Red Queen Book Tag

"POWER IS A DANGEROUS GAME"

It all started with that tag line. In case you guys don't remember, that was the very first tagline of the Red Queen series. It was attached to the it's first book, Red Queen. It was a very powerful one too. It drew me in immediately and, no doubt, drew in thousands around the world as well. It certainly deserved my intrigue and love. Why else would I be following these books so closely if it were any other way? 

There are four books in this series and three has already been released to us very eager readers. All of them unique and lovable in their own way. And since it has been exactly two months since the third book, King's Cage, came out, Lyka Cali and I decided that celebrating it's second monthsary would be the perfect way to show our love and appreciation in the form of a book tag! A book tag wherein we could discuss everything from the things we despised to the things we absolutely enjoyed in Red Queen, Glass Sword, and King's Cage. That said, this book tag would obviously contain some spoilers from the first three books so if you have not read these books, you should definitely not read this post. Do yourself a favor and do so because it'll be a fun time, I promise you. So without further ado, let's get on with the book tag.

1. Favorite Book

King's Cage is without a doubt my favorite book in the Red Queen series so far. If you thought Red Queen and Glass Sword were tense, emotional, and thrilling then you have definitely seen nothing yet. King's Cage gave deeper levels to every component in the book's world. From the politics of both Silvers and rebels to the characters. Victoria Aveyard was able to elevate them, making them more interesting which in turn made the audience care and invest more. I was certainly itching for the fourth book after I finished King's Cage. What Aveyard did in this book exceeded all of my expectations and in my opinion, is her best yet.

2. Favorite Character

From the very first scene we saw Cal Calore, I knew he was going to be my favorite character in the entire series. I am usually drawn to kind and compassionate characters which is why I was particularly fond with Cal. But as the books went on and we got to see more of the character, I loved and appreciated him more. He is a deeply flawed character and that, for me, makes him interesting. On the surface, he is merely a gentle, nice, and dutiful prince but really he is so much more than that. He has a dark and dirty side too which actually makes sense to his character. There are reasons for his actions and decisions no matter if it's good or bad. Characters with minor and insignificant flaws are boring because no one can be that pure in real life. Cal Calore is really flawed and there's no denying that but that's what makes him captivating.

3. Least Favorite Character

Before King's Cage, I would have put Kilorn Warren in this number. Throughout Red Queen and Glass Sword, he was mostly whiny and irritable and just weighing down the atmosphere because he was feeling jealous or left out. But I have grown to appreciate and admire Kilorn in King's Cage. He really evolved in that book and I am happy he did. But that left me with a much difficult time thinking of my new least favorite character and ultimately it has to be Gisa Barrow. Why Gisa? The only reason I picked her was because she was the most boring out of all. When thinking of a least favorite character, it has got to be the one that was the least riveting and least impactful. Gisa was always the nice and obedient daughter of the Barrows and nothing more. She barely did anything for the story and was simply not an interesting character for me personally. I needed more from her so alas, she is the one that I would consider my least favorite.

4. Favorite Power

If I had the choice, I would definitely choose to be a Magnetron out of every power in the series. It is not only a really cool power but a really useful one too. Being a Magnetron enables you to create structures out of pieces of metal. It allows you to create weapons for offense and defense in a single thought and even some fashionable clothes like in Evangeline Samos' case. Metals can be found in some shape or form everywhere you go. You don't need to search for it or keep it stored close to you to be able to use your power. It is simply badass. It looks awesome and it is extremely practical. Plus, it also helps that Magneto from the X-Men comics is one of my favorite comic book characters ever.

5. Favorite Silver Family

For me, there is no other Silver family that exudes power, confidence, and most importantly, loyalty than the Samos family. They are a force to be reckoned with. Their power of controlling metal already make them formidable but add their unbreakable bond and faithfulness with one another then going up against them is practically suicide. They are very smart and cunning too. Their plans are carefully crafted and thought out so most of the time it goes in their favor. They are absolutely ruthless and I just love every moment we get with them. This just goes to show how family is such an important asset in a world full on conniving and power-hungry elite.

6. Favorite Ship

No other ship in the Red Queen series will ever surpass Mare Barrow and Cal Calore's. NOTHING WILL. There is just something so engaging and charismatic about their relationship. They compliment each other as well as challenge each other. They are never constantly mellow and happy nor fighting and angry. Personally, it's just enough of both sides to make their relationship still entralling and fresh. And of course, their really sweet scenes with each other just make me feel like I'm melting. Of course, after King's Cage they are in a very difficult position with one another but I have complete faith that they will pull through and be the series' endgame (PLEASE DON'T LET ME DOWN, VICTORIA)

7. Favorite Scene

It was really hard to choose a favorite moment from all three books because I have a lot that I absolutely loved and enjoyed. But at the end of the day, it's got to be the Queenstrial scene from Red Queen. Why? It was the first scene where we got a look at all the powers of the Silver elite. Their powers all distinct and glorious in their own way. I felt as entranced as Mare while reading that particular scene. It made you realize how powerful the Silvers are compared to the Reds. And of course, the revelation of Mare's lightning powers was in that scene which left me shocked and extremely excited. The scene closed with Mare running from the king's guards and being rescued by Cal before they did much damage. My God was that a hell of a cliffhanger ending to a really great scene. Definitely a scene I will remember for a long time.

8. Least Favorite Scene

In terms of least favorite scene, I would say the training montage in Glass Sword would be mine. That's where I got the most bored in the entire series. Although we were seeing more and more Newblood recruits, the scene didn't have much impact for me. It was simply brief mentions of every new Newblood they found and were beginning to train. The story and characters didn't progress much in that section. It was the most stagnant out of all the others especially compared to the intense and action-packed scenes in the rest of the book and the entire series.

9. Maven or Cal

Cal Calore no questions asked. Although I do love Maven Calore's character in all his complexity, he is not exactly a character I will root for. King's Cage shed a lot of light on him, revealing why he is the way he is. I love how complicated he is and how tough it is to pin him down but at the end of the day, he is still an antagonist and in order for our heroes to win he has to be defeated. Also, Cal's character arc is at it's peak at the end of King's Cage. It will all come down in the fourth and final book which makes me look forward to him the most out of all the characters including Maven. And of course, as said above, Cal is simply my favorite character. 

10. Favorite Quote 

"The war never leaves."

The quote was taken from Glass Sword and I found it to be the most profound and truthful statement out of all. A battle will end no matter what but the memories will always remain with the people involved. This is the kind of statement that's universal. It not only contained in fiction or in a certain place but it is for anyone who has experienced something horrible. Fiction reflects reality and I am glad that true and important statements like this is included in books for everyone to be reminded by.

So that is all for our Red Queen book tag! Obviously these are just my personal thoughts and opinions on these questions and you are more than welcome to share your own insights. But I think all us fans of the Red Queen books can agree that this series is a roller coaster ride filled with ups and downs. It's a ride that you want to end to see how it holds up as a whole but at the same time cannot get enough of. It seems like only yesterday I was picking up a copy of Red Queen and carrying it to the cash register, without any idea what I'm in for. But all what's left to do is wait, wait for the final book to arrive. I am sure that Victoria Aveyard will deliver because she has certainly proved herself before. But in the mean time here are all my favorites (and least favorites). Will it change when the fourth book comes out? Let's just see.

(NOTE: Make sure to check out Lyka Cali's Red Queen book tag after reading mine!)