It seems like I've actually had a reason to update my blog for the first time in a while... Reading time is difficult to come by nowadays, but I am looking forward to the Thanksgiving break so I can just stay at home and devour books. And especially have some kind of free time. That has been incredibly difficult to come by. With all of the craziness in my regular life, I'm thankful to have a few hours to just sit down and relax.
I still managed to finish this book even though I knew very clearly that I would not have the time to. And I am still managing to write this review and effectively procrastinate.
The cover-
The Reds are average, poverty-stricken people who fend for themselves and work until they die. Their lives consist of securing a menial labor job and fighting off conscription if they are unemployed. The Silver rule over them mercilessly, killing for sport in large arenas where Reds are forced to watch them rip each other to pieces. They are able to wield magic, each house being assigned a different power, from fire to magnetism.
The only thing that separates them is the color of their blood.
Mare Barrow is a regular seventeen year old Red who makes her living pick-pocketing and avoiding the frightening inevitability of conscription. Though she can't see it for herself, she dreams of a life better than the one she is cursed with, where she too will live in luxury and comfort.
That is, until she finds herself serving in a Silver palace, surrounded by the very people who made her and her peoples' lives so difficult.
Mare finds out through unsavory circumstances that she too holds a power and it is one that can disrupt the balance of power that holds the Silver families together. She is dubbed a long lost Silver princess and forced to live an even more torturous life where one misstep can get her killed.
Frustrated with the balance of power in her world, she turns to the insurgent group, Red Dawn and their dreams of finally putting an end to Silver rule. With a foot in both worlds, Mare tries to fight the very system she was forced to accept throughout her life in her world of betrayal and lies where she is pitted in a gladiator fight against her own heart.
My thoughts-
I feel as though the strong point for this book is in its descriptions and in the craftsmanship in setting up the scenery for the story to unfold. I really felt as though I was a part of Mare's world and that I was living through her.
This book literally kept me on the edge the whole time. Even though it was in a fantasy setting, I knew that I could feel the depth and hardship of the Stilts (the poor industrial community that Mare lives in). She did seem right for the role of the defiant kid who wants something more than what they've got. Her character is a little rebellious, mostly kind, a little cautious and very free. The range of characteristics enhances the depth that the story's events add to her character.
I also loved the fantasy elements of the story. The initial description of Mare's powers made me literally shudder as electricity crackled from her hands and wrecked the dining hall. Mare's first visit to the Silver palace with Gisa made it seem so grand and made the Silvers seem so elegant, despite the atrocities they committed against the Reds. Even still, Mare swears by this throughout that whole encounter. That they're too pretty and too strong. It's like the Reds have got nothing to beat them with.
Age Rating: 14+
I wouldn't say that this book is too provocative in any aspect. It is somewhat graphic at times, but that is hardly a reason to not read it. The characters do swear a little, but once again, it is all within the limits that YA novels tend to go by. I still say that it is an excellent read because of some of these factors. It adds the grit and the salt that regular straight talking characters would not have if they talked plainly.
(This book is the first in a trilogy that you should maybe check out if you enjoyed it! Till then, goodbye and happy reading!)
I still managed to finish this book even though I knew very clearly that I would not have the time to. And I am still managing to write this review and effectively procrastinate.
The cover-
The Reds are average, poverty-stricken people who fend for themselves and work until they die. Their lives consist of securing a menial labor job and fighting off conscription if they are unemployed. The Silver rule over them mercilessly, killing for sport in large arenas where Reds are forced to watch them rip each other to pieces. They are able to wield magic, each house being assigned a different power, from fire to magnetism.
The only thing that separates them is the color of their blood.
Mare Barrow is a regular seventeen year old Red who makes her living pick-pocketing and avoiding the frightening inevitability of conscription. Though she can't see it for herself, she dreams of a life better than the one she is cursed with, where she too will live in luxury and comfort.
That is, until she finds herself serving in a Silver palace, surrounded by the very people who made her and her peoples' lives so difficult.
Mare finds out through unsavory circumstances that she too holds a power and it is one that can disrupt the balance of power that holds the Silver families together. She is dubbed a long lost Silver princess and forced to live an even more torturous life where one misstep can get her killed.
Frustrated with the balance of power in her world, she turns to the insurgent group, Red Dawn and their dreams of finally putting an end to Silver rule. With a foot in both worlds, Mare tries to fight the very system she was forced to accept throughout her life in her world of betrayal and lies where she is pitted in a gladiator fight against her own heart.
My thoughts-
I feel as though the strong point for this book is in its descriptions and in the craftsmanship in setting up the scenery for the story to unfold. I really felt as though I was a part of Mare's world and that I was living through her.
This book literally kept me on the edge the whole time. Even though it was in a fantasy setting, I knew that I could feel the depth and hardship of the Stilts (the poor industrial community that Mare lives in). She did seem right for the role of the defiant kid who wants something more than what they've got. Her character is a little rebellious, mostly kind, a little cautious and very free. The range of characteristics enhances the depth that the story's events add to her character.
I also loved the fantasy elements of the story. The initial description of Mare's powers made me literally shudder as electricity crackled from her hands and wrecked the dining hall. Mare's first visit to the Silver palace with Gisa made it seem so grand and made the Silvers seem so elegant, despite the atrocities they committed against the Reds. Even still, Mare swears by this throughout that whole encounter. That they're too pretty and too strong. It's like the Reds have got nothing to beat them with.
Age Rating: 14+
I wouldn't say that this book is too provocative in any aspect. It is somewhat graphic at times, but that is hardly a reason to not read it. The characters do swear a little, but once again, it is all within the limits that YA novels tend to go by. I still say that it is an excellent read because of some of these factors. It adds the grit and the salt that regular straight talking characters would not have if they talked plainly.
(This book is the first in a trilogy that you should maybe check out if you enjoyed it! Till then, goodbye and happy reading!)
