Review: War Storm (Red Queen #4) by Victoria Aveyard

Title: War Storm

Series: Red Queen #4
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: May 15, 2018
Pages: 662
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance
Source: Ebook

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Google | Wordery  | Kobo | Book Depository

Victory comes at a price.

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.

MY REVIEW

This review DOES contain SPOILERS. Read at your own risk.

SERIES REVIEW (Books 1 through 4.)

I have read books one through three of this series twice now, and I am still just as much on the fence now as I was the first time that I read them. I did enjoy them more the second time around, but I truly think that it is only because I knew what to expect. When this series first came out I tried to stay away from all of the hype. Difficult, I know, when you are a part of the YA book community. Most people either loved it or hated it, but I felt myself smack in the middle, both loving parts of it and hating the other parts. I can honestly say that I have never been so emotionally frustrated by a book series because of this. Part of me wants to love it wholeheartedly, but other parts just can't. I am hopelessly, ridiculously thwarted from either loving or hating this book series. 

The one thing that is lacking in most Young Adult books is the presence of family, but not in this series. While I thought that the main character's family could have been more involved in the story, I was still happy that they were there throughout the series. 

I truly loved the premise of the story. I know that there are many books that have similar premises, but I adored it nonetheless. I loved the subtle dystopian aspect of the story. 

The relationships of the characters were well written for the most part. I loved the friction and snappy dialogue between Mare and Evangeline. I loved the friendships that Mare forged along the way. Friendship is sometimes overlooked in Young Adult books and they sometimes only focus on romance, but this series surprised me there.

I loved the character growth of several of the characters. Their internal struggles and how they dealt with them as the story progressed. At the same time, I also felt that there were some characters that could have been more developed. 

The plot was well done and the world well developed. There is a lot of political intrigue in these books. It makes me think of a line from the book that comes up many times, "Anyone can betray anyone." I am always a sucker for a "rich vs poor" trope, and this one was very believable. 

One of the things that really brings the series down a notch for me is the romance. It was very bland. It certainly didn't leave me breathless or on the edge of my seat. While I became invested in the characters while reading, the story just feels incomplete because of the undeveloped romance. And it makes me angry because there was so much potential to have a romance that burns or even for some quite convincing and warranted love triangles. 

Another thing that bothered me more than a little was that I didn't feel connected to the main characters at all. It is hard for me to love a story if I can't feel what the main character feels. I was disconnected from both Mare and Cal throughout the books. I knew their intentions (mostly) but I did not feel them. Both characters were very one dimensional. They lacked depth. And Mare specifically lacked likability. I don't even know how many times I wanted to smack her upside her head. She was very self-centered throughout much of the story. Most of all she just felt like words on a page, not someone that I was living through the story with. The disconnect with Mare is one of my most hated things about this series. 

I did not care much for the ending of the series. Not one bit. It was vague, but not in a good way. I read the last words and thought, "Oh, okay. That's the end then." I didn't cry or express any sort of emotion whatsoever. And to me, that really speaks volumes. 

There were several things that I would have loved to see in this series. I would have loved to see Maven recovered from his mother's torture and influence. Though I thought that Maven was one of the best characters in the story, I thought that his development could have been much deeper. He was a good character, but he could have been great. I would have liked to see things from Cal's point of view. I wanted to know what he was feeling and how he was dealing with all the traumas that he experienced in the story. We see things from Mare's eyes, and it really leaves things lacking. I think that it why I didn't feel much connection to Cal's character. Most of all I think that I just wanted Mare to be different. Or at least written in a way that made me feel something for her. I wanted to so many times, but it just didn't happen. 

I suppose that this review wouldn't really help anyone interested in reading this series. I am quite in the middle of the spectrum when it comes to my feelings on it. But really, I am not in the middle at all and that is what is frustrating. One part of me in on the low spectrum and the other is on the high spectrum which just leaves me somewhere in the middle. -sigh- If I could impose anything on anyone that may be reading this it would be that I definitely think this series is worth reading. For bad or for worse.

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2018 READING CHALLENGES

- Finishing the Series Challenge

- Reading Bingo

Check out my 2018 Challenge Page to see my progress!

Have you read the Red Queen series? What are your thoughts on the ending? I personally had a lot of mixed feelings on the series. I'd love to hear your thoughts.