King's Cage: A Riveting YA Fantasy Romance of Power, Rebellion, and Impossible Choices (Red Queen, 3)

I was ready to hate this book. I loved Red Queen so much but Glass Sword was not for me what so ever, because of this I was unsure how this one would turn out. Well it is safe to say that I LOVED IT!! I was glued from start to finish I ended up reading this in a day because I just could not put it down. This installment picks up where we left off in the second. Mare is now Mavens prisoner. She is trying to stay defiant and hopeful. It is no easy feat as the time continues to go by without the ability to use her power she is beginning to slowly deteriorate. There is also a lot of inner struggle with her trying to understand her former feelings for Maven. Which brings me to characters… MARE BARROW, little lightning girl, MOST ANNOYING CHARACTER OF GLASS SWORD, was freaking amazing! She was such a relatable character, I really loved everything about her this time around. We got to see so much of her and her strength but also her weakness. We truly see her falling to pieces mentally and physically. She is suffering from depression, PTSD, but also I feel like we see a small bit of Stockholm syndrome. As we well know Maven was at first a love interest in Red Queen (they were me OTP, moment of silence while my ship sinks to the bottom of this deep deep ocean.) She does not know what parts of the Maven she loved actually exist or if any of it was ever real for that matter. This relationship was raw and real even while taking place in a fantasy world. It is the epitome of an emotionally abusive relationship. Example A. He is blaming her for where she is at. He does not care that he betrayed her or that he has taken her prisoner. The way Mavens twisted mind works it is okay because he “loves her” to use her. It is all a fault to her for not being obedient towards him see quote below .. “You think I enjoy seeing you like this?” he murmurs. “You think I want to keep you prisoner?” Something hitches in his breath. “it’s the only way you’ll stay with me” This brings me to Mavens character development. He is our bad guy by no way is that not established however we are also learning that Maven could and should have been a completely different person. Queen Elara messed so much in his mind that he is just a creation, a molding of what the Queen needed him to be. It does not mean that we should excuse his actions by any means but it does make him a rather interesting character. I loved Evangeline and this quote “The title is so delicious I want to lick the words right out of her mouth.” OMG that is all I will say about that!!! I was not a Cal shipper in the first book and I still am not now. However that being said he became a better character for me this time around. I started to see the appeal of him for Mare. There were moments when he warmed my heart or made me laugh. I do not think he should be the OTP though. I don’t really think anyone should be. I almost think Mare needs to just be alone without any of the male characters we have met. I also am a tad worried she may end up dying in the end of the series. I liked the split perspective because it kept us informed throughout of both sides of the story. Cameron also helped me to understand Mares actions in the second book a little bit better. She has a line “No wonder she has personality issues. No one tells the girl the truth about anything” That really opened my eyes to the fact that from the start someone from both sides had been using her as a means to the end. I was blown away by this book it was amazing and the end MY GOD THE END. It is going to be a terrible wait for the next. FIVE DAMN STARS! ★★★★★ Favorite quotes “The same? No.” He shakes his head. “But perhaps… we’re even?” “Not a god’s chosen, but a god’s cursed.” “It would be easy to stay in the dark, to drown. Slowly, I lower my hands and force myself to look at the sunlight.

I'll just say that after book 2 (Glass Sword), I very much enjoyed this book. Now maybe that's not the most glowing review I could give considering how terrible Glass Sword was but I finished Kings Cage feeling satisfied with what I had just read. To start, I FINALLY felt like author took some time to show some fantastic character development when it comes to the main character, Mare. I basically hated her in book 2... maybe that was the author's point but she went about it the wrong way (I don't think I could have read one more sentence of her inner dialogue, "poor me, I'm the lightening girl, I'm the only savior, blah, blah, blah!"). It was torture and cringe-worthy. Well in this book, you can finally like Mare again! Hell, she's been through a lot so it was to be expected to see some major development in her character. It even shines through in her developed relationships with other characters. Very well done. Aveyard also did an excellent job with the character Maven AND detailing his relationship with Mare. This was probably one of the best parts about this book. You finally learn how/why Maven became the monster that he is but I also found myself sympathizing with him. And as for his relationship with Mare... I found myself actually, at times, hoping she would give in and reciprocate some sort of love towards him. I know it's crazy but that's what makes the writing so well done on this story line! (The bathroom scene... I don't know why but I was hoping for some moment of passion between the characters! I know that's nuts but you could feel the tension and the underlying conflict of emotions that Mare has for Maven!) However, I was disappointed by the lack of character development with Cal. While it's easy to believe that he truly loves Mare, it's hard to believe the choice he makes at the end. Yet, I will say that his response to her regarding her decision (about choosing him) was kind of interesting and I couldn't help but agree with him on some level. I also find it kind of intriguing that he still wants to find a way to save Maven. Regardless, I hope book 4 shows more development from this character. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. Unlike some reviewers, I didn't think it seemed to drawn out or over detailed at parts. It didn't bother me this time because the storyline was interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about Cameron's POV chapters. I still find her character extremely annoying and childish. But I very much enjoyed Evangeline's POV! That was well done and just enough (too much of her might have been bad). Well done. I would have given this book a full 5 stars but there were definitely some weak points. Lots of new characters were introduced and I'm just not sure where this war is going to take us. Now I just hate waiting so long for the next book!

This book was probably my favorite book in the whole series. I loved the way it tied in characters emotions with the environment/ their abilities. In this book you really get a deeper view into one of the main characters, Maven's, mind. By the author letting you into the main villains mind you really get a better look at the whole plot and get a better understanding of how everything came to be in the whole series. Victoria does a really good job at describing the changing feelings and almost making you feel as conflicted as the character. She also knows how to set up the scene so you can picture it perfectly. Through all the dramatic parts she makes it possible for you to follow along with the main fight while also picturing how hectic it would be on the outside. While reading this book I almost feel like I'm watching a movie. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes good a good description so you have a good image in your head. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes to be kept on their toes and never knowing what's going to happen next. Overall this book encompasses great descriptions that keep you enterested in every part.

Nice

I fell in love with this saga from the very start, and this book made me fall in love even more! Maybe a little slow at the beginning, but definitely recomend it!

Aún no he leído el último pero de los 3 que llevo, este es definitivamente mi favorito. A pesar de que no empieza con tanta acción como los demás, comienzas a conocer más a profundidad mucho de los personajes. Te causa tantas emociones encontradas que no vas a saber si odias o amas al libro. En cuanto a las condiciones en que llegó también estoy súper satisfecha, llegó mucho antes del tiempo esperado y de los 3 que he encargado este es el que llegó en mejores condiciones, impecable desde la portada.

What an amazing story!! Definitely a good book and I can’t wait to read the next !

I fell in love with this series by halfway the first book. I'm half way through the last book atm (War Storm), and Kings Cage has been my favourite of the series so far. The storylines within the book are just phenomenal. I don't want the series to end!