War Storm by 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭 REVIEW

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.

Was it all worth it?

Author 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭

Kindle

Series: 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣

I really enjoyed the ending of this series.

As a whole the series was very dark, what the main characters go through was traumatizing so even though I wished for a HEA I knew it wasn't going to be.

That being said the ending felt like a natural progression of events.

Evangeline's POV was the one I enjoyed the most. She finally stood up for herself and fought for her right to be whoever she wished to be and for who she wanted to be with. As much as I hated her on the first book she became my favorite character by the end of the series.

Mare is a great character too, true to herself and her beliefs, she's willing to make Sacrifices for the greater good. She's been hurt, betrayed, imprisoned but none of that pushed her away of her goal.

Maven I feel sorry for. He never had a chance. Yes he was evil and did awful things, but his mind wasn't his own almost since birth. He could have been a great man or maybe he was part monster from the start. The truth is he never got a chance to figure himself out and when he did it was too late.

Cal is meh, he can't think for himself even if his life depends on it. Unsure to the bone and just going through the motions, doing whatever he's told to do. He kinda smartened up at the end.

I loved the pace of the book, it truly felt like a ticking time bomb, each chapter getting us closer to the final showdown. The battle scenes are amazing I enjoyed them immensely.

I know there's a little novella that gives us a better insight on what happens with Cal and Mare after everything, but it isn't necessary.

I know there's no way those two are going to stay apart too long. They are just going to cleanse, regroup and heal.

Loved this series, it had some ups and downs along the way but as a whole its amazing.

I'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN and my next series, REALM BREAKER, will be out in May 2021.

The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.

Website: https://victoriaaveyard.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriaaveyard

goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/victoria_aveyard

King´s Cage by 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭 REVIEW

In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl's spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

Author 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭
Kindle
Series: 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣

I can't for the life of me do this review without spoilers. So if you haven't read this book, consider yourself warned.
°•🅢🅟🅞🅘🅛🅔🅡🅢•°

I didn't hate this book, it's just that for me, it wasn't as good as the others.

We spend the vast majority of the book with Mare. She's trapped and can't do a thing to escape.

The book is very very slow, mare is always walking somewhere or in her cell either reading our throwing a tantrum or thinking something.

There are some things that happen purely for shock value, like the assassination attempt, nany or that guy that can see the future that appears from maybe like 3 pages to save Mare's life and disappear again.

Mare is interrogated once and then left alone, she isn't tortured. Maven sends her clothes, books to read, etc. Yes she can't go anywhere but it makes for a whole book of her just sitting around doing nothing.

This book has changes in POV and that's what saved it for me.

Once Mare is rescued the book picks up a bit. There's war and family time, training and plotting.

Cal and Mare as a pair do nothing for me and I didn't understand the shock at the end. We've been told from book 1 he was born to be a king, we know he isn't truly a part of the red guard, he hates killing silvers. So what's the point in trying to make us believe he's madly in love through smut. I already knew he would choose to be a king. There was no surprise there.

At least Maven has a motivation he's crazy as hell. But Cal has none.

I loved the battle, that was amazingly choreographed and I'm liking Evangeline very very much. I enjoyed Cameron's POV too.

But that was it. This book was way to slow. Hope the next one is better.

I'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN and my next series, REALM BREAKER, will be out in May 2021.

The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.

Website: https://victoriaaveyard.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriaaveyard

goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/victoria_aveyard

Glass Sword by 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭 REVIEW

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Is the enemy of my enemy always my friend?

Author 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪 𝓐𝓿𝓮𝔂𝓪𝓻𝓭
Kindle
Series: 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣

This book was awesome, it picks off exactly where the last book ended. Cal and Mare barely escaped the arena thanks to the Scarlet Guard. Now they are on the run from a cruel and psychotic king and a manipulative queen.

Glass Sword is action packed, I truly enjoyed the pacing of it. It game breathing room to prepare for what was to come.There's heartbreak, loss and betrayal and some shocking moments.

It feels like a crossover between X-men and the Hunger Games. Mare has changed a lot from the first book. She's not as naive, she's fiercer and stronger but she's also lost herself in the process, She's darker too. She feels there's no one to trust and the weight of it all is crushing her.

Cal is dealing with loss and betrayal he's out of his element and doesn't have a clue how to get afloat. He becomes a crutch of a sort for Mare.

There's a super ultra slow burning romance, completely in the background of the story. This book is a harrowing journey, a solid sequel that takes our characters to dark places while trying to save as many people as the can.

