Book Review: Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2)

I don’t know what I was expecting for Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard, but it sure isn’t what I got.

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

The pacing of the book was still fairly steady. I never found myself growing bored while waiting for something interesting to happen. I was always very engaged and interested. Luckily, this book didn’t suffer from the second book slump that a lot of series fall victim to. Aveyard knows how to keep readers drawn in, which is something that has to be commended.

I also enjoyed the world-building. I thought there were some very interesting new pieces that were added to expand on the world, which was something that the first book was lacking a bit on. We are finally getting to learn more about what’s going on outside of Norta and the relationships between the kingdoms mentioned in the first book. It’s always a pleasant surprise when authors actually address the issues that readers have had with their novels. I also liked how we are shown other parts of Norta, rather than being stuck to the castle, as was the case in Red Queen.

Mare… Oh, sullen and bitter, Mare. I’m just going to say it – I HATE HER. In the first book, she was interesting and charismatic. I was actually rooting for her to find some happiness and help the rebellion. But in Glass Sword? I say we should just kill her off and make Cal the new main protagonist, because she is an awful, selfish, unfeeling, whiny little bitch. Basically, she’s Katniss 2.0. Listen, I get things are hard and you’re in charge of people’s lives, but if you can’t handle that then you just need to leave. Instead, you’d rather alienate yourself from everyone and bitch and moan when anyone second guesses you. Honestly, I seriously considered not finishing this series because of the character she had turned into.

Luckily, I really enjoy Cal as a character. I think he’s strong even though he’s in a tough position where’s he’s having to fight against his brother and fellow Silvers. I just want him to find some peace and keep him safe. And that Maven.. he is incredible. We don’t get to see him much in this book directly, but his presence is felt everywhere. I’m so interested in seeing how his story ends because I think there is a lot of room to explore different endings for him. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

However, I do feel like this series is starting to feel EXACTLY like The Hunger Games. It doesn’t feel like it is just influenced by that series anymore, but actually using the exact same plot with just a few differences to make sure it’s not copying it verbatim. From Mare turning into Katniss, to the rebels becoming District 13, I’m pretty sure we can all see where this story is headed. I guess Aveyard knew what to write to ensure it would be successful. I fell for it and will finish the series, even after knowing that. Dammit, you got me.

Final Verdict: 3/5 Stars

Have you read Glass Sword? What did you think of it? Do you see any similarities between this series and The Hunger Games? Am I being too harsh on Mare?