"If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter."
Highly enjoyable and yet so, so, so annoying.
The Glass Sword is the second book in the Red Queen Series. Basically it follows a late teen girl named Mare Barrow. She's a red, which means she bleeds red blood. You may be like, oh, Anji, doesn't everyone bleed red? Nope. Not in this universe. In this weird dystopian, but not dystopian universe there are two kinds of blood. The red and the silver. The silver rule, they also have special powers and abilities. The reds are just normal people who are basically all poor because they can't really do anything better than a silver could. (I mean, silver is a prettier color...) Anyway, that's how it's supposed to be. Except... Mare Barrow is a red and somehow she has the unique ability to control electricity. The little lightning girl. Basically Red Queen is about Mare being forced to live a lie in the royal court. The most intriguing thing about Red Queen was the whole tagline thing. Anyone can betray anyone slash don't trust anyone. Me, being me, could sense the big plot twist, but it probably would catch a lot of y'all off guard. If you are interested in the kind of book full of shocking turns and stuff, Red Queen is the book for you. If you're interested, here's a little review I wrote of the book over the summer.
"Kill me. The words repeat, over and over. It's the only thing I can say, the only thing I want now."
I have to say, I can't tell which book I enjoyed more. As many of you may know, I love the court aspect of books. I really enjoy reading stories that take place in the royal court, just because of all the suspicion and undermining. I just think it's a lot of fun to read. This book, on the other hand, was jam packed full of action. I love action. And yet... I still feel slightly indifferent to this book series. After reading this, I'm feeling slightly more inclined to liking it, and yet... I don't know. It just isn't something so amazing that I love it but it isn't bad, so I don't dislike it. It's weird, I know.
While reading this, I was caught between two feelings, too much action and not enough interest. Yeah, those don't usually go together. Maybe part of my slight willingness to put this book down was due to it being exams week at the moment, and my stress for school was a little overbearing.
"I am a weapon made of flesh, a sword covered in skin. I was born to kill a king, to end a reign of terror before it can truly begin."
Okay, if you haven't read Red Queen I don't recommend you read farther due to possible spoilers.
"Killing a king will change nothing. Another will take his place. But it is a start."
Let's talk Mare, shall we? I went back and read my review of the Red Queen and I felt like Mare couldn't fight for herself enough. In this book, she was fighting for herself a lot, and yet SHE'S SO ANNOYING. I get it, she's being realistic in this book with her choices, and I can accept that. But here's the thing that annoyed me the most about her. HER FREAKING PRIDE. Like all her I'm the most important one here, I need to be saved, not the others. ANNOYED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. You are not the most important, Mare, and there are plenty of other people who could kick your butt, so please shut the heck up.
"I am a sword, born of lighting, of this fire- and of Maven's. One has already betrayed me, and the other might leave at any moment. But I do not fear a broken heart. I do not fear pain."
The second thing that annoyed the crap out of me is Mare taking those that cared for her for granted. I know she can't trust anyone or anything, but it's really evident she's trusting some people so she should probably just shut up about telling her loved ones she doesn't trust them. It's just rude and pushing them away. Actually, it was kind of hard to form a connection with new people in this book as of the fact that Mare isn't forming a connection with them, and if Mare is forming a connection, I didn't even notice it and all the sudden, bam, there was some kind of connection between Mare and some random person. And believe me, you meet a lot of new people in this book. So many, I feel like it made each person matter less, but more on that in a minute. Back to the taking those she loves for granted. When I read the first book, I instantaneously felt a connection with Kilorn, who reminded me of Gale Hawthorn, who I loved.
Mare treats Kilorn like crap. I get it, she grew up around guys, so she's a little volatile, but seriously, she's just being abusive to him. If I were Kilorn I would've been done with Mare's crap 1% into the book. She's constantly mistreating her supposed best friend and then she just expects him to blindly follow her anywhere. I really value a good friendship, and Mare and Kilorn definitely do not have one. If Mare doesn't start treating her so called best friend better, I will not be surprised nor will I be upset if he switches to the other side. Oh, also, Mare views Kilorn as useless. Anyone who views their best friend as useless, is not a good friend. Everyone has their uses.
