Review of King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

At last! After waiting for months, I finally got my hands on King's Cage, the third installment in Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. 

Before I get on my official review, let me just say that the wait was well worth it. 

I won't prolong this intro anymore. Let's jump right to it. 

Title: King's Cage (Red Queen #3)

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance

Publication Date: February 7th 2017

Published By: HarperTeen

Source: Bought

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30226723-king-s-cage

Image from Goodreads

SYNOPSIS:

In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl's spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down. 

REVIEW:

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

We left Glass Sword with Mare held captive and suffering public humiliation in the hands of Maven. This was a result of the sacrifice she made for her comrades, in order to spare their lives. We actually get a glimpse of that moment in the first few pages of this book. We see, in detail, not only the physical pain Mare is going through, but also the emotional and mental torment: she's prisoner to the person she hates most, her brother is gone, and she worries about the effects of her imprisonment for the Scarlet Guard. 

We see a Mare that is not only vulnerable because she it literally powerless (hello Silent Stone and Arvents), but also because she still feels a pull towards Maven. 

I like that Maven can't help but open up to Mare at unexpected moments. He ends up revealing how his mother — who won Worst Mother of the Year Award — manipulated his mind ever since he was little. She took away things from Maven that she considers weakness, and that led him into this madness. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple POVs in this book. We don't just get immersed in Mare's journey, but we also get a glimpse of Cameron's mind and her own struggles. But the shocker here, which probably no one saw coming, was we get Evangeline's point-of-view. 

Yes, this is the Evangeline who tried her best to antagonize Mare since day one. The same woman who's hell-bent on hurting—and killing—our leading lady. Apparently, Victoria decided that we all deserved to see through the eyes of this cold-hearted, metal-wielding, "I-know-I'm-better-than-you" silver. 

The thing is, though, while reading her parts, I was surprised to know that she's not a hundred percent rotten. She has her soft spots and gentle moments, and there's a reason why she is the way she is. 

We get to see more of the Samos clan, as well as new silvers, namely Lakelanders. We're also introduced to a whole bunch of other characters that will surely play a bigger part in the continuation of the story. 

Unfortunately, for fans of Kilorn, he doesn't get that much "exposure". But I guess it's okay. He plays a vital role in the Scarlet Guard, and his importance in the lives of everyone around him cannot be denied. I get a feeling we'll see more of him in the next book, though.

SUMMARY:

Victoria Aveyard managed to outdo herself in King's Cage. She showed us multiple sides of characters —  how people can change, and how some simply cannot. This book to me on a journey filled with action, sadness, confusion, hope, heartbreak, and a whole lot more. I didn't know what to expect before I turned to page 1, but I definitely didn't think I'd get sucked in such a riveting story. A story where you don't know who your allies are, and where happiness is merely an illusion. 

Needless to say, it's a book worth reading and a world worth immersing yourself in. 

PURCHASE LINKS:

Philippines: Fully Booked

US: Amazon

RATING: