Sherlock Holmes. Crime-solving pairs, and often odd couple pairs, are a hallmark of mysteries and thrillers: Holmes and Watson, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, Mikael Blomkvist and Lizabeth Salander, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, Nero Wolf and Archie Goodwin.

Antonia seemed especially Holmesian to me . Not only is she half-British, she’s a certified genius who was trained by a super-secret EU Interpol-like agency. She’s also hooked on pills that help her filter outside stimuli so she can focus on her case. Didn’t Holmes have that “seven percent solution ” that he injected himself with?

There were unexpected moments of humor in The Red Queen, which I always appreciate in a thriller. Antonia is a pretty serious person but Jon is a bit more comical and the narration, which is a multi-POV style from the perspective of five characters, also has a few ominisicent jokes.

There were also some good twists. Being a reader of Thomas Harris and Jeffrey Deaver myself, I anticipated a couple of them.

The Red Queen is not a super-graphic book , if you are squeamish. I mean, it’s NOT a cozy by a million miles, but it’s not Karin Slaughter or Thomas Harris level graphic.

The Red Queen had resolution, but is clearly the first book in the series and left some questions unanswered … and me wanting more.

Fortunately, there will be a streaming series on Netflix (more details in my upcoming Spoiler Discussion Post for The Red Queen ) and I’m also hoping that the Black Wolf and the White King are published in the U.S. soon. Or I’ll have to improve my Spanish!

If you love thrillers with crime-fighting duos, if you love the classic cat and mouse game between the serial killer and the detectives, if you are looking for a book that you’ll find hard to put down, I definitely recommend The Red Queen .

If you’ve read it, let me know in comments what you thought! Also check out my list of Mysteries and Thrillers by Hispanic and Latinx Authors!

About Jen Ryland

Over 12 years of book blogging and reviewing, I have read over 1500 books. A fair and honest reviewer who loves book discussions, I'm here to help you find a book you'll love to read AND give you a place to talk about it and ask questions. Find me on Instagram and Pinterest as @jenryland!

I LOVED this book! The characters were dynamic and flawed and yet you root for them. I had such a hard time putting it down. It is exciting to have more of this series to look forward to. The audiobook, narrated by the amazing Scott Brick, had one of the best author interviews at the end as well.

Thanks so much for letting me know. Now I’m tempted to request the audiobook. Not everyone on my Goodreads feed has enjoyed it. I guess books in translation aren’t for everyone, but I thought it was so gripping, funny, and even though I saw one of the twists coming because of another author I’ve read, I really loved it. Will have the spoiler discussion up by the end of the week!

Thanks for this recommendation, Jen! I’ve got it lined up already. Btw, I just finished my first Loreth Anne White book, The Maid’s Diary. 5 stars!

Hi Lori! I’ll check that one out. I’m not familiar with the author.

I do like serial killer fiction so that gives me something to think about.

That sounds like it would be a great book.

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Book Review

• Victoria Aveyard
• Fantasy , Romance , Suspense/Thriller

Readability Age Range

• Harper Teen, a division of Harper Collins Publishers

Year Published

This book has been reviewed by Thriving Family , a marriage and parenting magazine published by Focus on the Family.

Plot Summary

17-year-old Mare Barrow is the fourth of five children born to ordinary Red-blooded parents. Her three older brothers have already been conscripted into the army, pawns in a war started long ago by the ruling, almost immortal, Silver-blooded nobility. Mare knows she will be shipped off to war as soon as she reaches 18, as she has no skills the Silvers deem exceptional. Her younger sister, Gisa, will be able to provide for their parents, as she is a talented seamstress.

When Mare’s best friend, Kilorn, loses his apprenticeship, Mare vows to help him escape the army. Gisa smuggles Mare into a protected city, run by Silvers, in order for Mare to steal the money she needs to pay for Kilorn’s freedom. Before she can act on her plan, however, the city is thrown into chaos as the Silvers learn of a terrorist attack in the capital. The culprits are a group of Reds known as the Scarlet Guard. As Mare and her sister flee the city, Gisa is caught trying to pick the pocket of a Silver in order to get the money Mare needs. Gisa’s hand is crushed as punishment for her crime, thus assuring the future starvation of their family.

