56 pages • 1 hour read
Glass Sword
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Background
Literary Context: The Red Queen Series
The Red Queen series consists of four full-length novels: Red Queen (2015), Glass Sword (2016), King’s Cage (2017), and War Storm (2018), as well as Broken Throne (2019), a collection of novellas and short stories set in the story universe. The books are geared toward young adult audiences and combine elements of the fantasy and dystopian genres with the ruling Silvers (people with extraordinary powers) and Reds (the oppressed class without powers). Mare Barrow is the protagonist and main point-of-view character, being the sole narrator for the first two novels and narrating the second two in conjunction with a host of secondary characters. As a young adult fantasy/dystopian heroine, Mare’s narration comes in the first-person present tense, giving the story a feeling of immediacy and highlighting Mare’s signature flare and wit.
As the first novel in the series, Red Queen sets up for Glass Sword by introducing the story’s world—especially its power dynamics and the “normal” way of things with Silvers ruling the Reds. Mare’s powers first emerge in Red Queen, making her unique as a Red with Silver abilities. Red Queen plunges Mare into the cutthroat world of the Silvers, only to have her realize that Silvers, like Reds, are just people with fantastic powers. The book ends with Maven, Cal’s brother and one of Mare’s many love interests, betraying Cal and Mare and setting them up as fugitive traitors to the crown. Glass Sword picks up where Red Queen left off, and it focuses on the rebellion set on ending Silver rule rather than the elements of Silver society. Where Mare was immersed in Silver life in Red Queen, Cal is now out of his element as a Silver among Reds, most of whom dislike him simply for who he is.
Cultural Context: Class Systems and Inequality
The Red Queen series examines the elements of power and inequality through the class system Aveyard has created. Long before the series’ events, a genetic anomaly caused Silvers to evolve with various abilities, such as controlling fire or minds. As has often happened throughout Earth’s history, this newfound power made those who held it believe they were somehow better than those without power. Thus, the Silvers rose to rule and oppressed the Reds, whom they saw as inferior due to the color of their blood and the lack of power it symbolized. Aveyard’s class system favors those with means and strength, much like some systems of modern-day Earth. The Reds may symbolize the inequality shown to people of color across many nations, while the Silvers represent the elite few. Rather than skin color, Aveyard explores the effects of oppression and inequality through the color of blood, showing how elitism can lead to unfair power dynamics.
The newbloods of Glass Sword are both an opportunity and a warning. With powers stronger than the Silvers, the newbloods and their red blood offer the Reds a chance to earn the equality that has been stripped from them. Having lived under Silver rule, many newbloods are eager and willing to use their abilities to topple their oppressors. While this is driven by a desire for freedom and equality in Glass Sword, the novel hints at how newbloods could simply become a repeat of Silvers. Silvers rose to power when they discovered they could use their abilities to suppress Reds, and if the newbloods don’t keep tight control of their motives, they could replace the Silvers rather than liberate the Reds.
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By Victoria Aveyard
