Fantasy Annotation: King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

Details -

• Title: King's Cage
• Author: Victoria Aveyard
• Publication Date: February 7,2017
• Genre: Fantasy
• # of Pages: 528
• Setting: future North America, new countries: Norta, Piedmont

Synopsis -

Background: In this future world, the population has become split between two groups: red bloods and silver bloods. The silver bloods have special abilities based upon their familial ties, such as control over fire, water, or plants. The silvers have risen to power and nobility, now ruling over the different countries that make up what used to be North America. The main country in focus is Norta. Reds are not so fortunate. They face poverty, hunger, and conscription into a never-ending war with the neighboring country of Lakeland. There is no chance at changing; you are either a wealthy silver or a poverty-stricken red. Or so the world thought until Mare Barrow came along...

King's Cage is the third installment in Victoria Aveyard's best-selling series, Red Queen. Mare Barrow has just surrendered herself to the terrifying and cruel king Maven in order to save her friends and family. She finds herself as Maven's prisoner, isolated within his castle. Thanks to his unhealthy obsession with her, Mare learns more and more about how Maven became the kind of person he is while also trying to pick up hints at what advances the Scarlet Guard is making. Through Cameron, a newblood character introduced in the second book in the series, we get the inside scoop on the Scarlet Guard's movements. Will they be able to rescue Mare? Is that even their focus? Where do their true loyalties lie? What are Maven's ultimate plans for Mare? Will be able to face down the uprising that the Scarlet Guard has started? Through the multiple perspectives of Mare, Cameron, and later the silver Evangeline, we see the story told from the viewpoints of three strong, female characters and the impact that each has on the fate of Norta.

Fantasy Characteristics -

• Includes elements of magic (silvers' and newbloods' special abilities)
• Focus on relationships and emotions (We learn a lot about how Mare feels and see how that affects her actions.)
• Setting is focused on reality, but altered through a great time advance in the future
• Contains romantic interest without that being the focus
• Battle of Good vs. Evil told over a series of books
• Follows the same storyline throughout the series, rather than focusing on different adventures in an installment
• Optimistic for victory, but not accomplished without loss (Mare loses people who are important to her throughout the series in a variety of different ways.

Read-a-Likes -

• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (first in series, followed by Glass Sword)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Graceling by Kristen Cashore
• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Awards or Lists -

This book has high reviews from many reputable sources, such as Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. It is much too new of a book to have won any awards. The Red Queen series has been on the best-sellers lists and each book has received praise.

My Thoughts -

This is my jam. YA dystopia/fantasy books with strong females characters that struggle with their emotions and flaws are one of my favorite types of books. I have read every single read-a-like on the list for this annotation (The Maze Runner is the only one without a female protaganist.). I have devoured each of those series just like I have the Red Queen series. I really liked that this time around we got to see into Cameron's and Evangeline's thoughts. It allowed the reader to see the same story from multiple perspectives and learn more about the characters. For some reason, I was under the impression that this was the last book. (Maybe because it seems like there are soooooo many trilogies lately.) Because I was in that mindset, I kept looking at how many pages I had left thinking that things would never be wrapped up nicely. It ended in a way, though, that sets itself up for a good transition. The war has not ended, but there is a plan and new alliance in place. Mare is left dealing with a difficult personal situation at the end of the book. It left me very impatient for the fourth book in the series. I feel like everything is at a tipping point and the characters are going to have to make some hard decisions in the next installment. Bottom line: if you like fast-paced, character driven, fantasy novels, then read this series.