The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard
The Red Queen series is a fantasy/dystopian society type of book that is an absolute masterpiece. The series is made up of four books: Red Queen, Glass Sword, King's Cage, and War Storm. I stumbled upon this series by happenstance, it wasn't recommended to me and I didn't really have my sights set on anything that particular day I was browsing Barnes and Noble. When I saw it, I had no idea who the author was (because this was her very first novel - which is so amazing to me because her first novel, let alone her first series, was a total work of art), and I was hesitant to look into it because the whole idea of kings and queens and medieval things and books of the past are not my cup of tea. Now, if you're the same way as me, ignore that voice in your head that's telling you to put the book back on the shelf! Buy it! Read it! Love it!
Here is my overall summary of the entire series: Mare Barrow is an ordinary Red from the stilts, a poor, almost segregated type of community that resides on the muddy banks of a river in the kingdom of Norta. In this world people are divided into two types: Reds and Silvers. Reds are normal people, who have no magical powers or abilities and are forced to work in slave-like conditions to serve the king and queen; who, of course, are Silvers. Silvers, come from high-class families and are treated as such. Each Silver family has their own house and their own special powers. To name a few: House Samos, House Blonos, House Calore (the Royal Family's house) and many more; and with each house, there are special gifts: Greenys, Telkies, Stoneskins, Healers, Cloners, Whispers, Burners, Obliviators, Magnetrons, Shadows, Silks, Eyes, Silencers, Shivers, Swifts, Nymphs, and Banshees. I am going to try my best not to reveal too much information and not give away any spoilers, but basically Mare discovers that she has a power, even though she is Red down to her blood, she has an amazing gift that is unheard of, even by Silvers. Mare, her best friend Kilorn and the Prince of Norta find themselves in a ragtag group of rebels who call themselves The Scarlet Guard and work to overthrow the king and place Cal, the prince of Norta, on the throne to rule as a peaceful king who will not treat Reds unfairly anymore.
This series is so good and so beautifully put together it baffles me. There is romance and action and mystery and pain and a whole lot of betrayal and anything else you could possibly want from a series. Aveyard does amazing work at character development and plot and she explains this whole new world to you without making it too confusing. I sincerely hope you take my advice and check out this series, I don't think you will regret it. If you have read it before, or are currently reading it and want to fangirl or geek out over it, go to my contact page and get ahold of me!
-Syd
