Synopsis

Review

3  “what a disappointment stars

Warning: unpopular opinion here! Read at your own risk and know that it could be spoilerish even if I’ll try to avoid it.

War Storm was one of my most awaited release of 2018.

I fell in love with Red Queen, was disappointed with Glass Sword and got some hope with King’s Cage.

Would War Stom be the book to save the series and put Victoria Aveyard on a pedestal?

When I got the book I began reading immediately as I knew that I had ARCs coming soon and did not want to wait weeks to finally know what woud happen.

It’s a big book (657 pages).

Usually I can read them in two days or three days max. I read it in five days….

This is the first sign that something was amiss.

First of all what is the book about?

Well it’s the fourth book in the Red Queen’s series (you have to read them in order) and it begins right after King’s Cage ended.

As a reminder (don’t read this review if you haven’t read King’s cage yet!):

-Mare had been imprisoned by Maven and used as a puppet for his propaganda;

-She has been freed thanks to the Scarlet Guard and their allies in Montfort;

-She trained with other electricons to become better, stronger;

-Cal joined the rebels and vowed to support their cause;

-Maven stopped the eternal war with the Lakelanders marrying one of their princesses Iris Cygnet. He became pretty poluar among Red Bloods as he stopped the war where they were sent as canon fodder;

-Maven is still obssessed with Mare thanks to his mother, Queen Elara’s mind manipulation.

-The Rebels will help Mare escape, the Lakelander King will be killed and Maven will escape to the Lakelands.

-Victorious Annabel, Cal’s grandmother and King Volos will ask Cal to take the crown and marry Evangeline.

-Cal will accept thinking he’ll make a better king than others and will help the Red Bloods asking Mare to be his consort (or dirty secret if you prefer).

What a coward!!!!!!!

-Mare will then vow to overturn Cal and have a free government in Norta, without a king.

You can thank me for this fantastic summary of what happened in King’s Cage.

Now on to War Storm.

The Good

1) The Cover!

Just gorgeous and badass.

2) Mare.

She has finished her character’s growth and is much pleasing in this last installment! Less “I am the next best thing” she also learned to let go of some of her guilt at having people diying “for” her.

This is war and you’ll always have casualties. The others choosing to fight in “her” war are adults enough to make their own decisions and know the risks.

3) Evangeline.

She has her character’s growth in War Storm and is nearly loveable.

After all she was the product of her upbringing. She does not fit in the mold of the flawless silver heiress because she loves girls (shocking!). She has always tried to make daddy proud of her but traveling to Montfort and seing people free to marry the same gender she’ll begin to doubt…

4) We also learn the true reason behind the endless war between Norta and Lakelands.

“Our war with the Lakelands served a purpose. Reds outnumber us. Reds can overthrow us. But not if they die in greater numbers than we do.”

The Bad

1) Cal.

Sorry but he was just a coward. Yes he fought battles alongside his soldiers. Yes he wanted to make daddy proud too. Yes he would have made a better king for the red bloods than another BUT he PROMISED Mare! And he turned her down. He did not dare going on another path less conventional. I am a big romantic and I WANTED Cal to choose Mare! Not ask her to be his piece on the side!

“Stop moping Calore.” “You forged this crown yourself -now wear it. Or don’t.”

2)Maven

In a maybe sick way I got to love Maven in the other books. He was twisted but as a product of a mad queen. He had an intensity. He was obssessive. He was scheming and winning. He had a presence. He had charisma.

In Warstorm it’s like the flame is extinguished. He was a pale copy of his former self. A mockery.

“In spite of my better instincts, I feel the smallest pang of pity for Maven Calore. He is not of his own making. Not entirely. Someone else perfectly cut him apart and poorly put him back together.”

Yes he was still obssessed and scheming but it was written in such a way that he seemed like a five years old toddler being a brat. He was so much more than a monstrous and foolish boy king painted in this story!

Where was my ideal “in shades of grey” villain?

His stardom disappeared for his wife Iris Cygnet.

3)Iris

For as much as she is a main protagonist of this story her chapters felt like fillers. Yet they are justified in the plot but I did not care for her POV. I just wanted to skim them just to go to the end and know what would happen.

4) Many battles and yet I did not feel invested

The “best” battle scene, the one that caught my whole attention happened in Montfort in the beginning of the story. After this long scene the others did not truly interest me. I don’t know why really as I think the author did nothing wrong there…maybe I was too impatient to know the ending?

5) The ending.

I won’t give you any spoiler here just know that I was “All ado about nothing”! Please Mrs Aveyard tell me you made a mistake?

Stopping here as you can see that no,  this fourth book won’t put Victoria Aveyard on my authors pantheon.

Know that this is only my personal and biased opinion  and that this book gets or will get probably many incredible reviews!

Have you read the series?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie