Sooo...loved this book. Really heavy issues that can be related back to our present day society. But...I'm not so sure I like the main character, Mare Barrow. There's just something about her...she's a little too naive to me but wants to act like she's nobody's fool...but she gets played. I don't know...maybe my feelings will change when I read the second book.
In the world of Mare Barrow, there are two kinds of people, divided by the color of their blood...those who bleed Red, and those who bleed Silver. Those who are Silver have unique abilities depending upon their family and it is typically the father's ability that is passed on to offspring. The Samos family have the ability to control metal, the Jacos family has the ability to control fire, the Osanos family controls water, and so on and so forth. If it's an element, it can be controlled by some Silver family. And even worse is the Queen who is what is known as a whisper...she has the ability to read minds and manipulate them to make anyone her puppet. Now THAT is FUCKING TERRIFYING! And...she's the Queen...so you know she's used that shit. Plus...we all hate her...but I've gotten ahead of myself here. So the Silvers are the aristocracy and basically their shit doesn't stink. Then you have the Reds. They are treated poorly, typically they are servants, and even their electricity is rationed, if they're fortunate enough to have a home with electricity. The Reds are also the soldiers that are fighting a war started by the Silvers and basically, no one remembers why there is even a war still going on...it's been over 100 years now. The Red soldiers are on the front line and still they get no respect from the Silvers.
Mare Barrow is Red born, her younger sister Gisa has talent with silk, needle, and thread, and her three brothers have been conscripted to war...a path she herself will soon take since she has no apprenticeship or job. Her sister Gisa will be safe but the rest are doomed for war. She thought her best friend, Kilorn, would be safe from the war that killed his father since he had a job, but when his boss dies, even Kilorn is doomed to go to war. Mare vows she will find a way to save them from the war. She goes to see a man named Will about smuggling them out of the area so they won't be found when the legionnaire comes to gather them up but he instead introduces her to a woman named Farley. Farley wants 1000 bucks to smuggle them and Mare seeks out to obtain the money the only way she knows how...pickpocketing. Unfortunately she picks the wrong pocket...or maybe it's the right pocket. I honestly think it's the right pocket, but you can judge for yourself. She happens to pick the pocket of the Prince, Cal, only she doesn't realize he's the prince and he doesn't tell her. He instead gives her money and walks her home. The next day, a maid from the palace shows up with Sentinels (guards) to take Mare to the palace as she has been given a job. She arrives at the palace and begins going through the motions of being a servant when the day arrives for the princes to meet their potential princesses. It's a big ta-do in a huge area where every Silver House shows up in their finest clothes and blah blah blah. Since only the strongest of the princesses can marry the princes, Cal (to be king) and his half brother Maven, they must provide a demonstration of their abilities. In order to do so safely, an electrified net is placed between the show and the people...think Gladiator style arena. Well one princess, already chosen to wed Cal, is Evangeline Samos and she is a magnetron...that's right...she controls metal (nice work if you thought of Magneto from X-Men). She tries to be smart and starts fucking with the rebar in the concrete box that one of the houses is sitting in...she's trying to pull the box from the rest of the structure. Mare happens to be serving the family at the time, and since she isn't seated in a cushy seat and has anything to grab on to, she begins falling toward the edge and then out of the box completely. She is sure she is going to die but as she lands upon the electrified net she finds she does not die. Sure...it burns all of her clothes off so I'm sure naked in an arena full of people is awkward, but she actually feels ALIVE. The electricity courses through her, and for the first time in her 18 long years, she finally feels alive. But wait...she's Red! Red's don't have power...wellllllllll she just proved you wrong. Now what are they to do with a Red girl with power to not only control electricity but to create it? They can't kill her...millions of Silvers saw her...they would notice her missing. Maybe they can use her...oh here we go...let's link her up with Maven! So we'll have Cal and Evangeline get married and take the crown, and we'll have Mare and Maven get married and be the prince and princess forever.
So...they change her name to Mareena and make up some story that she is the long lost daughter of this decorated Silver general who was raised Red when her parents were killed in battle and just that day discovered who she really was. Changing a name doesn't change the person. Dressing her up like Silver doesn't change the fact that she bleeds Red...but alright...we'll play your game. Problem is, Mare is involved in a deadly game and she has no idea the rules or really the players.
Side note about our princes. Cal is the son of King Tiberias and his first wife. She is said to have been a good woman and devoted mother; however, she was murdered. Can you guess by whom? Maven is the son of King Tiberias and his second wife/queen murderer. I will say this now and keep it in mind...he is his mother's Son. And Cal is his mother's son. Can you tell which one I would trust more? However, Mare is not me, nor I her.
Once she has been inducted into the role of Mareena, the Silver daughter who can control lightning, she is contacted by Farley again. Throughout all of this, we learn there exists the Scarlet Guard and they are rebelling against the Silvers. Farley is the leader of the rebellion and she wants Mare to join. Mare could potentially be an influential position to help the rebellion and she agrees. She wants a cause and she wants change...change for the better for the Reds. However, she's not alone in joining the rebellion...Maven too, it seems, has joined the cause. Thinking she's found an ally, Mare begins to trust Maven and begins to see Cal as the enemy. She should have listened to her initial instincts about the brothers. She should have kept Maven at a distance. I told you he is his mother's son.
Through many ups and downs, and a lot of shed blood, both Red and Silver, things do not end well. The tables are turned by Maven and his bitch of a mother. Cal becomes hunted because he killed his father...not of his own free will but by the will of his step mother. She turned him into her puppet. Now Cal and Mare are on the run from Maven who has now assumed the throne. However, the rebellion is not crushed. And Mare learns a valuable lesson from her teacher...there are others like her. Red AND Silver...and stronger than both.
Now that Maven is king and Cal has been forced to join the rebellion, I can't wait to see where things go from here. I'm hoping Mare has grown up a bit and has learned to trust her first instinct. She instinctually liked Cal from the moment she tried to pick his pocket but she let others influence her. I hope she listens to her gut a little more and I hope she learns to trust Cal. Cal may have his faults but I think he's just torn between two worlds...trying to keep the kingdom from falling completely apart. I think in his perfect world all would be equal and Mare would be his Red Queen...but wouldn't we all be equal in a perfect world?
I highly recommend this book...so many parallels between the Red/Silver world and our own. I don't think I'm really rooting for one side or the other but more I'm hoping for a peaceful balance...but I'm sure that's too Utopian of an idea...
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