Upset at having caused the ruin of her family, Mare goes out for a walk at night. She meets a young man outside a tavern who stops her from stealing from the other patrons, but gives her coins to help her family. Mare tells him all that has happened, expecting nothing but friendly concern in return. In the morning, she is escorted by guard to the royal palace and given a position as a servant. That evening, while serving at a function for the royal family, she discovers the man she spoke with the night before is the crown prince, Cal.

The ruling Silver families have come to the palace to present their daughters for consideration to become his bride, as well as the wife of his younger stepbrother, Prince Maven. The hopeful contenders take turns displaying their superhuman abilities. All Silvers possess some kind of power. Some can manipulate flame; others can control water. Still others can teleport, make things grow, or read minds. When Evangeline, a Silver with the ability to control metal, manipulates the spectators’ boxes so that Mare falls into the arena, everyone expects her to be killed by the electrical currents surrounding it. Instead, Mare takes the energy within her body and uses it to escape Evangeline’s attack. Mare tries to flee the castle, but is stopped by Prince Cal.

Queen Elara, Prince Cal’s stepmother, uses her mind-reading capabilities to search Mare’s memories. When it is discovered that she is only a Red, King Tiberias decides to hide that knowledge from the world. He can’t kill her, as everyone saw her survive and assumes she has Silver blood, but he can’t let it be known she does not, or the commoners will revolt.

Tiberias and his family decide to claim that Mare is the daughter of slain Silver-blooded parents killed in combat. A Red soldier found her and raised her as his own daughter. Now that she has been found, she will wed Prince Maven as a reward for her parents’ sacrifice to the kingdom. Mare agrees to the deception as long as the king brings her brothers home from the war and provides for her family.

Mare must learn how to act like a Silver lady of nobility. She suffers through long hours of protocol training and luncheons with other nobles. The highlight of her training comes from Julian. He is Prince Cal’s uncle, the brother to the first queen. Julian is supposed to teach her history, but he also teaches her how to manipulate her newfound powers. When her powers seem to become too great for her to control, she is brought in to train with other Silver-blood nobility. Evangeline, now Prince Cal’s fiancee, challenges Mare to a duel and wounds her. Before the others can see her red blood, Prince Maven hurries her to a healer they know will keep her secret.

Although betrothed to Prince Maven—the quieter of the two brothers—Mare finds herself drawn to Prince Cal, who arranges for her to secretly visit her family. She learns that her brothers did get released from the army, but that the youngest, Shade, was killed in action before the order came. Mare seeks out the leader of the Scarlet Guard, Farley, in order to declare her allegiance to them. She is surprised to find that Prince Maven, too, wishes to help in the revolution against the ruling class.

Together, they help the Scarlet Guard enter the palace and assassinate three top officials. Unfortunately, several members of the Guard are captured during the fight. Among them are Mare’s friend Kilorn. Mare begs Julian to use his ability to manipulate minds to coerce various palace guards into helping Kilorn and the other Scarlet Guard members to escape. During the attempt, a guard shoots Mare. The blood she spills near the jail will be analyzed. The truth of Mare’s identity will be revealed. Prince Maven vows to protect her.

In light of the rising tensions, King Tiberius and his family return to the capital. Along the way, Mare sees more cities populated by Reds, who have been forced to serve the Silvers as little more than slaves. Mare is forced to give a speech denouncing the Scarlet Guard and extoling the virtues of their Silver-blooded rulers. Farley finds her and takes both Mare and Prince Maven on a tour of the Scarlet Guard’s secret network of tunnels.

The Guard has the ability to travel quickly and undetected throughout much of the land. Mare gives a list of names to Farley—other Reds who have even stronger abilities than the Silvers. Prince Maven convinces Farley and the Scarlet Guard to arrange a coup against the king. He believes that Prince Cal’s affection for Mare will bring his brother and the troops he commands to the rebels’ side.

The rebels blow up a bridge in the center of the city. When Prince Cal and his troops come to investigate, Mare tries to convince him to join the Scarlet Guard and overthrow the current government. Although torn by his feelings for Mare, Prince Cal refuses and has her and Prince Maven arrested.

When they are brought before the king to be tried, Queen Elara uses her powers of mind control to force Prince Cal to kill his father. Mare realizes she has been a pawn in a power struggle between the queen’s family and King Tiberius’ family. Queen Elara and Prince Maven betray Prince Cal and Mare. They testify that Prince Cal willingly killed the king.