This quote particularly pissed me off:
"Kilorn isn't a soldier, or a scholar, or a scientist. He can weave a net faster than anyone I know, but what good is that when we're catching people, not fish? I don't know what kind of training he received in the Guard, but it's little more than a month's worth. He survived the Hall of the Sun because of me, and outlived the massacre of Caesar's Square because of luck. With no ability, little training, and less sense, how can he do anything but slow us down?"
GUESS WHAT, MARE? WITHOUT YOUR ABILITY, YOU'D BE MORE USELESS THAN KILORN.
Also there are multiple times when she hits him for just saying something. That is very unneeded, Mare. Please stop. Just thinking about a friend treating another friend like that really pisses me off. I really just wanted to walk up to Mare and punch her in the face.
Back to the new people thing. There are so many new characters introduced in this book, and I just don't feel like Victoria gave us the proper amount of time to actually get to know the characters, they were just all introduced in about a chapter and the writing seemed to make it seem like the reader was already supposed to be attached to the characters. No. And when some died? I didn't really feel anything.
Same with some major characters. There were some deaths that I had to go back and reread. Yup. It was never made clear that certain character was dead and then somehow we're just supposed to know. It was weird. I dunno, the last bit of the book just seemed entirely rushed. I wish there had just been a bit more time to actually slow down and realize what the heck was going on.
I would give this book a 7.5/10 stars. For those of you who don't know, 7 is a really good book that I enjoyed. 8 is a great book. 9 is an absolutely amazing book. and 10 is perfection. I don't give tens out often. It's a weird rating scale, probably due to the fact that I came up with it when I was like, eleven or twelve. Haha..... Whoops. I'm sticking to it for now. It was a good book, but there were just some elements in it that I really couldn't stand. Mainly with Mare. But I don't want any of you confused, I most definitely will be picking up the third book when it is released.
Synopsis:
Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.
The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.
Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.
But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.
Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
Thanks for reading! Sorry if this review is a little rant-ish. This book made me kind of feel like ranting. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time (hint, a Lady Midnight review is coming up very soon.) Love y'all, bye.
Anj
Highly enjoyable and yet so, so, so annoying.
The Glass Sword is the second book in the Red Queen Series. Basically it follows a late teen girl named Mare Barrow. She's a red, which means she bleeds red blood. You may be like, oh, Anji, doesn't everyone bleed red? Nope. Not in this universe. In this weird dystopian, but not dystopian universe there are two kinds of blood. The red and the silver. The silver rule, they also have special powers and abilities. The reds are just normal people who are basically all poor because they can't really do anything better than a silver could. (I mean, silver is a prettier color...) Anyway, that's how it's supposed to be. Except... Mare Barrow is a red and somehow she has the unique ability to control electricity. The little lightning girl. Basically Red Queen is about Mare being forced to live a lie in the royal court. The most intriguing thing about Red Queen was the whole tagline thing. Anyone can betray anyone slash don't trust anyone. Me, being me, could sense the big plot twist, but it probably would catch a lot of y'all off guard. If you are interested in the kind of book full of shocking turns and stuff, Red Queen is the book for you. If you're interested, here's a little review I wrote of the book over the summer.
"Kill me. The words repeat, over and over. It's the only thing I can say, the only thing I want now."
I have to say, I can't tell which book I enjoyed more. As many of you may know, I love the court aspect of books. I really enjoy reading stories that take place in the royal court, just because of all the suspicion and undermining. I just think it's a lot of fun to read. This book, on the other hand, was jam packed full of action. I love action. And yet... I still feel slightly indifferent to this book series. After reading this, I'm feeling slightly more inclined to liking it, and yet... I don't know. It just isn't something so amazing that I love it but it isn't bad, so I don't dislike it. It's weird, I know.
While reading this, I was caught between two feelings, too much action and not enough interest. Yeah, those don't usually go together. Maybe part of my slight willingness to put this book down was due to it being exams week at the moment, and my stress for school was a little overbearing.
"I am a weapon made of flesh, a sword covered in skin. I was born to kill a king, to end a reign of terror before it can truly begin."
Okay, if you haven't read Red Queen I don't recommend you read farther due to possible spoilers.
