Book Review: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

Title: War Storm

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series/Standalone: Red Queen Series (Book #4)

Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian, Young Adult

Pages: 662

Publisher: HarperTeen

Year Published: 2018

Format: Hardcover Copy (Own it)

First Line: "We drown in silence for a long moment."

"Victory comes at a price.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal's betrayal nearly destroyed her. now determined to protect her heart- and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her- Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all... starting with the crown on Maven's head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal's powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything- and everyone- in his path.

War is coming, and Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard's stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power... for all will be tested, but not all will survive."

My Rating: 3.5/5

Anyone who has followed any of my bookish information knows that this series is one of my personal favourites and I stand by that. This one wasn't my favourite, and I know a lot of the fans felt similarly about it. This final book was by far the longest, and most drawn out. I felt like the pacing was just off, it wasn't what I expected (and I don't mean that in a good way). There were points that just felt like they lasted forever, but the end just seemed to wrap to quickly, and didn't feel complete.

That being said, I love the characters and the idea of the world. I think that it's a unique dystopian/fantasy mix. I am looking forward to reading the following novella bind up. I can't wait to see what they focus on and who. I hope that we get more of an epilogue through one of these short stories. I also loved the fighting sequences, they are amazing to visualize. The change in perspectives was interesting, but I felt like they chose too many perspectives. I'm curious to see how the novellas add to everything but overall not a strong finale for the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Spoiler: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

This series was a favourite for the past few years. At least since the first one came out, I've been keeping up with them. Unfortunately, I didn't get to this one when it first came out and now I'm stuck here thinking that it just didn't end how I wanted it to this. This series has followed Mare Barrow, a girl who unbeknownst to her had immense power and stumbles into a lion's den. Beginning with betrayal, politics, and intense battles. I loved the series overall, but the ending wasn't strong enough for the series.

Characters:

Cal: I really loved his character, but the fact that he chose the crown, time and time again annoyed the shit out of me. I understand that he was trained to rule, and was tutored to believe that the nation would fall without a strong king, but he had been travelling with the new-bloods for some time. He had to understand that they could overthrow him in the same way the original silvers overthrew the reds. And maybe he was set in his ways, but he flipped pretty quick when the only other option was another set of royals trying to take over the nation. It seemed like a last resort move, not a change of heart. I do wonder how he works through these changes in the novella.

Maven: Here I thought he would be dealt with in the end. And in some ways he was. He was left to be killed off until the very end. I was hoping for a more epic battle as we saw throughout the rest of the series and instead it turned more into political warfare. Which is also great, when done well, this wasn't done the best. I was happy to see that Mare was able to fight her demons and end this monster.

Mare: I think that we really saw her grow throughout this revolution. I just wish that we were able to watch her grow a little bit further than the epilogue. I was glad that she was able to find peace and a group of people who she could relate too (other newbloods with similar powers).

Farley: She is my favourite in the series! She is such a badass. Has a baby, has to leave her to go to war. Does it and continually leads groups into battles without powers, just a badass with a shit ton of weapons. I just wish that she had been able to kill Tolly. 

Kilorn: I loved his attitude towards being left out and how he fought his hardest to protect Mare from all different kinds of pain. I was also glad that we didn't focus on her turning down his feelings. She was straight forward and let him know that she didn't feel that way, and while he had a moment to deal with that he didn't hold that against her! I loved that!

Iris: Another badass. I hope that in the novella bindup we get to see what happens with her and how she was raised. Because she knew how to blend in and how to make connections. I liked her, definitely interested in learning more about her in general. 

Evangeline: I think that she generally took up too much time. I liked seeing her perspective and personal rebellion, but other than the battle in Harbour Bay I didn't think that the pov was all the necessary. I do hope to see more interactions between her and Mare. 

Julian: I was glad to see that in general he sided with the Reds and Silvers in the interest of the kingdoms for a while I thought that he was denying their cause and I was pissed. I wish that we had gotten his perspective instead of Mavens to be completely honest.

Moments to Remember:

Pg. 7

"'Did you hear me, lighting girl?' She sniffs and forces a smile, turning back around to reveal a now very red and splotchy face. 'I said I'm proud of you. Write that down. Commit it to memory. You probably won't hear it again.'"

Pg. 58

"'Are you offering yourself for the job, Iris?' he clips, looking down his nose at me.

I tighten at such a foolish thought. 'I am a queen and princess, not a dog playing fetch.'

'Of course, you aren't a dog, my dear.' Maven offers a sneer, never breaking his stride. 'Dogs obey.'"

Pg. 326

"Somewhere, a few of our storms break off. Their job is to call up thunder. Cultivate lightning. Shock and awe the garrison, send them running. Make them think Barrow is here."

Pg. 428

"Farley doesn't rise to the bait this time.She keeps still, and Davidson slowly claps his hands, inclining his head toward the false king. 'I have to applaud you, Maven,' he says. The blank calm of the premier is a welcome respite from so much bile. 'I admit, I didn't expect such deft manipulations from someone so young. But I assume that's how your mother built you, didn't she?' he adds, looking to me."

Final Line: "I will go back."

Thanks for reading,

Sidny