The #1 New York Times beststelling series Red Queen comes to an epic end. In the fourth and last instalment Victoria Aveyard gives it everything. From intriguingly mad kings and sneaky princesses to aspiring characters, War Storm has it all wrapped up in a fast-paced, captivating and vivid novel. One last time we’re put onto the rollercoaster of emotions and taken into the multifarious, mesmerizing and brutal world of Silver and Reds.
He knows this is the end.
Title: War Storm
Series: Red Queen (#4)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publish Date: 15th May 2018
Pages: 662
Personal Rating: 9/10
I can’t help but feel different, broken and angry, and therefore alone. With only one person left who truly understands. And he is a monster.
(Before I start this review I just want to point out that the edition I got myself turned out to be freaking gigantic and I’m pretty sure it’s qualified for alternative missile. Just a little side note, nothing serious. Just better watch out when you happen to get on my nerves.)
A huge as hell, fast-paced page-turner you’re not going to put down before you finished it. I know that from experience because I tried it – more than once. Each time I failed gloriously thus there was a girl, eagerly reading whilst listening to music in a way too loud volume in her bed long, long past midnight. I can assure you that this book won’t be boring or leave any space for yawning at any time.
Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head. But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path. War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced? In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.
I like the last line the most. And believe me, you’ll all come to love it, too. Ha ha ha ha. Big, fat lie.
Without stalling any longer, here are my three reasons why you should read War Storm beside the obvious reasons like ‘Maven, duh?’, ‘finishing the series after having started it’ and ‘look at that cover, you idiot’.
Epic in every way; epic battle, epic final fight, epic plot twist, epic Maven
Maven’s POV
Various, great POVs
“Are you happy?” Maven asks, almost a whisper. I’m not sure who the question is for.
Frankly, no, I am not at all. The ending of the book and somebody’s certain fate just wouldn’t stop haunting me after I’d finished reading the book, disabling me to read any other book. Not even the crappy stuff I had to read for school at that time. So, better trust my words when I tell you after reading War Storm you’ll catch yourself tiptoeing to your book shelf and pulling out the one or other book of the Red Queen Series and re-reading some certain passages.
I loved reading the book, in fact, I can say it is my favourite book of the series. One of the great pros was the well-elaborate plot and the beautifully done wrap of all those conflicts to one big showdown. I liked many things, especially, the fact that we get insight into the other characters beside Mare, such as (and at this point I can reveal it without placing any crucial spoilers or whatsoever) Evangeline, Cal, Iris and – hold on tight to whatever is closest to you – Maven. Maven Calore.
Mare smiles at them, a true grin. When she moves, I realize her hair is different too. The gray ends are gone, replaced by a beautiful, familiar purple. I love it.
The fourth instalment brought the story to a satisfying and rounded-out ending (except that one particular detail that stung a tiny little bit too much…), laying everything bare although it is an open ending. Aveyard provided with this epic conclusion poignant action, great battles, unpredictable twists, themes like homosexuality (which was great to read about) and many intriguing and so very different perspectives we all so desperately needed, in particular, the one of Maven (though Aveyard could have given us more of him, honestly). The author did a wonderful job in creating unique, deep and flawed characters which I got attached to very fondly. And Maven makes me nostalgic.
Maven sinks to a knee and runs a hand through his hair, mussing the dark, wet curls. He glares at his brother with all the fire he can no longer possess. “Afraid of a boy, Cal?”
If you want to read more about the last book of the Red Queen Series just keep reading – on your own account because there may or may not be major spoilers for those who haven’t read it yet.
Bye-bye, to all those.
War Storm aka Fucking-everywhere-open-wounds Storm
Or maybe we were wrong. Maybe he could have been saved somehow.
Everyone who got to this point of my review probably knows the pain of War Storm. After reading this big ass page-turner that almost made your wrist snap and was definitely good for a little work-out, it left us all stranded a little bit – or not just a little bit but like a really big little bit.
Then it’s my duty to inform you that you’re not alone and from here on I’m trying to mend all your gaping wounds, as well as I can. And if it eases your sorrow and aches – it took me several weeks to recover from Maven’s death and I reckon I was impressed with how fast I achieved that. So don’t worry, it’ll take some time but, eventually, get better.
My topics I’m going to discuss which could interest you.
That open ending
Cal
Maven
Maven Calore Appreciation Posts
My Playlist
That open ending. I guess, we can all agree on that the ending totally crushed us and one or the other had to riot a little bit to calm their nerves, can’t we? So what do we get in the ending of War Storm?
Okay, lemme recap for y’all. We have the ‘time-out to heal and shit’ between Mare and Cal, the rebellion is actually still going on only Mare did retire from it (well, she can’t be blamed for that), the ominous announcement “but not all will survive” turned out to only apply to Maven (yikes), Iris is ready for a bitch-fight and Norta is in ashes. And where exactly does that leave us?
Not in a good place, let me tell you.
