Glass Sword (Red Queen)

GLASS SWORD is an epic and thrilling and nail-biting and heartbreaking second installment in Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series. It takes readers on an action-filled and riveting journey with Mare Barrow and the Scarlet Guard as they attempt to find and save others like Mare who could be instrumental in their fight against the Silvers. With dangerous missions, deadly battles and lethal enemies awaiting them, this promises to be an intense, electrifying and unputdownable read.

Still reeling from the betrayal that nearly cost her and her allies their lives, Mare must quickly pull herself together and come up with a plan to save the Reds with Silver abilities before the King finds and destroys them all. Without the Scarlet Guard on board it will be an impossible feat. But as she hasn’t yet earned their trust, getting their help is unlikely.

With time running out, even without their support, Mare will have to take action. Because she’s not willing to stand by while those like her are annihilated. She’s not willing to let her enemies continue to oppress the Reds. And she’s not willing to let her desire for revenge go unfulfilled.

Victoria Aveyard has done an incredible job in creating a sequel that advances the story yet gives it a very different feel from the first novel. She introduces new characters with different and fascinating abilities. She takes her characters to new settings. She gives them new challenges to face, new enemies to fight, and new hurdles to overcome. And she forces them to make difficult choices, ones that will alter them irrevocably.

Not everyone can be trusted. Not everyone will keep their word. Not everyone will remain unscathed. And with a devastated, vengeful, heartbroken and extremely powerful heroine leading the charge, not everyone will survive.

Gorgeous writing, beautiful imagery and a richly detailed world are just a fraction of what makes GLASS SWORD a must. The characters’ quest, their cause, their strengths, their weaknesses captivate. The plot twists, the surprises, the outcomes, the possibilities are edge-of-your-seat exciting. The character connections are magnetic, moving, heartrending. And the ending ensures an eagerly anticipated follow-up.

Did not live up to RQ. While RQ was a page turner of a novel this book was very slow going. We knew Mare would be on a quest to find the people from Julian's list and that's where this book picks up. Unfortunately it feels very much like a list while reading instead of a compelling quest. There's very little emotion at all until almost the end of the book. We never really meet or care about any of the new people and Mare is mostly whiny and petulant throughout the book. The concept was far better than the execution which is disappointing. I always thought Cal had the makings of a great character with his conflicting loyalties so I am also frustrated with his lack of a story arc. If anything she chose to ruin his potential depths of character with a one sided grudge that no longer makes sense and having him say unforgivable things. I think adventure books need characters you want to route for and against but this book really misses the mark on its heroes and villains.

A little slower than the first, but still a great book. Shows a lot of development regarding Cal & Mare's relationship (if you'd call it that?), and it was fun to see what all the other Newbloods could do. It's definitely darker than the first book, so be prepared for lots of angst and sadness and frustration from the main characters. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the last installment!

Okay, I tried. I tried really really hard to like and/or finish this book. I loved the first book, I even defended it when others didn't. So I was hoping this one might be as thrilling or interesting or whatever.

It was none of those things. There is a plot but it reads out sooooo slowly. I found myself putting the book down and walking away, debating with myself about picking it back up. That is never a good sign.

Mare meandered so much in her head that it got kind of boring in there. Cal knows how to fly a fighter jet (of course he does). Kilhorn is still kind of interesting. Farley has tons of potential. But.......

This one just doesn't have the spark (god, I hate puns but that was perfect) that Red Queen had. And I'm none too happy that I paid for this too.

There are fans of this book out there, I've read their reviews so I know they are out there, but I'm sorry to say I'm just not one of them.

The sequel to Red Queen was darker and more mature, with Mare becoming more introspective and contemplative about all that she has done. It reminds me of the third book in the Hunger Games series. It's more realistic, in a way, because you can't possibly stay the same person after all the deaths Mare has watched and caused. You get to see the true Mare, not what everyone else thinks she's like (cold, calculating, courageous). You get to see that she's only human, and makes mistakes, and needs friends to lean on. It seems fitting that Mare becomes so distrustful after Maven's betrayal. This book was action packed, and I can't wait for the next one!

This book was a big let down for me. I was expecting more from it and it did not fulfill my expectations. I had heard good things and thought I should just read it for the heck of it. The character development was abysmal and I felt like the characters were very fake if that makes any sense. If you'd like more depth out of character and world building I suggest you read Sarah J. Maas.

It was a slow start for me because I had forgotten the story line. SO I took a break from it and then read the first again. SO it was amazing. Literally once i got into it ---- I was on the edge of my SEAT. Mare and Cal literally had me almost about to strangle them with their stubbornness. But the character development was amazing. Each character had their own personality and stuck with it. It was amazing

SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY FANTASTIC AMAZING GOOD GREAT AWESOME HEARTBREAKING SAD HAPPYISH

FREAKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

I honestly could not put it down. This is a new trust on a so called new world to come. I was wrapped up in there lives and felt the characters pain. Very well written. I really hope that there is another book after this.

I didn't think the second book could out do the first but I was wrong. BUT I am torn between wanting to see more Cal and Mare progress AND wanting to see Maven and Mares relationship progress. Sigh I eagerly await the next book

I remember tearing through the Red Queen in two days, so caught up in the world, the plot, and riveting battle scenes. But the Glass Sword is slow, predictable, and Mare is very unlikeable. I found myself so frustrated with everything she does and DOESN'T do - she's very passive and lacks backbone. So much time is spent talking about Mare's emotions, which are always the same (guilty, angry, sad), it's incredibly repetitive and you'd rather be anywhere other than in her head. I wasn't rooting for her AT ALL, which made what little romantic scenes there were even less enticing. Aveyard still does a good job with fight scenes and it's still an interesting, unique world. The visuals will make this a great movie (plus the fact that a movie wouldn't dwell on Mare's feelings sooo much), but unless Mare changes drastically in the next book, I can't say I'll stick with this series.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Book Two of the Red Queen series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC gifted by a friend

Summary (from Goodreads):

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?

What I Liked:

Despite enjoying Red Queen, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book. This series is full of death and high stakes and cat-and-mouse chases (even after only one book, you can tell), and I'm not always in the mood for such, in fantasy. Glass Sword has death, narrow escapes, pain, suffering, grief, betrayal, guilt, and so much more. If there is something that you can expect from Aveyard's books, it is that nothing ever comes easy.

Mare Barrow has escaped from King Maven, and she's on the run with Cal, who is nothing short of a prisoner in the hands of the Scarlet Guard. The Guard wants to use Mare, but they do not like Cal. So it is with the help of several close friends that Mare and Cal run from even the Scarlet Guard. Mare cannot put her trust in anyone, so she, Cal, and the small group set out on a different mission - find newbloods (Reds with Silver abilities, like Mare), to help stop Maven. But is history repeating itself, with a new but familiar civil war? How much is Mare willing to turn down and give up, to save herself and the rebellion?

The first thing I will say - I seriously commend Aveyard, in breaking down Mare. Mare is completely deconstructed in this book, broken down, whittled into something different and unpredictable and slightly scary. Some of the characters are scared of her, by the end. Mare has been through unspeakable horrors, seen terrible things, done even worse. Her mental and emotional states kind of reflect this. Mare is bent on revenge, and saving newbloods, destroying this new Maven. But she's becoming a wild and dangerous person, and she can barely control herself. Aveyard is kind of making her a villainous heroine, which is twisted and kind of cool.

I like Mare, even in this new and scary way. She is so human, something that Aveyard does not let us forget. Yes, she is the lightning girl, and there are ridiculously crazy expectations on her. But she's also a teenage girl that has seen too much, been through enough, and can barely hold it together. She has to make difficult decisions, especially when it comes to the lives of others. You might want to look at Mare as a terrible and selfish person, but then, you might also want to think of what you would do if you were in her shoes.

The first 100-200 pages were a bit on the slower side for me. This half of the book dealt more with the Scarlet Guard, which I wasn't all that crazy about. I didn't like seeing Cal treated like a prisoner and less than human - it's terrible when the tables are turned, so I guess I can see why Aveyard made this a big deal. The animosity between Red bloods and Silver bloods is so real and so powerful in this book. We see it over and over, how newbloods and Red bloods immediately get angry at the sight of Cal. Which is so sad, because he is a good guy and generally a pacifist!

Oh, Cal. This book is as much his as it is Mare's. I just said he's a pacifist (generally), but the events at the end of Red Queen lit his flame. He's out for blood (his stepmother's and Maven's, specifically), and he is eventually on board with Mare's crazy revolution plans. He was a prisoner under the Scarlet Guard in the first third to half of the book, but he refuses to be a prisoner anymore. The soldier and general in him becomes very useful in training the newbloods that they find throughout the book.

I have no doubt that Cal will play an enormous role in the next two books, and I think that a lot of what will happen will rest on his shoulders. His character development and change are just as important as Mare's. It's too bad this book isn't written in alternating POVs!

The secondary characters are very important in this book! Mare's older brother Shade is one of the bigger players of the chessboard, and Captain Farley, and Mare's best friend from the Stilts, Kilorn (don't worry, he is literally only a best friend!). Despite misgivings about a few of them (*cough* Kilorn *cough*), I liked them all, especially as the book went on.

Overall the story had me hooked, even if I thought the first half was a bit slow. Not boring, but slow. I had an increasingly bad feeling as I read more and more, and it turns out, I had every reason to be. The ending was something I kind of saw coming, but at the same time, I found it WAY too early in the series to reach this cliffhanger. This book ended in a way that book two of a TRILOGY would end, not book two of a four-book series. Strange!

I'll say a smidgen about the romance - no more triangle! No love triangle on any account. Cal and Mare share one or two sweet moments in this book, but this book is very non-romance focused. The romance is not important in this book. In fact, early in the book, Cal and Mare both agree that they shouldn't risk anything more by continuing what they have. But we all know that this isn't possible! So I'm pretty pleased with the romance; it's linear and it progresses a bit in this book. I can't see the love triangle making a reappearance EVER.

What I might be more worried about is a HEA in general - this series seems to be going down a martyr-like road. But I'll say no more. On to books three and four!

What I Did Not Like:

Like I said above, there is a cliffhanger, which is fine, I expected it. Sort of. It's so early in the series for a cliffhanger?! This book ended like it's the second book of a trilogy, not the second book of a four-book series. So I'm a little confused about the placement of this cliffhanger. It's a pretty scary one too!

Ahem, more from our lead pair in the next books, please? Yes.

And I personally thought the first half of the book dragged just a bit, but that could just be me! Not a huge deal, because it wasn't difficult to finish this book at all.

Would I Recommend It:

If you liked Red Queen, then it's worth your time to read this book. I will say that if you have NOT read Red Queen, then don't bother starting the series (yet). It's a four-book series with a cliffhanger to end book two. I can't imagine what the ending of book three will bring! Don't start this series just yet; I'm sure it will shape up to be an amazing and best-selling series overall, but I think binge-reading this series is the way to go, if you can help it!

Rating:

4 stars. I liked this book! I think I surprised myself, because I was slightly dreading this book (it's just one of those fantasy books that screams TONS OF DEATH AND HEARTBREAK). Despite the cliffhanger ending, this book was a satisfying read, definitely worth the time.

This book was such a letdown after Red Queen. I loved Red Queen. I thought it was interesting and had many twists that you didn't see coming. Glass Sword however didn't employ any of the tactics that worked so well for the first novel in the series. Mare became an almost unbearable character to read about, she held none of the good qualities that were established for her in Red Queen. Maven is probably the most whiny and ridiculous king I've ever seen. He's the equivalent of a child throwing a tantrum in the way he pursues Mare and Cal. The relationships that were cultivated in the first book are nonexistent here, which is amazing considering Mare had 3 men that wanted her in Red Queen. All in all, this book was such a disappointing follow up to what was shaping up to be a great series.

Title: Glass Sword

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Dystopian Fiction

Series: Red Queen, book two

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

Red Queen was a sleeper hit, a blockbuster that I was curious about since before it had come out. Unable to resist any longer, I checked it out from my local library, and I was captivated. As soon as I had an opening in my library stack, I checked out Glass Sword. It had one last renewal on it, so I pushed it to the top of the stack, excited and apprehensive all at once. As soon as I was finished with The Queen’s Rising, I picked this up and began, diving into Mare’s world once again. As far as sequels go, Glass Sword wasn’t a bad one; it tied up loose ends, introduced new characters and brought back familiar ones, was full of action, political intrigue, and rich, exciting character development. The ending was shocking and explosive, and I’m so upset that King’s Cage isn’t in at the library yet!

Glass Sword picks up where Red Queen left off, with Mare on the run from the queen and Maven, the crown prince who desires ultimate power and something else—Mare for his own, no matter the cost. Forced into the uncomfortable position of reluctant revolutionary, she sets forth across the countries to find people like her, people with Red and Silver blood both, in hopes of stopping the bloodshed and taking the crown from the man she once trusted most. With Cal, the misplaced prince, by her side, Mare must decide what more she is willing to sacrifice for justice and freedom, even if the price is her soul and sanity…

I really, really liked this book; I was having some serious sequel anxiety when I began. It took several minutes for me to figure out what was going on, because it had been some time since reading Red Queen, but once things got rolling, Glass Sword had me in its grip and didn’t let go, not even after the last, horrible moment. I just finished it yesterday, and I’m still reeling. The pacing was breakneck, and the prose spare but powerful. I was captivated by the second installment in this series; I’m absolutely invested now. There was a lot of continuity that I liked, there were a lot of topics that were explored more fully in this book. The character development, though, was the star of this novel; Mare’s transformation from a poor, nondescript Red to the head of a revolution, and Cal’s transition from the main heir to the crown to the runaway who must come to terms with the fact that he will have to fight for the crown, against a person who knows him so well that he can predict all of his moves. I also really enjoyed the new characters that were introduced; I’m both relieved and upset that King Cage isn’t here yet, because obviously I need a break after all of that intensity. All I know is, I’m in for the long haul now. I’m so excited for King’s Cage and War Storm; I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Mare Barrow! The bottom line: The second book in the bestseller Red Queen series, Glass Sword was a meaty, thrilling, satisfying sequel, and I can’t wait for King’s Cage! Next on deck: Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson!

I’m still trying to feel my way through this book. I’m trying to decide what really made me not like it as much as the first book. I read a lot of reviews about how Mare is a pretty awful character and how she changed in the second book. No, she was there in the first book it just came towards the end. When Maven told her Cal would always choose her. I'm like based on what? A few kisses, coming to her aid every now and then? Yes Cal liked her I think, but was it all consuming to throw over his father, turn on his kin, I think not. But the fact that she was self-centered enough to believe it floored me.

Over all the book was a bit of a drag. There was action but it just didn't pull me in. I think we were way too much in Mare's head and that was not a good place to be. She's not that likeable of a character and I found myself either rolling my eyes or being angered by one of her asinine comments towards her friends. And speaking of friends, were they? Or were they just enablers? Cal and Killorn were the worst, instead of telling her off they just shut down and remained quiet in the background. When Cameron told her off I was like finally somebody not bowing down to this twit! I think Cal might have finally grown a pair and told her about herself but I think she broke it off with him soon after.

I would have liked more insight on the other characters they all seemed cookie cutter and nobody really stood out. And once again that could be due to being inside the head of the most selfish lead character ever. She never tried to bond or connect with anyone, even with her supposed love interests. Sometimes I felt like I was on the journey of a villain instead of a heroine. The only time she seemed human was when she interacted with her family. And she even treated them poorly at times.

Hopefully the third book will give Mare a chance to grow into a better person. At this point she just so exhausting I don’t know if I can take her anymore.

After being somewhat disappointed in the first novel in the series, "Red Queen", I was holding out hope that this one would be better and be the installment that would introduce a love for the series.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. I liked this book and found that it was okay. But, I enjoyed it about the same as I enjoyed the first novel.

As much as the story was eventful, surprising, and kept me guessing, I found that for the majority of the time while reading, the story was slow. Again, I found myself having difficulty staying focused as I was growing bored.

As well, I cannot get beyond the fact that this novel reads as many of the popular dystopian novels do combined into one. This one, for me, seemed like a hybrid of "The Darkest Minds" and "The Hunger Games" (specifically "Catching Fire" for some reason). I understand that the dystopian genre is so heavily saturated and that there can be repeated ideas and most of the time I don't find that it bothers me. However, for this novel, I cannot get beyond the thought that it feels like many combined into one story.

I will continue the series because not only do I want to know how it ends, I still am holding out hope that it will get better. This series is a favourite for many and I really wanted to enjoy it so it's upsetting that I haven't had a similar response.

I do my reviews in the form of questions

What made me pick this book up:
I read the first one and loved it. So I wanted to continue the series.

What did I like about the cover:
I am in love with all of these covers, the minimalist feel of it is amazing. And they're all so shiny. I feel like it matches the books. It would be cool if this one had a sword on it.

What made me read this book:
The first one was amazing. I absolutely loved it. And I needed to read a book with a color in the title (Red Queen) and a sequel by the same author (Could have been a different series, but this just made it easier)

What did I like the most:
I did like the story. Obviously I loved the first one, and this is just a continuation of that same story.

I still love Cal, of course. He's always going to be one of my favorite people I think.

***Spoilers***

I loved reading about how Cal decided to help them take down the reds. Though not by choice, but he came around to it. And I love that.

***End spoiler***

I found it really interesting to read about the different people and their "powers". It was interesting to see what they could do.

What didn't I like:
Mare was very annoying in this one. I get she's going through a lot and was just thrown into everything, but get over yourself. Just a little please.
I guess she has a strong case of PTSD from the first book, because she kept saying "Anyone can betray anyone" And I was just done with her saying that.

I felt like this book just didn't get anywhere, the first one was so amazing and gave me so many feels. This one felt like a filler book to me.

It was still written well and had a good story, just meh.

I also wish we could have seen more about what the powers were and what they could do.

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
I do actually want to finish the series. I'm invested now!

Overall I still enjoyed the book, just not nearly as much as I did the first one.

“If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.”
― Victoria Aveyard, Glass Sword

It pains me to say this, but the second book in the Red Queen quartet pales in comparison to book 1 in nearly all areas in my opinion. The proverbial cobwebs have been wiped away, and I'm left completely disenchanted with Red Queen after my quick re-skim and Glass Sword after a thorough read.

In Glass Sword, Mare races to find all the Reds like her who have special powers before Maven can get to them. As new alliances form and true colors come out, Mare must be careful when deciding whom to place her trust in.

This review might turn into a long rant, and first I need to address Mare. I loved her thievery and spunk in Red Queen, yet she felt so cold and detached in this book. She's a mere shadow, no, a husk, of the person she was before. Her selfishness and foolishness are constant warring issues in this book. She never learns, and at times she clearly just doesn't care about things that she should. It was completely frustrating having to follow this girl along the story. I liked all the secondary characters, especially as they never let Mare get away with her own ignorance. Mare's transformation in this book is frightening and just plain sad. I think this is supposed to be character development, but it just feels wrong.

Oh the romance.... It's a tangled web of eye-roll-worthy, cringing, and cheesy lines and tropes. While Red Queen teases and confuses readers, Glass Sword simply annoys us. There's so much time spent denying their love and lots of reiterations of weak statements like "we will only distract one another." There is a kiss here and there, lots of looks filled with longing, and searing touches that hold far greater meaning. Overall the romance still leaves me confused!

The action sequences are rapid and far fewer than I'd expected. They were also highly confusing. Maybe because Mare is confused and disoriented, we are too? Half the time I had to go back and reread sections because the scenes were so hard to follow or unclear. This book lacked any and all humor or lightheartedness. Even Allegiant managed to sneak some in, and that was a truly depressing book. I liked the new characters introduced to the book. I'd recommend rereading or skimming Red Queen before starting this because there are references to events and names that I hardly recall.

I enjoyed Red Queen even though it has all of the usual book/movie/tv show entertainment gimmicks. Special powers. Love triangle. Ordinary Girl Turned Rebel. Social Unrest. Revolution. And many more. It's so highly unoriginal and basically a smorgasbord of everything ever done, yet it works. In this book sadly it does not.

This book starts off slow and doesn't really pick up until page 350. The last ninety pages of this book are insanely epic and potentially worth a 4-star rating, but the first 350 pages hardly condone a 1-star rating. The plot is slow-going for most of the book until the explosive climax. I must admit Aveyard definitely knows how to keep readers on the edge of their seats near the end of her books. This ending reads like a cliffhanger for a trilogy, and I honestly have no idea how Aveyard is going to draw out two more books.

Both Red Queen and Glass Sword have consistently ended on a high note. It's like a sick joke, these books infuriate you so much and then hook you at the end! I didn't really enjoy this book, but I must know what happens next.

Quotes:

“No heart can ever be truly understood. Not even your own.”
“I am a weapon made of flesh, a sword covered in skin.”
“While they stand with me, there’s no one beside me. Even with an army at my back, I am still alone.”
Review:

This book had me on the edge of my seat for literally every single page!! I’m not even kidding. It was so much more than I expected from a sequel. I tend to have a lot of problems with book two in a series. It seems they’re simply there as a filler book and serve no purpose. That definitely wasn’t the case for Glass Sword. This book involved a LOT. We had so many character developments and changes to the overall movement from the Scarlet Guard.

It’s really hard to talk about a sequel without spoiling things that happened in book one. I will say it was action packed. We also got to meet a ton of new characters. One of my favorite newbies was someone named Nanny. I won’t give anything about her away, but let’s just say she’s a great addition. While we met some new faces, we also got to keep some of the older ones. Red Queen really did a number on those who survived though. I just wanted to reach into the book and bear hug every single one of them.

May I just add, the villains in this book….BLEW ME AWAY. They were awesome. I could feel the hatred rolling off of the characters. Trust me, I was feeling their anger as well. It was so easy to immerse yourself in this story and go through all the emotions the characters were. Overall, I adore this series. I cannot wait to read the next book and see what happens next. After the ending to this one…..I’m not sure if I’m ready for it….EEK!

Well this series got dark fast! Joking aside, I really enjoyed the RED QUEEN sequel. It pulls no punches in regards to action, characters, and consequences. The story picks up right where RED QUEEN left off and leads readers on an intense emotional adventure with characters old and new. There is more pain and heartache than even before, and while the betrayals don't seem to be happening every other page like they were previously, the ones that are there are still extremely strong and gut-wrenching, and lead to a brutal cliffhanger than had me putting this book on my shelf and grasping for the next one. Mare definitely took an interesting turn as a character, and it kind of shocked me. Yes, she was just as feisty and untrusting as ever, but she also took a dark turn at the end that had me asking the same question everyone else was asking at that point. Cal also continued to grow, and I honestly have no idea where his character will go from here. I know what I'm hoping for, but as the author keeps drilling into us, anyone can betray anyone. The newblood aspect was really interesting and it was awesome to see what other characters were capable of doing. The action was far more intense and dramatic than ever before, and right now I'm not sure how it can be topped. I'm actually a little scared to see how it could be, considering what happened the last time. Still, this series has me on the edge of my seat and eager to devour the next instalment. It totally lives up to the hype!

I feel rather neutral over this book. It started off really well with lots of action and a fast pace of writing. The story picked up immediately where Red Queen left off and I jumped right back in with the characters. Clearly, Mare and Cal were in shock and distrustful of everyone. That's how I felt too, distrustful of everyone. I felt like as the story moved, I was looking around every corner for suspicious developments. I loved that Aveyard was able to create such suspicion.

What I found was that at midway in the book it lost some traction and I felt a bit bored with lengthy description. The story line seemed to be never ending. Double crossing was everyone's middle name and I felt a bit jaded as the book continued to progress. As the book hit it's culmination, there was certainly an increase in the excitement. However, despite the ending, I am unsure if I'll continue with the series.

The publisher provided a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

Originally seen on The Bookish Owl ([...])

Glass Sword picks up immediately where Red Queen left off; Mare and Cal are still being chased by Maven, who has now declared himself the King of Norta and is pursuing a smear campaign against his older brother and the friend/lover whom he betrayed. The Scarlet Guard have picked up Mare and Cal but distrust them both – Cal because of his blood, and Mare because of her questionable loyalties. The race is on, however, as both Mare and Maven attempt to reach the ‘Newbloods': Reds who possess heightened Silver abilities. Mare wants to train them, use them to form an army against Maven, while the latter plans to torture and eradicate them in order to keep the balance of power firmly in check.

