Glass Sword

Rating: 5 Stars So it has been some time since I read Red Queen. I dove right in. Mare and Cal are on the run with the Red Guard but being a silver, Cal is not treated with the best care. Mare is a red with silver abilities, the lightning girl. She thought she was an anomaly but finds there are others like her, new bloods. The king is dead at Cal’s hand. His hand forced by the Queen, using her ability against him to dispute him and put her traitors son Maven on the throne. He is not the man either of them thought him to be, just a puppet playing the part that would make them both care for him. Now Mare must fight but the cost is high and all of the treachery and betrayal have taken their toll and changed her. The action and intrigue of this series picks up at the first page and doesn't let you down. There is so much happening from escaping without dying and oh yeah convincing the people you're with Cal isn't just an evil silver but an ally. I loved throughout the book there is always more than one thing happening. The constant struggle between the reds and silvers and now new bloods, never knowing where one stands as we are constantly reminded that anyone can betray you at any time. Oh and the political issues of being on the run as Maven takes over as king. It's one hit after another and we just keep rolling with the momentum never slowing down. The pacing of the book keeps it moving along for sure. Still there is lots of character development with all out characters. There is no clear right and wrong anymore everything seems to be shades of grey. Mare, everyone really but her especially, has to deal with so much. Blaming herself. Wanting to save people like her, save everyone and fix the world into something better. She wasn't trained to be a leader, she never wanted to be one but despite everything people keep looking to her to lead. Watching her struggle with all of her issues throughout the book was grounding. There was one part in which case I was so glad I was parked when it happened because I just stared at my car display in shock. You go through the emotional ringer with these characters that's for sure. “If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.” One of my favorite parts was getting to meet all the new characters. Some good and some bad. I especially enjoyed our new bloods and learning all their new powers as some were so much fun to imagine. I enjoyed the difficult position each one was in and how real everything felt. Not everyone is saved all the time. This is a war and they are rebels and that means they are the underdog. Farley was by far a favorite for me, the accent the narrator did for her was spot on as well, I loved how she could be surrounded by people with special abilities and be severely out matched but still hold her own with her tricks and skills. There is some small pieces between Mare and Cal but given everything that has happened it is very small and sedate. They both are struggling with Maven. Yes he is a monster. He has done and continues to do horrible things to people. Still that is not the Maven they knew and loved and even knowing that their Maven was "real" is still a hard thing to reconcile with the monster that is out to get you. I love that they both are struggling with that and their places in this new war. They both have beliefs and hard wired instincts they have to work on with everything flipped around. I thought the reactions to it all was rather true to the characters and I enjoyed it. Overall I really enjoyed this story and am glad I don't have to wait long to start the next book and then even less time for the final book to come out. As much as I want to dive right in given that ending…and yes that ending hurt me…I also want to be fresh for the final book to come out. And I have a few other books I have to get to this month! I am caught up in this story and even waiting close to 2 years between reading without any catch up I fell right back into things with no problem because the author wrote such a unique and interesting world it was transfixed in my head!

It's been a while since I read this one, so I don't remember a ton of specifics, but I recall enjoying it as part of the series overall. Solid continuation for fans of the Red Queen world, worth the read if you're already invested in the story.