Prince Cal and Mare are sent to the arena to be killed. Instead, after a great battle, Mare and Prince Cal manage to overpower, or kill, their attackers. The Scarlet Guard helps the two escape capture by Prince Maven and his guards. Mare falls unconscious.

When Mare awakens, she discovers her brother Shade is not dead. He, too, has abilities and could not be killed by the Silvers. Together with Kilorn and Farley, they vow to find the other mutant Reds before Prince Maven has them killed. The Guard holds Prince Cal prisoner, unwilling to believe he is ready to join their fight against Prince Maven, but Mare knows the truth. She and Prince Cal now have the same goal: to kill the one who betrayed them.

Christian Beliefs

Other belief systems.

Although it is not explained how the Silvers got their power, Mare learned in school that gods and angels once lived in the sky and ruled lovingly over men. She believes they then came down to earth to join them. Silvers are a result of that union.

Authority Roles

Mare’s father was injured in the war and remains an invalid. He hides the little improvement he’s had in his recovery from his wife so she will not cling to false hope. Her parents love her but can’t help but compare her to her younger, more gifted sister, Gisa. Queen Elara is a murderer who manipulates her son to gain the kingdom.

Profanity & Violence

The world Mare lives in is one of war. The Silvers use violence as a means to keep the Reds subjugated. In a tradition called First Friday, Reds and Silvers are required to attend a contest in the village stadium. Two Silver warriors battle to demonstrate their powers. Neither can die, as Silvers have healers present that can restore their bodies. In one battle, a Silver tosses his opponent into a wall. He then pounds him into the ground. His opponent, using mind control, forces him to run himself through with his sword. Silver blood pours from the man’s wounds.

Silvers kill innocent Reds after the Scarlet Guard’s attack. One man is drowned in the street by a Silver who can control water. Gisa’s hand is crushed by a Silver as punishment for her theft. Evangeline uses her ability to control metal to pull apart the stadium where the spectators and her opponents are sitting. She sends pieces of metal rushing toward Mare in an attempt to kill her, but Mare uses her powers to deflect them.

Silvers train by fighting each other in bloody, violent battles. Evangeline again tries to kill Mare during a practice tournament. She sends metal spiders and blades after Mare, eventually cutting her face and drawing blood. The Scarlet Guard sends assassins into the castle where they kill two government officials. An explosion kills others. Farley is tortured by a Silver who turns the water inside her body to ice, causing it to pierce through her skin.

Another Red is run through with a spear. Several guards are killed by Mare and the rebels when she orchestrates their escape. Mare is shot, but a healer seals the wound. Queen Elara uses her mind-control ability to force Prince Cal to run his father through with a sword. Prince Maven sends both Mare and Prince Cal to the arena for treason. They are to be killed by other Silvers. In the arena, attempts are made to drown them, kill them with metal projectiles and choke them. Mare uses her ability to control electricity to electrocute their opponents. She causes another man to be run through with a spear.

Sexual Content

At different times, Mare shares several passionate kisses with Prince Cal and Prince Maven.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at ThrivingFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Parental note

Stealing: Mare is a thief, generally stealing from people’s pockets. She uses the money to buy her family needed credits for electricity and food.

Lying: Mare lies to her parents about where she is going. She agrees to lie about her identity to keep herself and her family alive. Prince Maven lies about caring for her and his stepfamily.

Alcohol: Mare steals coins from drunk patrons leaving a bar. It is intimated that Mare drinks something like champagne.

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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Red Queen (Red Queen, 1) Paperback – June 7, 2016

Purchase options and add-ons.

The #1 New York Times bestselling series!

Red Queen , by #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard, is a sweeping tale of power, intrigue, and betrayal, perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction.

One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Discover more wonders in the world of Red Queen with Broken Throne: A Red Queen Collection, a companion novel with stories from fan favorites and new voices, featuring never-before-seen maps, flags, bonus scenes, journal entries, and much more exclusive content!

Plus don't miss Realm Breaker ! Irresistibly action-packed and full of lethal surprises, this stunning fantasy series from Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times  bestselling author of the Red Queen series, begins where hope is lost and asks: When the heroes have fallen, who will take up the sword?

• Book 1 of 4 Red Queen
• Print length 416 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 8 - 9
• Lexile measure HL740L
• Dimensions 5.31 x 0.94 x 8 inches
• Publisher HarperTeen
• Publication date June 7, 2016
• ISBN-10 006231064X
• ISBN-13 978-0062310644
• See all details

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Editorial reviews.