I have to be honest here; I didn’t enjoy Glass Sword as much as I did Red Queen. I was pretty bored for the first half of the book because I felt that the things that I was reading were elements common in so many dystopian YA novels. There was the love triangle with the best friend, the teenaged lovey-dovey angst, the strong family support unit (which manages to conveniently make itself sparse at the most pivotal moments of the story), the shifty rebellion, and more. The main plot of the novel – searching for and training the Newbloods – also came across as a little too X-Men for me and while I do enjoy seeing nature’s exceptions train with their new powers, it’s a facet that I’ve already seen in so many other books.

What sets Glass Sword apart from those other books, however, is Aveyard’s masterful handling of her characters. I couldn’t believe the transformation that Mare underwent from the first book to this. I was reminded of the angst and self-hate that Katniss Everdeen felt in Mockingjay and I think that this change was valid due to the circumstances that Mare found herself in. Her development wasn’t all good, though, because she was extremely cruel and ruthless during some parts of the novel. I’m not saying that I outright enjoyed those parts, and it was definitely a struggle to come to terms with the issues of morality that littered the novel. Nevertheless, it’s fair to say that Aveyard managed to introduce a depth of complexity to her protagonist, a characteristic that had not been seen in the previous book.

To be honest, Mare’s lack of humility bothered me to the point where I was literally rolling my eyes at some parts of the novel. She had a lot of delusions of grandeur, believing herself to be the main ingredient in the rebellion. It was a bit sickening and I kept wishing throughout the entire novel that someone would put her back in her place. One of the Newbloods, Cameron Cole, seemed to fit the bill but sadly, this episode was never allowed to evolve.

I’m also getting really sick of Mare mentioning her “palace lessons” or “Lady Blonos’ lessons” every single time she ordered something to be done. Girl, we get it, you had lessons. Now shut up and stop using those to justify your cruelty and bossiness.

Aside from my ambiguous feelings towards Mare’s character, my other issue with Glass Sword was how jarring some of the transitions between chapters were. At a very important action scene in the novel, it wasn’t until the following chapter that we knew for certain that a particular character had died. And it wasn’t until several passages later that we finally knew how we died. I understand that Aveyard was experimenting for artistic purposes but in my opinion, she failed in this endeavor.

In A Nutshell:

I enjoyed reading Glass Sword but it wasn’t as explosive or as fantastic as Red Queen. It didn’t suffer from second-book syndrome but I felt that this book shared similar elements with other dystopian YA novels. It was a good enough follow up to Red Queen but I thought that the hype surrounding it and the awesomeness that was the first book deserved a better one. I’m still going to read the succeeding installments just to see how it all ends but despite my three-star rating, Glass Sword was disappointing.

This review contains spoilers from Red Queen and very minor spoilers in regards to the book itself.

I am officially saying it because it will set the entire mood of this review. Victoria Aveyard is up there in my top five authors to read. Glass Sword did it in for me all the way to the final page and the final two words that cut me raw. I was excited to receive a few ARCs during my volunteering stint during New York Comic Con and was even more excited when I was gifted with one of the beautiful boxed ARCs this past month. I knew that the release date for the book had been moved on which means I had to gun it to read it and get this review out.

I have no idea why it took me so long to read. It was phenomenal. Aveyard’s storytelling goes leaps and bounds just as it did in Red Queen. I fell hard for this tragic heroine that turned over a new life in order to protect her loved ones despite all they had been through at the hands of the Silvers. Aveyard’s words kept me glued into the book and I was so happy to read every single page. I don’t know if this book is much longer than Red Queen (I suspect it is, of course), but it certainly needed all the pages to fill in the story of what happens in the aftermath of Maven’s betrayal and Mare’s/Cal’s heartbreaking downfalls from grace.

In the premise of this story, it starts up almost immediately after the events leading up. We know that there are others out there like Mare, people who have Silver powers, but are Reds. We know that her brother, Shade, who is also one of those special people, is alive and well. And we know that Mare is definitely on a mission to find other Reds out there to help take down Maven and his corrupt empire.

There’s never any simple way to strike up a revolution, so there are bound to be pitfalls and backfires along the way for Mare and her band of rebel rousers. I was sucked into all that Mare had faced and knew it would be a hard journey for her to expose Maven and to get Reds to fight back. I was so happy with her characterization - that she was no Katniss Everdeen or Tris Prior. Nothing against those heroines, but they came across to me as the perfect faces for their revolutions (yes, they suffered and they fought, but I always knew that somehow they’d reign over their domains). In the case of Mare, I’m not so sure. I knew that at times, she was getting over her head and that she was ultimately going to fail - somehow, someway. And that because I fell so hard for her character, it was certainly going to be hard to face. Yes, Mare has her own title - ‘the Lightning girl’, but it is all too far from extraordinary or being the name for a revolutionary. This becomes a label to which Mare inspires, but also fails at holding on to it as a good label. It’s the reason that she finds herself in the mess that she does - that she’s facing losing people she loves and dying for a cause that may leave her alone in the end anyways.

The relationship dynamics were also a great read. And yes, I am going to talk about romantic relationships as well as family and friend ones. I loved Mare’s relationship with her family, but what I spent most of my time reading about was her relationship with Shade and how it wasn’t the typical sibling relationship you would expect having reunited. They’re living in a time of unrest where no one can trust anyone, so there was always a sense of distrust among everyone, Shade and Mare included. There are very pivotal moments in 'Glass Sword’ that foreshadow what will become of the two of them and I was so sad when it actually happened nearing the end. I felt so sad or the two of them and what they had been through as a family and as individuals. Shade is one of the obnoxiously likable characters that I have come to really love and eugh - I don’t know what else to say about him, my goodness.

I certainly can’t waver away from talking about Mare and her relationships with Kilorn and Cal. Any reader could tell that this book was leading somewhere with this story and while one may suspect there is a love triangle abound now, there really isn’t. I applaud Aveyard for going this way as Red Queen had those nuances that all of us in the YA community have been reading for the last decade. There is no real cause for a love triangle and I am glad that Aveyard puts it out there. While there is unrequited love, it is not the heroine who suffers it (which is ALWAYS the case). At times, I wanted to just tell Kilorn to shut up because he would bring up his feelings for Mare at the most unfortunate of times. It’s a conversation that has to be had, but at the moments he brings it up are the worst of times! Though, I can completely understand when he’s watching the girl he grew up with change from the little thief to the little lightning girl. I love Kilorn, I do - but my god, boy needs some common sense.

I do have a biased towards Cal as an individual character as well as a character involved with Mare. He’s been through so much; his stepmother forced him to behead his father, his brother’s betrayed him, and he’s a war prisoner of the Scarlet Guard when we first see him in Glass Sword. His life kind of sucks. He’s like a furnace of burning revenge and sadness and I just want to squish him like the oversized pissed-off puppy that he is. He’s one of those character that you look at and you say, “I JUST WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY. IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR?” In this case and at this very moment, it really is. He doesn’t consider himself part of the resistance nor is he in alliance with the crown. The only person he finds himself trusting is Mare, and for obvious reasons. Their relationship certainly grows in Glass Sword, not as love interests, but as kindred spirits. Tragic kindred spirits. They are surrounded by people who have betrayed them and how can betray them. Of course, they come to lean on one another. Their shared moments were rather heartbreaking for me - not because I knew they really couldn’t be together, but that they were together because an awful string of events led them to this point where all they have is each other. He becomes the person who can calm her down and bring her back from the awful turmoil she’s suffering from and Mare seems to be the person who he can latch onto, even at night when nothing can help the nightmares he suffers (and gosh, those nightmares are the saddest of all).

Oddly enough, I really liked reading the interactions between Kilorn and Cal. For obvious reasons, they initially resist one another, but through Mare’s eyes, they become more similar to one another as time passes on. It’s nice when an author doesn’t put boy against boy and that they can come together for reasons bigger than a girl. It was slow-going at the beginning, but by the end, it certainly felt like their alliance was moving somewhere (maybe not towards friendship, but understanding).

How can I not speak about Mare and Maven? My gosh, I can’t even begin to put into words how I feel about Maven and how much I want to strangle his weasel-face. He’s put her through so much, Cal through so much, and he wants to make it worse for them. Despite his deep love for his mother, he has a deeper obsession with having Mare as his property. In a story where Mare comes across strong, Maven becomes a huge disadvantage for her because she still remembers the boy who was once her betrothed and once part of the cause for the Scarlet Guard. But he puts her through so much pain and bloodshed that I can’t wait to see what becomes of him (because Mare’s gonna win, right Ms. Aveyard? Right???)

The reason I wanted to talk about Maven last is because it leads into the ending of the story and what Mare ultimately sacrifices in order to protect her friends. At the beginning of this review, I told you that I was sucked into the story until the final two words and those two words are just are powerful as the slogan for the Scarlet Guard - if not more. I felt the crushing weight of them on my chest when I finished and once I read it, it brought me back to a moment that happened in the most recent season of Game of Thrones involving a particularly feisty, but tragic queen in the Lannister family. If you were any part of social media, you know what moment I am talking about. But I believe that the epilogue of 'Glass Sword’ is one of the ones I will never forget because it is painful, haunting, and difficult to read (at least for me).

I can’t believe that I have to wait at least another year for the next book. And what’s worse is that this isn’t a trilogy! There’s four books! Which means that it’s going to only going to destroy me even more in the third book. If this book is evidence of how brilliant Aveyard’s writing has become, I cannot FATHOM how I am going to survive the wait, let alone the read.

You need this book. I don’t care what you think or if you haven’t read Red Queen, you just NEED this book. There’s no question about it.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Glass Sword was just not for me... It was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year and it was so painfully boring that it wasn't even funny... Reading should not feel like a chore, but with this one it felt like just that. The plot was underdeveloped... I craved excitement. The romance was basically non existent... I actually wanted Maven back? & the story was so slow paced that it took me two weeks to finish it. I wanted to be blown away and I expected more since Red Queen was awesome, but this one just felt lack luster to me. I'm sure others will eat up Aveyard's words, but I wanted to close the book and mark it DNF.

I did get some good feels in certain scenes, but for the most part it was just a bunch of information that I didn't care about. Mare came off as a royal b* and I actually felt bad for everyone that had to deal with her. In Red Queen she was an empowering leader... Well don't expect that in this sequel. She was the puppeteer controlling everyone around her. She completely disconnected with her family showing no emotion at all and was constantly trying to manipulate people with her words. I couldn't believe how much I disliked her in this book. It was quite sad because I was actually hoping for a new love to get the focus off of her... Maybe Cameron and Cal? Now that would have been an awesome twist.

All in all... This one just didn't do it for me. I hope that other readers love it, but my advice is... If you loved Red Queen, lower all expectations.

“If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.”

I had such high hopes for this book. I don’t think it didn’t meet my expectations but I also don’t think it did meet them, if that makes any sense.

Victoria Aveyard has created a cast of amazingly complex and flawed characters in her books. Some I love, some I hate. That is one of the things I really love about both books.

“The girl I see is both familiar and foreign, Mare, Mareena, the lighting girl, the Red Queen, and no one at all.”

Mare is definitely not the strong, seemingly fearless, and unapologetic lead we last saw in Red Queen. A lot has happened to her and a lot more happens to her in Glass Sword. Her trust was shattered. Not only does she not trust anyone but it seems as if she doesn’t even entirely trust herself anymore. Mare is wholly a flawed character to begin with and that’s something I love about her (and still do.). She’s not perfect. She’s very much the unreliable narrator of Glass Sword. You only know, believe, and trust as much she does. Which is extremely frustrating at times but it seems, to me, that is what the author wants you to feel. Mare doesn’t really know how to properly process extreme emotions, she doesn’t know how to just let herself feel them. That fact definitely brings out the worst in her at times. She’s also been put in a very precarious and desperate situation. The phrase; desperation can bring out the worst in people came to mind a lot. She really ticked me off at times but overall no love for her was lost on my part. In fact I feel as if she was on the road to redeeming herself toward the very end of Glass Sword. One thing you learn for certain though is the fact that Mare is willing to do literally anything to protect those she cares about.

Yes. I’m defending Mare. I know a lot of people don’t like her but I find it hard not to like her.

Cal, Shade, Farley, Maven, Kilorn, and etc. There’s so much I want to say about all of the characters in this book because I have so many feelings from Glass Sword that involve them all but I don’t think I could avoid not including spoilers if I do.

I will say this though; Shade is my favorite. He is my top favorite. I need a whole novella that is connected to Glass Sword that is all in Shade’s POV asap. Maven reminds me of Joffrey and Ramsey from Game of Thrones. I’ve honestly disliked him since book one; I never trusted him. Farley; I’m pretty sure I know what’s going on with her but zipping my lips because spoilers. Cal and Kilorn; I felt like both of them grew so much in this book.

Glass Sword is incredibly action packed and suspenseful which is something I absolutely loved about it. Red Queen in comparison had a slow beginning and was much more of a world and story builder as all first books usually are. With Glass Sword, Victoria Aveyard jumped right into the story starting where Red Queen left off and didn’t look back or take a breath. For 90% of the book I was completely spell bound by the words on the page and didn’t want to stop reading. There were times when I was decidedly annoyed and or frustrated by what was going on but I think that was the point. I was still thoroughly enjoying it.

Then something happened that made me really upset (which I won’t spoil) and I nearly DNF’d the book right then and there. Don’t let the fact that I almost didn’t finish it deter you though because I am glad I finished it.

Glass Sword has a decidedly shocking ending that will leave you instantly craving the next installment. You’ll also meet some interesting new characters from a place that is otherwise unknown to the reader and I have a feeling they’re going to play a big part in the final book. Will the part they play be good or bad? I guess we’ll all have to wait to find out. I for one am sitting on the edge of my seat anticipating what could happen next.

The Glass Sword is the second book in the Red Queen’s series and picks up right where we were left hanging after that explosive ending in Book 1. I expected so much out of book and sadly it didn’t deliver in the way that the Red Queen did. While I did love some aspects of this book for the most part this book felt like a huge filler book that was cramped with too much world-building in a short span of time. If not for the newest characters, Cal, and Farley I would have probably quit reading.

This book follows Mare on her mission to find other Reds like herself which are now called New Bloods. The story-line to this book was dreadfully slow for me. It honestly didn’t feel like it picked up any until the last 7 chapters. The ending was a jaw-dropping plot-twist that I am looking forward to seeing where it will leads. I think my main problem stemmed from the intense world-building that was happening in this book. I wanted a map so bad and it felt like I keep getting more history on these towns and information so fast I couldn’t remember any of it.

Mare Barrow is facing some darkest in her that even her lightning can’t save her from. She was betrayed by her two Princes Maven and Cal in the Red Queen and must come to terms with aftershock of it. I felt like this book explored to much on Mare’s trust issues to the point where it became really aggravating. Don’t get me wrong I do understand her trust issues but after talking about them repeatedly it got old.

“I fear being alone more than anything else. So why do I do this? Why do I push away the people I love? What is so very wrong with me?
I don’t know.
And I don’t know how to make it stop.”

Also. I would like to point out whoever in this group decided to let Mare make the plans deserves to be kick out. Just saying!

Cal is the traitor prince who was made to kill his father in the last book and has lost essentially who he is. He doesn’t fit anywhere right now and the only thing that burns stronger than his fire is his need for vengeance. Honestly Cal was one of two reasons I made it through this book. I love him so much and I hated see him in so much pain. I did love how we get to see the conflicted choices Cal has to made in this book that go against everything he was raised to believe. He was simply awesome in the fight scenes and god help everyone when the calm and collective ex-King Prince got mad!

I am your rightful king, Silver-born for centuries,” he replies, seething. “The only reason you’re still breathing is because I can’t burn the oxygen from this room.”

Maven is a character that I never really trusted in the first book because he was too smiley and happy. Turns out my gut was right! You don’t get to see a lot of Maven in this book but you hear a lot about him and that’s all I can really say.

“Don’t lie to a liar, and Maven is the grandest liar of all.”

Farley is my reincarnation! I adore her so much! The bravery, loyalty, the Kaz like-plans she whips out, and the sass, so much sass! This book shows some of the background of Farley and the all so secret organization of the Red Scarlet Guard. Farley’s sense of humor at the most unappropriated times is what made this book better.

“You’ll find I’m remarkably good at giving orders, and particularly awful at following them.”

My final thoughts on this book is that while it didn’t meet my expectations there are still parts of it that were really good. We do get to see more Reds like Mare which is interesting. I do hope this series get better and I am hoping The King’s Cage can repair my hopes for this series. I really want to love this series, and I want to see where that ending will lead us in the King Cage! It breaks my heart to rate this but truthfully I can’t rate it high.
2.5

I liked how in this book, they showed the wider world and had characters who had different views from the protagonist and challenged her when they thought she was wrong. The newly discovered new bloods have many varied and interesting powers. Their was some good tension with the mix of victories and setbacks by the good guys and some twists that will lead to future books.
Some parts I didn't like or didn't make sense. Cameron made some good points about not wanting new bloods to replace Silver's with Reds still at the bottom but she ignored or didn't know the good reasons Mare had for seeking out the New Bloods, such as needing powerful fighters to defeat the silvers, and the new bloods were in immediate danger of being killed by Maven. It seemed strange that any Reds would be persuaded by Maven's propaganda since given all the atrocities committed against Reds, few would be impressed by Silver claims that the Red Guard are "murderers." Also, people seemed to be hard on Mare by blaming her for Shade's death. He was a soldier and sometimes soldiers get killed and the mission was a success and a huge blow against Maven despite the losses.

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS - Mare had three men vying for her attention in the first book, left betrayed by all of them. "And I am revealed for exactly what I am—a particularly stupid fish, constantly moving from hook to hook, never learning my lesson." Now Prince Maven is King Maven & the Scarlet Guard is frantically trying to gather all of the people that are Red & Silver to protect them. Maven keeps turning the screws to get Mare back in the palace, the latest being lowering the age kids will go to war. Just when she feels Kilorn has used her as bait, he comes through in the clutch, why doesn't she trust him? I agree with Mare here, no man can be truly trusted. Prince Cal refuses to kill Silvers. The moral of this book is that there is an island protecting the Red & Silvers, some of the Silvers are good while others aren't, some of the Reds are good while others aren't. Everything is in shades of grey & Mare hopes that after this revolution the good will overthrow the government no matter their blood color. "But I can’t shake the feeling that, while they stand with me, there’s no one beside me." When it comes down to it, Mare gives King Maven exactly what he wants to protect the rest of the world.

Honestly? Many of the things I praised in the first book are missing from this one. The present-tense narration is becoming annoying, but, of course, the author must stick with it because that’s how she started. More annoying is the derivative nature of the narration. District 13-type headquarters? Check. Heroine experiencing guilt? Check. Heroine and male love interest sharing a bedroom because they have nightmares? Check again. Major character sacrificing themselves to enemy control in order to save others? But of course.

I like the root story, and want to see where this world ends up with the addition of the “Newbloods” as a rogue factor in the Red vs. Silver society. I just really wish the author had found a more original way to tell the story. Instead, she got out the checklist from "How to Write a YA Dystopian Trilogy/Tetralogy" and just made sure to tick all the boxes. Sad, because this could have been really fresh and exciting.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Violence. Lots of it. Blood, both red and silver. As mentioned, characters sleep together, but the indication is that it’s not sexual. Another couple is definitely sexually active.

Who Might Like This Book:
Fans of the genre, of course. Any boy who likes Katniss or Tris will be fine with this. Appropriate for tweens and up. Approximate Lexile: 725

What is it about?

In the Red Queen we discovered a world where people are valued based on their color of blood. Either you are a Silver with some sort of elemental magic, or you are a Red with no power. Reds are the largest part of the population but are treated as lowly slaves. 

Mare Barrow has red blood, but she is far from ordinary. In book 2 she continues to defy the people who would oppress her and her people.

Was it good? 

Ugh. No. I very much did not like this book because Mare was such a self-centered drama queen. A word that rhymes with itch would be an accurate description. 

Perhaps the problem was that the book I read before this was The Bear and the Nightingale whose beautiful and lyrical story telling style transported me to another dimension that made me feel like that story was actually happening. 

In contrast, Glass Sword just felt like the rambling stream of consciousness of a self-centered teenage girl. She wouldn't know a good person if they came up saved her life multiple times. *cough* Kilorn *cough*. The way she treats everyone around her just made me feel so frustrated. 

I was sure I wouldn't want to read book 3, but that cliff hanger was the best part of the book and I find myself curious.

Actual rating - 4.5/5 stars

I thought this was a very good middle-of-the-trilogy book. The second book is usually never as good as the first or third, and although Glass Sword has some problems, overall, I enjoyed the book.

I enjoyed seeing Mare's relationship with the other characters develop and change. No one came out of this book the same, and I like that. There was some amazing character development that I know will lead into King's Cage. I also enjoyed the journey that Mare and the other characters took in this book. These type of books are hard to pull off without a lot of summarizing, but I think Aveyard successfully accomplished this. The occurrences in each city are different enough that it doesn't feel like you are reading the same thing over and over again.

For all the good parts of this book, I did have a couple problems with it. Some of the elements, especially the love triangle between Cal and Kilorn, reminded me of Catching Fire. While there's no harms in drawing elements from other books for your own, at times, it felt like I was reading Catching Fire, with different names. Also, I felt like Mare was too entitled. It was all about her mission, her feelings, and her failures. She didn't care about what anyone else thought or said, as long as she had her way. Sometimes it's good for a character to take control, I feel like Mare only cared about the power that she had instead of saving the lives of newbloods.

Despite of all that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am eagerly anticipating King's Cage. Especially how the characters will deal with what happened at the end.

Originally posted on: acrossthebookiverse.blogspot.com

Anyone and betray anyone.

With that quote, being one of my favourites of the whole series as of now, I can now relate somewhat well to it. I feel betrayed by this book. I loved Red Queen, but Glass Sword seemed predictable and I felt like it was being dragged out.

Mare Barrow has Red blood, but Silver powers. She has been betrayed by one of the people she trusted the most and is suddenly forced into a battle she didn't want to be a part of. With her friends, Mare goes on a quest to find newbloods. People of Red blood, with Silver powers, like her, before they can be whipped out of existence by Maven. Throughout her quest, Mare is faced with the pain of the past, the pain of the present, and the uncertainty of the future.

I'm one of those people where I usually love the sequel novel more than the first book. This is not one of those cases. The first give or take 375 pages were dragged out and gave me information that I probably could have gone without. I could have cut out about 300 pages in the middle and it still would have made sense in the end. The relationship between Cal and Mare confuses me to no end, because they act like they love each other, but then they hate each other. Kilorn made me mad. He was jealous and sulked about most of the book without really adding any significant plot. Actually, a good portion of the middle of the book was people sulking about. Mare, I get that Maven betrayed you and that it hurts, but that doesn't mean that everyone you meet will betray you, calm down. Spoiler here, but obviously Mare was going to end up giving herself over to Maven. It was brought up over and over again throughout the book and I guessed it within the first few hundred pages. Overall, I was disappointed in Glass Sword, it dragged on and on and was, in my mind, predictable. I still love Maven, though, and I wish we saw more of him.

I promise I don’t hate things other people love. It’s just a lot of big titles this year have been bummers for me. To be fair, I came into this one with open eyes. Red Queen, despite how excited I was for it, did not blow me away. It felt formulaic

The plotting in this often had me going, “wait, what? Why?” Most of the novel focuses on the gathering of other red’s with silver abilities, an idea introduced at the end of the last book. But they were basically devices. The pacing was rough. The climax of this novel was mindboggeling. It was rushed. It was super, duper convenient deus ex machine style. I was a little bit angry with it actually. Oh so we’ve vaguely trained in the woods for a hundred pages and then that? Also, it was often unclear what exactly we were building toward. We were outside the world established in the first novel, and we needed to be introduced to this wider world. I was hoping it would be more fleshed out and less vague dystopia, but I felt way more connected to the first novel.