From what Aveyard hints at in the epilogue Mare will return to the battle, to Cal or to whatever there is to be done. The author clearly wanted to give us the climax of the rebellion and that from there on Norta would be re-built and re-shaped into a better country with no crown on top of a head. Maven will probably be still dead since Mare stabbed him, presumably, vigorously. And Iris? She’d better down two or twenty drinks. After all she was married to Maven and that boy is nothing but a great deal of work.
Cal. Tiberias Calore. At this point I don’t know anymore what to say. My eye-rolling during the book went definitely at his charge. Don’t get me wrong, I totally respect the way he was written, flawed but with a heart and good intentions though his perspective was narrow like the fucking eye of a needle. However, how dumb can he actually be for rejecting Mare several times and choosing the crown over her? Get a hold on yourself, Calore!
Despite his height, his broad form, the crown, the uniform, all the trappings of a warrior and a king, Cal has never seemed more like a child.
I don’t know why but I picture Cal as a muscled, handsome and crass as fuck mega baby. His actions are halfway understandable but sometimes his way of thinking was so elusive and it made me angry. Like I really wanted to slap him across the face and shout at him for being so daft. He wants to change so many things and make them better but as soon as he has to dare something or make a big step he’s like ‘oh, no, my poor crown’ and he chickens out. It’s annoying, especially, because Maven has so much more brains than him and he’s the one getting punished.
“The Silver lords of Norta will not give up their birthrights.”
My ass.
Cal is just a character who frustrates me like no one else.
Maven. From one brother to the other.
I’ve always felt darkness all over me, stubborn as a stain. It follows wherever I go.
I was so stoked when I saw that there were chapters from Maven’s POV. Sadly, the number wasn’t that high and I really wished there had been more since Maven was the one biting the dust in the end. His chapters were so very distinctive from the others’ and I ravished those. And I may or may not have rooted for him the whole time, and if I had been in Mare’s position, hell, I would have shoved Cal aside, grabbed Maven’s hand and hopped with that dude into the sunset.
Needless to say, I mourn him and resent his death to a very high and unhealthy degree.
Therefore I have one single request: Authors out there, listen up, please, I beg you write a book where the heroine turns to the bad guy and escapes with him, living happily ever after with the villain. That’s the kind of story I am desperately looking for. No? – Well, I’ll just do it myself.
Maven Calore Appreciation Posts. Just because it became a tradition of mine to praise the dead, twisted villains (who are totally redeemable in my very unpopular – unofficially very popular in fact – opinion) I gathered my top appreciable, lovely and great quotes and passages of our beautiful and wicked bisexual King Mavie.
The Lakelander guards shove Maven ahead, making him stumble toward his brother. He still grins, spitting blood, but tears gleam in his eyes. He’s losing control, and the tight grip he keeps on himself is coming undone.
“Heard you started smashing things again,” he continues. “You have a bad taste in china.” He grins at the ceiling. A crooked smile.
“You think I enjoy seeing you like this?” he murmurs. “You think I want to keep you a prisoner?” Something hitches in his breath. “It’s the only way you’ll stay with me.”
“Those who know how what’s it like in the dark will do anything to stay in the light.”
“Any window we had, however small, is gone.”
“You stare so much I wonder if you can read reflections in my eyes.”
M for Maven. M for mine. M for Monster. M for Mare.
I said I would find you. And I said I would save you.
The sparks reflect in her eyes. They shudder from brown to purple, giving her an unearthly look, like her gaze might run me through. Part of me wishes she would.
I take my time to look at her. To see Mare Borrow for who she is right now. Not who I remember. And not who I wish she could be. Mine.
Alright, that’s enough. Like, seriously, get a grip on yourself. At this point I guess it’s reasonable to stop quoting otherwise I might start crying very soon. Done.
“No more whispers between Maven and Mare.”
Failed.
My playlist. Obviously, reading without listening to music is a total no-go, at least for me. What would life be without listening to an emotional and sad goodbye song when Mare and Maven are having their very last fight? – Exactly, not dramatic enough. And since I’m the personification of overdramatizing, I took top priority to find the really stinging, heartache-triggering songs. How could it be any different, I was successful.
It’s a rather short one but when you read the book and have it on constant repeat you won’t even bother, trust me.
Always Never – No Good
Grace Carter – Silence
Billie Eilish – Lovely (with Khalid)
Laura Welsh – Atomised
MO - Sun In Our Eyes
That’s it, folks, with the Red Queen Series. And what did we learn from it? – Something must have gone terribly wrong with our moral compass and depraved taste since we all desperately want to hug and hook up with Maven. But I guess that’s not a very unpopular opinion here, isn’t it?
“We can still run.” His voice deepens, letting the offer hang in the air. “Together.”
I am impatiently waiting for the one book where the heroine actually dashes it all, and answers with a wickedly shouted YES! and runs away with the villain instead of stabbing him.
Read my 5-star review of War Storm by Victoria Aveyard on Goodreads and follow me there to check out the books I've read and are on my want-to-read list.
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