“A sizzling, imaginative thriller, where romance and revolution collide, where power and justice duel. It’s exhilarating. Compelling. Action-packed. Unputdownable.” — USA Today

“Aveyard weaves a compelling new world of action-packed surprises... inventive, character-driven.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A volatile world with a dynamic heroine.” — Booklist

“Breakneck pace and engaging characters.” — School Library Journal

“ [Aveyard] sets her audience up for a gaspworthy twist that reconfigures nearly every character’s role and leaves Mare with no one to trust but herself... This blend of fantasy and dystopia will be an unexpected and worthy addition to many genre fans’ reading list.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Fascinating world building... Readers will be intrigued by a world that reflects today’s troubling issues concerning ethnic inequality, unfair distribution of wealth, pollution, warfare, political corruption, and the frightening power of the media.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

From the Back Cover

Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with red and those with silver. Mare and her family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural abilities make them nearly gods. Mare steals what she can to help her family survive, but a twist of fate leads her to the royal palace itself where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers an ability she didn’t know she had. Except . . . her blood is Red.

To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, pitting prince against prince and Mare against her own heart.

From debut author Victoria Aveyard comes a lush, vivid fantasy series where loyalty and desire can tear you apart and the only certainty is betrayal.

About the Author

Victoria Aveyard was born and raised in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a small town known only for the worst traffic rotary in the continental United States. She moved to Los Angeles to earn a BFA in screenwriting at the University of Southern California. She currently splits her time between the East and West coasts. As an author and screenwriter, she uses her career as an excuse to read too many books and watch too many movies. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, and you can visit her online at www.victoriaaveyard.com.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperTeen; Reprint edition (June 7, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 006231064X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062310644
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 15+ years, from customers
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL740L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 - 9
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.9 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.94 x 8 inches
• #16 in Teen & Young Adult Historical Romance
• #72 in Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction & Dystopian Romance
• #73 in Teen & Young Adult Dystopian

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About the author

Victoria aveyard.

Victoria Aveyard was born and raised in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a small town known only for the worst traffic rotary in the continental United States. She moved to Los Angeles to earn a BFA in screenwriting at the University of Southern California. As an author and screenwriter, she uses her career as an excuse to read too many books and watch too many movies.

Find out more at www.victoriaaveyard.com or follow her on Instagram @VictoriaAveyard

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Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

By: Author Laura

Posted on Published: 9th July 2020  - Last updated: 12th January 2024

Categories Book Reviews , Books

Wondering if Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is worth the hype? Keep reading for my honest Red Queen review telling you what I thought!

Red Queen Summary

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.

Red Queen Review

Red Queen , one of the most hyped books of 2015, is undoubtedly the newest craze in the world of young adult literature. First published on the 10th February 2015, the first book in the Red Queen series is still making waves on bookstagram and still drawing in new readers and re-readers.

I absolutely hate hyped books and am often afraid to read them in case they fail to live up to expectations. At the same time, I get that niggling feeling telling me I have to check it out in case I miss out on something great. In the case of Red Queen , I regret to say that I missed out on something great.

Victoria Aveyard has created a world in which people are divided by their blood. Reds are seen as commoners and the Silvers rule. The latter are also born with superpowers, thus equality is nonexistent and most believe that it will remain that way forever.

The story centres around Mare, a Red girl who is given the chance to work as a servant in the Silver Palace. But what at first seems like a great opportunity turns into something of a night Mare  (sorry, couldn’t resist).

It turns out that Mare is no ordinary Red. She has powers too, powers that the Silvers are very afraid of and confused about. Mare’s powers threaten to upset the balance of power in the Kingdom as a mutation in her blood has given her the same, if not more powerful, superpowers than the Silvers. Panicked, the Silvers turn her into a long-lost Silver princess, hiding her true heritage, but keeping her where they can see her.

Listen to Red Queen for free with an Audible trial !

Mare soon discovers the Scarlet Guard, a militant resistance group, and secretly joins them in their fight against the Silvers. Without knowing who she can really trust, Mare navigates the dangerous world of the Silvers, desperate to stay alive, but also desperate to bring down the Silver regime.

