The Essentials
Yes, you you should read Red Queen before. Glass Sword is a direct continuation of Red Queen, and it will not make much sense if you haven’t read the first book. Here’s a short summary of Red Queen…
There are four books in the series: Red Queen, Glass Sword, King’s Cage, and War Storm.
Glass Sword follows Mare Barrow, a Red girl who has the power to control lightning, as she tries to find and recruit other Reds with abilities, called newbloods, to join her rebellion against the Silver king, Maven, who betrayed her and Cal, the former prince. Read more...
If you loved Red Queen, the first book in the series by Victoria Aveyard, you will definitely enjoy Glass Sword, the second book that continues the story of Mare Barrow, a Red girl with a Silver ability to control lightning. In this book, Mare faces new challenges and dangers as she tries to find and recruit other Reds like her who have Silver powers.
She must also deal with her feelings for Cal, a Silver prince who fights by her side, and her hatred for Maven, another Silver prince who betrayed her and became the new king. Glass Sword is an exciting and compelling sequel that will keep you hooked until the very end. Find out more in this blog article.
Table of Contents
What is Glass Sword about?
Glass Sword picks up right after the events of Red Queen. Mare and Cal manage to escape from Maven’s palace with the help of some allies, including Farley, Kilorn, Shade and Julian. They decide to join forces with the Scarlet Guard, a rebel group whose goal is the overthrow of the Silver regime and the establishment of equality for all Reds.
They have a base on an island called Tuck. There they learn that there are more Reds like Mare who have Silver abilities. They are called Newbloods and are hunted by Maven and his army of Silvers. Mare decides to find and recruit as many Newbloods as she can before Maven can kill them or use them for his own purposes. She also hopes to find a way to stop Maven and free the Reds from his tyranny.
Good to know: The title of Glass Sword comes from a quote by Julian Jacos, Mare’s mentor and Cal’s uncle. He says, “Anyone can betray anyone. This quote is repeated several times throughout Glass Sword to emphasize how fragile trust is and how common betrayal is in this world.
Glass Sword is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows Mare’s journey to find and save other Newbloods like her. She meets many new characters along the way, some of whom become her friends and allies, while others become her enemies and rivals. She will also have to face many obstacles and dangers from the forces of Maven and other threats. She must also deal with her own inner turmoil and emotions as she struggles with guilt, anger, fear, and loneliness.
Glass Sword is also a story about identity, loyalty, power, and resistance. It explores how Mare copes with her unique situation as a red with a silver power. It also shows how she interacts with different groups of people: Reds, Silvers, Newbloods, members of the Scarlet Guard, etc. and presents us how she balances her personal feelings with her leadership role. It also shows how she resists Maven’s manipulations and betrayals.
Tips and Hints for reading Glass Sword
To make your reading experience more enjoyable, here are some tips, facts, and hints I can give you about Glass Sword:
- If you want to refresh your memory about what happened in Red Queen before reading Glass Sword, you can read a summary of Red Queen down below. It will give you a brief overview of the most important events and the most important characters of Red Queen.
- If you want to see some graphic art inspired by Glass Sword, you can check out this website, which has some amazing fan art by talented artists.
- Be prepared for some big shocks and surprises in Glass Sword, especially at the end. You will not see them coming and they will leave you speechless. You will definitely want to read the next book of Red Queen as soon as possible.
Did you know?
The author of Glass Sword, Victoria Aveyard, is also a screenwriter and film producer. She has worked on several projects such as The Gilded Ones, Realm, and The King’s Cage. She is also involved in the adaptation of the Red Queen series into a movie or TV show.
What happened in Red Queen?
The previous book before Glass Sword in the Red Queen series is called Red Queen. It is the first book in the series and it introduces the main character, Mare Barrow, who is a Red living in a world where the Silvers have silver blood and supernatural powers.
Mare discovers that she has a rare ability to control lightning, which makes her a target for the Silver King and his sons. She joins a rebel group of Reds, called the Scarlet Guard, who are determined to overthrow the Silver regime and put an end to the oppression of the Reds. The book ends with a shocking betrayal that changes Mare’s life forever.
The coolest things in Glass Sword (spoilers ahead!)
There are a lot of things that people iked about Glass Sword, but here are a few favorite things:
- The Newbloods: People really like to know the Newbloods and learning about their different powers and personalities. They added diversity and complexity to the story. Some of them were funny and charming, while others were mysterious and intriguing.
- The action scenes: It’s so enjoying reading the action scenes where Mare and her friends fought Maven’s forces or encountered other dangers. They were exciting and suspenseful and showed the characters using their powers and skills to overcome their enemies. Some of the action scenes that stood out were the escape from Maven’s Palace, the ambush at Naercey, the battle at Corvium, the rescue mission at Corros Prison, and the final showdown on Tuck Island.
- The romance scenes: Really enjoyable to read was the romance scenes where Mare and Cal expressed their feelings for each other or shared some intimacy. They were sweet and tender and showed how the characters cared for and supported each other. The kiss on Tuck Island, the dance on Piedmont, the night on Montfort, the morning on Tuck Island, and the goodbye on Tuck Island were some of the romance scenes that made many of us smile.
- The plot twists: The plot twists were just amazing and surprising. They totally changed the course of the story or the fate of the characters. They were unexpected and shocking and kept uson the edge of my seat. Some of the twists were the discovery that Shade is alive, the revelation that Farley is pregnant with Shade’s child, the betrayal of Jon who turns out to be a spy for Maven, the death of Shade who is killed by a Silver assassin, and the sacrifice of Mare who gives herself up to Maven to save her friends.
Advice: Pay attention to Jon, a Newblood who has precognition: he can see glimpses of the future. He gives Mare some cryptic hints about what will happen next. Some of them are true, others are false or misleading.
Some things that could’ve been better
There aren’t many things that were criticized at Glass Sword, but here are some of them:
- The length: Glass Sword was a little too long. It had 444 pages in the HarperTeen edition, which is more than Red Queen, which had 383 pages. There are parts of the book which could have been shortened or cut without any loss of the main plot or character development. For example, some of the scenes where Mare and her friends traveled from place to place or searched for newbloods felt repetitive or unnecessary.
- The mood: Glass Sword was a bit too dark and depressing. It had a lot of violence, death, torture and betrayal. It also showed Mare becoming more cynical, ruthless, and isolated as she faced Maven’s attacks and manipulations. Of course these elements were necessary to show the harsh reality of war and rebellion, and to contrast with the glamor and deceit of the Red Queen. However, some people like to see more moments of hope, humor, and happiness in Glass Sword to balance out the gloom and doom.
- The ending: Glass Sword ended on a cliffhanger that leave you hanging and wanting more. It was a very dramatic and emotional ending that can leave you feeling sad and angry. It also raised a lot of questions and uncertainties about what will happen next.
So much Action!
Glass Sword is a must-read sequel to Red Queen that will keep you hooked until the very end. It is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows Mare’s journey to find and save other newborns like her. It is also a story of identity, loyalty, power, and resistance, exploring how Mare copes with her unique situation as a red with a silver power. New elements are introduced, such as Newbloods, the Silent Stone, and Corro’s Prison. Glass Sword also features exciting action scenes, sweet romance scenes, and shocking plot twists.
If you are looking for a gripping and engaging fantasy story with a strong female protagonist, a complex villain, and a diverse cast of characters, you should definitely check out Glass Sword. You will not regret it!