Victoria Aveyard

Cruel Crown (Red Queen Novella)

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Cruel Crown cover

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 208

 

Cruel Crown is a novella published between the first and second book in the Red Queen series. It is comprised of two very different stories, that follow two women who were present and active in the Red/Silver world well before the time brought to us in Red Queen. The first story, Queen Song, tells the story of Cal’s mother, and King Tiberias’ first wife, Queen Coriane. This story is told through her journal entries, so we get to see the world through her eyes. It tells of her early struggles, her fears, and the birth of her new prince. The second story, Steel Scars, tells a very different story. It tells of Captain Farley’s life in the resistance, through the time that she comes upon Mare. This story is told from her POV and though coded transmission.

If you are a fan of Red Queen, you will find these two prequel stories very interesting. They take us a bit deeper in to the red/silver world, with a sort of “behind the scenes” look in to these two very different, but very strong, women. I loved being able to get a little bit of a back-story on Captain Farley’s time in the resistance before the original novel started, as she was a bit of a mystery. It was also incredibly interesting to read of Queen Coriane’s life, and her early struggles before she was crowned queen. I enjoyed the platforms in which these two stories were told, as well. It made them seem more real and fresh to me. If you liked Red Qeen, in encourage you to read this novella. You won’t regret it!

Red Queen (Red Queen, Book 1)

Posted on by The Novel Girl

red queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 383

This was a book that I picked up on a whim, after seeing it out for a month or so and thinking that it looked kind of interesting, and I can honestly say that I am so glad that I did!! This is the first novel in what will be the Red Queen series, and it was a phenomenal debut from this author. It is a very different type of fantasy novel than the ones that I have read before it. It is set in a place where the world is divided in to Red’s and Silver’s. The Red’s have red blood and no extraordinary powers, and the Silver’s have silver blood and some sort of power that makes them unique and special. Mare, the main character in this novel, is a Red…technically, and scheduled to be sent out to fight on the front lines in the army. That is until she is thrown in to the world of the Silver’s, when it is accidentally discovered that although she has Red blood, she has Silver power. The story gets turned upside down and inside out from that point on! The king and queen decide to betroth her to their youngest son and pass her off as a long lost Silver to hide what she is, but this girl has no training in how to be a “proper lady”. The people who you think you can trust, you can’t….or can you?! This novel was a constant twisting and turning roller coaster ride, and I loved every minute of it! I cannot wait for the second book in this series to come out! If you’re looking for a different type of fantasy, this may just be your pick!