Red Queen has all the elements of a fantastic story, but what is most impressive about Aveyard’s storytelling is her ability to sustain the reader’s interest and the action throughout the entirety of her novel. You are drawn into the story of Reds and Silvers from the very beginning and plot twists and surprises await you in every chapter.

There are no flat characters in this story and I found myself with strong feelings (whether love or hate) about each and every character, big or small. Although Mare is undoubtedly the protagonist there are countless other very important characters who are all distinct and very well fleshed out. Every character in this story has a role to play and there are no moments when I thought that the author had included superfluous information for the sake of it.

There are elements of romance in this book but it is nowhere near as prominent as I thought it would be. I really liked this as it meant that characters were motivated by their own beliefs and passions, rather than just love. That is not to say that Aveyard doesn’t clearly set up a romance that will no doubt be of greater significance in the future.

There are many threads in Red Queen that remain unresolved at the end of this book but not in a way that you feel that you have been cheated out of a proper ending. Instead, it leaves you hungry for more of this story.

From the get-go this book had me gripped and I was convinced that it was soon to become one of my favourite YA series; however, one hundred pages from the end, disaster struck. Aveyard seemed to be taking the story in a direction that many other YA series have done before.

I was disappointed that she had decided to use a worn-out storyline that I’d read countless times before. I was immediately saddened that so close to the end of this wonderful book, it had let me down, but fast forward another thirty pages and I was even more surprised.

Aveyard ends this book with plot twist after plot twist and despite the fact that not all of these were entirely unforeseeable, they were excellently timed and excellently executed. My faith in both Victoria Aveyard and Red Queen was restored, and I tore my way to the end of this book.

Red Queen presents a completely new world to readers and combines interesting characters, a fast-paced plot and great storytelling. Whilst there are some elements of Red Queen that reminded me of bits from various other young adult fantasy book series , I would still say that this story is unique and has never been told before.

Red Queen does not just set the scene for the rest of this series but it’s also jam-packed with its own action. For people that are afraid to pick this up because of the hype surrounding it, do not fear, because Red Queen will most certainly not disappoint.

The sequel, Glass Sword , was released on February 2016. Check out my Glass Sword review here.

Buy Red Queen: Amazon | Waterstones

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Editor of What’s Hot?

If you liked this Red Queen review, check out these young adult fantasy book reviews: Rebel of the Sands Review Throne of Glass Review Crown of Midnight Review The Cruel Prince Review Books Like Throne of Glass Best YA Fantasy Series Best YA Dystopia Books

[This post was first published in 2016 and updated in 2020]

Friday 9th of July 2021

I read this book and it is one of my favorite books that I read. It is such an interesting book that it shows a great fantasy world. I recommend this trilogy.

Tuesday 16th of February 2016

I'm currently waiting for this from the library, I love this style of book so I can't wait to move on to it.

FlorenceandMary.com

Friday 26th of February 2016

Have you read this yet Victoria? Hope you managed to get it (and the sequel!)

Friday 12th of February 2016

I like the look of this book and would be something I would read. I've been looking for similar books to this so will be purchasing for sure. I read a chapter online when I first commented and was hooked.

Hope you get to finish the book off as the ending is what really gets you!

sounds like a very interesting read indeed I have a pile of 8 books sat waiting to be red but I would look out for this in the future

It's a very exciting story so I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for that sort of book :)

Thursday 21st of January 2016

Sounds very interesting!

S. http://subhamrai.blogspot.com

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - review

‘Unique and amazing’

I was drawn to this book after seeing many people commenting on it on Goodreads and Twitter and decided, after reading the synopsis, that I would give it a read. When purchasing it the women serving me behind the counter told me what I’d heard before – that this book was amazing, but also that it was a mix between The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones which only made me want to read it further.

Red Queen tells the story of Mare Barrow, a 17 year old girl who lives in a world where status depends on the colour of your blood. Those with red blood are commoners yet those with silver are royals who possess special powers. Mare is a Red living in the Stilts with her younger sister, mother and father whilst her brothers are off fighting for the Silvers in the ongoing war. With her best friend Kilorn, Mare spends her days in the Stilts waiting for the day she too must join the war at age 18.

One day she is whisked away to serve for the King. Whilst working Mare discovers that despite her red blood she possesses a Silver ability of her own. The King, who fears her potential, hides her in plain view of everyone betrothing her to his youngest son Maven, however her heart belongs elsewhere with his older brother Cal. Trapped amongst Silvers hiding secrets Mare must use her new position and person to bring down the regime from the inside.