There is no cost to power in this novel. Let’s just give a bunch of people superpowers that compliment each other and send them on a raid. It was like a less developed Six of Crows. On top of that the characters just feel so stock. Mare is exhausting. Maven is basically nonexistent as an antagonist for the entire novel except as the thing Mare is fighting in her head, though that feels forced too. Mare just feels forced all the way around. And there is nothing to make me sympathetic to her, certainly not the awful plotting. And poor Cal isn’t given any damn character development this go-round.

Still, Aveyard writes well, though some turns of phrase feel overdone. Example?

If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.

Are these turns of phrase supposed to make me more sympathetic to Mare? Maybe we should develop some or this internal conflict through some more purposeful action. Aveyard is action oriented after all, and the novel moves fast enough that it is often easy to forget the plotting issues. It sometimes feels Aveyard really wants to be writing for the screen, not the page. Many parts feel like montages. While I sped through this book, much of it felt frustrating as hell, especially upon further reflection.

“If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.”

I had such high hopes for this book. I don’t think it didn’t meet my expectations but I also don’t think it did meet them, if that makes any sense.

Victoria Aveyard has created a cast of amazingly complex and flawed characters in her books. Some I love, some I hate. That is one of the things I really love about both books.

“The girl I see is both familiar and foreign, Mare, Mareena, the lighting girl, the Red Queen, and no one at all.”

Mare is definitely not the strong, seemingly fearless, and unapologetic lead we last saw in Red Queen. A lot has happened to her and a lot more happens to her in Glass Sword. Her trust was shattered. Not only does she not trust anyone but it seems as if she doesn’t even entirely trust herself anymore. Mare is wholly a flawed character to begin with and that’s something I love about her (and still do.). She’s not perfect. She’s very much the unreliable narrator of Glass Sword. You only know, believe, and trust as much she does. Which is extremely frustrating at times but it seems, to me, that is what the author wants you to feel. Mare doesn’t really know how to properly process extreme emotions, she doesn’t know how to just let herself feel them. That fact definitely brings out the worst in her at times. She’s also been put in a very precarious and desperate situation. The phrase; desperation can bring out the worst in people came to mind a lot. She really ticked me off at times but overall no love for her was lost on my part. In fact I feel as if she was on the road to redeeming herself toward the very end of Glass Sword. One thing you learn for certain though is the fact that Mare is willing to do literally anything to protect those she cares about.

Yes. I’m defending Mare. I know a lot of people don’t like her but I find it hard not to like her.

Cal, Shade, Farley, Maven, Kilorn, and etc. There’s so much I want to say about all of the characters in this book because I have so many feelings from Glass Sword that involve them all but I don’t think I could avoid not including spoilers if I do.

I will say this though; Shade is my favorite. He is my top favorite. I need a whole novella that is connected to Glass Sword that is all in Shade’s POV asap. Maven reminds me of Joffrey and Ramsey from Game of Thrones. I’ve honestly disliked him since book one; I never trusted him. Farley; I’m pretty sure I know what’s going on with her but zipping my lips because spoilers. Cal and Kilorn; I felt like both of them grew so much in this book.

Glass Sword is incredibly action packed and suspenseful which is something I absolutely loved about it. Red Queen in comparison had a slow beginning and was much more of a world and story builder as all first books usually are. With Glass Sword, Victoria Aveyard jumped right into the story starting where Red Queen left off and didn’t look back or take a breath. For 90% of the book I was completely spell bound by the words on the page and didn’t want to stop reading. There were times when I was decidedly annoyed and or frustrated by what was going on but I think that was the point. I was still thoroughly enjoying it.

Then something happened that made me really upset (which I won’t spoil) and I nearly DNF’d the book right then and there. Don’t let the fact that I almost didn’t finish it deter you though because I am glad I finished it.

Glass Sword has a decidedly shocking ending that will leave you instantly craving the next installment. You’ll also meet some interesting new characters from a place that is otherwise unknown to the reader and I have a feeling they’re going to play a big part in the final book. Will the part they play be good or bad? I guess we’ll all have to wait to find out. I for one am sitting on the edge of my seat anticipating what could happen next.

This second installment of the Red Queen series starts quick and never fades. Mare and Cal find themselves in the company of the Red Guard. Cal exchanging one prison for another and Mare discovering her interests may not align exactly with the Red Guards. Going rogue, they set out to find the New Bloods so that they can build their own army to fight Maven, knowing Maven will also be looking for them to kill before they can unite against him.

The pace of this novel was so much faster than in Red Queen, probably because the scene is set for Mare and Cal to put their plan in motion. The book isn’t as political, although some politics certainly come into play. The thing that struck me the most about Glass Sword was how it was an emotionally charged novel. You see some depths to Mare’s feelings for Maven, Cal and Killorn and are given insight into why she makes some of the choices she makes in this novel. The reader discovers more to her relationships with her siblings that also give power to a couple of plot points in the book tyat I don’t want to spoil if you haven’t read the book.

My only fault with this book was that it was so dark! Mare was inside her head, pushing away everyone she loved and that was really frustrating for me. However, that being said, I do realize this is the second book and you need to go through angst and pain to hopefully bring this story to a conclusion. I just hope that the next book has a few happy moments and isn’t quite as dreary.

As I sit in my desk chair at work, obviously not working, I can’t help but wonder why I don’t stop to write a review before moving onto the next book in a series. Once again I have read book 2 and then immediately rushed to book 3 without even a second’s hesitation. Now I am sitting here with the misfortune of having to decipher WTF happened in books 2 and 3, because they have COMPLETELY blended together now. Obviously my need to know what happens next overshadows my responsibility to share my thoughts with you guys, but you are just going to have to suffer due to my selfishness. Book obsessions are a fickle mistress my darlings <3

If you read my review for book 1 in this series, Red Queen, then you know that I was having some deep deeeeeeep issues with the fact that I couldn’t connect with the characters. Reading that a character is sad/guilty/happy/blah blah blah is COMPLETELY different than feeling what the characters feels. I don’t want to be TOLD that Mare is disappointed in herself for getting more people killed, I want to know it and feel it. As I was hoping would happen, the author has only improved in this while she has continued to write. After reading Glass Sword I was finally starting to feel the things that Mare, Cal, Kilorn, Farley and various other characters were feeling. As the story started building into a darker and more cutthroat story, the personalities and actions of the characters grew as well. Though I still feel as if Mares emotions aren’t translating as well as they could, I definitely am noticing an improvement and growth in the writing.

For me, halfway into this story is where it really starts excelling. Mare and her “team” have begun the search to recruit/rescue newbloods, and the abilities that these new characters show are KILLER! Their skills range from manipulating sound, teleporting, playing with gravity, changing ones physical appearance to match another, or being able to kill someone or something with only touch. Here is where the reader is introduced to some amazing new characters, and where I think the story actually comes into its own. As they start training the newcomers to fight and control their abilities, it starts to become clear that we are in for some epic battles in the next few books.

I am all for action scenes and cutthroat battles happening in a Fantasy story, but I am really starting to tune out of these sequences in this series. I keep finding myself skipping over a lot of these scenes, and I mean just flipping pages and not even looking back. I think there is a way to detail a battle without using so much wording, because this is what keeps losing my interest. In the Throne of Glass series there is a TON of fighting and killing happening, but I never lost interest once. I think this is because Sarah J. Maas really knows how to describe a moment in detail, but in a way that you are hanging onto her every word and not feeling as if you are being thrown too much information. In the Red Queen series this just wasn’t happening, and I couldn’t help but skip past these parts.

Glass Sword is where we also have a heart attack moment in which the author hints at a love triangle. But then again, there’s already a weird love triangle happening between Maven, Cal and Mare isn’t there? Well for those of you who love a nice romantic drama full of heart ache and emotional woes between three people…sorry. That’s not really happening here. In saying the least amount possible: some emotions are expressed, some emotions are respectfully shot down, and some other emotions are…emotional.  But fear not my romantic readers! Book 2 is where the heat begins between Cal and Mare, and by heat I mean a very VERY dim flicker of flame on a tealight candle. Yes, it’s kind of a letdown. Though now I think we are all starting to realize that Victoria Aveyard has decided to focus more on the story, less on the romance. Which I can full on respect. You go girl!

With that said, I think this is a nice step towards what is to come in this series. I always see book 2 as the stepping stone for everything else that is building up in a story, and I feel like that with this one as well. I was glad to see that some of my concerns from Red Queen had improved in Glass Sword, and I can’t wait to see if things only get better. Though this series still hasn’t hit the WOW factor for me and has left me a little disappointed, I still find it an enjoyable read. If an author is keeping at least part of me interested and I am speeding through the series, then they have to be doing something right. I have already finished King’s Cage and hope to have a review up soon, so keep a look out guys!

First Thought After Finishing: That can't be the last page!

Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen leaves off, continuing the story in a politically unstable world of Reds and Silvers. Mare has tasked herself with finding all of the other newbloods to keep them safe and help them understand their new abilities. In the midst of her search and her mission to stay one step ahead of a political uprising, she has to try and come to terms with her feelings about two vastly different boys.

Once again, I loved the scope and creativity in this series. Just like Red Queen, this book is quite a thrill ride and a guessing game. Even though it isn’t always her intention, Mare lives on the edge of danger, and the adrenaline from flying just under the radar is almost as exciting as the well-crafted fight scenes. The abilities of characters continue to surprise me, and they are used in inventive ways. The romantic side of the story does take a backseat to the action, it doesn’t disappear by any means. So much happens in this book, and it definitely makes me excited to see what will come in the next one.

As much as I enjoyed being back in this world, a couple of things stood out to me. Mare was always concerned with reading people, determining if they were lying, and interpreting their thoughts. Sometimes the message of “Anyone can betray everyone” felt a little heavy-handed. Even though the book is filled with secrets and questions needing answers, sometimes it would be nice to figure things out without Mare’s guidance. My only other complaint is the ending—how am I supposed to wait for months until the next book comes out? That’s more torture than Silent Stone to Silvers.

Most Memorable Aspect: Cal is the kind of character that you can’t get out of your head. I wish there were chapters from his perspective, because I’d love to know more about him.

Glass Sword continues an epic story guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats. I loved being back in this world and can’t wait to see how Mare’s new fate plays out in the next book.

This book was every bit as exciting as The Red Queen, if not more. Quick warning: if you have not read The Red Queen, this review will probably contain some spoilers.
Mare, now on the run, is attempting to build a New Blood army to face King Maven. Everything about her journey is filled with heart pounding danger, and taunts from the new king. I love how Victoria Aveyard not only included physical struggles, but emotional and mental struggles. Mare is heartbroken. Cal is heartbroken. They struggle with Maven's betrayal and struggle with the fact that now they are being hunted by the boy they once--and still--love.
There is a bit of a love "v" in this book, between Mare, Cal, and Kilorn. But it wasn't in the cheesy-to-the-point-its-unbearable. It was actually very realistic, and wasn't overplayed. The romance kind of took backseat, even though it did add a romantic element to the book that was very well done.
Lots of characters were introduced in this book; which makes sense considering Mare and her gang are trying to build an army. All of the characters, no matter how small they were, each had a distinct personality that made the story all the more interesting. I loved the interactions and the tensions and fights and battles and closeness and love and need. Everything felt honest and real.
It's really hard to hate any of Aveyard's characters, and when I do hate them, I love to hate them. The Red Queen series so far is much better than I expected, and is a must-read for anyone who loves dystopia or anyone who wants to try a dystopian series.
I am going to give Glass Sword four out of five hearts.

I would go mad if there wasn’t another book in this series. This rollercoaster of emotion and action that fills the pages ends on a note that’s like being struck by lightning.

Like Red Queen, I find the book, a fantasy story which seems to have a setting of future Earth, to feel very much like the present day. There’s a line, “He never got to teach me about the Divide, the ancient moment when silver blood split from red,” which feels to me like the way Americans talk about being divided now. (Rich versus everyone else, healthy versus anyone taking any prescription ever for anything, races, religions, etc.) There’s a line in the book, “Sickness with easy cures, but no money to buy the medicine.” This is a fantasy world where there are people who can heal almost anything with just a touch… but they only treat the richest, the silver bloods. It’s those tiny mentions in the book that hit too close to home for my heart and head.

In this fantasy world filled with people who have super powers, it’s still the psychic, Jon, who gets questioned. Calling lightning and commanding electric, sure. Healing with a touch, okay. Seeing a few minutes into the future, you bet. But seeing time, seeing days ahead… that’s where the characters get skeptical. I found Jon and his power, and the reactions the others had to it, to be very amusing. To quote, “chose to trust what they could understand, rather than what was true.” Those are more than words in a book. There’s wisdom leaking out, which is what I love about this author. A paragraph later explains the fantastic covers of these books, the crowns dripping with blood. I love when the reason for a cover becomes obvious in the pages.

I’m pretty sure I know what Farley’s question is, the one to which Jon tells Mare that the answer is yes. It’ll be the next book before I know for 100% sure, but I’m 99% betting that I know.

I’m also going to mention quickly how fun the acknowledgment was to read.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard Review

Glass Sword is the second installment in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. This book picks up where Red Queen left off. Accused of treason and murder, Mare and Cal are with the Scarlet Guard, on the run from Maven and his mother.

This book was decent. I’ve seen complaints that this is just a combination of different YA fantasy tropes and yeah, I guess it is, but it works for me. I enjoy the plot and I care about the characters. Shade’s death at the end had me shook and I felt like everyone had a realistic reaction to it.

I have to admit I don’t actually like Mare...she’s very young and the product of a system that has kept her intentionally uneducated, which I don’t fault her for but she’s also just...repeatedly making the wrong decisions and talking about how special she is and like...she’s not really all that special. I almost feel like Aveyard tried to do a chosen one trope but there’s nothing about Mare that makes her the chosen one. Sure she’s a Red with Silver powers but so are a lot of people. She’s just the first one that the royal family happened upon. And yeah she’s crazy powerful but so are a lot of people in this universe.
I do, however like a lot of the other characters, particularly Cal. He’s flawed and sometimes downright problematic but he’s at least interesting and competent. The romance between Shade and Farley seems a little bit shoved in there and it almost came out of nowhere. The whole thing is through Mare’s POV up to this point and maybe if she had spent a little less time thinking about how super special she is and how she can trust no one while she trusts exactly the wrong people, and was a little more perceptive, I might have been invested in Shade and Farley more.
Bottom line here I guess is that I just really don’t like Mare but the other characters and the plot are enough to hold my attention even though I don’t like the protagonist.

I LOVED Red Queen (the first book) so I was wicked excited to pick this one up... But I didn't like it. At all.

I was so bored through most of it that I struggled to just trudge through. The only thing that is keeping me from giving it a one star rating is the fact that there were a few bits I liked.

Overall, Mare drove me absolutely insane. She went from being this great character to one that screamed self-importance. One minute she was so full of herself, but then the next minute she would think she was nothing special. Also, one second she was in love with Cal, then she hated him, then she was in love with him again, then she hated him, and so on and so on.

I also felt that there was quite a bit of repetition, specifically in what Mare would think to herself, which always drives me up a wall.... I was not invested in this book at all. I was reading this with a friend, and when she texted to tell me it starts picking up, I thought "oh good! finally!!" I was so excited and had high hopes for the book finally drawing me in! But no... It may have been just because I was so ticked off at the rest of the book, but when I finished reading...my only thoughts were "Saw that coming..." and "glad that ones over." I'm not sure if I will read the next book (if there is one?).

So, if I'm reviewing the first 300 pages, this would be a 1-star book. However, the last 140 pages certainly redeem this story.
Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen left off. Mare and Cal have survived the Bowl of Bones and their next order of business is to assemble the New Bloods and hopefully defeat Maven.
Then, about 300 pages of this boring and tedious process occurs. This could have been condensed and certainly this book could have been about 200 pages shorter. And, there are a lot of characters that are introduced that are all un-interesting. I can't even remember their names, but they apparently aid to Mare's cause and can do cool things since they are New Bloods.
Finally, some action starts around the 300-page mark.
I don't understand Mare's relationship with anyone. Does she like Kilorn? Cal? Maven?? She goes through phases of loving all three, but is able to drop them quite quickly, which in my head, doesn't reinforce the "love" story. These little details detract from the book and make the characters less compelling. Frankly, I don't like Mare. She's always serious and she's very fickle.
I'll finish out the series, but I hope King's Cage is better than this installment.

I started to listen to Glass Sword, but found that I had very little recollection of the first book (which has been happening to me lately---guess I'm getting old), so I went back and did a quick re-listen to Red Queen. I was really glad I did because it established the relationships so much more in my mind.

This book picks up exactly where Red Queen left off---Maven is now king (after Elara forced Cal to kill his own father) and Cal and Mare are on the run, along with her brother, Kilorn, Farley and others in The Scarlet Guard. This installment focuses on Mare attempting to gather the "New Bloods" as they call them---Reds with abilities. But the road is not smooth and Mare finds herself falling at odds with many of the people who have stood beside her as she becomes more and more brutally focused on her goal.

I really enjoyed this book, but I did feel like it had a little bit of a middle book feel to it---where it was all just leading us to the final book in the series and didn't stand on its own as well. It was necessary because Mare changes a lot in this book (not completely for the good), but I kept waiting for something to really happen with the plot and that doesn't happen until almost the very end. And then there's a cliffhanger. Good thing I don't have to wait long for the next book!

The Narration: I enjoyed the narration for this book and thought Amanda Dolan did a fantastic job. I would definitely be happy to listen to other audiobooks narrated by her.

My Thoughts: I can remember reading the first one in this series and loving it to pieces. I had even heard some negative reviews of it but I was one of the people who loved it.

We are back with Mare who is basically on the run now. She’s with her brother, and of course Cal. Cal is probably one of my absolute favorite characters of this book. And its surprising since if I remember correctly I liked his brother better in the first book.

It was a little hard to get into this one. I felt like I couldn’t remember certain details on how Red Queen ended. But I remember LOVING it.

Mare is basically trying to recruit others like her and get to them before they end up dead. I won’t sugarcoat it. She makes it sometimes. Sometimes she doesn’t. I really liked learning about the different characters and I did enjoy the scenes where she’s bad-ass.

I’m not sure what else to say about this one. I enjoyed it. I liked it. But it just wasn’t as good for me as the first one. I had a bit of trouble getting through it. I had trouble keeping my interest on the book.

Overall: I wanted to give it 5 cupcakes! But somehow I’m a little bit torn I guess. I just didn’t connect with this one as much. Honestly, I think if I had read it RIGHT after Red Queen, I maybe would have enjoyed it more. Definitely read it though if you’ve already read the first. I think this is more of a 3.5 cupcake rating for me.

Cover: I like it. I really like the color and the crown. Cute!

What I’d Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
_________
Taken From Princess Bookie

All right, before I begin reviewing Glass Sword, let me start by saying that I loved Red Queen. I even gave it 5 stars in my review. I was entranced by the world building, a smart mix of scifi/dystopian and epic fantasy, I loved Mare, I adored Maven, even if he turned out to be of the not-so-good-guy variety, and I liked Cal. Needless to say, I was thrilled when the sequel was released, and I purchased a copy almost right away.

And then, Glass Sword turned out to be the biggest dissapointment of the year. Maybe of several years, if I’m being honest.

The book lacks just about everything. All the elements that made Red Queen an engaging, spellbinding book, are now gone. It’s like the author stopped pouring effort into it, and just wrote down word after word without meaning.

Glass Sword has tons of action scenes, but they’re so dull, I skimmed through several pages just to get through them. Maybe they’d look good on the big screen, but ten pages of action scenes in this book just didn’t work for me. This was partly because I couldn’t relate to the characters anymore.

Mare was amazing in book one. I loved her. Now? She’s cold, arrogant, very repetitive, and pretty much thinks she’s the most special cookie in the bunch. She mentions she’s this dangerous weapon and people should be afraid of her….oh, just about once every page. She’s growing very dark in this book, but it doesn’t make much sense the way she does it. She doesn’t question the things she should be questioning, she doesn’t trust anyone anymore, and she barely feels a connection to her family, although they should be most important to her.

The whole recruitment process of Silver/Reds (people with Red blood, Silver abilities, like Mare) is dull and boring, and for a large part it’s because none of the characters are even remotely interesting. No one is interesting. They’re all bland, boring, and I skipped more paragraphs than I read, by the time I got to the end of the book. It was all so predictable too. I could pretty much guess what would happen about one hundred pages before it actually happened.

The book’s major problems are: lack of connection to the characters, lack of likeable characters, and repetition. I’ve never seen a book that repeats itself this often. Mare’s narrative has gone from interesting to so dull you could fall asleep. The story also never moves forward. Sure, they recruit some Newbloods, as they dub the Reds with Silver abilities, but that doesn’t really bring the story forward. It’s only until the end when the story moves forward a little – a little, I say.

Mare acts like a Mary Sue. She’s a super special cookie and deserves special treatment. It’s not troublesome that she is – she is the Lightning Girl, after all, and like Katniss in the Hunger Games series that makes her a symbol of a revolution -but it’s troublesome that she’s so convinced of this, and keeps repeating it! It makes her come across as extremely arrogant. I wanted Maven to come and just kill her more than once throughout the book.

The only somewhat redeemable character left by the end of the book is Kilorn. I still sort of like him. The others are so bland and boring they could’ve been replaced by stick figures.

Oh, and Maven. At least he stands out from the crowd by being wicked.

I’m utterly dissapointed in this book, and how it differed from Red Queen, both in writing style, character’s narrative and strengths, and lack of romance. I’m not sure if I’ll ever pick up the third book. Maybe, since it features Maven.

Book: Glass Sword
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

This was actually the first book of 2016 that I preordered. I read Red Queen when it first came out and fell in love with the beautiful world that Victoria Aveyard had made. It had everything dystopian government, a royal family, social class divides, and a war. It was a great mixture of fantasy and science fiction. Simply beautiful!

And here we come to book two. I will admit that starting out with this one, I was a bit disappointed. It did not seem to have the amazing world that I fell in love with in the first book. I really was staring to think that I had made a mistake of actually buying it. While I still do have many mixture views about this one, I did go ahead and give it a five star rating.

Glass Sword picks right up where Red Queen left off. Mare and her friends have been forced out of their kingdom and are now on the run-think of it as being close to the beginning of Insurgent. They arrive at a safe haven and are working toward social justice between the two different classes. Yes, there are not a lot of action scenes in the first half of the book. I would venture to call the first half as more character driven than anything.

Yes, I was actually kind of bored for the first fifty percent of the book. It had nothing to do with Victoria's beautiful writing-come on, even if you don't like the book, you do have to give Victoria credit for being an amazing writer. I guess what I was really missing in the first half was the castle and Maven. Don't get me wrong, I do love Cal, but what has always drawn me to this series is Cal and Maven's interactions with each other.

Mare does do a lot of growing in this one. I have seen a number of reviews that call her mopey and angry, but these emotions are really to be expected. Think back to what she has been through. Wouldn't you feel the same way? It makes her real. I don't understand all the hatred that readers are giving her for being a real girl with real emotions. Um, doesn't a certain Hunger Games character got through the same thing and, yet, there is hardly any of this hatred directed toward her? I really did like seeing this side of Mare. It makes her seem more human, having all of this to overcome. Plus, what she does at the end is really, really fitting.

Now, those of you who enjoyed Cal's and Maven's chemistry in the first book should know that they really do not have a lot of scenes together. Hopefully, we will get more of this in the last book.

There is for sure a middle of the series feeling with this one, one that is similar to Heir of Fire. This does not make it a bad book, but just don't expect the same excitement as Red Queen.

I began The Red Queen on Audiobook when it was first available on Overdrive from my library. I then picked up Glass Sword from the library, but couldn't really get into it, so I waited for the audio book.

The book picks up a few months after Red Queen ends. Mare and the Scarlet Guard are seraching for other Reds with Silver abilities, to creat an Army to rise up and defeat Maven and return Cal to his throne.

