The Red Queen is an explosive start to a now-famous YA series that satisfies readers who enjoy court intrigue, unsteady relationships, and supernatural violence. From the first sentence, "I hate First Friday," Victoria Aveyard instantly draws the reader into Mare Barrow's world of Red servants and Silver nobles. In a dizzying sequence of action and betrayals, Mare's life continually swings between weakness and strength, servitude and power, Red and Silver. Forced to hide behind a mask while discovering who she is, Mare fights desperately for the safety of those she loves while discovering where her true loyalties lie. Does she stand with the monarchy that has protected her because of the exposure of her powers or does she align herself with the Red rebels of the Scarlet Guard? Does her heart belong to Maven, the Prince to whom she's engaged; to Cal, the Prince who noticed her first -or to someone else entirely? Her first night in her new life, she reflects on the swap, and wonders "How much more will change? What else will I lose?" (104). These questions continually swirl around Mare as she makes decisive choices that allow her to stay true to herself in spite of the constant betrayals and lie. Even with the twist at the end, she retains her characteristic courage and grit. A powerful protagonist, a glitteringly gory setting, and the swiftly changing loyalties and truths in the narrative make this book hard to read without immediately picking up the next of the series.