Oh this book. I feel like that about sums up my feelings, but I guess I’ll explain a little more for those who haven’t read it yet. Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen left off. And I mean right where it left off. This immediately got me back into the headspace I needed in order to remember what happened in the first book. Plus, it really helped that there was a ton of action right off the bat. Gotta love me some superpowered people doing superpowered-people things. The plot of this book was just as compelling as the first book except for a few small areas that I found to either drag on or just simply not go the way I wanted them to. I won’t explain further because I don’t want to spoil anyone, but there was some slow parts towards the middle-endish of the book. It was nothing that would ever make me want to put the book down, it was just a little whiny and repetitive. I understand Mare has a lot on her plate, but I think her inner monologue got in the way a bit in a few scenes. Despite this small complaint, Mare’s character did grow a lot throughout this book. She went from a scared girl running for her life to someone who is the complete opposite of that. However, I wasn’t sure I liked her character development towards the very end of the book. I guess I’ll know for sure by the time the sequel comes out, but for right now, I’m on the fence. As for my main squeeze Cal, he actually became a very fleshed out character and not simply “the love interest” within these pages. Yes, some of his character’s motivations remain a mystery, but for the most part, readers get to see an in-depth side to someone who was just an attractive enigma before. I love him! Err… it. I love it. Even though sometimes I disagreed with his decisions and favored Mare’s, or vice versa, I loved witnessing their arguments because each had good points. No one in this series has all of the correct answers and I think that’s what makes the story so compelling. I think some of the side characters like Shade, Farley, and Mare’s family, really helped bring this idea home. There was also more technology and more powers in Glass Sword which helped shape the world-building aspect. I did find it odd however, that some of the newer superpowered people didn’t know how to use their powers when they’d lived with them their whole lives. That seems like a minor plot hole to me… And also, that ending! I really don’t know how I feel about Mare’s situation at the very last page of the book. It kind of weirded me out. Hopefully that situation wraps up quickly in book #3. Also, just in case you didn’t see my wrap-up post from Aveyard’s signing event, book #3 is going to have dual POVs! I’m conflicted over this because I suspect Cal’s POV will be added. I really don’t want this to be like Allegiant’s Four, however, I’m excited to potentially see into Cal’s brain and know his feelings for Mare, if he is the new POV. All in all, this book is an action-packed, mind-numbingly good addition to a series I can’t wait to finish. Let’s just hope I make it to 2017 before I die of anticipation. 4.5/5 stars *Note: I purchased a copy of this book for myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and overall enjoyed this book as well. Despite being slower than the first book, Glass Sword was still a page turner, and I was still invested in the main characters. I intend to read the next book in the series, but the end of the second book was very unsatisfying and left me, quite frankly, annoyed. First, the pros. It's very cool to learn about the impressive skills of the newbloods (reds with silver abilities). While Mare's newblood recruitment trips get a bit repetitive, it's still neat to see how each new character uses his or her abilities to help in times of danger. I also enjoyed getting to know Kilorn's character better, which was an upgrade from the token "hometown boy who could have been my husband if only this cruel world were different." Still, Mare constantly reminds us that he's changed and so different from the guy she once knew, but that means next to nothing since we really didn't get to know him in the first book. We get to know Farley, Shade, and even Cal more in the second book, and they are all great characters. But, alas, there are cons. I will try to be as vague as possible to avoid spoilers, but forgive me in advance if I step too far. The author spends so much time on many of Mare's side adventures, yet some of the most important scenes in the book happen in a blink of an eye. During a major battle scene towards the end, Mare literally blacks out and then we're simply told that she killed an enemy. Like, what?? What could have been such a good, suspenseful scene and an opportunity for the author to really show off her writing skills, instead felt like a total cop-out. Really, it felt like the author was just trying to finish the book as quickly as possible. To be honest, I'm half expecting that character's death to be an illusion or something because it just went down too easily. Next we learn that District 13 exists--oh wait, am I confusing this book with the Hunger Games? It barely gets air time in this story, so I don't feel I'm giving away much (and it's so darn predictable you can't help but roll your eyes when you get to it), but I'm sure we'll revisit this in the next book and Mare will face the exact same torments as Katniss Everdeen. Can't wait to re-read that. The epilogue, however, is what really did me in. Honestly, if you have self-discipline, I wouldn't even bother reading the epilogue until the third book comes out. As other reviewers have pointed out, the book ends on a major cliff-hanger. Basically, Mare's life is in a very precarious position--surprise, surprise. It's not like the next book is suddenly going to star the budding bromance between Cal and Kilorn, so I have a feeling Mare will be okay, and the unfinished ending simply annoyed me and felt like a cheap trick. To the author's credit, if the third book were out, I would have already purchased it and started reading to find out what happens next, but I would have felt the same way if the book had just stopped before the epilogue. In fact, I would have been more intrigued thinking the next book might focus on Mare's interactions with a main character who doesn't get much air time in the second book. There's a reason the first book is so good (rhymes with raven), and it would be great to see how Mare interacts with this particular character in a new light. (While he's beyond horrible, I know there's an interesting, multi-dimensional character lurking there who I would enjoy reading about again.) Instead, the book simply ends on this cliff-hanger, leaving the reader (at least me) expecting either some grand rescue or lightning show at the start of the third book that is not all that interesting. All-in-all, I enjoy this series and look forward to future books, sincerely hoping that this author will maintain her own voice and plot line without borrowing too much from Hunger Games and similar books in the genre.

