TEST
Glass Sword is the second installment in Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series. Picking up right where book one leaves off, this is a book that will not stand well on its own. It is essential to read Red Queen in order to gain a full understanding of the story. 
Mare Barrow grew up as a Red, one of the country’s common folk. For generations, Reds have served the Silvers, the aristocrats who possess various special abilities. Most of these abilities involve the basic elements of earth, air, fire and water, but there are a few families whose members can do things like controlling metal. Silvers have all the power and they are not known for their kindness toward Mare’s people.
When Mare is shown to have an ability of her own, she is forced to pretend to be a Silver. She lives at court, and is betrothed to Maven, the youngest of the two Crown Princes. She is supposed to learn everything she can about being a Silver, for the royal family is afraid of anyone finding out that people like Mare, Reds who possess the abilities of Silvers, exist.
While at court, Mare discovers the existence of a revolutionary group of Reds calling themselves the Scarlet Guard. Before long, she is working with them, intent upon bringing change to the society in which she has grown up. She wants things to be different for those she loves. Prince Maven soon joins forces with Mare and the Guard, while Cal, the heir to the throne, opposes them, despite the feelings he and Mare seem to have for one another.
Glass Sword opens just after Mare and Cal escape from Maven and the queen. Accused of killing the King, they’re on the run, joined by Mare’s childhood friend Killorn, Captain Diana Farley – one of the leaders of the Scarlet Guard – and Mare’s older brother Shade. All but Cal are committed to bringing about change, but Mare knows they need more help. Five people can’t bring down an empire, after all, even if some of them do possess special abilities. Luckily, Mare knows there are more people like herself. This group, christened the New Bloods, can be the greatest weapons the world has ever seen. All Mare and her group of allies need to do is find them before Maven does.
As she goes about the business of tracking down the New Bloods, Mare is constantly reminded of Maven. Part of her hates him, but another part mourns the loss of the boy she thought him to be. Will her conflicted feelings get in the way of what she knows she must do?
Mare is a compelling heroine who is neither all good nor all bad. She’s lived through some horrendous experiences and they’ve left their mark upon her. She wants to do the right thing for those she loves, but she’s not always certain what that is. She’s a refreshingly human character who shows a lot of growth, something I greatly admire. She’s not the petulant young woman who was held captive by the Silver court – she’s become a strong, capable warrior.
Let’s talk about feelings for a bit. Killorn is obviously carrying a torch for Mare, which I noticed in book one, but she doesn’t seem to reciprocate his feelings. Still, he seems to be holding out hope, although personally, I can’t really see them together, mostly because Mare doesn’t view Killorn as her equal. Instead, she’s constantly trying to protect him and he’s constantly trying to assert his independence and prove himself worthy of her. It doesn’t seem possible for Mare to be happy with him in the long-term. She needs someone as strong as she is.
Is Cal that person? I’m honestly not sure. Mare is definitely attracted to him, and he seems to feel something for her too. However, his loyalties aren’t clear. Sure, he’s working with Mare to find the New Bloods, but he hates the thought of hurting any of his own people. The lives of the Reds don’t seem to matter to him, despite his words to the contrary.
So will Mare claim her HEA? Unfortunately, Ms. Aveyard leaves us hanging, because the end of Glass Sword finds Mare no closer to true love than she was at its beginning. We mustn’t give up hope though. The author has two more books to write, and I’m eager to see what happens as Mare’s story continues.
Unfortunately, however, I didn’t love this book as much as I’d hoped to. The first part dragged quite a bit even though there was quite a lot of action. It’s just that something was missing. I loved the court intrigue shown in book one, and I missed that here. I do understand that Mare’s destiny doesn’t lie solely in Maven’s court, but there was a certain spark missing from the first half of the book. Luckily, I found it in the second half. The motivations of the characters became more complex, and I was glued to my iPad until the book ended. Ms. Aveyard definitely hasn’t lost her touch.
Glass Sword ends on a cliffhanger. If this bothers you, you might want to hold off reading it until more of the series is available. There’s a part of me that wishes I’d done that because now, I have to wait to find out what happens next, and I’m not always the most patient person.
Grade: B-
Book Type: Fantasy Romance|Young Adult
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 20/02/16
Publication Date: 2016/02
I'm Shannon from Michigan. I've been an avid reader all my life. I adore romance, psychological fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and the occasional memoir. I share my home with my life partner, two dogs, and a very feisty feline.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.