"Killing a king will change nothing. Another will take his place. But it is a start."
Let's talk Mare, shall we? I went back and read my review of the Red Queen and I felt like Mare couldn't fight for herself enough. In this book, she was fighting for herself a lot, and yet SHE'S SO ANNOYING. I get it, she's being realistic in this book with her choices, and I can accept that. But here's the thing that annoyed me the most about her. HER FREAKING PRIDE. Like all her I'm the most important one here, I need to be saved, not the others. ANNOYED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. You are not the most important, Mare, and there are plenty of other people who could kick your butt, so please shut the heck up.
"I am a sword, born of lighting, of this fire- and of Maven's. One has already betrayed me, and the other might leave at any moment. But I do not fear a broken heart. I do not fear pain."
The second thing that annoyed the crap out of me is Mare taking those that cared for her for granted. I know she can't trust anyone or anything, but it's really evident she's trusting some people so she should probably just shut up about telling her loved ones she doesn't trust them. It's just rude and pushing them away. Actually, it was kind of hard to form a connection with new people in this book as of the fact that Mare isn't forming a connection with them, and if Mare is forming a connection, I didn't even notice it and all the sudden, bam, there was some kind of connection between Mare and some random person. And believe me, you meet a lot of new people in this book. So many, I feel like it made each person matter less, but more on that in a minute. Back to the taking those she loves for granted. When I read the first book, I instantaneously felt a connection with Kilorn, who reminded me of Gale Hawthorn, who I loved.
Mare treats Kilorn like crap. I get it, she grew up around guys, so she's a little volatile, but seriously, she's just being abusive to him. If I were Kilorn I would've been done with Mare's crap 1% into the book. She's constantly mistreating her supposed best friend and then she just expects him to blindly follow her anywhere. I really value a good friendship, and Mare and Kilorn definitely do not have one. If Mare doesn't start treating her so called best friend better, I will not be surprised nor will I be upset if he switches to the other side. Oh, also, Mare views Kilorn as useless. Anyone who views their best friend as useless, is not a good friend. Everyone has their uses.
This quote particularly pissed me off:
"Kilorn isn't a soldier, or a scholar, or a scientist. He can weave a net faster than anyone I know, but what good is that when we're catching people, not fish? I don't know what kind of training he received in the Guard, but it's little more than a month's worth. He survived the Hall of the Sun because of me, and outlived the massacre of Caesar's Square because of luck. With no ability, little training, and less sense, how can he do anything but slow us down?"
GUESS WHAT, MARE? WITHOUT YOUR ABILITY, YOU'D BE MORE USELESS THAN KILORN.
Also there are multiple times when she hits him for just saying something. That is very unneeded, Mare. Please stop. Just thinking about a friend treating another friend like that really pisses me off. I really just wanted to walk up to Mare and punch her in the face.
Back to the new people thing. There are so many new characters introduced in this book, and I just don't feel like Victoria gave us the proper amount of time to actually get to know the characters, they were just all introduced in about a chapter and the writing seemed to make it seem like the reader was already supposed to be attached to the characters. No. And when some died? I didn't really feel anything.
Same with some major characters. There were some deaths that I had to go back and reread. Yup. It was never made clear that certain character was dead and then somehow we're just supposed to know. It was weird. I dunno, the last bit of the book just seemed entirely rushed. I wish there had just been a bit more time to actually slow down and realize what the heck was going on.
I would give this book a 7.5/10 stars. For those of you who don't know, 7 is a really good book that I enjoyed. 8 is a great book. 9 is an absolutely amazing book. and 10 is perfection. I don't give tens out often. It's a weird rating scale, probably due to the fact that I came up with it when I was like, eleven or twelve. Haha..... Whoops. I'm sticking to it for now. It was a good book, but there were just some elements in it that I really couldn't stand. Mainly with Mare. But I don't want any of you confused, I most definitely will be picking up the third book when it is released.
Synopsis:
Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.
The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.
Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.
But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.
Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
Thanks for reading! Sorry if this review is a little rant-ish. This book made me kind of feel like ranting. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time (hint, a Lady Midnight review is coming up very soon.) Love y'all, bye.
Anj
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