A riveting sequel! Glass Sword is a fantastic, heart pounding sequel with plenty of action, heartbreak and betrayal. Picking up right where Red Queen left off, Glass Sword thrust readers right back into the heart of the action, and the shock of betrayal both Mare and Cal share. With it's slower pace storyline, which is perfect for this book, Aveyard makes it incredibly easy to connect with the characters, and feel the range of the emotions they do. This book doesn't lack suspense, danger, and the constantly wondering of who's side certain characters are on. I loved the not knowing, though once motives are revealed, everything makes sense. I really liked the character journey Mare goes on. She's strong, ruthless, but not without compassion. The recent events and all that's going on in this book have changed her. She's broken, and yet more determined than ever to stop the King, Maven. His betrayal is still hard to swallow. Thankfully for Mare, she's got her brother, Cal, and her close friends to help her in her mission to save those just like her. Together, they can pose a united front and take down the King, though it won't be easy. In the end, it will Mare who will have to stand alone in a sense, in this fight against the King. I admire her willingness to be self sacrificing and save those she loves. This sequel was awesome. It contains the character journey I had excepted it would, though not to the gut wrenching degree I got. Victoria Aveyard, what have you done to me!?! This book is one heck of an emotional roller coaster, and I couldn't stop reading it until I finished the book. There are so many new challenges that the characters face, shocking plot twists, new characters, and plenty of heart pounding moments that either broke my heart or had me swooning. This book is a package of raw emotion, and what Aveyard does with Mare's story is awesome! There's so much more to her journey that I first thought there would be. I love the friendships, and romance in this story. With all that's happening, it brings light and hope to an otherwise darkened world. Can we just talk about the betrayals for a moment. I love that it was really hard to figure out who could be trusted. When it came down to it, no really could. That is part of what made this story so addicting. I had to know who was playing who, and what was really going on. Mare's brother's advice was right, "Trust no one." Speaking of characters, I have to hand it to Maven. I have completely underestimated his character. His character is something else entirely. His quest to break Mare, and his brother is one that is definitely part of the danger , and suspense of this book. I'm just not sure if what he's doing is out of spite, passion or vengeance. Maybe it's all three. What an amazing sequel! There's no shortage of awesome in this book! It's everything I had hoped it would be. Thank you Aveyard for breaking my heart, and making me wait another year to find out what's going to happen next! I need the next book! This sequel is definitely worth picking up!

This book, in my opinion, is MUCH better as a whole compared to Red Queen. Victoria's writing style is much more comprehensive with less missing gaps in expanding characters and scenery description (although she still needs work in this area). It appears to me that the editors wanted to stretch this idea out over 4 books rather than making it a 2 book series by condensing books 1 and 2 and books 3 and 4. If you pay close attention, her style of writing changes near the end of Red Queen and matches the majority of Glass Sword up until the last chapter. Indicating to me at least, that these were once joined but separated by her editor, which wasn't a good call in my opinion. The "ending on a cliff hanger" isn't really achieved in this book with the epilogue ruining my want to read the next one. Epilogues are not always needed! Take a page out of Martin's book and make the reader hate you and beg for more. Make us really feel that life isn't fair, especially when you end your last chapter with a much better cliffhanger. There's so much more I'd like to say just about the writing and portrayal of the characters in this series in general. But I don't want to ruin everything for everyone by including bits of the story here since the series this far has been entertaining to read. But what I will say is more for the author than th reader. The reader gets the fact that you want to make a more up to date female heroine that is complicated and flawed in order to make her more relatable but it's hard to relate when her thoughts are written in a way that isn't believable. Hormones should really play more into what Mare does. Sometimes what she thinks or chooses to do doesn't make sense and the jumpy transitions between her thoughts and actions doesn't help either. Connecting stream of consciousness and what she sees and what her surroundings are like would greatly help the story and the reader. More description of everything is really needed in this series. It really kills everything for me. More side character development and descriptions of the world around the characters are desperately needed. The fact that Aveyard was writing screen plays before shows in her writing, especially when it comes to the lack of imagry, but it's no excuse to have jolty segues and poor imagery. Check out the Wind Singer series if you want a very good story written masterfully by the screen writer Nicholson. Aveyard should really take some notes from him because everything he does in that series is the result of mastering both crafts.

Taking plot twist to a different level. I was shocked when everything played out but when I looked back I saw the shuttle hints which made me think about how a person wrote this an amazing person. Loved this read can’t wait to read book 3.

I love this series so far. I know it’s a book and the author wrote it the way she intended but I feel so bad for Mare! Everyone seems to blame her for everything but they don’t realize she didn’t ask for anything she’s been handed, she’s just trying to survive and save people and she gets treated like crap. It’s easy to lose yourself when you’re experiencing trauma everyday and the ones around her seem to lack the empathy to be there for her. That’s my only gripe about this book. It’s a fantastic read all around! 10/10

this book does look amazing. i'm still halfway through the previuos one, but then i'm getting to it soon. so so happy, this series is great. thanks a lot, see you :)

Totally loved it. Product came to me in new condition. It isn’t expensive, And worth it. The story so far isn’t very good, But you need to read it. This sequel of the red queen series is a must have for the dystopian novel lovers.

A great continuation to the first one! Character development and genuine personality in characters. The romance is still a bit cliché but the overall story following war is really great!

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