I really felt like this book kind of went in circles. Mare has questioned herself from the beginning, and the love triangle involving brothers never impresses me. The greatest think Maven did was show his true colors, even if he is murderous and vengeful.

I feel that as a second book, this one was lacking propelling the storyline forward, though we did meet some new and interesting characters along the way. I am looking forward to the third book of the series, and hope it picks up the intensity that the Red Queen carried.

Read all my reviews at the-pink-moose.com.

I enjoyed Red Queen. I expected to enjoy Glass Sword. And I did… mostly. A sequel not living up to my expectations is common, so I try to factor that when I read the second book in a series. I don’t think that my quibbles with expectations are what made Glass Sword not as good as the first book.

The two books almost feel like different people wrote them. Red Queen felt like an epic YA fantasy with a political undercurrent that resulted in manipulative politics that were forced upon Mare. In Glass Sword, the tale is more of an angsty love triangle, and Maven’s vindictiveness seems cliché. Cal’s depression, while realistic, is just such a drag. Finally, will Mare ever learn? She makes the same mistakes in book two as she did in book one.

All in all, I’ll still read the third book. I already have all the short stories, and I’ll likely read those as well. The ending of Glass Sword makes me think that whatever happens in King’s Cage will be epic. I’m gonna give Glass Sword four stars, and look forward to reading more from Victoria Aveyard.

Glass Sword is one of those books where I am very very torn in my feelings. Overall I would definitely say I liked it and I do plan on continuing the series, but at the same time Glass Sword is nothing I haven't already read a thousand times. In many ways it feels like it pulls elements from previous successful fantasy and dystopian books and combines it into one.

I am going to start with what I liked about Glass Sword and then I will move on to my issues. One thing I truly love about Victoria Aveyard is her ability to deliver twists in the story. She excels at keeping the reader on their toes. It is impossible to trust anyone in the book because the moment you do, they hurt you and betray you. Anyone can betray anyone… it is repeated over and over throughout the book and it is proven true time and time again. Overall I liked the story and the plot kept me engaged. I am definitely curious to see where it is going and to see how it all wraps up. So despite my issues that I go into below, I know I will be continuing this series and I just hope that the rest of the series delivers a bit more than this one did. I’ll also say this… I read this on the heels of A Court Of Mist And Fury and I have to wonder if I would have enjoyed more had I not read it when I did.

Alright now I’m going to go into the things I had issues with. First things first, the romance. Now we all know I am not one who reads a book solely for the romance, nothing against those who do we all have our preferences, but that is just not me. I am invested in the story first and foremost but the romance in this one drove me bonkers and the lack of it made me mad. Mostly because it was sitting right there teasing at the edges of the story but never fully in the story and I just wanted it to be there or not, I got tired of the teasing. But also, Cal and Mare drive me nuts because they take one step forward and then three back and I have a very hard time thinking they will ever make it work at this rate. Their arguing is incredibly annoying and it grates on my nerves because they could be so strong together if they were willing to communicate. Also, there was another side romance thrown in that I didn’t think needed to be thrown in and was only added for an extra dramatic flair at the end.

As for the characters, well I don’t know if I actually like any of them. I admire Mare and I appreciate that she is strong, but I don’t know if I really like her as a person. To be quite honest she aggravates me and she really thinks very highly of herself. Then Cal can be a real idiot… his aversion to killing silvers that ARE TRYING TO KILL HIM is ridiculous. He has no problem killing reds though and this is where my main issue with him comes in. For the most part I like Cal, but he drives me absolutely insane. I also can't stand Mare’s family for various reasons. Then Farley also makes me crazy, I admire her strength and tenacity but I don’t particularly like her. And Cameron, oh gosh, I cannot even get started on her because no. The only character I genuinely like is Shade… that’s it.

Among other things, I felt this book was very repetitive at times. They made the same mistakes over and over again and it seemed like they constantly almost got caught just to escape in the nick of time in some miraculous way. As much as I liked the plot, this did get tiring. Oh and if I had to listen to Mare complain and moan over Maven one more time I was going to lose it. Maven is a psychopath, the person you miss is a lie, get over yourself. And the damn cliffhanger, just no. I am a fan of a well done cliffhanger, I kinda love them to be honest, but this one was not good and was completely included solely for shock value. The book could have ended a few chapters earlier without extending it just to add the cliffhanger.

All in all Glass Sword was a good read. I had my issues with it (obviously) but when I take a step back I can definitely say I enjoyed it overall and I will be continuing with the series.

Mare Barrow is a Red by blood but has an ability that any Silver would kill for. And she is not the only Red out there with ability to turn the tide of the war that has been going on for ages with the Reds paying the price for generations. She is on the run but she hasn’t given up… as she tries to track down the people of her kind, Prince Maven is close behind her. Her time in the Silver courts has taught her a few things about politics and war. She needs these people to win the war and yet there are things that she needs to control if she ever hopes to win – her power and her heart. And there is the fact that Prince Cal maybe on the run with her, but his loyalties are questionable.

The plot has evolved and with a whole new range of characters introduced there were quite a few surprises the author sprung on her readers. I quite liked them – the surprises I mean. It was fun to see new blood in the story while some of the familiar names faces became more familiar to me. I loved getting to know Mare’s family more closely and wish Cal would open up just a bit more. I also liked the general turn the plot has taken – especially with the new player in the war. Infact, I can frankly say that I was quite happy with this book except for two things – Mare & the cliffhanger ending. I understand that the author tried to show Mare dealing with some serious issues – but her voice felt irritating at points. I wished she would just stop complaining… Yes, there was a target on her back that no one else has – but she wasn’t alone in it. Instead of feeling any empathy or sympathy for her, Mare’s voice made me want to just shake some sense into her at times – it was annoying. As for the ending, I know cliff hangers are supposed to be epic and make us want to pick up the next book – but with the way Mare’s voice was annoying me, the ending only makes me dread the next book. So in a way, I had only one problem with this book – Mare. But end of the day, protagonist or not, Mare is just one character. There are so many things about this book that is likeable, that it was easy to ignore her.

Now while I try guessing what is in store for the third instalment of this series and pine away for it – you go give this book a try if you like Young Adult – Fantasy/Dystopia.

I just finished this book and have a lot of conflicting emotions about it. First is I thought this series was completed had I known it was not I probably would have waited (I'm a very impatient person).

One of the reasons I am impatient is due to the fact that this books build up the intensity to the last sentence, and while it does not end on a cliffhanger, it makes me anxious for the next book. There is a lot of info packed into this book and it can be a bit overwhelming, especially with all the new characters introduced.

Reading this books makes me feel like I'm walking on a bed of nails as everyone seems to have their own agenda and willing to betray/kill for it. This is one of the reasons that frustrated me about cal is that he is constantly referred to as a soldier and just following orders but yet he still seems to stick his head in the sand. It's obvious he is the light to mares dark, still it gets a bit frustrating. It's easy to forget that they are teenagers. Overall the action is really what sets the pace and drives the book.

From what I read I really wouldn't call these books a romance as it seems to take a back seat. The only true romance I read was between Farley and shade. I don't feel a strong connection between mare and cal or even maven. I think she is supposed to be torn between these two brothers but ultimately it felt flat. I'm curious to see where the series takes these characters and will continue to read but I hope the author can bring the heat for the rest of the series.

Beginning on their escape from Maven, the newly crowned King, Mare and Cal are sucked into the world of the Scarlet Guard. Mare is hailed as a hero; Cal is chained like a prisoner. One thing is acutely clear: they must find the newbloods before Maven does. Can they get the Colonel on board with their plan or will they have to take matters into their own hands?

It becomes a race against time, against Maven. He knows who they are looking for, and always seems to be a step ahead. Can they ever get the upper hand and dethrone the boy king?

It's been a while since I read Red Queen, and I was concerned that I might not remember enough to settle in with Glass Sword. In actuality, it gave me just enough information for me to catch back up with the story without being tedious. I quickly got lost in the second book of the series and enjoyed every page.

Truth be told, I am quite over dystopia and its ilk, but this book is more than that genre - it's just great, compelling storytelling. The abilities of all of the newbloods that they come across, the complicated relationships among not just Kilorn, Cal and Mare but the entire company are so real that you feel like you are more than just an invisible bystander. These newbloods are frightened, the military are looking at the big picture, and every single person is just trying to survive. And the spectre that weaves his way throughout is the boy that turned on them. Were none of his emotions real?

I did get a distinct Hunger Games feel, with the triangle of the girl, her best boy friend, and the boy who went through the nastiness of the first book with her. There's also the idea that Mare has to rise above and be a symbol, that everything she does has to be for the cause. After all, everyone is counting on her. She doesn't get to break down. She has to forget the family she leaves behind. She has to sacrifice herself for the greater good.

It has been a while since I have not wanted a book to end, that I wished that the next book was already published so I didn't have to wait. This, absolutely, was one of those books. Funnily enough, as I just this second re-read my review of the first book, many of the comments are the same. And I do still want this book to be made into a movie.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard was published February 9, 2016 by HarperTeen. Due to the first book being so awesome, I checked this one out of the library all by myself.

Rating: 4

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Fantasy Romance Series
Ages: 13 and up

Mild SPOILERS below for Red Queen.

I read Red Queen earlier this year and absolutely loved it, so I was obviously more than excited for this one. While it was still a decent book, I think I was expecting far more and was overly disappointed by this one.

Glass Sword picks up where Red Queen left off and follows Mare and her allies as they search for the rest of the new bloods and hope to build an army able to do battle with the silvers.

My biggest problem was how much this book was trying to be. There are at least three acts, but each act felt like it wanted to a novel and they didn't seem very well connected. The beginning of the novel read like a tyrannical dystopian, the middle like a quest, and the end like the beginning of a series. It wasn't hard to follow, but it was annoying to be tossed around so much. I understand that there was important world building being done, but there is such a thing as too much at once. It was nearly impossible to keep track of all the new places and faces introduced. And there are a lot of new characters! I couldn't even make myself care about most of them. They were easy to lose track of and the book lost weight as it tried to make every single one of them as important as the last and they just blended together.

Another problem I had was Mare herself. I really liked her and her voice in the first book, but in this one it was very hard to read. She's selfish and a little whiny. There are still redeeming qualities for her, but overall I felt somewhat depressed reading from her point of view. And the characters that would have really redeemed her POV for me were either not there or used so infrequently that I forgot about them.

The biggest saving grace of this book is the ending. It actually has two endings, I suppose, and the first one was somewhat predictable (though, not completely) while the second one came out of nowhere and made me sit back and take it in. The final scene is very potent and I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it's certainly gotten me to think. It's a cliffhanger and, had I been more thrilled with the book as a whole, I think I'd be feeling the full affect of it. As it stands, it does keep me interested for the next book but not pulling my hair out.

As always, the writing was gorgeous. Aveyard really knows how to craft sentences and they're a pleasure to read. I do hope the next book manages to redeem the series for me, but I also do plan on finishing the quartet regardless.

Okay SO. I was so excited for this book I couldn't stand the anticipation of waiting for it to come out. When it did I instantly downloaded and dove right in. The beginning was amazing with Shade's return and the arrival at Tuck. We learn more about Mare's family and life during the war now that the revolution has started. Then it went severely downhill. This became all about MARE. Mare is the lightning girl. Mare is alone. Mare feels dark things no one else feels (ahem SOMEONE just KILLED their own FATHER). Mare. Mare. Mare. It was impossible to sympathize with a character that is so far past the gone you just want her to get killed off and the book turns into Cal's POV. While I understand that she is the main character and we are supposed to feel what she feels, there is not an ounce of this book that isn't dripping with sadness and self-pity.

The way Mare treats others in this book is completely unrealistic as well. She throws Kilorn to the side over and over again not just in her inner dialogue (which becomes extremely mean) but when she speaks to him as well. Mare acts as a constant reminder to Kilorn that he is one of the only "normal" Reds in the group and that he is useless. Mare also hangs on to Maven for dear life which is all good and well but we don't even SEE Maven. We understand what he does on the side, but there is little to no interaction between the two. And side note, how in the hell does he get everywhere she is so quickly?! Mare also continuously forgets Cal because she is just SOOOO busy on "training" (Cal trains them) or finding newbloods (her team recruits them, she just comes along for the ride).

I understand that her "character development" in this is her demise. Fine. But there has to be a scene or two where she finds some happiness and accepts it. All she does is push people away (Cal, Kilorn, her family), cries (or talks about how she wishes she could cry) and reminds us that she is the lightning girl and/or Mareena (but not Mareena but yeah she is Mareena but no she isn't...SHE CANT).

I will read the third book just to find out what happens, but I am dreading the drab lead character. This actually reminded me of the Hunger Games to an extent because we see the character become a shell of a person. You feel sorry at first but then realize that every bad thing that happens to the protagonist was brought on by their own selfish actions.

Read the book if you want to be upset. There are some good characters in the background that could be developed and brought into the forefront. But I doubt that will happen any time soon.

Summary: (Spoilers if you haven’t read Red Queen! And if you haven’t read it, then you should!) The Glass Sword picks up immediately after Red Queen finishes – Mare and Cal are on an underground train headed toward what they hope will be safety among the Scarlet Guard. Mare quickly discovers that although they all want the same things, no one trusts her or Cal and no one cares about protecting the other people like her, with Red blood but Silver abilities. So she and her friends break out to track down their people to prepare to face King Maven.

My impressions: Loved the ending. It was so exciting, and I thought it was handled in a very realistic way. It also showed a good progression of Mare’s character (not necessarily in a good way), as she’s been struggling with certain demons the entire series so far. This was tough to read in some parts, as Mare is really not all that likeable through much of the book, which is tough when you sympathize more with other characters than the main one. But it feels like this book sets up the rest of the series really well and how she will develop in the future.

The first, I don’t know, half of the book did feel somewhat slow at parts. Maybe it was because it felt so much like I was reading the book version of X-Men: First Class, where she’s recruiting all these people with special abilities and training them on how to control their powers. Also, the choice of the word “newbloods” for some reason kept making me think of Twilight.

Overall, definitely enjoyed it, and the way that it ended, I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to Epic Reads and HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC for an honest review and for my participation in The Scarlet Guard

IF YOU HAVE NOT READ RED QUEEN I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO SO BEFORE READING GLASS SWORD AND THIS REVIEW

Victoria Aveyard is a cruel, evil mastermind and I love her for it. If you thought Red Queen was a dark, vicious book, just wait until you get your hands on this second novel. Glass Sword makes Red Queen seem like a fluffy bunny rabbit in comparison.

Aveyard has done everything from making me laugh, to making me fall in love, to breaking my heart into thousands of tiny shards of glass. Her writing and creativity blows my mind every time I read one of her works. I didn’t think she could surprise me with this novel like she did with Red Queen, but I was so very wrong.

Right from the opening readers are drawn into action. Glass Sword starts exactly where Red Queen left off, which I was thankful for. This book tells the story of Mare Barrow’s journey to find and save as many newbloods as she can from Julian’s list before Maven can destroy them. It is a story of survival, heartbreak, and betrayal.

In this book readers can see just how different Mare is from the girl we met at the beginning of Red Queen. Readers get to see the damage she has received from her time spent among the Silvers. She has truly molded into something that is Red and Silver, and not just because of the color of her blood and her abilities. She becomes something of a shadow of Elara, cruel and selfish in some ways. She tries so hard to keep every one safe and alive. Sometimes she makes mistakes that cost her and those around her deeply.

Mare isn’t the only one who has changed. Cal has too. He is no longer the prince he once was. Now he suffers from constant nightmares. He is left with a need for revenge against Maven and against the evil queen, Elara. And he is also lost and alone. Mare is there with him, but he is Silver. He is hated by everyone he is helping and even Mare has a hard time siding with him at times because he is Silver. My heart broke for him in this novel. He is kind and loyal and is trying to do what he feels is right.

And then there is Maven. I could spend hours comparing him to The Darkling from the Grisha trilogy. While he scarcely appeared in the novel, he was always a constant, always on Mare or Cal’s mind. He is wicked, cruel, power-hungry, and down right evil. He is cold and calculated in his ways. Overall he is a complex character and a perfect villain.

I really appreciated the romance in this book. It was not the focus in anyway. Nor was there really a romance per say. There was one quick kiss throughout the whole novel. Mare and Cal are complicated characters. They have been hurt and destroyed by the ones they thought they loved. They have been hurt by each other before. Mare has a problem trusting anyone in this novel. Throughout the novel they continue to use and hurt one another. AND I AM GLAD. I am tired of perfect relationships in novels that are unrealistic. THANK YOU VICTORIA.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the novel that I didn’t see coming. I’m not even going to talk about the ending because IT KILLED ME. The ending shattered me into a million freaking pieces and I don’t know that I will ever be okay… This sequel was exactly what it needed to be. I can’t wait for the next two installments of Red Queen.

This series combines a dystopian world with magic and I loved it. Mare is my girl and I loved following her story into this second book. The series does set up a love triangle and I’ll just say I’ve been team Cal since the beginning (which is a bit unusual for me). The world is rich and the character building means you really feel Mare’s uncertainty in her new life, her struggles and her triumphs.
I have heard people say they were bored by this book and if I was forced to compare this book to the other two that are out in the series, I will admit I like them better, but I would recommend this book in order to continue the series - it’s worth it!
As I write this the final book is not out, so I will reserve my series recommendation for when I know the ending.

Glass Sword is the 2nd book in the Red Queen series. We pick up where Red Queen left off and follow Mare as she attempts to track down and recruit New Bloods, Reds with abilities like herself. The clock is ticking and she needs to find these people before a certain villain finds and destroys them. After that explosive ending and major twist in Red Queen I was more than eager to hop back into this world.

The first half of the book gives us a bit of action and we begin meeting new characters as they join Mare's team. I noticed I was having trouble connecting with Mare's character this time around. She was moody and self absorbed. She claimed to give the New Bloods a choice whether or not to join her and learn to use their powers but at one point she stops asking and starts forcing them to join her. She even regrets letting one New Blood go and feels that she should have forced him to stay as well. She uses people like game pieces, treats her family like an after thought and even begins killing needlessly. I'm a bit disappointed in the direction her character is heading.

There is very little romance in this book. Through most of the book, Mare and Cal just barely get along, which is understandable. Cal lost his parents and has horror and guilt weighing on him in addition to the immense hurt and betrayal he was dealt. Mare still has her family, both parents and siblings, alive and well. The betrayal she suffered was on a lesser scale than Cal's. I couldn't understand why she continued to act as if she alone carried the weight of the world.

I didn't feel we got the chance to really get to know the new characters. They had so much potential, their abilities were interesting and unique, but they were never fully fleshed out. In the second half of the book we are able to see them in action and that's about the time things get exciting.

The loss of a certain character really hurt. I felt this character was one of the most likable characters in the book. In addition, something big happens in the finale but we don't actually get to see it happen. We skip right over it. The fight is over and suddenly you realize, THAT happened? Wait, when and how did THAT happen? Did we black out and miss it? I would definitely remember something like that. This, mixed with Mare's melancholy attitude throughout the entire story made me love this book a little less than Red Queen.

I'm really hoping to see more character growth from Mare in the next book. At this point, things can go in any direction. Maybe we'll see our villain seeking redemption and Mare ending up as the villainous little lightening girl. Who knows what Victoria has in store.

Oooooh Brother!!!

In Glass Sword, Mare turns out to be the BIGGEST idiot! She's almost as bad as the lead heroine of the Razorland series (reviewed on 9/7-11 of 2015)! And that series sucked big time! I think this is the first series where there were back to back to back backstabs! Seriously! And each time, the one stabbed was our hero- yours and mine: Mare Barrow! Ugh!

The story picks up where Red Queen ended, the escape. Mare and Cal got away from Mavin and his army, but they ended up in another snare of their making. I got about five chapters in before just wanting to throw this book just as hard as I'd tossed its predecessor! But you know what, this is a slight reality to having kids trying to save a country that grown-ups run, powers or not! And I cracked up when Cal has the nerve to say:
"He isn't a child, Mare. You don't have to protect him anymore."
"But he is a child; he's a teenager"- I screamed at the book!
​It's not like they've all aged and this has taken place a few years later- it's been a month! I know, I'm insane for screaming at books. It's a Reader thing!

*For the full review of the Red Queen Series: [...]
**Audiobook of Cruel Crown was from my Audible.com collection while Red Queen and Glass Sword were from my personal library.

This book is so incredibly hard to rate. I'm torn between giving it a rating anywhere from 3.75 to 5 stars. I really did enjoy this book, but it just took me so long to read! I could only handle a couple of chapters at a time, and I think that is mainly due to Mare's insane character development.

In Red Queen, Mare was much more likable. Her character was certainly not perfect, but she was easier to understand. She went from being someone just trying to figure out the world she fell into, literally, into a character who is borderline ruthless and cold-hearted, and maybe a bit careless with others lives. Now I do think her character development was necessary for the future books, but I wish it had happened slowly instead of almost as soon as Glass Sword started.

Just like in Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard's writing is beautiful and full of amazing quotes that just make you want to tab the hell out of the book. I just absolutely love her writing style, and she really does know how to catch her readers completely by surprise.

And I absolutely loved the new additions to Mare's newblood army! I do feel like it was hard to keep them all straight because we were introduced to so many of these characters in such a short amount of time, but I did think they were such a great addition! And I absolutely love that this book doesn't focus on romance. There are elements there for a future romance, but it's not the main plot, and I totally appreciate that!

I can't say I loved this book as much as Red Queen, but it was a great follow up, and I will be re-reading it in the future to see if my feelings change. Now I can't wait for the third installment in this series!

This is book two in the Red Queen Series, these cannot be read as Standalones, so be sure to read book one before reading this one!

This book was SUPER good! Since I went straight from reading Red Queen to reading this I didn’t have any problems with the way the story began. There was a lot of adventure, action in this book so it was very enjoyable to read.

All the characters were AMAZING, even if I wanted to do bodily hard to some of them at times...just sayin.

I’m going to say this now for anyone who may be wondering. I am totally #teamMaven. Who doesn’t love the thought that maybe, just maybe, he can be saved and that he will be happy in the end with Mare. Just my opinion though. I like Cal too though, he is so caring and honorable. I guess I’ll just have to wait to see what happens.

On one final note….Shade….OMFG…WHY?! I swear I was choking back tears because it breaks my heart!!! Curse you for making my feels go crazy!!!

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. I had VERY mixed feelings about 'Red Queen.' I seem to recall really enjoying it, but then I went back and re-read my review, and apparently that actually wasn't the case. Regardless, I would have wanted to read this book anyway to see what the series had in store next for these characters. I was surprised and delighted to find that I enjoyed this book more than the first.

Mare in this book was a little too 'Mockingly Katniss' if you know what I mean. If not, she was very inside her own head to a fault. She overthought EVERYTHING and it became pretty irritating at times. It also seemed for a good section of the book that she had no idea what she was doing, and yet she was able to get all of the people onto her side inexplicably. But that's basically my only real complaint with this book.

There wasn't much to speak of in this installment as far as romance goes, for which I was extremely grateful since I thought the love triangle (rhombus?) was unnecessary and extremely annoying in the first book. Romance was the last thing on Mare's mind here, thank goodness.

There were two BIG deaths that I did not see coming AT ALL. One was much more surprising to me than the other, but I was still taken aback when each of them happened. I did think that Mare's choice at the end of 'Glass Sword' was a predictable one, it was foreshadowed several times throughout the book. That didn't make it any less brave or, really, necessary in my opinion.

I can't wait for the next book. I'm curious to see what will happen to all of these characters.

Note to self: Wait until a series is finished before you begin reading it because then you won't have to wait for the sequels. I'm so glad I finally finished this book because it took me longer than I ever have taken to read a book. Partly because I've been busy planning a wedding, partly because I began reading other books that I was more interested in while I was reading this book, but mostly because I had a hard time getting into this book. I think that's because it's been 2 years since I read Red Queen. I had a hard time remembering what happened in the first book, so it took me until halfway through this book to get into it. There wasn't a lot of romance in this book which made me sad. I still despise Maven so much. The ending of this book just broke my heart. But, then I went from tears to anger. THAT ENDING. Why do books feel the need to end on powerful cliffhangers like that? I need the next book right away. Believe me, I won't wait 2 more years to start reading it.

