Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Book Review

Humanity's social and biological differences ironically reveal the universal experience of betraying loved ones to pursue power. The novel 'Red Queen' by Victoria Aveyard highlights the unexpected similarities that the Red and Silvers share when the protagonist must betray those she loves when she must live in a society that prioritises power above all else. Through this experience, she can recognise the selfish traits she shares with upper-class citizens, regardless of her lower socioeconomic status. Thus, by being exposed to a corrupt environment, one can acknowledge their flaws as they share similar motives to their surroundings, which introduces the thematic concepts of power and betrayal.

The flaws within a social hierarchy encourage dishonourable qualities where authorities use degradation as a source of power. Throughout the novel, Mare analyses the unfair social situations in Norta, where she identifies the motives behind the entertaining tradition of the ‘Feats of the First Friday,’ where the Silvers “fight to show us their strength and power”. Through Mare’s inner monologue, Aveyard showcases her interpersonal intelligence as she can recognise the unobvious intentions of the Silvers, demonstrating their supernatural powers in the Stilts arena. Moreover, the author further exposes the corruption within Silvers’ society when she mocks the social tradition of the Silver’s sending the Reds off to war, considering they have much more skill suited to fighting against their opponent. Mare informs readers of the social routine that occurs after a loved one dies. “Usually, you receive a letter made of heavy paper, stamped with the King’s crown seal below a short thank-you for your child’s life. Maybe you even get a few buttons from their torn obliterated uniforms.” Her lighthearted tone downplays the ramifications of death, exposing her deep-rooted degrading traits. Therefore, by identifying the flaws within Nortan society, the author reveals the protagonist’s corrupt traits. 

Society’s innate need for power comes at the cost of betraying others’ trust. At first, Mare encompasses the face of courage and hope for the Reds. However, as viewers follow Mare’s journey through adapting to Silver life, they begin to recognise her affinity with their attitudes. Aveyard enforces this when Julian warns Mare that “anyone can betray anyone,” where Aveyward uses the repetition of “anyone” to foreshadow an unexpected betrayal later in the novel, namely Maven betraying Cal by killing his father, King Tiberias, to claim the throne. Additionally, the author further exemplifies the notion of betrayal when Julian speaks condescendingly to Mare; “Make no mistake, my girl...you are playing the game as someone’s pawn.” Aveyard utilises an allegory when she alludes to a game of chess, where the ‘pawn’ has a double meaning, one of which being that it is the weakest piece, and the other being that with enough pawns left in a game, can act as a wall against the opponent. The author cleverly incorporates this technique to refer to the Scarlet Guard, where individually, they are weak but together, they could stand a chance against the Silvers. This concept explains why Mare decides to betray royalty when she plans to undermine the social hierarchy that the Silvers put in place. Thus, the author highlights the idea of betrayal throughout the novel to reveal society’s malicious intentions to gain power. 

To conclude, there is no doubt that Mare’s characterisation reflects the flaws within humanity, where she exposes her inherent need for power by betraying those she loves. Further, Aveyard emphasises the corruption within Silver society to compare its flaws with Mare’s selfish traits to prove her point of social status being an irrelevant factor in determining society’s imperfections.