Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard
Genre: Young Adult / Sci-Fi / Romance/ Dystopia / Fantasy
Publisher: Orion Books (Hachette Australia)
Publication Date: 12th February 2015
ISBN: 9781409155843
Stand Alone/Series: Red Queen #1
Pages: 383 pages
First Lines: I hate First Friday.  It makes the village crowded, and now, in the heat of the summer, that's the last thing anyone wants.

Synopsis: 
This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The poverty-stricken Reds are commoners, living in the shadow of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from the Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Then Mare finds herself working at the Silver palace, in the midst of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

My Thoughts: 
In all honesty, I wasn't real keen on picking up Red Queen.  Without even reading the Synopsis, I imagined this being a romantic Victorian times book, something that wasn't really up my alley. Thank god I was wrong.  Very!

It is even being mentioned that it is for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.  Well there certainly are aspects from Red Queen that I would have likened to these two also.

For me, I got to about page 12 before thinking, yeah this is interesting.  I can see myself reading more.  By the time i hit half way that book was NOT leaving my hands.

I really liked the main character Mare/Mareena.  She's a red girl caught up in the politics of a silver world and as you can gather from the synopsis, Mare's world is divided between Reds that are slaves, servants, workers and poor, and Silvers, royalty, upperclass, with super powers.  Two very different people.  But when she gets thrown into the deep end at the arena, she discovers she has powers of her own.  Something not heard of among the red people.  So the Silver Royal family does the only thing it can.  They lie and welcome the long lost Mareena from House Titanos soon to be betrothed to the Queen's son Maven.

The moment this happens, the book sped up pace for me.  I felt up until that point the first part of the book sets the scene of the Reds and their way of life.  It was interesting but hadn't quite completely grabbed my attention up until that moment.  There is pressure for Mare to in the beginning too.  Her 18th birthday nears, and with that the compulsory conscription of the army looms over her.  Those lucky enough to have someone train them get to stay, for those that don't, it's off to the army. Probably never to be seen again.;

There is romance in this, but it's not what I'd call the main event of the book.  I'd certainly think the Scarlet Guard takes most of the focus.  So if you are looking for a book for romance alone.  This won't be it.

But in saying that, the action for me was what propelled the story to the end.  The worldbuilding is pretty awesome.  The author has definitely put alot of thought into Mare's world and while we only catch fleeting glimpses of both the Red and Silver's world, I dare say we will get a more look-see with the second and third books.

If you are after a decent fantasy read, I suggest giving this one a go.  I'm curious to find out what Victoria has in store for the next two books.

Fave Lines:  Anyone can betray anyone.
Book received from:  Hachette Australia

Waiting on Wednesday (149)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I am an absolute huge fan of Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series, so when I was looking through the Listopia on Goodreads and spotted this book I was over the moon.  Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine's expected publication is the 7th July 2015.

Synopsis
In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

What are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday (148)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I come across this one while hunting through the lists on Goodreads.  Alive by Chandler Baker comes out June 9th this year

Synopsis

Stella Cross's heart is poisoned.

After years on the transplant waiting list, she's running out of hope that she'll ever see her eighteenth birthday. Then, miraculously, Stella receives the transplant she needs to survive. 

Determined to embrace everything she came so close to losing, Stella throws herself into her new life. But her recovery is marred by strange side effects: Nightmares. Hallucinations. A recurring pain that flares every day at the exact same moment. Then Stella meets Levi Zin, the new boy on everyone's radar at her Seattle prep school. Stella has never felt more drawn to anyone in her life, and soon she and Levi are inseparable.

Stella is convinced that Levi is her soul mate. Why else would she literally ache for him when they are apart?

After all, the heart never lies...does it?

What are you waiting on?

Unwanted by Amanda Holohan

Title: Unwanted

Author: Amanda Holohan
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian/ Sci Fi/Post Apocalyptic
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Publication Date: 28th January 2015
ISBN: 9780143571094
Stand Alone/Series: Stand Alone I think!
Pages: 336 pages
First Lines: It was coming for her.  She sensed it following her through the empty crumbling alleyways - tracing the scent of her body, already slick with sweat

Synopsis:  All her life, Bea has wanted nothing more than to become a sniper on the wall and earn the coveted ink of a Dread warrior - a mark of distinction among her people. She knows that one day the terrifying Erebii might break through the city's outer defences, and if her people aren't prepared and the wall is breached then the last human city will fall. But everything Bea thinks she knows is about to be challenged... What does the ink really do as it flows underneath their skin and who is the mysterious Unwanted boy that keeps appearing in her life? 

My Thoughts:  I think what I enjoyed the most was the unique detail this dystopian had over other books in the genre.  It made the book stand out for me.

I love all things dystopian but there has to be an aspect that hooks me from the beginning that some books tend not to have.  For Unwanted it was the swirling ink and the crows and the Erebii.  The further along in the story and there were more aspects that made this book stand out. (I shall not mention these as they may spoil the book for others)

Unfortunately there were a few things that I didn't like.  The first one, and this could be personal preference, but the chapters in the beginning of the book seemed too long.  I don't know whether anyone else found this out, but I found that first chapter a bit of a struggle.  I was just getting to know the character but I felt there needed to be a break, even if the chapter was halved, though I know it would have been hard considering what she was doing.

The other thing that bothered me was that Gus wasn't as strong a character as I'd hoped him to be.  I mean I'm not after a super hero but a bit more fight for her would have been nice.  Maybe just me.

In saying that, I loved Bea and Red.  Two of my favourite characters for sure!  There was enough mystery about Red and it kept me itching to find out what the go was with him.

Even though there were a few things that bothered me, I absolutely loved the ending!  I fully expect a sequel!!  I can't find anywhere that there will be but I have to know what happens next.  I need to know!

I'll be keeping an eye out for more work by Amanda Holohan for sure!

Book received from:  Penguin Australia

Waiting on Wednesday (147)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I can't wait for The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey to come out which will be April 28th this year.  Love the cover and the synopsis sounds promising

Synopsis
For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one.

Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known. Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

 Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

What are you waiting for?

In My Mailbox (158)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

I haven't done an IMM in quite a while but need to get back into the swing of things and show this blog a little more love than it is currently getting.  So here's my first blog post for the new year!

For Review:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard 

(Red Queen Trilogy#1)

Thank you to Hachette Childrens Books

Unwanted by Amanda Holohan

Thank you to Penguin Australia

Bought/Other:

N/A this week.

What did you get in your IMM?