In the spirit of twilight...

All in all, this book was... OK... I found the characters were not very well developed and the main character was annoying in a look-at-me-I'm-so-uniquely-special and look-at-me-all-the-boys-love-me way. While the topic is obviously not twilight, I did draw comparisons in my head to it, as I found the protagonist rather self centered, manipulative and two dimensional and there was a love triangle (possibly will develop into a rectangle in the future books!) that was annoying. The other characters are fairly standard but do the job. I am sure that Cal will set some hearts a flutter with his perfection with a minor but acceptable flaw, but I can't say that he did anything for me.

The storyline is alright. I found it a bit predictable, but it kept my attention well enough and I did get to the end of the book without too much bother. There were some twists that, while not a total surprise, kept interest up.

I also found the world it was set in quite odd. The author seemed to draw from high fantasy GoT style worlds and futuristic dystopian worlds, throwing them into the blender with a hint of steampunk in the mix!

In short, if you don't mind your protagonists being precious little teenagers and want something that is mildly engaging for a short time, this is a mildly engaging bit of fantasy that you can escape with for a while, but, if I were you, I wouldn't shift it to the top of your wish list.

19 people found this helpful

If you liked the Hunger Games you'll love this!

Incredibly good. Story, narration, the lot. all wonderful. Can't wait to listen to book number 2!

While the story reflects a hunger games style world and character scenario, the story is original. There are certainly parallels but they are both wonderful books. For those who enjoyed the Hunger Games series this will be for you. I don't mean that it's a cheap rip off but only that if you enjoy one, I'm positive you'll enjoy the other. Wonderful intriguing story with so many twists and turns.

Makes you think, makes you question everything and keeps you interested. No slow moments. It moves along nicely.

A young adult book? Sure. But If I wasn't told that before I couldn't have figured it out. Nothing child like about it. The main character just happens to be 17... at 23 myself, I adored it. It's the fantasy novel I've been waiting for and I am so excited that there are more books. I bought the second one straight away after finishing it.

Worth every cent.

9 people found this helpful

I had no idea what I was getting into

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend without a doubt. This takes the stereotype for young adult novels at the moment and changes it very dramatically in a way that is interesting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favourite character was probably a mixture. I really liked Maven, but I also liked Kilorn.
Here's why: Maven was a complex, interesting character who wasn't what you expected at any point in the story. Genuinely likable and safe feeling. This went far deeper because of SPOILERS.
Kilorn is sweet and the typical best friend character and he does exactly the opposite of what was expected of that character and he doesn't just serve to advance Mare's narrative but has a far bigger role.

What does Amanda Dolan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I enjoyed the voice actress. I probably would have experienced it in much the same way but I found her way of explaining the story very engaging and interesting. There was a lot of emotion in her performance which you don't always find with narrators.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it was. Sadly, I kept falling asleep but somehow that was better. I listened to it every change I got; on the way to work, on the tube, walking home from work, on my lunch break at work, when I went to bed...

Any additional comments?

Totally not what I expected. A nice change, I cannot wait to see where this leads.

6 people found this helpful

Excellent!

The narrator was amazing and the storyline itself is engaging, if not a little cliché. I highly recommend this book!

4 people found this helpful

Surprisingly good

When I read the synopsis I figured this would be something I'd like but it turned out I was really surprised at how good it was. I'm definitely off to see if there's a sequel!

3 people found this helpful

awesome

love it dramatic and electrifying everything required to make a good story, now for book 2

3 people found this helpful

entertaining

easy to listen to, although plot twists were quite predictable. I will definitely be buying the next book!

3 people found this helpful

Bravo!

Loved this book, I can remember spam listening to something so quickly before. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

3 people found this helpful

overall a good story

If you could sum up Red Queen in three words, what would they be?

interesting character stories

What did you like best about this story?

The attention to the description of the gifts that the silvers held and the way that their society was divided .

Any additional comments?

could have had a little more tension and twists towards the end

3 people found this helpful

Not the Red Queen you expect

If you could sum up Red Queen in three words, what would they be?

Addictive : Finished this audio book in 1 1/2 days
Misleading : Better to start this book with no preconceptions
Enjoyable : Easy to understand and fun

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Queen?

The most memorable moments were the Silvers' display of abilities. I wish the author focused more on the world and the noble houses which would have added depth to the story. Instead, it felt more of a tool to progress Mare's personal story along as these facts were mentioned nonchalantly. I also thought certain aspects of description (like the diamond walls) were interesting but it felt limited.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I found the scenes when Mare was stealing to be quite enjoyable as we got to see her true character and personality. The Queen's dialogue was also fun as she felt like the only true villain in the book and Aveyard portrayed her eloquently.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The plot twist was admittedly unexpected. At the end the foreshadowing seems obvious although I didn't predict it at first. The repetition of 'Anyone can betray anyone.' felt out of place in some cases but served as a hint nonetheless. The new 'second villain' served more as a shock factor but lacked development so the transformation of character was hard to believe.

Any additional comments?

The pacing however felt disjointed at times as the first part of the book was quite slow yet it lacked world-building and the action was crammed into the last quarter. The story also focused more on the characters personal issues rather than the rebellion on a greater scale. It was also hard to picture the era this was set in because some factors like the electricity conflicted with the seemingly medieval setting. The concept of Silver vs Red was the most interesting aspect of this book although it reminded me of the concept in 'Red Rising' by Pierce Brown as well as other generic elements of YA.
Nevertheless, the plot twist/cliffhanger of the final chapter and Epilogue has convinced me to read the second book in the series so I recommend 'Red Queen' as a fun, enjoyable read.

3 people found this helpful