Mare Barrow is many things: a sister, a fighter, a thief. She is also a Red, a lower caste in a fantastical society split by blood color. Silvers are the elite ruling class whose blood gives them magical powers, while Red bloods are born to serve and are often conscripted to fight in a distant war. Mare resigns herself to the war, until a chance encounter lands her in front of the Silver court and she discovers she has powers of her own, an unheard-of phenomenon in a Red. To cover this up, the Silver monarchs claim Mare as a lost Silver princess, and she soon finds herself caught up in a world of politics, betrayal, and rebellion. First-time author Aveyard has created a volatile world with a dynamic heroine, and while there are moments of romance, they refreshingly take a backseat to the action. Anticipation is already high for this debut, and with the movie rights already acquired and two sequels to come, it will likely only grow.

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Mare Barrow lives in a world where one's lot in life is determined by the color of one's blood. She was born a Red and has to make a living by pickpocketing and trying to dodge "the conscription" and being sent off to fight an ongoing war. Mare's resigned herself to the fact that she'll always serve the Silver, a genetically gifted group of people with supernatural abilities. A chance encounter with the prince causes Mare to suddenly find herself at the royal palace as a servant, where she discovers in front of everyone that she also has a unique gift. She is Red and Silver, and could be just the spark the Reds need to rise up against the oppressive Silvers. The king and queen quickly cover up Mare's anomaly by presenting her to the rest of the Silvers as a long-lost princess and betroth her to their second-born son. Now Mare is torn between playing the part of a Silver, and helping out the Scarlet Guard rebellion. The story has touches of the usual dystopian suspects. However, it's formulaic elements are far outweighed by the breakneck pace and engaging characters. There's a bit of teen romance, but luckily the characters are self-aware enough to realize its frivolity among the story's more important plot points. A solid debut from Aveyard and a welcome addition to the plethora of speculative teen lit. Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH

Mare Molly Barrowformer pickpocket, future queenis a member of the impoverished lower-class Reds. Her goal is to stay alive and help her family until, like her brothers before her, she is forced to fight in a war that has been going on for years under the direction of the privileged upper class, the Silvers. Feisty and impetuous, Mare soon finds herself entangled in an ill-fated rebellion to overthrow the current Silver monarchy. This leads to dangerous complications until it is discovered she, like the Silvers, has supernatural powers. This discovery results in a complicated conspiracy that leads to her engagement to Prince Maven. Political intrigue, explosive betrayals, and unlikely relationships follow as Mare learns that the much-repeated adage "Anyone can betray anyone" is painfully true.Written as a first-person narrative, this dystopian fantasy contains implausible characters and a predictable plot. What the author lacks in subtlety of character development and foreshadowing skills, however, she makes up for in fascinating world building. The reader can visualize the sad grayness and depressing dust of the Stilts, Mare's village, and readily understand her desire to escape a dismal future. Hostile Summerton, polluted Gray Town, and spectacular Archeon, the home of the corrupt elite, all contribute to a complex and interesting setting. Readers will be intrigued by a world that reflects today's troubling issues concerning ethnic inequality, unfair distribution of wealth, pollution, warfare, political corruption, and the frightening power of the media.Lynne Farrell Stover.