Red Queen (Red Queen Book 1)

Don’t miss Realm Breaker! Irresistibly action-packed and full of lethal surprises, this stunning fantasy series from Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Red Queen series, begins where hope is lost and asks: When the heroes have fallen, who will take up the sword?

Red Queen is a young adult fantasy novel written by American writer Victoria Aveyard. Published in February 2015, it was the first novel and first series of the writer. Sequels of the Red Queen are Glass Sword, King’s Cage, War Storm, and the last book of the series is Broken Throne a fifth book, and A Red Queen Collection. 

Red Queen won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Debut Goodreads Author and was nominated for the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Book NameRed Queen 
AuthorVictoria Aveyard
SeriesRed Queen 
GenreFantasy, Young Adult
LanguageEnglish
Date of PublicationFebruary 10th, 2015
No. of Page416
PublisherHarperTeen

Get “Red Queen (Red Queen Book 1)”

“The truth is what I make it. I could set this world on fire and call it rain.”
― Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen

Red Queen Age Rating

Red Queen Age Rating is 13+ for violence and action. Nothing offensive here for younger readers really, though I feel that I would have been mature enough at 12 years old to read this. 

Red Queen Parents Guide

While it is full of action, romance, and friendship, it is a little bit slow at times. I think this book is good because the main character proves to stand up for what she is.
As for sexual content, there is little to no romance (other than the classic love triangles you seem to get in every book like this) but it never goes farther than kissing, and even then there are only 1-2 kisses described at all.
This book is action-packed and full of twists and turns. Some of the violence was a little bit graphic when they go into detail about the color of the blood.
There are some fights with special abilities that take place in an arena and blood, as it plays a heavy theme in the story, is described in depth.
Weapons include guns and bombs, but they are not used in a gory or glorified way.
The Silver court hosts gladiator-like fights wherein two Silvers use their special powers to defeat each other. Certain Silvers can see inside your mind and turn you insane/unable to think.
A bomb kills innocent civilians. Revolutionaries fight silvers with weapons; Silvers kill with their powers or their weapons. Characters are tortured.
Adults (including teens who are of age) drink at social functions. A little high on violence and torture. There are no uses or references to drugs.
Insults: “weak,” “coward,” “liar,” “nothing,” B-word once or twice.

Red Queen Summary

Mare Barrow is an ordinary Red girl from an ordinary village with an ordinary life and an extraordinary gift.
For as long as Mare could remember, the Silvers (those with silver blood) have reigned with a foot on the necks of the Reds (those with red blood).

The Silvers have been the only ones with a voice, the only ones with power, due to their gifts from whichever house they belong to. Some of the gifted people of Norta can shift metal with their minds, some can control water, some fire, some light, and some minds, but they all have one thing in common: they are all Silver.

Mare has no hope to change the world she lives in. She will never be able to defy her fate. She is a Red, and like all Reds, they will always be crushed under the thumb of the Silvers. Until Mare discovers something in herself, something that was never supposed to be there, a gift in the hands of a Red. Impossible.

Impossible and a threat to the growing power of the Silvers. The Silver empire tries to hide what the world has already seen: a Red girl who is Red and Silver and stronger than both.

Mare is a strong female character, hardened by her will to survive and win freedom for the Reds. HOWEVER Violence is strong, lots of killing, Silvers use their gifts in an arena, gladiator style. Silvers kill Reds and one another with their gifts. Multiple characters die, and there is a brief but intense torture scene. Romance is limited to a few kisses and a tender adoration.

“A lie will raise me up, and one day another lie will bring me down.”
― Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen

