REVIEW
THE RED QUEEN
Karen Escareño
The book follows the typical class separation scheme, in this case between "Reds" (normal humans, with red blood) and the "Silvers" (humans with silver blood, with powers, divided by houses, according to them).
It presents Mare as a girl who is sure of herself but who gets carried away a lot by her feelings. But the most surprising thing is that she is not an ordinary Red, is someone special.
By being Red like her family, she is under the “control” of the silvers and is destined for certain conditions, such as joining the army and being sent to war when she turns 18 if she does not have a professional apprenticeship.
Desperate to prevent her family from falling into poverty, she, and her friend Kilorn – one of the most important characters – become involved in criminal activities.
Mare's family is presented as humble, loving, and hard-working. Mare has 3 siblings – Shade, Tramy, and Bree – all of them were sent to war. She lives with her mother, her father, and Gisa – her little sister – as her complete opposite. Mare is more of a disaster and Gisa is the favorite, the perfect one, with a job as maid in the Royal House.
As the book progresses it introduces scenes and characters, such as the mysterious boy (Cal) who helps Mare by giving her some coins in the middle of the night, when she is trying to steal them, and helps her get a job to escape enlistment in the army.
Everything changes when Mare starts working as a maid at The Mansion, the place where the Court and the royal family meet.
In the "Trial of the Queens", where they search for wives for the king's two sons, Cal and Maven, Mare falls into a protective electrical network for which she should have died, however, she discovers that she possesses powers that only the silvers have. From here begins a game of appearance and conspiracy.
We are introduced to King Tiberias and Queen Elara, ruthless and hateful, Crown Prince Cal and his brother Maven. At first, Mare is in love with Maven, although she has feelings for Cal, but as the story progresses, she begins to fall more in love with Cal, without leaving her feelings for Maven behind.
Evangeline Samos, (I have to admit I don't like her that much) belonging to the Court, is also introduced. Also, Julien, Mare's teacher, became one of my favorites from the beginning. He is the one who trains Mare to be able to control her gift while secretly helping the rebels, the Scarlet Guard...
Another important character is Maven, the king's youngest son, to whom Mare is engaged. At first, he is presented as a boy of good intentions, but he turns out to be very different.
And Cal – the king's eldest son – is one of my favorite characters because he did many things for Mare apart from the fact that the book describes him as handsome. Also, despite being the heir to the throne, he is always very compassionate and thinks of others. That's why I was “Team Cal” from the beginning.
Another thing I want to mention is the plot. I liked that it was developed from the beginning and not "by magic" since this way the context of everything is clearer. North—the kingdom where everything happens—is a country at war and is a present element throughout history. The movements and strategies on the part of the Royal House are common during the plot and influence it a lot.
In conclusion, if you like dystopias, where war plays a significant role but is interspersed with supernatural powers, romances, and intrigues, you will like The Red Queen.