An Electric Series!

No better way to end the year than with a series BANG!

Victoria Aveyard's "Red Queen" series has been calling my bookshelves home for quiet some time and I

finally decided to dive in and take a peek. I can honestly say, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

Readers are introduced to Mare Barrow -- a teenage girl surviving in the throws of a small town

by utilizing the talents of a well-worn thief. Between smuggling and selling items, Mare takes a lead

role in making sure her family survives in the small town by whatever means necessary. She gets

by in her day-to-day tactics with an accompaniment of her dear friend, Kilorn. Both of the teens are

surviving in the best ways they can while avoiding conscription--going off to the front lines of a never

ending war between kingdoms--something far greater than their lives in which they're merely

moving through one day at a time. Until Mare meets a mysterious man one night and everything changes.

Through twists of fate, Mare ends up in the one place she'd never thought to be--the high city in which the

royal family resides. Working alongside her sister, Gisa, Mare is literally thrown into the world of royals

when she stumbles into a pit where women are pining for latest royal majesty's hand in marriage.

Instead of facing sudden death, Mare displays a source of power she had no clue of possessing--

a lightning strike so powerful it had only one source of production, from herself and her alone.

This untimely display of unknown power couldn't have come at a better time-- it initially saved Mare's

life-- she just hadn't known at the time what would become of her life once more.

This series revolves around those born of either Silver or Red blood. Those of Silver bloodlines are gifted

with unnatural powers, either welding control over standard elements or stretching as far as controlling

minds or puppeteering individuals altogether. Those of Red bloodlines harbor no magical abilities at all

and are deemed mere "ordinary" humans -- lower than those of Silver blood, to be peasants and slaves.

Then comes ... Newbloods. Those similar to Mare Barrow--born with red blooded veins, yet displaying

magical abilities similar to those with Silver blood. An unheard of phenomenon among both Silver and 

Red bloodlines. So -- Mare Barrow didn't just stumble into a crowded room and save herself.

She plummeted into a version of the future she had no idea she'd be apart of, let alone leading.

Aveyard does an extraordinary job throughout the series keeping in tune with characters and their

emotions--jumping between main character Mare Barrow in the beginning of the series to delve

further into the minds of other characters, either of Silver or Red backgrounds. The attention paid to

detail is out of this world -- either certain settings, scenes, or battles/wars altogether. I felt throughout

reading the number of books that I was thrown directly into the chapter with the characters and

undergoing what they were experiencing as well. I thought it was a bit repetitive that the reader was

reminded countless times how the characters knew each other and/or were related in certain aspects.

I understand why authors do this as far as starting a new chapter/section or starting a new novel in general,

however, I don't think it's completely necessary at times. A very small detail that occurs throughout the

books, but not very relevant per say in the overall experience.

Overall -- I'd recommend this series! There's violence, bloodshed, death, betrayal, obsession, hope,

and lo' and behold--love. Between friends, enemies, family, and those we'd least expect.

:)