Title: War Storm
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher/Year: Harper Collins Publishing 5/15/18
Length: 546 Pages
Series: Red Queen #4
Overview
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 demolish everything—and everyone—in his path.
War is coming, and all 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 Thoughts
I started this book when it first came out in May and for some reason i was stuck in the first 50 pages….having the hardest time ever getting into it. I think that part of it was due to it being so long since the previous installment came out and partly because to be honest, the first few chapters were slow moving. I’m not one to ever let a book beat me though, so for the last few days, i’ve hunkered down and read it. Let’s just say that by page 100, i was sucked back into this book like i have been with all the others and i’m both really happy with how it turned out and really upset.
We pick back up into this story at a time where Mare is still living the same predicament as always, loving Cal but not being able to be with him, having this interesting love hate thing with Maven, and really just wanting to find a way for everyone to live together happily. It’s a pipe dream and there’s too much at stake for everyone if that happens.
what i’ve come to really enjoy about this series, and this final installment especially is the fact that it’s the women, the Queens who are truly powerful here. i’m not going to get on a soapbox and start talking about how women should have more power, but Iris (Maven’s wife), Eve (Cal’s betrothed), Anabel (Cal’s grandmother), Mare, Farley…the list goes on and on…well, they are the one who call the shots – they manipulate, sure, but they are decisive and emotional and powerful and it’s amazing.
There are so many social causes here in this story too – it’s not just about growing into your role in life, creating the world in what you want it to be, realizing that you perhaps see things differently than your parents (which is the theme of all of these types of books when we see our main characters taking their own stance in life). But in this story, we see counties dividing, fighting and looking to conquer one another for no reason aside from the feeling that they need to. When in reality, they are all after a similar cause – to have something for their family to be proud of, to have equality, to have a better quality of life. to love and cherish whomever you want. family or friends or otherwise. Yet, it takes 4 books, 500 pages a piece for these characters to come to that conclusion.
It’s sad though, there are so many characters that we continued to invest ourselves in throughout this series, and sadly many of them do not make it to the end. Brothers die, friends are killed, people are manipulated to their own demise, and what should be a happy ending isn’t. Even where the epilogue leaves us isn’t a happy ending. it’s a statement – sure. one that is meant to take you in one direction or another, but it’s not the ending that i know that i wanted and i’m sure that a lot of others wanted as well.
Questions becomes, does love conquer all? is love strong enough? is hope for change real and is there a way to change what was once destroyed? i guess you have to read to find out and then maybe someone can let me know what they think too. Now i’m off to find something else to read – and maybe cross my fingers that Ms Aveyard will write another novella in this series so that we can get more! Enjoy!