After finishing the book I knew that the women behind the counter had been telling the truth. It was an amazing book and definitely included aspects from both The Hunger Games with its corrupt ruling ‘government’ and rebellious groups as well as Game of Thrones due to having similar characters such as Queen Elara who had the same coldness as Cersei Lannister.

Mare was a great main character as she was sassy yet headstrong and never deviated from her initial goal. Both Maven and Cal, the Princes, had me torn over which I loved more. Maven is the youngest, constantly living in the shadow of Cal who is next in line for the throne and is stronger and more handsome. Within the novel, Mare also experienced the same problem, striking up a love triangle with the two Princes. Now normally I find love triangles agonising and can always tell which boy the girl is going to choose but not this time. Victoria Aveyard, like Cassandra Clare, managed to pull it off perfectly and had a perfect balance of both Cal and Maven.

Overall the storyline of this book was unique and amazing (I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of Princes and Princesses with super powers?). The book was filled with twists and turns throughout, especially the end which felt like a huge slap to the face that despite finishing this book 2 months ago, I’m still recovering from. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone as it is a great read and I can’t wait for the sequel to be released.

Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop

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Red queen: book 1.

• Parents say (15)
• Kids say (149)

Based on 15 parent reviews

A review of the series

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Great book, a bit slow at the beginning…., action fantasy, had me in a chokehold, this book isn't very good., good story, a bit slow, my heart melted. (i don't get affected by books that much), red queen in perspective, it became a chore.

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Word of Mouth

Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, the red queen.

Too many historical novels are like tapestries: detailed, finely wrought and colorful, but essentially static. Things happen to these needlework queens and kings, courtiers and common folk, but they remain lifeless figures. They put me to sleep.

Philippa Gregory’s fiction keeps me up. Her books resemble films, as accurate as any documentary but thrillingly intimate and eventful as well. A rich, consistently engrossing narrative voice is her preeminent tool, and in THE RED QUEEN , as in her other bestsellers, I felt that the protagonist was right in the room with me, whispering confidences --- so close that I could see the perspiration on her upper lip, the cross around her neck, the gold embroidery on her gown.

This is Book Two of the series Gregory calls The Cousins’ War (the original name for the War of the Roses, which pitted Lancaster against York), and the starring role is played by Lady Margaret Beaufort. A Lancastrian descended from Edward III (and thus in line for the English throne), Margaret soon discovers that her family tree will determine her entire future. This pious and intense child doesn’t see why she can’t become Joan of Arc, or a nun (preferably an abbess), or at least marry for love. But to be strategically “wedded and bedded” is her lot. As her mother puts it in a chilly premarital advisory, “You are a girl: girls have no choice.”

As Margaret matures, she doesn’t lose her fanatical faith, but she transfers it from aspirations to a life of prayer to the more worldly vision of her son as king. Since Margaret’s first husband, Edmund Tudor, is also of royal lineage, their offspring could conceivably rule the land as Henry VII…were it not for the many other aristocratic heads that would have to roll before his was crowned.

That doesn’t deter Margaret. In the next couple of decades, she lies, cheats and conspires her way through two more loveless (and childless) marriages, pretending loyalty to the reigning Yorkist monarchs while fomenting rebellion --- first against Edward IV and his wife, the beautiful commoner Elizabeth Woodville (the protagonist of Gregory’s THE WHITE QUEEN and Margaret’s greatest adversary), and then against his successor, Richard III.

Gregory sets up Elizabeth and Margaret like queens in a chess game, and their stratagems couldn’t be more fascinatingly intricate if they’d been invented out of whole cloth rather than based on the historical record. Elizabeth is blond, ravishing, rather greedy, and reputed to be a witch (in THE WHITE QUEEN she conjures male heirs and convenient storms). Margaret is dark, comely enough but no beauty, disciplined and passionately Catholic. Raging against her rival, Margaret calls Elizabeth’s pride, vanity and ambition “sinful,” while her own desires are “godly” and “righteous” (self-deceptive much?). She clings to her self-image as a latter-day Joan, a Machiavelli masquerading as Mother Teresa.

