Began reading: 29.8.2017
Completed reading: 6.9.2017
Overall rating: 4 stars
Who will light the way for the rebellion?
Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal.
Now a king, Maven continues weaving his web in an attempt to maintain control over his country – and his prisoner.
While Mare remains trapped in the palace, the remnants of the Red Rebellion continue organising and expanding. As they prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows, Cal – the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare’s heart – will stop at nothing to bring her back.
King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard is a young adult novel that contains fantasy, science fiction and romance. Why did I put off reading this novel for so long?! I can’t think of a good excuse, and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner. It was great, and I’m dying to know what happens next!
After giving herself up to Maven in order to save her friends, Mare has been trying to find a way to escape. With Silent Stone, constant guard supervision and a king who is still in love with her, Mare will find that exercising the smallest amount of power is almost impossible. Maven, struggling with trying to separate his thoughts from his mother’s, is also attempting to wield power over his subjects and Mare; but he will soon discover that showing the slightest weakness will cause people to turn against him. The growing tension in Norta triggers various houses to abandon Maven; their next moves will shock everyone, including the Scarlet Guard. Cal knows that he must rescue Mare from his brother, but with so many people supporting his return to the throne, he will be forced to choose between love and power. Does Mare have it in her to keep Cal by her side?
As expected, the book was well-written, especially in regard to the pace and structure. The utilisation of literary techniques was commendable and assisted with adding depth and detail to the narrative. For example, the use of personification, theme and point of view allowed me to fully comprehend the emotion and tension that Aveyard was trying to convey. There were also some great quotes, including:
I wonder what hurts more – to hear nothing of your children, knowing they are in danger, or to be fed news of their pain piece by piece (p. 51).
‘A king without supporters is no king at all’ (p. 107).
[…]monsters are most dangerous when they’re afraid (p. 144).
‘[…]she always said it was better to be heartbroken. The pain makes you stronger. Love makes you weak’ (p. 169).
He caught me back then, ensnaring me in a prince’s trap. Now I’m in a king’s cage. But so is he. My chains are Silent Stone. His is the crown (p. 171).
What is he doing? What is he planning?
To find out, I must fly as close to the flame as I dare (p. 196).
‘Those who know what it’s like in the dark will do anything to stay in the light’ (p. 279).
Kings are not known for their kindness or their compassion (p. 330).
Power seduces all, and it makes us blind (p. 501).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
I have reached the conclusion that NONE of Aveyard’s novels has a dull plot. There is at least one interesting aspect in each of her books, and this one is no different. I thought the over-arching plot was very interesting, in particular reading about how Mare survived as Maven’s prisoner. Learning about how she spent her days, as well as getting insight into her thoughts made the narrative intriguing. I also enjoyed reading the sub-plots because they were just as significant and fascinating as the primary plot line. I’m very excited to read the next book! I wonder what plot lines will be in that one.
I love when a book has various perspectives because I get to see things from another set of eyes, as opposed to a one-sided story. This novel contained three different perspectives, and one in particular had me hooked – Evangeline’s. Since the first book, I had been interested in Evangeline because she was that character that I loved to hate. She was (is) opposed to Mare, but I don’t think that either of them realises just how much they have in common. As always, I enjoyed Mare’s perspective but I wasn’t much of a fan of Cameron’s, and I’ll explain why further down.
Another aspect of writing that Aveyard has a knack for is creating good plot twists. I’ve said time and again that a decent plot twist doesn’t have to be unpredictable, but it has to make sense. The twists in this book were a combination of predictable and unpredictable but they were dramatic and emotional, which is what I want to see. For example, Cal’s ultimate decision had me shook! Some twists I was able to see for a while, but the unpredictable ones had me reeling and I’m still trying to recover. The plot twists made the narrative suspenseful and flow with ease.
Consistency is something that a few writers have difficulties with, especially in regard to their characters – this is especially true when a character is meant to undergo a transformation. Aveyard has managed to maintain consistency, with emphasis on Mare’s character. From the beginning, Mare has been a badass and feisty femme fatale and this hasn’t changed, despite the hardships she has experienced. While we’re discussing characters, depth was something that I noticed in this book. I loved reading the back stories of each of the characters, especially the ones I liked. I particularly enjoyed being able to see what has made the characters who they are in the present.
I mentioned earlier that I liked the multiple perspectives because they provide insight into how others perceive a particular situation. I have also said that I enjoyed the perspectives in this novel; however, I didn’t really like Cameron’s point of view. I can see that it was meant to provide us with insight into what the Scarlet Guard was up to, but Cameron’s perspective was dull – informative, but dull. She wanted to rescue her brother, but it was monotonous and uneventful.
My favourite character remains to be Mare, as she is compassionate, strong, confident, and a badass. She also has her flaws, which adds to her likeability. Evangeline is a notable character, especially because she was so unexpected – her background was unpredictable, and I can see why she is the way she is. I’m looking forward to seeing her and Mare interact more in the next book!
I have always been #TeamCal, but his attitude in this novel had me doubting. I love that he’s so compassionate, but at the same time he needs to grow a backbone and stop being so indecisive. In the end, I’m glad he made a decision and I understand the reasons behind his choice. Even though I love Cal, Maven’s behaviour towards Mare in this book was significantly intimate and I found myself hoping that something would happen between them. It could have been some kind of manipulation, but I like Mare and Maven together now.
*WARNING: SPOILER* My favourite parts of the novel were the bathroom scene, and Mare’s escape. The bathroom scene between Mare and Maven was steamy (pun intended), and this was where I was hoping there would be some action (I’m a little devastated that there wasn’t any). I also enjoyed Mare’s escape because it was satisfying and dramatic.
Recommendation time! If you like The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury, The Winner’s Curse series by Marie Rutkoski, Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, or Matched series by Ally Condie, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes the X-Men and Harry Potter series.
My review for CruelCrown, Red Queen, and Glass Sword can be found by clicking on the titles.
I will also be reviewing the rest of the Red Queen series when the final book becomes available. Keep an eye out for that!
Happy reading!
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