The lines between red and silver get somewhat muddled, pushing Mare to make some brutal decisions.

The ending was somewhat predictable but still beautifully accomplished.

I can't wait to start the next one.

I'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN and my next series, REALM BREAKER, will be out in May 2021.

The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.

Website: https://victoriaaveyard.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriaaveyard

goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/victoria_aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard REVIEW

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.

I'm glad I finally picked this book up.

The Red Queen is perfect mix between Dystopian and fantasy. It feels like a post apocalyptic world, with the red villages and factories and places so destroyed that couldn't possibly sustain life and on the other hand you have the palaces and court it reminds me a bit of the hunger games districts.

Mare it's a naive and not so bright girl from a red village who passes her days pickpocketing to provide for her family until she targets the wrong person and her whole world changes suddenly she's trapped in a game she doesn't now the rules of and her life depends on her wining.

The world building is fantastic, without being overly descriptive I could visualize everything from the Stilts to the palace it played like a movie in my mind.

The characters are amazing and perfectly crafted, so much that I got lost for a bit and couldn't detect friend from foe.

There's romance, intrigue, deception, action, magic. You name it this book has it.

Cal and Maven are amazing, the first has the power but the second is all brains. This Brothers couldn't be more different if they tried.

This is a great start of a series I'll be reading on the next few days, I can't wait to see what happens after that ending. It was shocking and brilliant. I just found another author to stalk and I'm so happy about it.

Victoria Aveyard graduated from USC, where she majored in screenwriting. RED QUEEN is her first novel. She splits her time between Massachusetts and Los Angeles. You can visit her online at www.victoriaaveyard.com.

The Glass Queen by Gena Showalter REVIEW

Dare to enter the Forest of Good and Evil, where strength is weakness and weakness is strength. Don’t miss book two of New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s magical, romantic and fascinating fairy-tale series, in which the fairy tales we know and love are prophecies of the future…

Pitied.

Sickly.

Unfit to rule.

Princess Ashleigh Charmaine is known as the Glass Princess, fragile enough to shatter with a whisper of wind. Born with a weak heart, she dreams of being treated like anyone else. Unlike her headstrong sisters, she received no magical ability at birth and lives every day expecting to die. Until an oracle announces that Ashleigh is fated to play the part of Cinderella, wed a handsome royal and save the Kingdom of Sevon from the evil king and queen who once ruled the land.

As war rages, Ashleigh begins to doubt her role in the fairy-tale prophecy. Animals despise her, she can’t carry a merry tune and she has zero social graces. Worse, the king she’s supposed to enchant is the newly crowned sovereign of the winged warriors known as the Avian…and he despises her, too.

When Ashleigh develops a terrifying magical ability to commune with dragons and create fire from air—a power she cannot control—she must work with King Saxon to save their kingdoms and their lives. By the stroke of midnight, she must warm his icy heart…or forever break her own. Will Ashleigh ever become the queen she’s prophesied to be…or will she lose everything she’s come to love? 

A retelling of Cinderella with a twist.

I really loved the Glass Queen, I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who was who.

Ashleigh is an amazing character, she's a good doer with a backbone of steel. She knows what she wants out of life and is not afraid to fight for it and at the same time she's sweet and caring. She's never had someone to love her other than her mother but she doesn't let her circumstances pull her down.

Saxon is a dark night in shinny armor, he's fierce handsome and can easily take down an opponent with just a rage filled look. He hated Asha as soon as he saw her and is willing to do whatever it takes to save his kindom from a tragic ending.

I really enjoyed this book, I had a deeper insight on the characters that confused me and I was finally able to look at the bigger picture.

I loved that I got to see some of my favorite characters from the evil queen and that even though it wasn't their story they played an important part.

I'm hoping the next book is about Dior and Vikander. I really liked her and I'm hoping to see her grow out of her shell and become as fierce as Ashleigh.

The retelling wasn't as straightforward as the fairy tale, every character has the potential to be anyone, so it was fun to figure out each role.

Sax and Asha as a couple are great I really enjoy the enemies to lovers trope and this was very nicely done. And their "babies" are the cutest things. I can't wait for the next book.

The witch and the Oracle are the weirdest characters ever I still don't know if I like them or not but I'm starting to understand them better. They are pretty interesting, I'll give them that LOL.

I'm falling in love with this series and I'm dying for more.

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of multiple "unputdownable" series in paranormal, contemporary, and young adult romance. Learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com