In alternating chapters, Mare talks about her confinement and torture at the hands of King Maven, while Cameron, one of the newblood recruits tells the ongoing story of the Scarlet Guard's attempt to overthrow the Silvers.
Mare is as always a captivating character. She is honest, brave, and indomitable despite months of captivity and public degradation. Even so, I had a hard time with these chapters, and thought it was hard to read. Would she ever get out of this? It seemed impossible.
Cameron, the newblood recruit, is not so likeable. She's angry and resentful at being pulled, forcibly, she feels, into the Scarlet Guard. Her only desire is to find her brother, who was sent to the front.
The characters we've come to care about, Cal, Farley, Kilorn and Julian are all viewed by Cameron with some level of suspicion or dislike. I'd rather Cal, Farley or Kilorn had been given the narration.
Luckily, about halfway through the book relief comes in the form of a royal wedding. Maven has secured a "peace" with long sworn enemies and is marrying a princess of the Lakelanders. His intended, Iris, is a spectacular, larger than life woman who does as she must, marrying Maven who is at least borderline mad.
Amid the pageantry of the wedding, the Scarlet Guard strikes, rescuing Mare and sending Maven and his new bride running.
With the capital city temporarily without a king, Cal's aunt, his mother's sister, begins a campaign to put Cal on the throne. There are Silver families who suffered under Maven, and some of them may back Cal as king.
The first half of the book is tough, the second half is thrilling battles and new alliances that will either unite or destroy the kingdom.
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