Any reader familiar with Henry VIII knows that Margaret Beaufort went on to forge one of England’s more enduring royal dynasties --- although Henry VII, admittedly, isn’t as famous as his much-married son. Yet THE RED QUEEN still manages to be suspenseful because it hews so closely to Margaret’s point of view (to her, the outcome is in doubt until the very last page). There is a wicked pleasure in tracking her treasonous schemes while her son waits in safe exile on the continent. She even marries for his sake, taking for her third husband the most opportunistic of men: Thomas, Lord Stanley. He agrees to her offer of marriage as if it were a business proposition, which indeed it is.

And a smart one, since the two-faced Lord Stanley turns out to be the key to the novel’s denouement, when Margaret’s son faces Richard III on Bosworth Field. Gregory writes of the battle so grippingly that it unfolds like an action movie, cruel and exciting. It ends, the victor emerges, and I’m left hungry for a sequel. (Actually, the next book will be more of a prequel: It is about Elizabeth Woodville’s Circe-like mother, Jacquetta.)

Elizabeth, Margaret, Jacquetta --- strong women, all. No surprise there, since Gregory’s agenda is clearly to rescue her gender from historical oblivion. As she said in a recent interview, the feminine side of life largely went unreported by the male historians of the time. Those few women who do emerge in contemporary documents are often ridiculed and condemned for their uppity attempts to wield power, even indirectly.

Margaret herself is a victim of the standard chauvinism of the 1400s. Although she’s not a sympathetic personality --- Freud would have had a field day with this obsessive, repressed woman --- the way she was raised would make anyone hard. Virtually raped by her husband at 12, a mother at 13 (“I have to say I am much less impressed by crucifixion now that I am in childbirth. It is really not possible that anything could hurt more than this”) and separated from her baby a year later so she can marry again, Margaret is, she muses, “a parcel --- taken from one place to another, handed from one owner to another, unwrapped and bundled up at will. …”

THE RED QUEEN and THE WHITE QUEEN cover roughly the same period from different perspectives, and any Gregory enthusiast will want to immerse herself in both. Yet Margaret and Elizabeth, while appearing at first to be opposites, are actually more alike than different: intelligent, resourceful, manipulative, driven. In an age that treated women as a combination of servant and broodmare, they refused to be dismissed or defeated. In the modern world, they might have commanded corporations or countries. But I wouldn’t want to meet either one of them in a dark alley.

Reviewed by Kathy Weissman on January 23, 2011

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

• Publication Date: June 7, 2011
• Genres: Fiction , Historical Fiction
• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone
• ISBN-10: 1416563733
• ISBN-13: 9781416563730

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THE RED QUEEN

by Philippa Gregory ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 3, 2010

Gregory once again demonstrates her flair for dramatizing history.

Second in Gregory’s series about the War of the Roses, this time featuring a determined matriarch of the Lancastrian clan.

Margaret Beaufort, a cousin of Henry VI, vows from an early age to be as pious and staunch as Joan of Arc, and to someday be known as “Margaret R.,” for Regina. She spends hours on her knees praying, preferably when others are watching. After a brief, loveless childhood, 12-year-old Margaret is married off to Edmund Tudor, a Welsh earl. Before Margaret gives birth to their son, Edmund is kidnapped by a Yorkist rival and dies of plague. Margaret has high ambitions for her newborn, Henry. However, she will not see him grow up. Once again, noblesse obliges her to get married, this time to Henry Stafford, a cowardly homebody. The Yorkists mount a campaign to put their pretender, Edward, on the throne, and soon he is ruling with his fetching and fecund Queen, Elizabeth, a clairvoyant commoner (eponymous narrator of series opener The White Queen , 2009) reputed to be descended from water sprites. The battles rage on, Henry VI is reinstated and redeposed, and Stafford is killed in the crossfire. Meanwhile, young Henry takes refuge in Brittany with his uncle and guardian, Jasper Tudor. Margaret contracts a marriage of convenience with Lord Stanley, and both ingratiate themselves with King Edward’s court, secretly plotting to restore the Lancastrian dynasty. When Edward dies unexpectedly, his brother Richard III takes power and the rest is history, except not the one familiar from Shakespeare. Richard, though unscrupulous and paranoid, is neither a hunchback nor the murderer of the two young princes in the Tower—that crime, still a mystery today, is all but laid at Margaret’s door. Since we know Henry Tudor will invade and unseat Richard from horse and throne, the outcome is not in doubt: The suspense inheres in wondering whether Margaret’s prodigious hubris will be her downfall.

Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4165-6372-3

Page Count: 448

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010

HISTORICAL FICTION

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THE NIGHTINGALE

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2015

Still, a respectful and absorbing page-turner.

Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II.

In 1995, an elderly unnamed widow is moving into an Oregon nursing home on the urging of her controlling son, Julien, a surgeon. This trajectory is interrupted when she receives an invitation to return to France to attend a ceremony honoring  passeurs : people who aided the escape of others during the war. Cut to spring, 1940: Viann has said goodbye to husband Antoine, who's off to hold the Maginot line against invading Germans. She returns to tending her small farm, Le Jardin, in the Loire Valley, teaching at the local school and coping with daughter Sophie’s adolescent rebellion. Soon, that world is upended: The Germans march into Paris and refugees flee south, overrunning Viann’s land. Her long-estranged younger sister, Isabelle, who has been kicked out of multiple convent schools, is sent to Le Jardin by Julien, their father in Paris, a drunken, decidedly unpaternal Great War veteran. As the depredations increase in the occupied zone—food rationing, systematic looting, and the billeting of a German officer, Capt. Beck, at Le Jardin—Isabelle’s outspokenness is a liability. She joins the Resistance, volunteering for dangerous duty: shepherding downed Allied airmen across the  Pyrenees to Spain. Code-named the Nightingale, Isabelle will rescue many before she's captured. Meanwhile, Viann’s journey from passive to active resistance is less dramatic but no less wrenching. Hannah vividly demonstrates how the Nazis, through starvation, intimidation and barbarity both casual and calculated, demoralized the French, engineering a community collapse that enabled the deportations and deaths of more than 70,000 Jews. Hannah’s proven storytelling skills are ideally suited to depicting such cataclysmic events, but her tendency to sentimentalize undermines the gravitas of this tale.

Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-312-57722-3

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014

HISTORICAL FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

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by Kristin Hannah

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THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ

by Heather Morris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 4, 2018

The writing is merely serviceable, and one can’t help but wish the author had found a way to present her material as...

An unlikely love story set amid the horrors of a Nazi death camp.

Based on real people and events, this debut novel follows Lale Sokolov, a young Slovakian Jew sent to Auschwitz in 1942. There, he assumes the heinous task of tattooing incoming Jewish prisoners with the dehumanizing numbers their SS captors use to identify them. When the Tätowierer, as he is called, meets fellow prisoner Gita Furman, 17, he is immediately smitten. Eventually, the attraction becomes mutual. Lale proves himself an operator, at once cagey and courageous: As the Tätowi erer, he is granted special privileges and manages to smuggle food to starving prisoners. Through female prisoners who catalog the belongings confiscated from fellow inmates, Lale gains access to jewels, which he trades to a pair of local villagers for chocolate, medicine, and other items. Meanwhile, despite overwhelming odds, Lale and Gita are able to meet privately from time to time and become lovers. In 1944, just ahead of the arrival of Russian troops, Lale and Gita separately leave the concentration camp and experience harrowingly close calls. Suffice it to say they both survive. To her credit, the author doesn’t flinch from describing the depravity of the SS in Auschwitz and the unimaginable suffering of their victims—no gauzy evasions here, as in Boy in the Striped Pajamas . She also manages to raise, if not really explore, some trickier issues—the guilt of those Jews, like the tattooist, who survived by doing the Nazis’ bidding, in a sense betraying their fellow Jews; and the complicity of those non-Jews, like the Slovaks in Lale’s hometown, who failed to come to the aid of their beleaguered countrymen.

Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-06-279715-5

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 16, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018

RELIGIOUS FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

More by Heather Morris

by Heather Morris

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The Red Queen

Matt ridley, recommended by, book reviews.

Naval Ravikant: "Everything by Matt Ridley is worth reading."

Neil Strauss recommended 'The Red Queen' on his website.

Book Summary

Referring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass, a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for outwitting its constantly mutating internal predators.

The Red Queen answers dozens of other riddles of human nature and culture -- including why men propose marriage, the method behind our maddening notions of beauty, and the disquieting fact that a woman is more likely to conceive a child by an adulterous lover than by her husband.

Brilliantly written, The Red Queen offers an extraordinary new way of interpreting the human condition and how it has evolved.

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