King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

"Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attemptto maintain control over his country--and his prisoner"--

The third installment of this series kicks off with a bang and doesn't give you any time to loose. Definitely an improvement over "Glass Sword", "King's Cage" holds its own and provides a welcome plot twist for your pleasure. The main character, Mare, continues to develop in an interesting way. She's a great heroine but she's flawed and I think that's what makes her more relatable. Unlike the previous two books, "King's Cage" bounces from one character to another: Mare, Cameron and Evangeline. I personally didn't think I would like this method at first just because I wanted to be where the main character was. But the other two points of view and storylines are interesting and open the plot up a bit more to see a bigger picture. Who knew Evangeline was likeable in her metallic getup and razor sharp personality? I enjoyed learning more about her especially in light of the fact she was seen as a perpetual "bad guy" for the first two novels. My only complaint would be that I read this novel too quickly. The next installment doesn't come out until May! Ahh! This one leaves you on a pretty decent cliff hanger. And you pretty much want to strangle not one but two fire princes. 

8 out of 10

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

If there's one thing Mare Barrow knows, it's that she's different.

Mare's blood is Red - the colour of common folk - but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from the prince and friend who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by the Silver king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The sequel to "The Red Queen" is fascinating and thrilling. Definitely a great follow up to an already amazing storyline. Great plot twists and character development. I didn't think I'd like the sequel as I tend to dislike the following books of a series but this one kept me hooked and before I was even halfway through it, I raced to the bookstore to find the next one. 

7 out of 10