Holy Wow!

Victoria Aveyard knows how to deliver one action-packed, romance-filled, spine-tingling YA story. As with Red Queen, in Glass Sword I didn't put the book down until I had finished it. So desperate to know how Mare and the other newbloods would fare in their war against Maven and the crown. I was addicted, enthralled and completely sucked into the world that Aveyard had created and even when I finished the book I couldn't get my mind out of it. I wanted more, no I NEED more.

Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen left off, as Mare, Cal and other traitors to the Silver-Crown band together, with hierarchies of their own, to fight against the oppression of the Reds by the Silvers. Mare's relationships with Cal, Kilhorn and her family are tested as she struggles to let go of the false memories of the boy she thought loved her, even as she fights her feelings for Cal. There is an added psychology to Glass Sword which I loved, as we delve into Mare's darker mind-frame, which brilliantly reflected the struggle and pain she had been through.

In the search for more newbloods, there is a lot of blood, a lot of pain, but also a lot of hope, and as Mare fights to keep those like her safe, and Maven fights to destroy them, Red and Silver bloods collide in an epic fight where only the strongest can win.

I urge adults and teens alike to read this series. Fantastically written, you won't want to put the books down until you have reached the last page, and then you will be begging for the next one, especially after the heart-pounding, thrilling, terrifying and mind-blowing cliffhanger Aveyard leaves you with at the end of Glass Sword.

Enjoy!

5 Stars!

*Review copy was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This is the second book in the Red Queen series and I enjoyed it but not quite as much as I enjoyed the first book. There are three books planned for this series.

This book finds Mare spending the majority of her time fleeing from place to place with the Red Guard trying to rescue the other Red Bloods with powers life herself. The Red Guard doesn’t trust Cal at all and trusts Mare only a very little bit. This encompassed the first half of the book and was a bit slow for me. Mare seems a bit tired through this part of the book and reminded me a bit of Katniss in Mockingjay; just worn out and sick of being used. She’s just too complacent.

The story picks up more in the second half of the book when Mare decides to actually do something useful with her status and power and I enjoyed this a lot more.

There’s a lot of tension between Cal and Mare throughout; they’ve decided to focus on their mission and not each other which makes for some interesting scenes.

I really do enjoy Aveyard’s writing style; it’s very engaging and easy to read. I do think that the first part of the story could have been paced a bit better and that the story as a whole was a bit bulky; but overall I enjoyed it.

Overall a good addition to the Red Queen series. This is a wonderful epic fantasy of sorts (if also has kind of a sci-fi, superhero, and dystopian vibe to it). There are a lot of politics and sneaking around. I would recommend to those who enjoy YA epic fantasy. I will definitely be reading the third book to see how things wrap up.

I was lucky enough to grab an advanced copy of Glass Sword from work, and I was glad to read it for review here. While I loved Red Queen, the sequel was harder to swallow. Victoria has a very compelling writing style, and she’s done her homework on portraying emotions, especially in adverse situations. The subject matter of war and casualties were really hard to read and reminded me why I don’t like to read stories that focus on wars. I was also put off by the repetition of the protagonist’s inability to trust anyone and the need to keep reminding herself that the prince was just a fleeting distraction. But, I just couldn’t stop reading!

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not going to talk about the plot except to say that it basically starts where Red Queen ended. You will definitely want to read this book. It has all the great stuff from the first book while expanding on characters and abilities. And even though the subject was harder for me to read, the writing was so fluid that I had to keep going. I look forward to reading more from Victoria Aveyard?

I feel like this book suffered a bit from middle book syndrome. I really liked the first book, so expected a lot from its sequel. While I enjoyed this book, it just wasn’t as good as the first.

This book didn’t captivate me as much as its predecessor did. I even zoned out at times and had to go back and re-read parts. Not a sign of a great read! Having said that, though, I do still think this book had a good story. I’m not really sure what it was that wasn’t as interesting about this book for me. I mean, I guess a lot of the book was spent with Mare and her crew tracking down other newbloods, so not a whole lot happened to progress the story throughout most of the book. That’s a good reason I suppose.

The ending, however, was crazy and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book!

In a world that is divided by blood--the Reds on one side, while the Silvers, who have supernatural abilities, reside on the other--Mare Barrow has red blood but the abilities of a silver---making her as unique as she is dangerous. GLASS SWORD, Victoria Aveyard’s electric sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling RED QUEEN, follows Mare, the girl who has captivated an entire nation with her ability to control lightning. Now branded as a traitor to her country, Mare is on the run from the newly-crowned king Maven and his army. Alongside her stands Maven’s brother, Cal, Mare’s brother Shade, her best friend Kilorn, and Farley, the girl leading the rebellion against Maven---and Mare will have to decide if betraying them all is the price she must pay for her vengeance. With characters that blur the lines between good and evil at every turn and gorgeous, vivid writing, GLASS SWORD surpasses its predecessor by miles, leaving readers waiting not-so-patiently for the next installment. (less) [edit]

I just wrote a review for the first book less than a minute ago. You better not be reading this before you have finished or started the first book ( Red Queen). I you are leave now and read this later when you have finished Red Queen. Okay Maven is a bit... bad person. He has the list of newbloods and will track them down. Using a noose to send Mare a message. Come back to me and this will stop. But Mare will not go. She recruits newbloods, trains them and they hide out. They cannot hide with the Scarlet Guard cause the new person in control of Tuck, the colonel doesn't want newbloods on the island. She's with Farley, Kilorn, Cal, and the newbloods.They fight Maven, kill his mother and show her corpse to the country. And at the end of the book are is trapped. #FreeMare
Yes that's a real hashtag. Anyways she is about to die. WARNING: THIS BOOK HAS A SEXUAL HINT DROPPED BY SHADE ADMITTING IT, DEATH, VIOLENCE, A BRAT, MORE DEATH, ETC.
Can I wait 3 ½ months for the next book?

I liked the first book. I really did. I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters. But then it turned into a twisted version of the Selection, and I liked it a little less. The ending was quite a shocker though, and I looked forward to reading this. I was disappointed.

Nothing much really happens. Half the time Mare's just busy running from place to place collecting newbloods. The other half she's busy being afraid of how alone she feels. STOP ALIENATING YOURSELF!! She blamed others for it, for her loneliness. They feared her, but people fear what they don't know. Go be their friends! Gosh, Mare. That would solve your problem.

I could not feel anything for Mare. I couldn't sympathize or pity her. Half the time I had no idea where she was coming from. She complains about being SO ALONE, but all she has to do is stop separating herself from her companions. Go have a conversation with them! You're not so above that, Mare, even though you're "special." It annoyed me when she proclaimed to be the most important, best weapon out there, yet when there's more than a few guards she's practically useless. She is just as invincible as her Silver counterparts (as in not). She can be brought down by a bullet. Easy. Simple.

Cliffhanger warning! I have love/hate relationship with cliffhangers. I live for the suspense, but once I've anticipated something for longer than a few weeks, I start to care less and less. Hopefully my excitement will last another year. That ending, though! #dying #perfect

This book is very different from the first, but I enjoyed it lot better. The stakes are higher, the action is more intense, and the characters seem more real. There's a lot of growth that takes place in this book, including characters growing together or apart. This is especially true for Mare. She goes back and forth a bit in this book, but her struggle and ultimate outcome feel honest and raw.

It's been a year since I've read the first book, so I was slow remembering everything that took place. This book refers to the first many times, and many of the references were over my head because I couldn't remember what they were referring to.

Furthermore, I hate the way the action is described in this one. The scenes build up over a few pages only to skip over the event they were building to, in lieu of more of Mare's feelings. While I love knowing what she's feeling, there were a few notable tones when I really wish we knew all of what was going on. But I will say that Aveyard sure knows how to write some good arguments and debates. One even made the tears fall.

It hurts me to give this a 2 star rating. I wanted it to be so much more. I had such high expectations. It was one of the more anticipated titles of the year for me but it suffers from second book syndrome. And the prognosis doesn't look good.

I LOVED Red Queen. It was a 4 star for me. It was almost everything I want in a novel and had me SO EXCITED to see how this story would move forward. I loved Mare and Cal (and Mare + Cal...if you know what I mean) and Kilorn. I love Mare's complicated relationship to her family and the Silvers around her. Maybe my love for Red Queen made Glass Sword all that more disappointing, resulting in a lower rating than normal. We'll never know...

The pacing was slow. Molasses levels slow. I never skim and I found myself skimming entire pages at a time. We pick up right where Red Queen left off but only to be dropped into pages of exposition about other Reds and other abilities and missions to get them that all felt the same with no real pay off for the plot. To be honest, I was bored for at least 60% of the book.

And Mare. She just lost so much of what made her great before. I felt like this book was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. Yes, she's been betrayed and yes, she questions everyone and every thing but I really didn't need an inner monologue about EVERY single decision or moment of weakness. I expected more from her as the story moved forward and I felt like she was just showing up to work without actually putting forth effort.

I also had high expectations for the romance between Mare and Cal and it was virtually non-existent in this novel. So bland. There is absolutely no swoon in this novel. No moments where I felt like their relationship progressed at all or any moments where I was rooting for them as a character.

All that being said, I still really loved all the secondary characters- even the new ones. Call, Kilorn, Farley, Cameron all felt real and their presence moved the story forward.

From a plot perspective, there were several big ticket scenes that due to the way the story was designed, were completely underwhelming. Some parts I had to go back and re-read to clear up some HUGE confusion. Overall, it was a pretty big miss.

But then, it ends. And you're left with another ending like Red Queen. An ending that makes you want to go out and find the next book no matter what the cost.

I'm a little surprised it's going to be 4 books. At this point, that seems unnecessary. It reminds me of how I felt after The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon (Book 2 in the Bone Season series). Can you really drag this story out over this many books? Apparently, the answer is not that well.

Regardless, will I read all 4 books. Probably? Am I desperately hoping the story picks up and Mare returns to her former glory. Absolutely.

Red Queen was not the best book I have read, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. In spite of it being predictable and a bit formulaic, it was still a fun filled, fast paced fantasy. And if you haven’t noticed, I am sucker for all things fantasy. So, I was really excited about Glass Sword. When I bought it, I was bouncing in my chair excited to see what would happen next in the Red’s struggle against Silver tyranny.

Glass Sword did not live up to my expectations. I wanted more of Red Queen, and got something completely different. That wouldn’t have been a bad thing if the sequel had been new and improved. Instead, it felt like the writing and development took several steps back.

For starters, the first half of the book was really slow. A lot of things happened, but none of them felt important. They were running from the Silvers trying to salvage The Guard and save the Newbloods, but I found myself not caring. Scenes that should have had me on the edge of my seat fell flat. It picks up a little in the second half, but not enough. The ending would have needed to be Half Blood Prince levels of good in order to make up for the crawl that was the first 250 pages.

In Red Queen we got to know Mareena. In Glass Sword we got to know Mare. I prefer Mareena. The Mare we get in Glass Sword is unlikeable. Maybe this was intentional on the author’s part, but it still drove me insane. She’s winy and self-obsessed. I understand that the book is in first person, so we are getting Mare’s inner dialogue and her views about the world around her. It’s just not a pretty or enjoyable view and the other characters suffer for it.

Glass Sword trades the well-developed and interesting supporting cast of Red Queen for a crowd of stick figures with powers. I know, that’s harsh. But, I couldn’t help but feel that way. Mare went around collecting people for her little army and all you ever really learned about them was what they were capable of contributing to the cause. Basically, you learned their powers and that was it. I wanted to love new additions like Cameron and Nanny, but the reader was never given enough time with them or information about them to develop any kind of emotional connection. There were times where I know that I was supposed to be afraid that one or all of these characters might die. Sadly, I wasn’t. Because they didn’t really feel like people. Remember, never get attached to a Redshirt.

I wouldn’t include Cal in that group. Though, I do think he could have used a little more development, we did see him grow throughout the book. He seems poised to act as Mare’s conscience moving forward. Which, is preferable to their awkward “romance”. I knew it was coming. I just thought it would be more interesting. Instead, it felt tossed in to fill the required YA romance quota. I would have rather read a book with no romance at all since it brought very little to the narrative.

Speaking of narrative, where were the bad guys? Our band of revolutionaries are haunted by Maven and Elara, but you never see them for more than a couple of minutes at a time. You glimpse the destruction that comes in the wake of Maven, but that doesn’t have the same effect as interacting with the character. Especially since he was one of the more interesting and better developed characters in the first book. Villains should be absolutely terrifying, especially Elara, who is the mastermind behind this entire debacle. Unfortunately, they are both strangely absent which really lowers the scare factor.

In the end I couldn’t find much of anything that I enjoyed about this book. Honestly, it was very difficult to finish. I put it down at least five times in favor of better options. That said, if you like dystopian fantasy novels that are action packed with a powerful female main character, this one may be for you. Sadly, it didn’t do it for me.

Red Queen didn't really grab me until the very end, when the plot twist threw me for a loop. I couldn't wait to see what other things the author had in mind. Unfortunately, double-crossing plot twists are the ONLY thing that happens in this book. Seriously. Every single time Mare goes somewhere or trusts someone, it's a trap or that person double-crosses her. It makes for frustrated reading. Another frustration? This book desperately needed an editor. It's entirely too long and too detailed (I LOVE details, but not ones that don't matter to the plot or contribute to the reader's understanding of the situation. Another frustration: Not much happens in this book. It could honestly have been condensed into three chapters...not a 500 page book. I wish I had read this BEFORE I bought the third book because I never would have spent the money to continue this story.

Zoe's Review: I have to say, I liked the first one, but did not think it was great, so I was hoping that this next one would break the second book curse and make it worth it. It was not. I have to say, the beginning was really tough to get through. It was just so cheesy. Every other line was "I found my inner strength to carry on" and "I had to push them away, and it was for their own good, my guilt is all I need". Even though that was not exactly what it said, that was basically the message that came across in every single page, and it was annoying. I can understand some of that type of stuff, but there was just too much of it. Once I was able to get past that, which was just about the first half of the book, it got better. Maybe I had become desensitized to it, or there was just less of it, but it was faster to read. This was also when the plot got interesting, but not due to any character development. It was just because plans were coming together. The characters were lacking depth, because most of the time it was just Mare summarizing what she thought they were doing or hiding from her. There was never any chance or enough explanation for the reader to have their own thoughts about the characters. On top of that I felt that the personalities of the characters were inconsistent. A better and more reflective name of the book, in my opinion, would be "Shattering Mirror". This is because the whole book is about Mare falling apart and barely keeping it together all while reflecting on what she has to do next. Yes, the plot is continuing, but it still just feels like a Mare pity pit. The one good thing that I can say about it, is that the ending is great. It is a really good cliff hanger that is good enough to make me want to read the next one despite all the other things that I did not like about this book. Once I finished it, I also felt myself missing some of the lesser characters that got more development then the main ones. Overall I would recommend this to anyone who liked The Young Elites by Marie Lu, but they would have to get past the flaws in the writing.

Maci's Review:I took a while to pick up Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard because my sister had not liked this book. But my mom had also decided to read it and enjoyed reading it, so I decided to give it a try. And I really enjoyed it! I had my friends who had also read Red Queen give me a recap of what happened, since it had been a few years since I read it. Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen ends. Mare and Cal are saved by the Scarlet Guard, but they aren’t really sure what they are getting themselves into. Especially since the Scarlet Guard will most likely want to use Cal for their own gain. Mare and Cal also have to figure out how to trust anyone again after such a deep betrayal from Maven. I enjoyed reading this book even if I didn’t agree with all of Mare’s decisions. And I am definitely going to read the third book in this series. I would recommend this series to fans of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir or Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, it is fantasy that has elements of the Roman Empire in it.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard ? 4/5 ⭐️'s.
There isn't much to say without spoiling the book specially since it's the second book of the series ? but I got into this book thinking that it'll take me 5 days to finish it because let's face it I was all happy and giddy about her being turned into a princess and living in a palace with two gorgeous princes and I'm not ready to face a rebellion or whatever Mare intends to do in Glass Sword but boy was I proven wrong .. I finished the book the in 2 days and I got so into it that I could have even finished it earlier because it was exciting and gripping.

Now ⚠️ Spoiler Alert ⚠️ lets talk more about this book ... At the beginning I didn't understand why Mare is fighting what she feels toward Cal because he's lonely right now and he needs her yet she's like "No distractions whatsoever" it might be a distraction to u but I feel like it's something els to Cal ? we have many new characters that are introduced in this book and we got to know more about some characters like Shade, he's such a good brother and he's always looking out for Mare and I really liked him but his character starts drifting away after a couple of chapters and next thing you know he's dead .. It was sad but a part of me saw it coming, it was either Shade or Kilron ⚔ I loved the newbloods like I was excited to know more about them and to see what they can do and then Cameron shows up and she's being so annoying to the point where Mare was like Bitch I'll show u what I can do and I'm like MARE THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU THROUGH THIS WHOLE BOOK because she's so whiny and annoying and I understand that she "can't" trust anybody but she's CHOOSING not to trust anybody specially that many of them have proven that they're trustworthy! She hates Maven but she loves Maven .. That is actually confusing because I didn't feel like she actually loved Maven in the first book to begin with, he was like someone who she pitied and I don't know but I feel like it was pretty clear that Cal is the one who she loves and in this book I'm not so sure about that but in the end she's like I want to tell Cal that I love him and that I need him and she's just (c)
a pain in the butt. Many of the action parts were not explained fully like one minute the queen is alive and the next minute she isn't and the whole let's film a clip telling everybody that the queen is dead part is just like reading Mockingjay all over again but overall it was better than I expected and I honestly enjoyed the whole cat and mouse chase between her and Maven ✨ don't ask me who's ship I'm on because I honestly don't know although I'm leaning toward Maven now simply because he's evil.

Which team are you on? Team Cal or Team Maven?

The lack of character development and the excessive main character whining, complaining, indulging in her self-pitty and remembering all her anger and pain over and over and over is frustrating. We get it, she's complicated and conflicted! The author will set a scene, begin the action of the scene, then spend an excessive amount of time explaining a character or another place in the scene, explain a couple sentences of action again, and then back to 2 paragraphs of more descriptions and inner thoughts (usually the main character indulging in self-pitty). It's exasperating. I struggled to follow the plot line - when there was one. It seems like she had a great idea for her characters, and it would have been wonderful if she would stop explaining every person, scene, action and thought. Unless you just LOVE detail, don't bother with this one. It's significantly worse than Red Queen and the storyline does not keep you on the edge of your seat or make you even care about the characters, you just want to get it over with - not a good purpose.

This book... this book killed me more than I ever thought it would. Some of my friends really liked it, while others thought it didn't even come close to the first book. Me? I was so wrapped up in the story and the emotions that I forgot to care what anyone else thought about it. I was absolutely engrossed in the story and read it in one day.

It took me a few chapters to really get back into the story, as it had been a bit since I read the first one. But once I remembered all of the characters and their roles in the story unfolding, I was immediately sucked back in.

Mare is searching to find others like her. She still has a love/hate relationship with Cal brewing in the background. Her family plays a much larger part in this story, and the secondary characters are all flushed out beautifully, whether they're Silvers, Reds, thieves, or others met along the way.

This story is really about the dividing of a country and how it changes the very existence of the residents. It's about rebellion, protection, believing in yourself, sacrifice, hate, and love.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out, and I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be pre-ordering it as soon as possible! This book wrecked me in a way a book hasn't done in a while. The swirling emotions, sheer desperation, and the despair left me tearing up at parts. (Ok, pretty much cried on and off the last 30% of the book...)

This is a solid 5 stars for me. I cannot recommend this series enough. The sweeping imagery and the depth of the characters is enthralling.

I picked up this book right after Red Queen because the ending of that book was WOW! However this book was not as explosive. The book was beautifully written, and the story did continue with some twist and turns. I loved watching Mare and the gang fight for their new clan. The trill of what would happen as they were on the run trying to do things that would create change was addicting.

However the big fighting romance was not there, I did not fill any chemistry between some of the characters and every character felt like they were mad! Which I guess make sense. This book was not dynamic as book 1, but it definitely a must to read after it! Looking forward to book 3, can't wait to see what happens and hope there is so more swooning romance. Because this book really didn't have that. (but maybe it was never suppose to) and I just prefer that aspect of books!

Ok so after two days I read Red Queen and Glass Sword. Honestly, I wasn't very impressed with Red Queen, but I did like it enough to read the second book and now here I am because I have never been so annoyed/frustrated with a book.

First I will begin with positives because I did like some parts of the book. Shade, the General (yes), and Farley cracked me up, it was a nice comic relief from the seriousness of the situation. Also, I loved Cameron, like she said EXACTLY what I was thinking about Mare, and she brought the reader back to what was going on with Reds, outside of this "newblood" drama. Which is another point, I wish there was more showing of the life of the Reds at this time. I know they described the scene sometimes, but I wish there was an actual Red family or even person that was introduced to bring back the need of this war.I feel like the fact that they were fighting for the equality of Reds got muddled, and it was just like a Mare vs. Maven battle the whooole time.
Furthermore, they found some amazing new bloods and I would have like their character development with one another, with themselves. We will probably see this in the third book, but I think it should've been seen in the second book since the whole book was about recruiting newbloods.
This book had little to no development. Character, Plot, Relationships (except Shade and Farley). So much repetition and so many cliches. Also, Mare was sooooo full of herself, and I saw that Aveyard was trying to have the reader sympathize with why Mare is acting arrogant, but nope I couldn't. Countless times she said "they don't know my strength, no one does" or "I was the most powerful out of all of them." It was soo annoying.

I could make this review longer, but I won't. This is the last book I read in this series, I will simply google what happens at the very end.

I was a little bit disappointed with this book after reading the first one, Red Queen. I had finished Red Queen in a lil over 24 hours but it took me a week to finish Glass Sword. I loved how the story continued just as it ended in Red Queen, you dont miss anything. After they had recruited Nix, i almost got bored with it because it seemed like thru out the whole book it was going to be recruite after recruite. It was still action packed and was still a page turner, but it wasnt nearly as exciting as the first book. I had some trouble picturing the cities and the buildings as they were described, as i also did with the first book but this is a really good series. I didnt think i was going to like them at all, they were a present from my husband but i am so glad that i read them and i cant wait to read the next one. Hopefully the next two will be just as good as Red Queen.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard! Oh My God You Killed Shade!!! Why oh why!!! Ok now that is out of the way! Let me say OMG this series has two more books left in it and I cant see where this story going it can go so many different ways!!!! I want Mare to be with Cal so bad but then again the whole thing with Maven has me wondering if she can truly love anyone again!!! As for Farley I can not believe you killed shade, but I am so glad they are going to have a baby! That can only be the question that she was wondering specially since she gently put her hand on her stomach!!! I can see Cameron and Kilorn being together! I have no clue whose side Jon is on, and it's driving me nuts! Ugh I CAN NOT wait till the next book!!!

I proudly borrowed this from the library and then read the whole thing in 2 days - I was enthralled. I thought I liked the 1st one but this is gritty and emotional. This is mind blowing while also heart breaking. I loved every page. It made me sad, happy, excited, nervous, worried and on a small level, distraught. I was run thru a gamut of feelings at a pretty steady pace and it wrecked me a little bit. I mean - This was wonderfully written and the characters never falter or change in their “mission” I secretly hope that my thought about Farley’s last scene comes true. I also hope that the next book is bigger and explosive.

The ending btw….I mean WOW!!! I was NOT expecting that at ALL. The last few chapters really had my jaw unhinged. It made me kind of upset i have to wait for the next book

Audiobook Review: Again, like in the first book, overuse of the word "scoff" and in this installment, "stoic" as well. Who edited these books?! Ever heard of a Thesaurus? This whole story line has such great potential but is ruined by these grammatical nuances. If it wasn't for the narrator in the audiobook (she's pretty good), I would've DNF'ed this. Mare's inner dialogue is a huge pity party and it gets annoying pretty fast. There are parts where I just want to reach out and punch imaginary Mare. Get your crap together Mare. Stop being a baby. That's my review. Thank you. Carry on.

