Young Adult Book Reviews

Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  388

RAC:  Yes

Mare Barrow is a red blood and therefore a lowly worker to the silver bloods who rule everything with their varied powers.  Mare knows that when she turns 18 she will be required to join the army and fight the neverending battle going on at the border.  Her three older brothers are already there fighting.  Mare’s best friend has an internship which means he will be spared from the draft and her younger sister is a seamstress and will also escape that terrible fate.  As bad as things are Mare is finding ways to cope, but then tragedy strikes and everything she ever believed comes crashing down.  In her lowest moment she confides in a young man at a bar and the next day she is offered a desirable job serving the silver bloods in the palace.  On one of her first days, Mare is serving at an important event where the Prince is to choose a bride, but something terrible happens and Mare reveals that she too has a special power despite the fact that her blood is not silver.  What will happen to Mare and her family now that she has revealed herself to be a threat to the silver bloods?  Can she learn to develop and control her power?

This is the first novel in this series and has a futuristic feel to it like The Testing and The Hunger Games.  Mare’s character is captivating and it’s hard to watch her trust people that will ultimately betray her.  As she navigates her way through a new world of silver bloods who have powers such as mind reading, mind control, and controlling elements she realizes how powerful they are, but also how vulnerable and scared they are as well.  Fantasy fans will enjoy this new series.