Review: War Storm (Red Queen #4) by Victoria Aveyard

 

It's all out war in the fourth and final volume of the Red Queen series.

Cal is ready to be king, as he was born and raised to be.  Backed by various noble houses who were betrayed by his mad brother Maven, and by his powerful aunt Anabel, he feels he can win the war and restore the kingdom.

He also has a tenuous but key alliance with the Scarlet Guard.  They're essential to his successful plans.

What Cal doesn't understand, but Mare does, is that the Scarlet Guard may help defeat the forces of Maven and the Lakelanders, but they have no plans to allow Cal or anyone else to take the throne. The Scarlet Guard's plan is to make the world over in the image of distant Montfort. 

Montfort which is a democracy of sorts, operating much like a military outpost of the old, forgotten United States of America.

Let the blood flow, Silver and Red alike.

War Storm is a fitting finale to the Red Queen series.

The King's Cage: Red Queen #3 by Victoria Aveyard

 

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.

Glass Sword: Red Queen #2 by Victoria Aveyard

 

 Having just barely escaped from the Arena, Mare, her brother, Prince Cal and the remaining members of the Scarlet Guard flee the new king.

It wasn't enough to force Cal to behead his own father, Maven wants death and more from his brother and "the little lightning girl".

Luckily The Scarlet Guard has its own secret base.  Filled with soldiers and refugees, it's also a cache of stolen weaponry, equipment and aircraft.

While Mare wants to find the "newbloods" from the secret list she has, those with Red and Silver Blood and stronger than both, the local leader of the Scarlet Guard doesn't trust any of these people. Including Mare and her brother Shade.  

He'd as soon lock them up or use them as bargaining chips to make gains in the rebellion against the Silvers.

Another escape, with Mare and a ragtag contingent of the Scarlet Guard on the road to find the newbloods before king Maven and his mother can kill them or twist them into something awful.

Can they rescue the talented newbloods in time and build their own small, powerful army?  Who really leads them? Should it be Mare? Does she want to lead?

Can they outrun an insane king and his powerful, mind controlling mother?

Non-stop action, divided loyalties, the constant fear of capture or betrayal keeps the story moving.  Great characters keep the reader hoping there can be a future without war.

My Review of Red Queen, first in the series  https://merlynperilous.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/red-queen-by-victoria-aveyard/