For the record, I finished Red Queen the day I bought it, but Glass Sword was agonizing to keep reading. For a 440 page book, there was very little in it that actually furthered the plot. I only grew apathetic toward all of the characters, Mare especially, as her narration was so self-centered, whiny and full of psuedo badassery that was actually just Mare being a terrible human in the most unrelatable and often unreasonable ways. We saw very little new aspects of the actual world and other character's outside of Mare's little bubble even though she was travelling a lot. Whatever we did glimpse was overshadowed by Mare's constant whining about her feelings that made me feel apathetic toward her at best. Her character arc could have been so much more and I am severely disappointed by Aveyard. I was looking forward to this but I found myself just wishing it would be over. Mare and her story completely fell flat, along with the anticlimactic finale. I figured the ending might be worthwhile but now I might just be Team Maven.
I don't attribute Glass Sword's failure to second book syndrome so much as lazy, rambling writing. Not only did it ruin the characters for me, but the writing came across as fragmented, disjointed and repetitive. I had to check to make sure I hadn't already read the same chapters before.
It's bad enough that I don't know if I'll be able to read or recommend Red Queen without the shadow of Glass Sword in the back of my mind. If I could return it, I would had there not been an insert in the back that tore out of it. All of it was a waste of time and money.
As it was stated so many times, "anyone can betray anyone" and I think it's safe to say Aveyard did just that with her readers.

It had been a long time since I read book one of the series when I picked up Glass Sword, but I quickly fell back into the story. The parts where they were recruiting and training individuals with various abilities/powers had an X-Men type feel and were very fun. I was sometimes frustrated by Mare's interactions with the males in her life, and the ending upset me (of course it couldn't be happy since there's another book to come, but I still wanted that!); however, my love for the vast majority of the book makes this an easy 5 star rating despite my minor complaints. Can't wait to read book three!

This series is great and has many cool twists on it. At the begging of the second book is where Victoria Aveyard struggles most to keep the reader engaged. At the beggining of the book, there is way too much moping around and this whole "everybody feel sorry for me" attitude at the start of this book.

This may be a bit of a spoiler for those of you that have not read the first book in this series, but at the end of the first book, Maven wants to kill the mutated red bloods. It can be tiring to be reminded over and over again that the situation Mare Barrow is in is horrible.

While the start has too much drama, The end of the book is very well written and flows better. I would give the book a chance even if the book is not that great at the start. If the bookwere written without all those pages of drama, this would be a five star book. In my opinion, the first book in this series is a better read.

Peace,
Roberto Wick
12 Years Old

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This is the second book in this series and picks up where the last book finished.

Mare and Cal have now joined the Red Guard and are on the run. Mare has discovered that she is not the only one of her kind, that there are others. The race is on to find them before Maven does.

There is a lot of action, tragedy and death.

I found Mare to have become a less likeable person, totally selfish making unilateral decisions that are both good and bad. There are some good plot twists and lots of action to keep you glued to the book urging the characters on and crying at the loss of those you have become close to.

I look forward to reading the next instalment.

Whew. This was a roller coaster of Mare's thoughts and emotions. It was exhausting! You think too much, girl! Some of the book lagged and some was exciting! I don't really like romance in this series. It's weirdly lacking even with stupid love triangles. I loved when the crew finally gets to where they need to go, it's an epic scene once they get in!! Trying to be vague here. And from then on it's pulse-pounding action! I actually liked how bloodthirsty Mare got. I like that she made irreversible mistakes. She's only human and ruled by her emotions so bad things happened. Great way to bring down the "hero." Glad King's Cage is not far off but the last book is not until 2018!

Red Queen was one of the best books I've ever read! I was anticipating a sequel and I got one but it made me feel infuriated for a plentiful of reasons:

1) Mare herself. I loved the girl I saw in Red Queen and I thought she would be the next Tris and Katniss (I love both so much!) however, I was met with sole disappointment. I reread the book recently and now that my English teacher has branded into my head that first person POV is the worst to read and write in (in this situation, it just cannot be helped to write in first person POV which I will mention it as FPPOV), Aveyard's writing disgusts me. Mare constantly brings herself to the center of attention by talking about her emotions, loneliness, and how she is the Newblood's salvation. I get being lonely but unlike Mare, I embrace others instead of pushing her away. To me, she is a woman to be scorned upon. I hated Evangeline however, now I can see that Evangeline is much better than Mare. Along with Maven and his mother Elara. That was how terrible Mare was.

2) There is an obvious lack of character development within this book. It's already hard to see development because it is in FPPOV but due to Mare pushing every person away, we don't see any development. The only development I see are the boys constantly going after her. It's so annoying, especially when you now have the great King Maven brought down to a stick of a man thanks to Mare. If anyone remembers, Maven clearly states that he never loved her or has very minimal affections for her (or that's how I interpret it) in the first book however, he has turned heads over heels for Mare in this book. I am a sucker for bad guys but the one thing I can think of for Maven is feeling pitiful towards him for the state he has been brought back down to.

3) To sum up the gist of my review, it is how Aveyard portrays herself as a writer. Clearly, she has constantly repeated the fact that Mare is a replica of herself in many aspects (I suspect the hair colors especially). If Mare is portrayed as this, what does that reflect on Aveyard herself? Aveyard writes as if she is Mare and as if she is the protagonist. Doesn't this mean Aveyard is more similar to Mare than we think? I don't want to get in Humanities but authors write. For Glass Sword and the Red Queen series in its entirety, what is the purpose? What power does it hold? How is it relevant to me? In Glass Sword, I fell short on two of the three literary aspects. It wasn't relevant to me and I don't know what purpose it holds. What was the purpose of turning Mare into an attention hogging female from a girl who just wanted her best friend to live and who wanted to change society? In my opinion, there was just no purpose.

The first book is amazing but I advise not to read this one. The third one has been released however, I have not purchased it in fear of it being as terrible as this book. The skematic is still amazing but I don't understand how this can be rated at 4.1 stars when there are clearly a lot of unhappy readers. In basic, this is the worst book I've ever read, worse than The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.

Victoria Aveyard did not capitalize on the success of Red Queen and, instead, turned in a book that serves mostly as a bridge to book three. First of all, Glass Sword was entirely too long, with drawn out conflicts and the constant indecision by the main characters. It is hard to believe that Mare Barrow grew up as a thief, constantly aware of her surroundings and wary of the people around her, as she seems to be more gullible and clueless in Glass Sword than ever before.

That being said, the ending of the book was quite strong and points to an exciting book three, so I may just have to pick up King's Cage and give it a try.

I have a really mixed relationship with this book, and I’ll be honest, I really expected (and wanted) to enjoy it more than I did. There is no denying that Victoria Aveyard is a great writer. Her descriptions and world building are wonderful. But this story just isn’t drawing me in the way I want it to. Whilst I had a few issues with Red Queen, I enjoyed it overall and was excited for more. But this sequel let me down a little.

Glass Sword follows Mare on her new mission, finding new bloods, and giving them the choice to join her. Along with Farley, Shade, Kilorn, and Cal, she travels to the various addresses of these new bloods and attempts to recruit them before Maven gets there first. Whilst I expected the recruitment stage to take up some of the plot, it actually ended up being the majority of it. Once I was over halfway into the story, I was tired of the team turning up in a new city, finding more new characters. The recruits themselves were interesting, but the introductions to them and their abilities were quite fleeting, so I felt as though I didn’t really get to know them.

As I expected, there was tension between Kilorn and Mare in this book. Reading Red Queen, I predicted that he’d be the cliché ‘best friend who’s actually in love with protagonist’, and I’m pretty disappointed he turned out to be exactly that. I didn’t really enjoy his scenes and I found him to be a little too bitter and whiny throughout the book, exactly like Mare herself.

The one character I actually massively preferred this time around was Cal. I didn’t much care for him during the first book, but he really stepped up in Glass Sword. Although there is a love-interest plot between him and Mare, it didn’t impact negatively on his character the way I worried it might. The only complaint about him that I have is that I simply wanted more of him. He’s honest, even when it’s brutal to be so, and a lot of the time, he’s one of the few characters talking and acting rationally.

There is a conversation at the end of the book, in which Cal tells it like it is to Mare. He finally says the things I’d been thinking about her character throughout the book, and I was so pleased that paragraph was included. I couldn’t help but feel proud of him for being the one to stand up to Mare and point out that her attitude is wrong.

The ending of this book redeemed it a bit for me and added an extra crown to my final rating. The last few chapters were thrilling, filled with twists, and kept me on edge. I just wish that the rest of the story had managed to capture my attention the way that the ending did. There was a moment that tore my heart out, and the epilogue left my mouth hanging open with a major cliffhanger. Whilst the ending was fantastic, I don’t know if that alone is enough to keep me excited for the next installment in the series.

I loved the first book. it was awsome.
then i read this one.
it was good at first... sort of. not the best. then later, things got unbearable for me. Mare started just KIDNAPPING people and killing as she went. i was unhappy with it, but i was still resolved to finish the book.
however , during the fight where Elara died, i couldnt take it anymore. Mare freaked and almost died, stopped caring for anyone really, relying on Shade to save her as if he was her bodyuard. when he died, it was really sad, one of the few places that would have kept me involved. but Mare just turned around and did something wierd (i reread that place about ten times and still couldnt tell what was happening). then later, Elara was dead. really gruesome. far as i could figure, Mare killed her slowly. so i quit. the second country plus Mare being a jerk plus the only desireanle character being dead(Shade) just was too much. sorry, but thats how it is. im sad to say that this became one of the few books i didnt finish.

After the end of the first book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel! But boy was I dissapointed! This book felt like Harry Potter book 5 (where Harry is going through puberty and is annoying af) because Mare was soo incredibly annoying and whiny! She was a very difficult character to like, it seemed like she just kept thinking the same thing over and over and over! We get it! You can't trust anyone, you got betrayed. BOO FREAKING HOO! She needed to put on her big girl panties and learn from her mistakes, instead she de-evolved into a character that was weak and I didn't want to rally behind.

The plot line itself wasn't bad, although it did get repetitive at times. Overall I haven't lost hope in the series and I am hoping that the next one is better.

Okay, where do I begin. Personally, I enjoyed Red Queen. It was intriguing and got enough sides to the story. When I finished this one, I kind of felt sad and disappointed. It was slow paced and not as informative as it should've been. Let's start of with MARE. YOU'RE THE LIGHTNING GIRL. WE GET IT. IF YOU RECAP AGAIN I WILL PERSONALLY ZAP YOU. I am really uninterested in Mare after this book. She just proved that she's a narcissistic robot. She may have had more humanity in the first book and it's very understandable to lose that considering everything that happened. But you could always tell that she was a narcissist, and this book confirmed it. She looked down on Kilorn for not have a special new blood ability. She considered herself the most prized possession and RARELY regarded anyone else. Her character development was absolutely awful. I don't have much sympathy for her. Now Cal. I really wish he got more pages in this book. He went through absolute hell in the last two books, and mare still gets upset when he has a hard time claiming a position in the red guard. (Back to the whole narcissist thing.) But anyways, you really don't know how well he's dealing with all of this. You get an idea. But that's like everyone in this book. You don't get much character development for any of the new bloods, to the point where you forget who has what ability and how many there even are. It's too vague. The things that happen in this book are vague as well. People suddenly die with a small explanation. It just happens and leaves you with a thought of "wait wtf just happened" followed by you rereading to make sure you didn't skip a few lines. For example, when *SPOILER the Queen died, there was NO description. You don't even know how she died until Mare explained what her dead body looked like. That's the best you'll get.* Some pages are just too boring to even read. With every page you kind of just hope that you'll read about an interesting thing that a character did for like a second. Overall, the character development wasn't good, Mare's attitude is awful (if you wanted everyone to hate the main character, you got it girly), and some incredibly boring details could've been replaced with literally anything else. (How the other characters are dealing with things, what the new bloods do and who they are, even more insight on Maven.) However, I did enjoy Red queen and I want to know what happens to Cal and Maven. Hopefully the 3rd book will be less vague and focus more on other characters as well as go into depth on the other abilities.

Let me start off with, I absolutely LOVED Red Queen. It was interesting, and new, and the romance was not only sparking but it was on fire. The action was good, and the book hardly ever dragged on about anything. The plot was engaging, and the characters were fun, snarky, sarcastic, and interesting. Maybe not fully dimensional, but definitely very good characters.

I was absolutely DYING to get this book, and finally borrowed it from my library. I was extremely open-minded when reading this book, trying to deal with any issues it might have had. In the beginning of the book (first couple chapters), this was fairly easy, I could somewhat understand any feelings Mare or any other characters were experiencing. Things were a little slow-going, but I didn't mind. Then, all of a sudden Mare decides she is going to be a flat, narcissistic, wallowing character that I was immediately irritated with. I was willing to overlook this, had Victoria gotten Mare over this stage in her character. But she didn't. Mare was like this THE WHOLE ENTIRE BOOK. She whined and whined and whined about being lonely and sad and cold-hearted and black-souled. I mean, it's no wonder she's lonely, she pushes away EVERYONE because, "anyone could betray anyone" as she just loved to repeat to herself. She also repeatedly talked about how everyone else paled in comparison to her lightning abilities. Which honestly, I think the power of DEATH, is a lot more frightening and powerful than some pwetty purple lightning. The worst thing about this book was Mare, which sucks, because she's the main character, the POV, so she impacts my whole perspective on the book.

The romance became, well, I guess, there wasn't really any. Obviously you have Maven, who still loves Mare???? But he's out of the question with the fact that he's a "villain". Then there's Kilorn, who is mostly brushed off by Mare other than when she's pissed/annoyed with him. Then we have Cal. I'm going to be honest, in Red Queen, I stopped liking Cal half way through the book. I liked Maven way more. I mean, I shipped Mare and Maven the whole time, and was honestly hoping he would actually flip flop to the good side in this book. But in this book, my favorite character was probably Cal or Shade. Cal became very understanding, and a lot less narcissistic and stopped acting like a royal pain in the butt as I felt he did in Red Queen. I started to love Cal, hoping he would be in every page, and that the romance between Mare and him would continue and become more. But as I read, I found myself dry of any good Cal/Mare scenes. It was mostly Mare complaining and thinking about pushing him away. She treats both Kilorn (who I'm glad isn't someone Mare is interested in. Don't get me wrong, Kilorn's cool and all, but I don't think he's a good love interest for Mare) and Cal like trash, and basically is only kind when she needs them for something, and they just accept it, forgive her,and always end up crawling right back to her.

Shade is a good character, but while I'm sure Victoria means for him to be a main supporting character, he seems, like the rest of the cast of characters, only a supporting character. Suddenly everyone loses their flare, their quirks, and their attitude. Everything becomes bland and very boring. I found myself not enjoying the book, but sludging along until I found an interesting part, which unfortunately didn't really happen until the end, when they go to Corros Prison. Finally, some real action. I'm not going to go any further into that, considering some major spoilers take place. Towards the end of the book (meaning the epilogue), Mare finally decided to act kind of like herself from the first book.

To me, this book seemed more like a FanFiction of someone unfamiliar with writing these characters, and more focused on describing the scenery, which lets be honest, no one really cares about.

I definitely plan on reading the next two books, I can never leave a series unfinished. But also, I am hoping to the moon and back that somehow Victoria makes a comeback, which I am finding hard to believe, because if I think this book was slow, the next two are going to be unbearable. The way this book ended, well, I didn't know there was going to be a third or fourth book, and thought while it was kind of a sucky way to end it, I could see it as the closing to the series (if you ignore the loose ends).

In all honesty, I could've gone without it, but I'm hoping King's Cage makes my complaints seem irrelevant.

4.5/5

This book was mostly the sequel I had hoped for. 95% so. This book picks up directly where Red Queen ended. And throughout the book, you discover more about the Scarlet Guard, Newbloods, and even Maven and his mother. Also, there is some heartbreak along the way. Major. Major. Heartbreak.

The story went at a semi-fast pace in very beginning, then very slow after the island and the plane (I won't spoil it for you). The last half of the book was well worth the slow beginning, however.
I was surprised that I still managed to be surprised by this book. There are several plot twists I didn't see coming. Just remember, "anyone can betray anyone".

The character development is extensive in this book. You will learn more about Cal, Mare, Maven, Kilorn, and even Farley. Mare is probably the most complex, given that you're seeing the story through her eyes (and may sympathize since you know her inner thoughts) and she goes blind with power and revenge at times. Basically, she has good intentions, a lot of power, and a lot of hate toward most Silvers. Sometimes the good intentions take over, some times the hate. Maven is still a mystery for me, and I'll probably always be team Cal and Mare.

I hope the beginning of the next book turns things around for Mare, because they aren't going so good for her at the end of this book.

Overall, if you've read Red Queen, read this book too. It's worth your time.

I loved the first book of this series. This, the second book, was a drag. It just got worse as it went on. I don’t feel like bothering with the next book. Mare became so annoying and whiny and Cal was a brooding disappointment. Even Farley let me down. The author created this amazing world with awesome characters and then just missed and missed again with the inner musings and behaviors of the characters she created as the book went on. Such a shame.

Brynn M.- to me, this book catches my attention more than the first does. I like how Cal and Mare try their best to get the newbloods. Also, how they help them embrace who they are instead of hiding it. In this book, Mare is more conflicted with herself than ever, and it really messes with her, and her potential. The plot twists are very unsuspected, and that puts a type of mystery to the book. The differences between Cal and Mare make the whole book an adventure that will make you want to read more. I'm not fond of the profanity, but other than that, this is a great book.

This review and more can be found at The Heart of a Book Blogger [...]

The review below may contain spoilers for book one of the Red Queen series. You can read a spoiler-free review of Red Queen here. Red Queen was one of my favorite reads of 2015, so I was beyond thrilled to receive an ARC from the publisher. Just as the quote “anyone can betray anyone” summed up Red Queen, there’s a new quote that can just about sum up Glass Sword:

“Lightning has no mercy”

Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen ended, and Mare is in a very dark place after what happened at the end of Red Queen. Here’s a small recap in case you forgot: Maven betrayed Mare, Queen Elara forced Cal to kill his father King Tiberias, and then Mare and Cal were branded as traitors, sentenced to death, and forced to fight against powerful Silvers in the arena. Somehow, against all odds, Mare and Cal were able to beat their opponents and the Scarlet Guard was able to rescue them. They were transported to an underground train where Mare finds her brother Shade alive and well.

So we join Mare, Cal, and the Scarlet Guard on the train running away from Maven. Maven and his soldiers are hot on their trail, and Mare and gang are barely able to get away by way of a submarine where they are taken to an island that functions as the base of operations for the Scarlet Guard. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll stop there.

Throughout the novel, Mare and gang go on a hunt for all the newbloods on Julian’s list. While I did enjoy learning about all the different abilities and seeing them in action, it was hard keeping all the new characters straight. I was able to remember a few characters and their abilities, but the rest of them just kind of blurred together.

This series’ setting is definitely interesting. I had previously seen Red Queen as a fantasy with dystopian aspects, but Glass Sword was definitely more dystopian with fantasy aspects. The world-building grows so much in this novel since Mare is traveling all around the country while recruiting the newbloods. It was cool to get more of a layout of the land and cities, especially while battles, prison breaks, and rescues took place.

Character wise, I’ll say it again, Mare is in a very, very dark place come Glass Sword and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. Watching Mare try to sort through her feelings and instincts made here character feel real. I liked that she had to face consequences and that she was suffering from what went down in Red Queen.

Finally, the ending. Oh man. Such. A. Major. Cliffhanger. I’m still in shock of what happened. Book three cannot come fast enough.

Overall, I did enjoy Glass Sword very much and it was a great sequel, but I still enjoyed Red Queen more.

*I received this ARC from the publisher, which in no way affected my review.*

I have been waiting on this book for a year - I fell in love with this world right from the start. Any new world that I can somewhat compare to the X-Men is always going to get my attention though (hello Shatter Me Series!) Bit I also enjoyed the Hunger Games/The Selection aspects of this book as well.

So I've waited a little impatiently for this book, all the while watching the fandom come together via instagram photos. So when the day finally came, I was the first in line for the library's audio-version of The Glass Sword, but also my best friend had bought me the book for Christmas! I LOVE HER SO MUCH! :) (Okay, I love her whether or not she got me the book..but still!!!)

What I Loved: SO MUCH ACTION. This isn't your typical 'sit and wait' 2nd book where it really felt like it was a space-filler between the first and third books of the series. In the past I've had trouble with the middle book of a trilogy for this reason - I love origins because I love getting to know new people - Glass Sword gives you plenty new characters to get to know and love. One specifically I suspect is going to play a major role in the final book! The 3rd book is usually so full of action and wrap of, but here a gain I say Glass Sword has its full share of action. We aren't stuck waiting out to find out what the oppressors are going to do in the books, we are taking action and creating game plans. Some game plans don't work out as well as others, but that's okay.

I do also love that this book isn't prettied up any. Victoria Aveyard does not hold back any punches. There are gruesome details and you end up hurting just as much as Mare. She is not leading the easiest life right now, and you can feel that in every move, ever decision.

Not So Much: Well, one - I hate when characters don't communicate well. I feel like Mare and Cal have some things they should talk about. Do you know how many of our lives would be much easier and better if we would just talk??

I really wish I could have been in Cal's head a bit more. While he was there with Mare the entire time, and played a very important role in their rebellion/revolution, I still kind of feel like we didn't see enough of him. He was there in a sort of closed off sort of way.

I'm not digging Mare's fixation on Maven either - This isn't like Shatter Me where my heart tipped in his direction...I don't feel like he's been very redeemable at all. Plus, well I love Cal, and have from the beginning. The underlying theme of this entire book has been "Anyone can betray anyone" but he's been pretty clear about who he is, what he desires, how he feels. I swear if he betrays what I believe to be true about him, I might just throw the last book against the wall. Then buy a new one since I ruined it. ;)

The Verdict:
These books are best for older teenagers, there are a lot of gruesome details that I think would give my pre-teens/young teens nightmares, but you know your kids best. There is cussing. Other than that this is a clean book - and one I love and recommend for Dystopian lovers!

I began writing this review and I realized that anfeboibwefsnowpnwa isn't a professional way to review a book, even though it sums up my feelings perfectly for it and especially the ending. You thought the cliffhanger in Red Queen was bad? Ha ha. Read this one. And probably the cliffhanger in the third book will be the worst because it will lead to the finale. So, I am just going to give you an advice, Wait for the other books. Yeah, I know it's impossible, but now I have to wait a year to read the continuation and I don't think I can take it. The final scene was the best way to leave the reader hanging. I will cross my fingers and hope for an ARC of the untitled book 3.

I found myself thinking that if some of the most popular and favorite YA books like The hunger games, Twilight, Divergent and the Selection had a baby that baby would probably be Glass Sword. That is a great thing for me. The writing is compelling as its own, but add a mix of the things I love and I am sold.

The plot is filled with action an new information so if you begin this book make sure that you have plenty of free time ahead of you. You don't really want to stop reading. At least I didn't. I am not sure where we are standing when it comes to the Reds and Silvers. Things are so uncertain at the moment. I guess team new bloods have the lead in this poll.

I always pictured Maven looking exactly like Loki. I don't know why, but that's the image I have of him in my mind. He is also the only character I have an image of in my head. The others have changed once or twice. I never thought that he was going to be the villain when I read Red Queen, but he has proven that he is ruthless more than once. Cal is my favorite of all the male characters. I thought that I wouldn't like him, but he has proved that he is more than the soldier who is focused only in the battle. I really want some of his point of view because I am still not 100% on where he is standing even though he has proved plenty of things.

I can see Mare dying in the end. Don't get me wrong, I like her, but for some reason I am making peace with that idea and it doesn't bother me. I believe that I can live with that sacrifice. For most of the book she is trying to do her best, to save people and that's costing her. She is ready to shatter as she says and even though I want her to prove herself wrong, I am waiting for the worst to come.

I am a romance junkie and I usually go for books that have plenty. Glass sword had almost no romance and I was completely ok with that because everything else was more important than that and I didn't complain once which is so not me. I don't know about you, but I ship Cal and Mare. I liked them in Red Queen and I liked them in Glass Sword despite everything they said to each other.