Red Queen Characters

  • Mare Barrow: also known as Mareena Titanos and The Lightning Girl, is new blood and a member of the Scarlet Guard. She possesses electrical ability. The 17-year-old Mare is a Red who steals for a living, but the discovery that she holds supernatural powers causes many to try to vie for her allegiance.
  • Tiberias “Cal” Calore VII: Tiberias “Cal” Calore VII is the eldest child of Tiberias Calore VI and heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Norta. He was the eighteenth and final ruler of Norta. As a member of House Calore, he possesses the burner ability. The elder son and heir of King Tiberias Calore VI through his first wife, Coriane Jacos. Though he is engaged to Evangeline, he is in love with Mare, a fact that she uses to further her goals in the Scarlet Guard. He is a Burner, which means his Silver powers allow him to manipulate fire.
  • Maven Calore: Maven Merandus Calore was the seventeenth ruler and former King of Norta. He was Tiberias Calore VII’s younger half-brother and the only child of Elara Merandus and Tiberias Calore VI. He was Silver with the burner ability. King Tiberias VI’ second son through his second wife, Elara Merandus, and thus Cal’s half-brother. He is shy, but Mare’s sudden engagement with him makes him open up. Like Cal and his father, Maven has the ability to control flames. Maven is deeply jealous of Cal, partly because he thought his brother had won Mare’s heart, the way he had won their father’s.
  • Diana Farley: Diana Farley, often known as Farley, is a known leader of the Scarlet Guard. A captain of the Scarlet Guard leads them in the campaigns against the Silvers. She is strongly dedicated to the cause.
  • Shade Barrow- was the older brother of Mare Barrow. He was new blood with the ability of teleportation.
  • Tiberias Calore VI: The current king of Norta who has married twice, producing two sons: Cal and Maven. He holds the ability to manipulate fire, which he passed to both of his sons.
  • Elara Merandus: Elara Merandus is the second wife of King Tiberias Calore VI, Queen of Norta, and the mother of Maven Calore. The mysterious and sadistic current queen of Norta and the mother of Maven. Mare dislikes her since the very start of their meeting. She is able to read and manipulate people with the ability known as Whispering.
  • Julian Jacos: A royal librarian and the brother of Cal’s deceased mother, Coriane, making him his uncle. He is the last known person to hold the power of a Singer: being able to control people through his voice.
  • Evangeline Samos: Evangeline Artemia Samos is a magnetron of House Samos and the second child of Volo Samos and Larentia Viper. She is initially shown to be an enemy of Mare Barrow, later proving that she has a good heart, just a funny way of showing it. A haughty girl who is made Cal’s fiancée after being declared the best of the aspiring princesses. She holds a grudge against Mare, particularly after the latter humiliates her by expending her electrokinesis and repelling her magnetic manipulation, a trait of the House Samos.
  • Kilorn Warren: Mare’s best friend and an apprentice of fishing. Mare seems content to eventually become his wife until her engagement with Maven makes them drift apart. The attempt to spare him of conscription is the catalyst of much of the novel’s plot. He doesn’t get along with Cal.
  • Lucas Samos: Evangeline’s cousin who, like her, holds the power of magnetic manipulation. He is one of the few Silvers whom Mare befriends and trusts with certainty.
  • Rane Arven: The instructor for the Silver Elites who has the ability to negate the powers of other people, known as Silencing.
  • Ptolemus Samos: Evangeline’s older brother. Like her, he is a Magnetron, able to manipulate metal.
  • Sara Skonos: A friend of Julian who works as a nurse with her ability to heal people, known as Skin Healing.
  • Tristan: Farley’s loyal right-hand man in the Scarlet Guard. He is killed by Ptolemus Samos when caught in the attack on the Hall.
  • Ann Walsh: A member of the Scarlet Guard who is about the same age as Mare. She works as a servant in Mare’s room in the Hall and tells Mare the time of the midnight meeting with the Scarlet Guard. On the attack of the Hall, she is captured but escapes with Farley and Kilorn.
  • Gisa Barrow: Mare’s younger sister who works as an apprentice for a seamstress, until her broken hand terminates her from the job.
  • Coriane Jacos: The late wife of Tiberias Calore VI and sister to Julian Jacos. Coriane was known as the “Singer Queen” because the Jacos house were Singers. 

Red Queen Review

The book is not too graphic in the fight scenes. There is a hint of romance, which is more along the lines of high school crushes. It is a fun read and it keeps you engaged. For young readers the book is good. For adults, the book is fine but nowhere near great.

Red Queen Book Trailer

Red Queen Trailer

“I’m an accident. I’m a lie. And my life depends on maintaining the illusion.”
― Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen

Official Website: victoriaaveyard.com

Stay tuned to get more updates on the age rating of all movies, tv shows, books, and games. Finally, any suggestions are always welcomed.

Also, please make use of the comment box for your reviews. We are always providing all age ratings for kids, We will make the easy and best way for your kids.

Leave a Comment