I’m Going to be Diplomatic
Let me start this review of King’s Cage off with a disclaimer: I’m going to try to be diplomatic, but I was pretty disappointed in this book.
I try to write reviews with my honest thoughts but filter them through the lens that this is only my opinion. Just because I didn’t like something doesn’t mean you won’t!
With that said, if you love Victoria Aveyard and the Red Queen series, this probably isn’t a review you’ll agree with. And that’s okay! But I can’t lie about what bothered me with this continuation in the saga.
A (Very) Brief Overview
King’s Cage is a hefty novel. It’s the third in the Red Queen series, following Glass Sword. [Spoilers ahead!]
Mare has been taken captive by Maven. Meanwhile, the Scarlet Guard attempts to make progress on their fight, as well as recover her.
Does that sound way too basic of a summary? It is. I truly cannot figure out what to say to not litter this review with spoilers!
So, I’m Disappointed… Why?
If you’ve seen my prior reviews for this series (Red Queen, Glass Sword), you may be wondering why I’m so disappointed by King’s Cage. It took me some time to figure that out myself.
While Red Queen was not a perfect book, it fit the mold as YA dystopian fantasy. It had:
- an engaging plot
- a good mix of characters
- and set up a high quality series of political intrigue, first loves, and more
But what followed that premier novel has left me a little disinterested. Let’s break it down:
King’s Cage is long (and slow).
This is a long book (528 pages, I believe). And it was slow. It took me several weeks to finish it, which is atypical for me. It took about 50% before anything major occurred and another 30% before the next propelling plot point.
There is a lack of character growth.
Mare has not changed at all. She is the same protagonist from the first novel, full of the same woes. She constantly bemoans her situation (which, truthfully, didn’t seem so bad half the time), how she can’t trust anyone, et cetera. Yet, she herself is rather unlikable. She’s not a heroine I want to root for anymore.
As for other characters, there was some depth given to Maven. We also had some interesting updates for Farley. But all in all, Cameron, Cal, Kilorn, and Co. were unchanged and un-unique (Yes, I made that up).
The plot is weak.
The first half of the novel is Mare imprisoned under Maven. And nothing happens. It’s chapter after chapter of her inside a beautifully decorated palace room with three meals a day and gorgeous gowns. Yes, she is miserable because she’s captive, but really… There are worse prisons.
Outside of the purpose of getting more behind-the-scenes into Maven, the whole thing felt unnecessary.
After that, the remainder of the book is essentially war-planning and training, with little else of consequence occurring. And these scenes frequently felt confusing and drawn out.
The ending was abrupt.
At 90% through, I still was uncertain how the story would resolve before the book ended. Unfortunately, once we got there, I found the conclusion to be lackluster and even a little predictable.
It definitely set things up for the final book (War Storm) but without much room for guessing. I feel like I know what’s going to happen already.
Multiple POVs don’t add much.
I don’t typically like it when authors add POVs later in a series. For example, the series starts only Mare’s first person point-of-view. This continues in Glass Sword. But in King’s Cage, we get Cameron’s POV; and then, 60% into the book, Evangeline’s POV is added.
Unfortunately, neither Cameron nor Evangeline felt original. They read exactly like Mare! Now, it was clear Aveyard added the POVs for plot purposes; and I don’t take issue with that. I just felt like I was reading Mare 2.0 and 3.0 any time the perspective changed. I would’ve loved more originality from those other POVs.
Other Nit-Picky Complaints about King’s Cage:
- The chapters are very long with few breaks. There would be drastically different scenes practically side-by-side. I actually checked a couple of times if I had missed something or skipped a page.
- The author adds some very political comments at the end. Aveyard has a right to her opinion, but it was clear that if you disagree, she has a problem with you. And that’s pretty unwelcoming to any reader. And it’s unnecessary for a young adult audience to see.
- Swearing ramps up. After very mild swearing in the first two, King’s Cage drops not only the S-word but also an F-bomb as well. Not a fan of that in YA.
Did I Like Anything about King’s Cage?
Honestly, it was just okay. There were a few twists I wasn’t expecting and a few characters I enjoyed.
But all in all, I found the book mediocre at best.
Final Thoughts
I am rounding up from 2.5 stars. Why? Because, as a whole, King’s Cage was still a fairly typical YA novel. If I were a teenager, I may have liked it much more. As an adult, I felt too old for the shenanigans being pulled in the plot and by the characters.
If you like:
- Moody YA
- Lots of political intrigue
- Superhero-esque magic
- Love triangle vibes
Then definitely give the Red Queen series a try!
Content Rating: Moderate
for persistent violence and increased language (including F-word)
Copyright Victoria Aveyard and HarperCollins. Image from Amazon.