The secondary characters are unique and they can hold the reader's interest without having Mare in the scene. I wouldn't mind if the author filled some pages with Mare interacting more with them. Tons of new characters appear in this book, but we don't really get the chance to get to know them because the person telling the story is more focused on raw rebellion rather than chatting.

I am hoping to see more Cal in the third book and have a clear picture on the romance side because the love square was tiring even if it was reduced to a triangle of sorts. I don't know what's wrong with YA heroines. I am also hoping for a release day on books 3 and 4 that won't be too far into the future because the cliffhangers are getting worse. Read at your own risk.

I have to say I disagree with many of the reviews, I think this book deserves a 4.5 (at least). While I did find the language to be menial in parts, this is a Young Adult novel that is aimed towards a younger audience. I LOVED how this book ended, I won't spoil anything but what I will say is that I was setting myself up to be sad/mad/frustrated/disappointed with the ending but instead I found myself satisfied. Don't get me wrong, I am craving the next book but I am not freaking out; I think the book leaves off in a good point that offers a suspenseful cliffhanger without leaving the reader frustrated. I think the plot was well built and I did not find the book slow at all. In fact I think the author skips over the places where it could get slow and I would love to see a companion novel about the middle recruitments. Looking back I do think the characters could be more fleshed out, many of the "newbloods" got muddled in my head and we didnt learn much about their background BUT I think part of this was the progression of Mare as a main character who was too stressed to really pay much attention to the details. I would like to see more into the heads of Cal and Kilorn but again this book is from Mare's perspective. As for Mare's character progression. I think it is well done, again that is not to say I am not frustrated with her but I want a character that is going to make me laugh, sad, mad, frustrated and I think Aveyard does a good job of doing this. Now on to the good stuff: THE ROMANCE. PERSONALLY, I think the progression of the relationship(s) with the different characters **no spoilers** was done well. The book goes through the highs and lows in a realistic way and I think it is sweet to see how the more important relationships change through biggest challenges. This book is an action packed novel and not meant for those who are looking for romance, but as an action novel it does the romance part perfectly, both stating the readers need to see romance while also leaving the reader wanting more.
Happy Reading! It is SO worth it!

If you are a fan of Red Queen then you won't be disappointed by Glass Sword. While the story is slower than the first book, you get to delve so much further into each characters mindset which is both heartbreaking and amazing. Victoria Aveyard perfectly displays the struggle that Mare goes through while trying to be a leader, revolutionary, sister, friend, daughter basically all that she can be to everyone while trying to not lose herself in the process.

I highly recommend giving this book a shot but be prepared the ending is a killer!

I didn't understand the hype surrounding the first book. It was obviously a huge PR push from the publishing company. While the first book is "good," I would certainly never call it excellent or best seller material. Still, it was entertaining enough to be a good filler book while I searched for better books to read or recovered from book hangovers from more exceptional reads. I expected the second book to provide the same generalized sense of entertainment, but it fell flat on its face. I don't know if Victoria Aveyard's own personality or ego is coming through her writing, but Mare was one of the most uninspiring, dislikable characters I've read in a long time. The villains were underwhelming, the plot was menial, and the romance was flat. It was just terrible at every point. This story obviously suffers from second book syndrome.

I was so looking forward to this book after reading Red Queen. I realize that Mare has been through a lot in her young life, but about halfway through this book her inner dialogue was starting to become depressing and a little annoying. It was like she had no fight and at times it seemed like she was almost pining over Maven. Really, Mare?! The last half of the book was good and that is when the action started picking up. The writing was really good, it was just a lot slower moving than I was expecting after the fantastic Red Queen. I'll still be reading the next installment because I'm interested to find out what happens to Cal, Farley, and Mare.

***Some spoilers below***

I have mixed feelings about this book. I found it rather tedious, especially the first half of the book. I ended up skipping paragraphs, even pages, of what seemed like endless details of battle plans or cities. It was hard to recall too all the new characters and their special powers. As for Mare, she seemed more accepting and confident in her superhuman abilities; but she also seemed to sway between self-pity/loathing and selfishness/arrogance. Thankfully we get to see and learn more about Cal, Shade, Farley and other characters. I have a love/hate attitude towards Maven. In the first book, he appeared to be her kindred spirit, the seemingly compassionate boy who would do almost anything for Mare. But he was the one who ended up betraying her and his brother in the cruelest way. This time, Maven seems more obsessed about possessing or owning Mare. For what purpose is unclear to me - perhaps it's out of vengeance, spite, passion-or all three. He even branded her, like a cruel master would do to an animal or slave. He offers her a chance to save her people's life in exchange for her own. She desperately wants to save her people, but not at the cost of losing her own. Interestingly, Mare's feelings for him vacillate between loathing and longing. Difficult choices will have to be made; and every decision has consequences. Mare's relationship with Cal is also complex; for though they show genuine care and affection for each other, they also push each other away. Where Cal's true loyalty and motives are is also somewhat murky. He's not quite fully sold to the cause of Red Blood rebels. His main focus at this point is vengeance - vengeance towards the man who killed his father and stole his kingdom.

For me, the best part was the ending-ironically. Sadly, we lose one of the main characters. But the book also leaves you in a cliffhanger. After Mare made a pact with the devil king himself, her life is now once again in his hands. I have no doubt that our main protagonist's life will be spared. After all, there's rumored to be two more books after this; and did the devil himself not promise to "save" her? But at what price? I wonder if Maven's next act will be to break her, enslave her, torture her and/or finally (gulp) "own" Mare's heart thereby truly making her the Red Queen that she was meant to be in the beginning...Now that would be a shocking twist.

Well…. gosh this was really underwhelming. A lot of the tension and interesting stuff that made me and my sister love Red Queen were gone in this one. Unfortunately I feel that Mare really devolved as a character in Glass Swords.

In the first book I was wary of love triangles but all the characters remained spread out across the map and alignment spectrum enough to keep the triangle from choking the plot. This time around however Mare spent many, MANY pages thinking up some pretty cheesy lines while pining over various guys. The internal “but alas I can’t have him” speeches get pretty long and frequent. (And have poor timing.)

Mare also spends most of the book in a constant “woe is me” mindset. She’s not nearly as strong as she was in the first book even though she is surrounded by trustworthy people willing to support her this time around. She has no backbone whatsoever. Those who have read the later Hunger Games books will probably see some repeat Katniss angst in her.

I think my biggest issue with Mare would have to be her complete indecisiveness. It’s like the author forgot her character and was struggling to find her again. Mare constantly makes promises all throughout the book and then turns around and breaks. Every. Single. One. Sometimes on the same page that promise was made on. She can’t commit to anything aside from her own misery.
This also leads to her doing something incredibly hypocritical and out-of-character near the end of the book that did not match up with who she was in the first book at all.

The plot also suffered some flow issues. It was pretty slow to start with and then came to an incredibly abrupt ending. The final showdown at the end of the book was poorly written and will leave you wondering if someone tore out the last few pages of the final confrontation. (Seriously- the change of scenery was so sudden I had to go back and make sure all the pages were still there.)
Without handing out their names I will just say that some very important characters that were pillars to the story died suddenly and without warning. Not only that but it happened in such a nonchalant way that I didn’t even care that they were dead. I was just confused.
The author drags you into the heat of the battle and then literally cuts off the story mid encounter and time jumps to the survivors arriving back at the rebel base. The reader is casually told who lived and who died and then the book pulls another 180 before the deaths even sink in just so Mare can break her last promise and end the book on a cliffhanger.

The first book was good enough that I may still buy the next book in the reviews are positive but this one was underwhelming.

This one was a lot slower moving than Red Queen, and sometimes I just wanted to get to the end so something would happen, but it was still good and I still liked it. Cal is still awesome. Mare was wearing on me, she is kind of a jerk. I liked seeing all the new bloods and what they could do. Of course Maven was still the worst. Definitely worth reading even though its a little slow!

I usually don't write reviews unless the book is really good or really bad. This book, unfortunately falls in the really bad category. I enjoyed Red Queen enough to read Glass Sword and was deeply disappointed and very annoyed at all the internal monologues about how highly Mare thinks of her powers how sorry she feels for herself because she was betrayed over and over and over again throughout the whole book. Enough already! There was nothing likable about Mare at all in this book. She was passed out for 4 days. When she wakes up and learns that the others have been busy rescuing other newbloods, instead of being a good leader and command everyone for their hard work, she criticizes everything the others did. The whole book was about Mare wallowing and calling everyone else idiots. I got 2/3 way through the book and gave up. Needless to say I'll not be reading the next book in this series.

Oh Mare...

She learned a lot in the beginning of her journey. She's been burned by people all over... mentally and physically. Who can blame her when she becomes a freaking ice queen?

And the ending....

I want to pull my hair out. What am I going to do? I have to wait a year for book #3?

Okay. I have a plan...
I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to go in a closet and hibernate.

Victoria Aveyard.... please make this long wait worth it!

I was somewhat disappointed with this book because I didn't get wowed by it like I did the first. There were not as many surprises in this one for me and although it kept my interest, it didn't really grip me. There is a lot of action but I would have liked a map to have a better idea of where all the places were that they were going to recruit Newbloods. I also thought the fight scenes were much better written in the first book of this series. I liked the book overall, don't get me wrong. It was good but I was expecting better. The ending left me feeling sad and hoping for a better third book in this series.

I love this series! The characters are amazing, the world building is wonderful and I can't wait to see what happens next. I hope that Mare can resolve all the problems that she has. Its a wonder she can even function under the weight of all her guilt and pain, but somehow she does. I cried when a certain person died and wondered why the author chose that person to die other than to cause me pain and everyone else that reads it. I keep wishing somehow it was a mistake, but no! Anyway, the ending was such a mess and I have to wait a year for the next book. SAD DAY!!!!!

We are haunted by the past and it could all shatter like glass if we examine it to closely.

Mare is haunted by her actions, but she isn't ready to trust anyone to help her. I thought that was a reasonable response to what she went through in the first novel. This novel had more action and movement than the first novel, which I liked. I enjoyed both novels and I think the character development in this was good. I'm looking forward to reading the next.

3.5 stars. I may have hyped myself up too much for this. I loved the first book but this one...it fell a bit flat. It felt like there was a lot of build up for an event that was too short to really be that exciting. It was interesting to see all the newbloods and their various abilities. I hope there will be more of the one boy that can kill things with a touch in the next book, seems like to scary of a power to mention and then not use.

Oh, the sequel was awful....I've wracked my brain in trying to come up with any positive comments, but all that I remember is how much of the book I skipped.
It was excessively repetitive to the point that it was beyond annoying. The story was barely moving towards any kind of a resolution. Somewhere in the middle I even forgot that there was a villain. As for Mare, she became the least compelling and charismatic heroine of any book I ever read.
All in all, meh....

I hate this book so much that cannot contemplating what is wrong with me. I enjoyed Red Queen a lot, but this second book annoyed me so much I nearly give up at the first half. Mare Barrow in this sequel felt not like the one in the first book at all. She is so boring, so annoying. The writing is so repetitive with long paragraph in each one dialogue. Miss Aveyard make sure that we did not know the main character contain with such power by calling herself every d**** minute, I am the lightning girl! The plot is too slow and the nearly ending scene at Corros is a mess. I don't understand what happened when Mare took the BODY with her. When did she died and how!
I am disappointed comparing to the hypes it's received.

I was so excited for this book, Red Queen was one of my favorite books and I was expecting to not put this down until I finished, that wasn't the case.

I almost stopped reading after just a few chapters, but my love for the story made me continue. Don't get me wrong it had its strong points the character development was strong. But everything I loved in the first book wasn't there.

I will read the next book and hope this doesn't continue.

I loved the book, a little less than the first one, but still enough to think it’s really good. The end though turned my world around, I can’t stop thinking about it. I go back and re-read passages in both books, hoping to figure out what’s to happen.
I was happy at the end of the first book that Mare and Cal ended up escaping together and I was having hopes they’ll finally hook up. Cal is the good and compassionate man, but Maven is the real flame, the fervent man, and I can’t decide who I want her to end up with. I had to go back and read some of the scenes in Red Queen trying to figure out who is the man Mare loves more, and it seemed to be Maven after all. Some events in Glass Swords made me think he loved her too, but I wasn’t so sure with that ending. I missed the witty and passionate Mare in the second book, and I was really disappointed at the ups and downs in her behavior, and all of the wrong choices. I was hoping she would see Cal’s love for her and love him back. Cal seems to be the right choice, and sometimes I have the sense she loved him, then she did things that make me change my mind. Who is it at the end, Maven or Cal on neither? I don’t want her to “rise alone”, but I think she will end up just like she said near the end of the first book: “I choose no one.”…Can’t wait for the next book.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first one. Red Queen was a quick and fun read. But this book started slow and I felt it dragged on. It didn't have the same excitement that the first book had. I did enjoy that it picked up right where the first book left off. I hope the other books pick up and don't get stuck the same way this book had. Definitely not as good as the first but worth the read. I'm excited to see what Mare will do next!

Glass Sword is pain and suffering incarnate. If you're looking for a book to break your soul, this is the one. I really enjoyed reading more about Mare's character arc; her descent from Mareena to Mare—the symbol of the Red Rebellion—reminds me a lot of Adelina in The Rose Society. I did find Glass Sword to be more predictable than Red Queen and even found myself bored at times. Although I enjoyed reading it, Glass Sword was missing the factor that would have made me love it. I am still extremely curious about what's going to happen, but I think I need to read a lot of happy books before book three comes out.

Full review:[...]

I want you to think about the worst possible way a good book you’ve read has affected you. I want you to try and feel what you felt during your worst book hangover. Now, I’m going to tell you mine.

As I read my way through the last day of the term before Winter Break, I managed to finish the heart breaking, soul ripping, mind twisting work of fiction titled Glass Sword. As I looked up at my best friend, who was sitting in my room, I had this expression of bewilderment on my face – like I couldn’t place where I was. Because for me, and even in my dreams later that night, I was no longer living in Chennai, India, but in Norta – with Mare Barrow. No, as Mare Barrow, the lightning girl, the Red Queen.

For every hour of the aforementioned night, I woke up, gasping. The first time, I was running out of a burning building that was collapsing on itself. The second time, I had escaped a war zone and I was just breathing in a sigh of relief, while staring at the red blood and dirt on my hands, and as I woke up, I remember thinking ‘Wait, that’s not silver blood.’

If you don’t get it yet, reading Victoria Aveyard’s Glass Sword made me dream or rather, create, my own, albeit distorted, version of a rebellion, IN MY HEAD. Victoria Aveyard’s Glass Sword had me recreating everything I’d just read and felt, but only this time, visually in my head. Victoria Aveyard’s Glass Sword made me truly believe that I was living in a world where I had to fight with weapons and wit, where anyone can betray anyone and one where I could either Kneel or Bleed.

Victoria Aveyard, I salute you. And I thank you, for that brilliant experience.

When I opened the book for the first time, I found myself back at exactly where I put it down – six months ago in my world, but just a few hours later in Mare’s. I was quite literally back on the train that Mare woke up to find herself in – with Cal, Kilorn, Farley and all the other members of the Scarlet Guard. Nothing had changed, but me, finally returning after what seems like a VERY long and rather tiring game of involuntarily hitting the snooze button.

On the run from unmentionable things, because if you haven’t read Red Queen, then I’m not going to be the one to ruin it for you, Mare finds herself seeing the Scarlet Guard for what it really is, but more importantly, trying to figure who she is, and who she has to be. Mare Barrow or Mareena or the unforgiveable lightning girl? Something deadly and alone, or someone weak and defeated?

Because Mare Is Red, and Silver, but stronger than both – and she’s not the only one. She has a list. A whole list of people just like her, all of whom are on top of the King’s hit list. And if she wants to stand a chance against him; if she wants change for the Reds and fairness to all, she has to find them. First.

But the Silver King and his leash holder are forces to be reckoned with, and Mare is just one girl. Mare is a Glass Sword, and one that’s beginning to crack.

Needless to say, I LOVED Glass Sword, and everything it had to offer me. I’m going to be crying for a year until I receive book three, but put in your orders, because this is not a book you want to miss.

<i> Anyone can betray anyone. </i>

Words that now forever haunt our dearest heroine.

I have been waiting for this book for a while, and now that I’ve finished it I am not entirely sure how I feel. The book is has all the elements I enjoy in young adult fantasy, but for a number of reasons it feels very familiar. But I’ll get into that later I suppose.

In this book we see that the stakes are once again higher than ever. With Cal and Mare essentially on the run forging, a wary alliance with the Scarlet Guard and each other. The weight of Maven’s betrayal weighs heavily on them both and as a result they push each other away. When in deep down they know that they need each other more than anything. Maven waste no time calling for the capture of crestfallen brother and former fiancé. Despite their distance Maven continues to stand between Cal and Mare. And he continues to send them messages…in blood.

<b> In the romance department: </b> I will be perfectly honest the first book had me on the fence between Cal and Maven for a long time. But this book seems to make one thing clear, at least to me. Cal is Mare’s constant. Even though at times she longs for the memories she once shared with Maven, even in a world where she cannot trust anyone and feels utterly alone – she unwilling clings to Cal. Because no matter what ugliness lies between them she cannot, will not let him go. The same goes for Cal. Despite their agreement not to let their feelings for each other to distract them, they cannot help it. Their words hurt each other more than anyone else’s can, because they mean more to each other than anything else. That’s how I see it now. In the end, despite all that’s come to pass between them Mare is still willing to give up her life for Cal’s and she knows he would do the same for her.

<b> Mare: </b> She’s definitely grown from the girl we used to know. She has now truly learned control. She knows that sometimes you have to bite your tongue and choose your battles. Even throughout this book alone you can see a change come about in her. Betrayal has left her withdrawn and untrusting. She truly trusts no one. Constantly catching herself in another lie. Perhaps, she does not even trust herself. So many ghosts haunt her; the worst one being that of the prince she’d loved and lost. She builds walls around her so high it is a wonder that anyone can break in. And her demons begin to wear at her, eating away what remains of her soul. Mare constantly struggles with doing what is right. And she is constantly walks the line between justice and mercy.

<b> Cal: </b>At this point I feel like I have almost a love-hate relationship with Cal. I know he is a good person. I do like his character and his clearly unshakeable connection to Mare. Unlike everyone else in Mare’s life he has never manipulated her. But at the same time I understand Mare’s frustration at his occasional hypocrisy. He is a solider he knows what it is like to spill blood, but it doesn’t stop him from judging Mare for doing whatever it takes to get the job done. But he claims to have done so because of orders, whereas Mare, he claims, does it out of spite. Blood is blood, and death is death – no matter the reason. I get upset because I know his words upset Mare. And I just want them to be happy. But I get why he does it. Cal loves Mare, despite their past and their differences he loves her. He can see that the girl he loves is changing, slipping away – clinging to the ghost of someone who does not exist and heading toward a dark future. And he’s beside himself because like always, he just wants to save her. He does not go about this the right way, but then again neither does she so I guess in the end they are even.

<b> Maven: </b> Say what you want but I still adore Maven. Not in the way I did before as a kind, loving, gently, dreamy prince or love interest for Mare. But as twisted, wicked villain who keeps true to his word and brings about destruction in his wake. He makes an excellent villain. And his complicated relationship with our protagonists only makes it better. Cal and Mare both loved Maven, and to an extent perhaps they do still. So it makes their fight to kill him all the more interesting and complicated. Because you have to wonder if in they'll be able to do so in the end. I think an interesting twist to this all is that despite everything, against all reason Maven still wants Mare back. Not dead. His messages, while warped, make that clear. I am not sure how I feel about this really. Because while I wanted to believe Maven could be saved, it seems now it is far too late.

At the end of Red Queen when Mare said she loved him I believed her. Yet I always felt that in the end she still probably loved Cal more. But her actions in this book make me wonder. She longs for Maven, albeit the fake one, so much, so deeply I have to wonder which brother she loved more. If Maven knew how much Mare thought about him, he’d probably be proud.

<b> Shade: </b> I love him. He’s so loving, kind, understanding, intelligent, strong and basically everything anyone could want in a friend, a brother and a lover. His love and loyalty to his sister, his friends and his comrades is truly commendable. The fact that after everything that has happened Mare loses him, again, is heartbreaking. He deserved so much more.

<b> Farley: </b>I was not entirely sold on this character in the first book, but now I enjoy her. She is a normal among ability users, yet she continues to hold her own. She is strong, smart, fast and willing to do what’s right, even if it is not what is easy.

So after all this praise you may be wondering, what was the familiar feeling that had me bothered?

Well I am not saying they are entirely the same, because they are not. But the journey I took with Mare this time had be thinking of another book I read only a few months ago, The Rose Society. I loved Rose Society and Adelina's journey so much, but I am not sure how I feel about a slightly more watered down version creeping its way to this series. In both series we saw our heroines who left behind their previously bleak circumstances in the first book. Then in the second one book each came into their own – accepting their power, their strength. And yet it in doing so both start a long journey down a dark road. Pushing away the people they care for and love most. Because trusting others, loving others only leads to hurt, as experience has taught them. The books do end a markedly different terms but for some reason the similarities left me comparing the two quite a bit. But Mare is nowhere near as dark as Adelina because in the end Mare grew up loved, and it seems in the end that made a world of difference. The Rose Society was far darker and Adelina far more self-destructive.

Glass Sword was a solid book with plenty of action, betrayal, romance and friendship. I did enjoy the book a lot. Finished it in one day and am very interested in seeing where the story picks up

I mostly skimmed the book due to redundancy as other reviews have mentioned: She feels sorry for herself, pushes Kilorn and Cal away, calls herself lightening girl. Also so much happens and the author putting them in so much danger every other page or so that I just skimmed because I knew Mare would make it out alive and that any deaths would be at the end of the book. The author didn’t make a lot of it interesting enough to read the “details.” Not enough character development. And then in the big final scene with a major nemesis - It’s not even detailed on how that went down. I read that paragraph three times thinking “what?” Yes - that major moment happened in like a paragraph. I plan on reading the third book - but I’ll probably skim it too.

OMG! I can't wait to find out what happens with Mare and Maven! It was a really good book except for one part that was sad. I totally ship Mare and Cal together. Mare is a very strong heroine, that benefits the story greatly. I want the third book! Why didn't Jon stay, they needed him. I found Cameron pretty bratty, I know she was in a prison for how long and just wanted to find her brother but still, everybody needed her help.

Mare is just too much a rewritten Katniss. I could see it in the 1st book, of course, but this one was too similar for me to get past it. Still enjoying the story and planning to give the next book a chance. The world does expand in this one which was fascinating to see.

With so many twists and turns, it was a great read. I understand the heartbreak with some of the inconsistencies of tone and pronunciation, but it tends to happen with complex plots. I'd much rather have these intricacies and a few faults rather than a simple, easy to produce audiobook. Onwards and upwards, Victoria Aveyard!

I loved the first book. That being said, this sequel spent way too much time and energy rehashing the whole first book. Every page seemed like a memory was being remembered from the first book. It got quite monotonous and boring.
The actual plot of this book was what saved it. After shifting through all the memories, the actual events of this book were exciting and fun to read. I wish the author had spent all her time writing the book like that.
The main character was too moody and emo but thankfully the support characters have depth and are well liked.
I wish the author had just realized that the reason people picked up this book was because they liked the first....so we didn't need to reread it in the second. Sigh. Makes me wonder if the third will be recounts of both the first and second ?

It still feels like a combination of stories that I've already read, and I'm waiting for it to really come into its own. I hope it does. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the romance department. The "don't trust anyone" theme keeps popping up, and it's true, Mare can't trust anyone, but it makes me wonder if Cal is going to do something to betray her too.

A great sequel. Mare and her friends are planning to fight back against the silvers by finding other newbloods like her. I'm glad that Mare is a strong female character and I have so many feelings after reading this! I think just finding out that Captain Farley's first name is Diana was a surprise. Filled with high-stakes action, it's no wonder the ending was such a cliffhanger. I don't know if I can make it till King's Cage!

Book #33 Read in 2016
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

This is the second in a paranormal young adult series, the sequel to Red Queen. While I enjoyed the first book more, this book was a good read. It picks up right where Red Queen leaves off, and the battle against evil King Maven continues for Mare and Cal. This book has great characters and a lot of action. I am hoping there is a third book in the works. I recommend this read to high school readers and adults.

I thought about not finishing this book honestly and I rarely stop a book (I usually only stop if there is sex or language or it just makes me feel not good continuing). It picked up once I got about 45% in and I quickly read the rest. I really got engrossed at that point. I just really didn't like the first half. I almost gave it only 3 stars but the last 20% or so really got interesting. I am looking forward to the next one to come out.

Glass Sword picks up Mare's story just after the ending of Red Queen. She was rescued by the Scarlet Guard along with Cal after they were both betrayed by Maven and now they've got to try and make some sense out of everything that has happened. Maven has the world convinced that Cal killed the old king and he's now claimed the throne for himself, completely stealing Cal's birthright. Mare and Cal are going to have to learn to trust each other if they want to stand a chance against Maven but he's not an enemy who will be easy to beat no matter how many people they have on their side.

It's not helping that the Scarlet Guard don't trust them either, the Colonel isn't willing to listen to their ideas and it looks like he's taking his army in a very dangerous direction. Mare knows they need to focus on finding the other New Bloods (people like her with red blood but silver abilities) and recruiting them to their side before Maven can have them all murdered but the Colonel isn't listening so she may have to take matters into her own hands.

Glass Sword was another brilliant instalment to this series, once again it's a book with really mixed reviews from a lot of my friends but I went into it feeling hopeful and am happy to say I loved it. I really enjoyed getting to meet so many different New Blood characters, they have such a range of different abilities and this book was a bit like a fantasy version of the X-Men. I love that Mare isn't perfect, she makes mistakes like any young girl in her situation would but she always tries to do the right thing and when she messes up she's smart enough to own it and do her best to make things right. I think she's a pretty great character but I also love so many of the side characters like Cal, Kilorn, Shade and Farley, they're all such well built characters with their own motivations and goals and it's nice to have so many well rounded characters to root for.

There were a couple of shocking events towards the end of the book, one that broke my heart and one that left me in a panic, so I'm desperate to get my hands on a copy of King's Cage to find out what happens next. This series is going from strength to strength and I can't wait to see where Victoria Aveyard takes us next.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book started out a slow lurching train that gradually gained momentum.
I had to look up cliff-notes to the first book to remember what happened. You are dropped off immediately where you left Mare in book one. There was little flashbacks or mentions of the past to kickstart my memory. Once everything clicked into place, though, I really began to enjoy this book.
I wanted to punch the Mare that is born from this book, she really aggravated me with her constant desire to be the martyr.

Dont get me wrong i absolutly loved red queen but then i got a few chapters into glass swords. i loved the story but the content was frusterating i kept losing my focus and just wishing maven would win already. I know most wouldnt agree with me but i ship maven and mare. maven may be evil but that doesnt mean he doesnt have good in him. at first it may have been his mother he was trying to make proud and when she died it might have been heart break either way i still root for maven. other than the fact the book was slow i had a theory that maybey the only reason mare kneeled before maven was beacause mare believed in him to. finnaly i cant wait till the next two books come out. im hoping their not as slow as this one even though I'd still read them. im still rooting for maven. LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!

In this book I have to say that so many happens, and you want to hate Mare for some of the stupid crap she does. I have to say that it does suffer from second book syndrome. The thing is that this book is still great in it's own right. I love how they make Maven so horrible and yet people can't stop loving him.

I hope that in the next book that they find a way to save them all, to find a way for both bloods to live. Great reading over all.

Great second installment to the Red Queen series. I flew through this book and recommended it to a friend. This is a great series if you're into YA fantasy novels. It has a strong female lead, a love triangle, and was just really well written and engaging.

pooled ink Reviews:
*3.5 Stars*

I think the concept is great, I think the author is talented, I think there is a continually growing fan base for the Scarlet Guard, but I know that this is likely where I’ll step off the train. I’ve enjoyed the ride very much but I’m not certain I’ll continue. Perhaps I’m just too dedicated to other series to have room for this one right now but may one day return and suddenly fall in love with it (hey it totally happened with The Mortal Instruments series – thanks to The Infernal Devices – so it’s completely possible).

The plot begins rather slow honestly but it picks up for the most part. Plenty of action and strategic planning. No shortage of betrayal and surprising alliances. Plus there’s a sprinkle of romantic tension throughout.

We meet lots of new characters, we get to know previous characters better, and we get to plod along with our striking protagonists.
Poor Cal is still healing from his loss and betrayal but he's a soldier at the core. It was interesting to watch how his character has changed.
Mare on the other hand? As much as Mare has changed she really doesn’t seem to be particularly changed at all. She insists that she has learned her lesson on trusting people and yet she continues to make the same mistakes.

Overall I feel that this story would be better translated as a movie than it did as a book. I’d totally be stoked to go see these books as movies. I’m just not really interested in further investing in the books. I dunno, maybe I was just in a funk when reading this book? Should I stick with it?

GLASS SWORD is an intense continuation of the Red Queen series that zooms out to encompass an impossibly broader scope of a world rising red as the dawn. Fans will be clawing at the shelves to find out what happens next, who will be found and who will be lost?

Read my FULL review here: [...]

In " Glass Sword" the reader is swept again into the dark and ominous world of the lower class Red and noble Silver Bloods. The plot thickens as Cal and Mare escape the bloodletting in the arena and the assassination of his father to be pursued by Maven, the malicious new ruler who's obsessed with finding the " lightning girl". But Mare has only one goal to find the newbloods, reds with silver powers and with them form an army to rid the land of Silver tyranny. The plot is emotionally charged as Mare's heart becomes darkened with all the killings, her uncertainties and fear for those she loves. She begins to crumble under the weight of leadership, her feelings of inadequacy and the continual betrayals of those she trusts. She pushes away friends, family and the man she loves preferring to wallow in, and become hardened by, thoughts of the friend and prince who betrayed her.

The atmosphere is electric as Mare searches for newbloods who Maven is determined to hunt down and erase from history, assuring the public is no wiser to their existence. Victoria Aveyard weaves a story that keeps you on the seat of your chair from the first page to the last, escalating the intensity and suspense with Cal and Mare's escape from the island of Tuck, their theft of an airjet, Jon's prophetic vision and a raid on the prison incarcerating newbloods and radical Silvers.

To protect her heart from being broken Mare flounders in her romance with Cal, knowing where his allegiance lies, fearing to trust him and clinging to memories of the vicious younger brother who's obsessed with her. Needing Kilorn's friendship and fixated with keeping him safe she alienates him when he admits his true feelings knowing they're not reciprocated. Oddly, as Mare becomes stricken with insecurity, doubts and fear she continually reverts to longing for the lost friendship and tenderness that Maven betrayed. In a bizarre twist she becomes entangled in an unrealistic fantasy that helps the darkness creep into her soul as she closes her heart to the rebel prince who's come to care for her.

The story is rich in imperfect characters struggling to win freedom in an oppressed society, many becoming as vicious and heartless as those they want to be liberated from. Although powerful Mare Barrow feels alone, and nothing more than a valuable asset in the struggle; " a banner for the Scarlet Guard, a face on a wanted poster, a thief, a prince's downfall, a killer" and an object to be shaped by others. Cal a Prince of Norta and a military genius manipulated and disgraced has begun to recognize the turmoil precipitated by Silver self-absorption and cruelty over the years. Smart and intuitive he quickly becomes the newblood children's adored trainer while still facing the intolerance and hatred of older rebels. He's conflicted between his desire for Mare and love for his people, not wanting to kill other Silvers and wanting to stop a looming civil war. Broken as a child, twisted by a heartless mother Maven masked his coldness and ambition behind kindness and caring. Although Mare crept into his heart, he's brutal and vindictive even to the one person that could make him more humane. It is these characters and others than infuse the story with excitement, passion and drama.

This is an intoxicating sequel to an ongoing dark and deadly fantasy series and I can't wait to see where Victoria Aveyard takes it next.

Review found at: [...]

Dear Author,
Thank you for the following…
1) amazing writing
2) consistency in characters and plot
3) consistency in pacing
4) those raw moments that made me ache
5) swoon worthy moments that made my heart flutter
6) good character development
7) moments I cringed and felt sick
8) moments I held the book tight with anxiety
9) an ending that left me breathless and in pain

Seriously…this author and her writing are phenomenal.

In this book we get to see the hunt for newbloods and how they can change the world. We see the divide between the Reds and Silvers change. We see more into the Lakelanders. We see more into the evil of Maven and the queen. We see more abilities and meet new characters. We see alliances that have to be made and broken.

I mean this book is filled with everything.

I hate to compare this but it was kinda like Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Now don’t freak out. What I mean by that is, we are dealing A LOT with Mare’s feelings and emotions. Emotions of guilt, pain, loss, betrayal, homesickness, love, anger, hate, etc. Which is what we read through with Insurgent. A LOT of emotion. I get it, they both had traumatic experiences and have to deal with that. I will be honest and say there were times when I wanted to move on from Mare’s emotional wreckage, but I get it also. There were times when I got annoyed and I wanted to smack her or kick her butt…seriously. But at the same time, I get it. Anyway I felt she was a lot more like Tris in this book BUT when I got to the end, I am beyond curious to see how this and her will all turn out. This just better not end like Allegiant or I’m going to have to punch something. Or have a book burning session. No joke, this is serious stuff. ;)

I loved Cal throughout this whole book. I hate how he was treated by Mare in Red Queen. He seems to be one of the few SOLID characters. I loved how that even though he is a guy without a country he is still…himself. A soldier, a leader. He knows his stuff and I appreciate the fact that the author didn’t make him change into something else. He is still Cal.

Overall I loved this book and recommend it to those fans of book one. Just be prepared for emotion overload. And be prepared for an ending that will leave you dying for book 3 and 4.

Sexual Content: mild
Language: mild/none
Violence: heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none

I'm having a difficult time finishes this book. I'm not really sure why this series is so popular, considering how many other excellent fantasy series are currently out on the market. "Red Queen" was ...ok, but "Glass Sword" is just painfully boring. I really wanted to like the series, but I'm not that emotionally invested. It think the main probably is the writing style is 'average'. Also, the romance aspects are 'meh'. I keep reading and finding myself desperately wishing the novel was better. There's good potential here, but it needs more work....

4 - 4.5 Stars in my Sky!

*Note: Glass Sword isn’t a standalone and this review may contain spoilers from Red Queen!* I’ve been waiting for Glass Sword since the second I finished book one and I’m overwhelmed with this dramatic sequel. Oh the betrayal!

Victoria Aveyard doesn’t waste time in her books, we’re literally thrown right back into the action from the start and the drama doesn’t stop. The pacing is a little calmer but it really picks up as the story develops but we get to know more about the characters and what makes them tick.

Mare and Cal have both been betrayed in the most devastating of ways, but for me, the real drama lies in how they deal with their altered circumstances. They both start to own their individual choices.

Mare goes on a huge journey throughout the novel and she’s a very different character from the girl we first met way back at the start of Red Queen. BUT she retains enough of her own Mare-ish qualities I loved the first time. Mare's an interesting mix of badass and vulnerable.

Cal is angry, which is perfectly understandable - he’s been mislead and betrayed by so many people. Moreover he’s had to learn how to cope in the Red world and is faced with the everyday reality of their hardship and being hunted by a mad King and his army.

I honestly couldn’t decide whom to trust and I read the book in a heightened state of paranoia – thanks Victoria Aveyard!!

Maven reminds me of Lucan from the Star-crossed series – he’s so focused with how he’s been wronged that everything becomes about him and his obsession (with controlling Mare and besting his brother) rather than actually ruling.

I’m still reeling from THAT flipping ending!! Holy mother of all cliffys!!! I loved Glass Sword, but am still suffering from a major book hangover – roll on book three!!!

I received a review copy.

This book was highly anticipated and I was very excited. But the book was slow paced and it took me a long while to get through. I hope the next one in the series is better paced and more information given about the world.

This series was recommended to me by my daughter. The first book started rather slow and I was about to give up on it. I am so glad I stuck with it. I am waiting (trying to be patient) for the third to become available to me. If you like action, adventure, futuristic, sci-fi, read it. You won't be sorry.

Okay, so I definitely liked Red Queen better.
I was really excited for this, but when I read it, I felt really underwhelmed and everything just felt more sluggish and slow.
I'm actually also kind of curious as to how this is going to be a four-book series, since this pacing feels like it would be a trilogy, but nevertheless, I'm still excited to see how the story continues.

Loved it! Always some kind of action happening! The relationships between our characters are stained at best and seem to have a really hard time. More suffering than wins. The ending was sad and I can only hope things get better and some butts are fried!

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I will start off by saying that I didn't enjoy this as much as Red Queen but I still really did like it. It takes longer to get into this one than it did to get into RQ but once the action picks up, it's really great.

I really liked seeing the character development and conflict in Mare. You can absolutely see how much everything that's happened has changed her and made it difficult for her to trust people - both other people and herself. She deals with a lot of internal conflict over whether she's making the right decisions which I really liked because I could easily connect to her thoughts over what she was doing - her choices weren't really straightforward as is the case with a lot of protagonists in other books. I also liked seeing her grapple with whether or not she should let her guard down and allow herself to get closer to Cal or whether she needs to keep her distance in case he betrays her like Maven.

I liked seeing the newbloods too and getting to see a wide variety of different abilities. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book.

Overall, I think fans of RQ should pick up GS but be aware that there's not quite as much action and suspense and it may take a bit longer to really get into it.

I feel the same about this second installment of a dystopian trilogy -- it's fine. It moves the plot along. Made, the main character, seems less interesting than all the others. Hoping the last book is really good instead of pretty good.

The pace definitely slowed in this book and became boring. I loved the Red Queen! It was exciting and interesting, with a good mix of romance. But all that was lost in book two. The main part of the Glass Sword is recruitment, but it got old pretty fast and I started skimming, especially when the author began detailing yet another city they visited in their travels. Things felt redundant, especially Mare's emotional state. We get that she feels awful and dead inside. The reader doesn't need to be told on every page. Okay, that's harsh, but that's what it began to feel like. The romance didn't build, which was a let down. Some scenes were a little confusing to me. And something in the story that should have been hugely dramatic and emotionally charged, was very anticlimactic. I don't understand it at all.
On the bright side, I'm not dying to wait for book three anymore...

Couldn't wait to read this second in series especially since I enjoyed the Red Queen so much. While I still liked this it sure wasn't as good as the first one. I found some of,the characters this time did not live up to way I was expecting and there were some things in the plot they I did not like happening! Nevertheless it was worth the read and of course was left on a cliffhanger so I will be reading the next one.

I realize that there will be many people disappointed with the first book, and curious to why they should even dare to read the second book. In my opinion though, this was better than the first. The plot had a more logical progression, the romance was subtle enough that it wasn't choking me, and I was easily able to follow the emotions of Mare, the main protagonist. That doesn't mean I still don't like some aspect of this book, but it is definitely the best sequel I've ever read,if anyone is willing to give this series a second chance.

In this novel, the author had great use of imagery and was very descriptive and always kept me on the edge of my seat and excited for the next chapter. Her quality was fantastic. I am also amazed by how the author was able to develop the main characters. I believe an audience that would enjoy reading this would be young adults and adults. A person who enjoys suspense and action might also enjoy reading this book. The author did an amazing job on both this book, and the first one in this series. I think it was beautifully written and the plot indeed ran smoothly. Because of the reasons listed above, I highly recommend reading this novel.

i am amazed at this series very well written and i can not wait to see the movie this book is about people whose blood is different and how they have literally destroyed each other how the people each for their their own personal gains this ends rather sad however i do not know if another book will be made..i hope so as mare life does not end well here

Decent read but nowhere as good as Red Queen.

You really have to struggle to get through the first half of the book because nothing really happens as they look for New Bloods. It gets better in the second half.

Unfortunately, there are a few concepts that the author keeps repeating ad nauseam:

Anyone can betray anyone.
Cal is Silver, trained as a soldier and controls fire.
Mare is "lightning girl"
Kilhorn is 'fish boy"/fisherman
Mavern betrayed Mare but Mare thinks he might still be redeemable (although she wants to kill him but he wasn't always bad to her....etc) LOL

For some reason, these need ideas to be repeated to the reader every chapter or so. The book could be a couple full chapters less with some editing.

This book was absolutely fantastic. Some people forget that this is a "middle" book, which means it is like reading the middle of any book, and the overlying story progress is going to be a bit different than the first or last book in a series.

I loved how you could see the characters grow and harden as their difficult lives changed them. This is incredibly well written!

My review can be read in [...] (in french)
First, I'm sorry if I'm doing mistalkes, I'm writing this review in english but I'm french so, sorry :)
I really liked Red Queen and was anxious to read Glass Sword.
And I have to say that I loved it. In this second opus, Mare & the Scarlet Guard need to find the Newbloods from Julian's list before Maven & his troops. In the process, Mare is totally loosing herself, obsessed with revenge and saving the newbloods, sometimes forgetting mercy, often shuttering from her own friends and family...to a point of nearly deshumanization.
I'm glad that Victoria Aveyard didn't choose the "easy path" for Mare & Cal's relationship. I'm glad she makes me hate Mare sometimes with her contempt and self-esteem even if she is the heroine of this book. The second characters Cal, Kilorn, Shade, Farley are deeply described and I really loved them.
Does someone knows when the third one is supposed to be published?

I loved loved loved the first one, and couldn't wait to start this one. But I was so disappointed, I couldn't even get halfway through it. The characters were flat, especially the main character. I don't know what happened between the first book and this one, but something went very much wrong.

See full review here: [...]

The world that was built in Red Queen just falls apart here. I hope for Aveyard’s sake that it’s just the curse of the middle book and maybe a finished trilogy will complete the circle. But for me…it’s just not worth continuing.

The pacing was really horrible... many pages spent on one confusing run through a city only to end in the climax being cut off, then narrative describing weeks of time and meetings that should’ve been presented in more detail. The main character was difficult to like and contrived. There were sentence and grammar errors throughout the book and it read more like a first draft then a publishable manuscript.

I loved Red Queen a lot but this book. Okay first off this book started off SO SLOW. It barely scrapped passed a 3 stars. AND The angst. It made me want to roll into an early grave. ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK DID IT GET GOOD. I am willing to get the next book in order to understand what happened and what will happen.

This was an amazing book. Glass Sword is my favorite book in the Red Queen series. Victoria Aveyard is one of my favorite authors. The beginning of this book is a little slow. I was wondering when it would get better and then BAM! This book hits you hard. You really learn more about Mare in this book which I love. You learn a lot about the Scarlet Guard and the way they think. At one point in this book, I had to reread a part to make sure I was reading it correctly. I was shocked. It was an amazing plot twist and I did not expect it to happen. Overall, this was an amazing book but it could have started out a little better.

I loved this book. I read some of the other reviews and people think that this wasn't as good as the first book, and I thought it was great. It just further developed the characters I was already in love with and I feel made them better. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the next one.

As others have said, it's slow at the beginning. I think other reviewers were bothered by Mare's personality for different reasons that I was.... she's evil! She's supposed to be the heroine and yet she's willingly torturing people. Still giving it 5 stars though because it was overall a good read and I'd definitely be interested in reading the rest of the books.

Oh my goodness! I did not see that ending coming AT ALL! I am in utter shock. But I guess I am not very observant when it comes to things like piecing things together. I am not by any means classified as a detective so, bravo to Victoria Aveyard for her creativity with this series. I don't even know what to say except that you are indeed are a genius!

I wish I could add a half star. It was more than ok but less than I liked it.
In a world built for and by the Silvers, but Mare Barrow isn't silver but she isn't Red either. She has escaped forced joining of the army, a betrothal she didn't want, and so many other things that it gets unbelievable after a while. Mare has made it clear that her ability is what keeps her going on a day to day basis and the hate. The hate is her driving force behind her ability.

Loved the first one. The second has some step kid syndrome stuff going on. There was a good bit of telling not showing. I will read the third one. I did enjoy this done get me wrong. I wanted more from this book. The story is unique and fun. The reader (I had audio version) had a great voice.

I fell in love with Red Queen last year, and Glass Sword delivered as many emotions as its predecessor. Maybe even more.

The minute this book came into my hands, I never wanted to put it down. I was also terrified to keep going, because if the first book was any indication, I was in for a world of heartbreak and pain. And boy, did it feel great to be emotionally destroyed by this book.

I finished reading it while I was in the car on the way to meet Victoria Aveyard and Sophie Jordan at their signing in Bensalem, PA back in February. I gave Jess and our friend Amanda, who went with us, heart attacks because I'd start crying and screaming about this book. This is how much it affected me.

Aveyard pulls off another gripping story, full of betrayal, revenge and anguish, all tied into a neat silver package. Mare's journey from unassuming Red civilian to Red rebel leader takes deeper, darker, twistier turns than ever before. Aveyard loves to make both her characters and her readers suffer. So if you're in the mood for an excellent fantasy series that will tear your heart out, tap dance on it, and then try to make you love again, I wholeheartedly recommend you pick up the Red Queen series.

You can read the whole review at rrwrites.com!

That was...lackluster. It turned into your run-of-the-mill YA dystopian with a pretty unlikable main character and a "war" between Reds and Silvers. It's all been written before...and better. I remember enjoying the first book for what is was, but now I'm questioning my judgement. I think I'm done with this series.

I loved this book because obviously it is leading up to the ending book three. However I felt like in trilogy's this is a common deal but the author in my opinion has really grown the main female character given her more leadership and confidence by the ending. I wish that there was more of a love triangle as was done so gracefully in the first book hopping with the third book it will come full circle.

Just when I thought this couldn't be better than the 1st book, it was. Political intrigue in a fascinating world where some have powers and some do not. Mare and her companions seek out the newbloods and the story unfolds with surprises.

Oh, my god. Did anything of importance actually happen in this book? I wasn't impressed with Red Queen, but dear god there is a lot of nothing going on in this one. Just chapters and chapters of dialogue and inner thoughts. I felt like I had to claw my way through this one.

This book was good, but didn't captivate me like the first one. I found myself skimming through wordy parts. I had even all but given up on going any further in the series, but the ending caught my attention and I will be giving it one more chance.

Rather disappointed in this. It was nowhere near as good as red queen. Very slow and very repetitive. I've purchased the next book and will read it with the hope it will be as good ad the first book, not the second.

I LOVED the Red Queen, couldn't hardly put it down. The Glass Sword was slow, things were icey between Cal and Mare. I needed to read more about Cal and less about Mare. I'm looking forward to the 3rd book, but I feel like the Glass Sword was a speed bump in this trilogy.

First book was reasonably good. This one is terrible. It is repetitive and predictable. I feel like the author is trying to stretch material over several more books. Not much happens, relationships are stagnant, plot line seems like a mash up of other very recognizable stories from this genre.

To my calculations, it should have taken me four evenings to read this book. However, I read it in three. It's 3am and I have to work in the morning, but I didn't care. It was totally worth the cost of sleep. This book was amazing! I can't wait to read the next in the series!

I was really disappointed with this book. I LOVED Red Queen. I started reading it and I couldn't put it down until it was over. This book was a totally different story. While there was a lot going on it just wasn't very entertaining. I had a really hard time focusing and as hard as I tried I couldn't bring myself to stay interested. I found myself skipping around towards the end just to see what happened. I was frustrated that the romance that was in the first book really wasn't there in the second book. I still love Cal and am excited to see what the next book has in store for this series. I hope that the delicious story from the first book will come alive again in the third.

I'm so glad I didn't listen to some of the reviews and went ahead and read the second book in this series. Red Queen had me at chapter 1 and I was nervous with some of the reviews that I wouldn't be as head over heals with the Glass Sword but I am. This book is well needed in this series Maire needed this book we needed this book. If you love Red Queen and all its twists and turns you will love Glass Sword. I can't wait for Kings Cage!