Review: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

Written by Jakob Andreasen

Rise With The Dawn…

Back in 2015 Victoria Aveyard encapsulated her readers with Red Queen, sparking a new love for Young-Adult Fantasy. And now, in 2018, War Storm brings this series to its final curtain call.

First off, I want to establish that when I first started the Red Queen series, I wasn’t a fan. I did enjoy everything Red Queen had to offer, but Glass Sword was uninteresting and there was no urge for me to continue these books. Not until the beginning of this year. I’d been following Victoria on Instagram, and she was relatable, vocal, and used her position to voice issues of importance. This drove me to give her books another chance. Glass Sword, although having setbacks, had such a strong ending that I needed to know more. And while reading King’s Cage, I was in awe, and War Storm managed to top that. So, I came for the author and stayed for the books. And I think that’s something really amazing and worth sharing.

Secondly, it goes without saying that this review will have MAJOR SPOILERS. It’s the finale. Catch up.

Now, to actually discuss War Storm. What. A. Book. It’s clear that Victoria has clearly grown as a writer throughout the years, and it’s evident in this finale. Every moment, every scene, and every chapter were all eloquently written, and nothing felt irrelevant. Throughout the whole of War Storm, there is this sense of confidence in her writing, and it was magical to read. We’ve come to know these characters; their motivations, their strengths, their weaknesses, but this doesn’t prevent Victoria from challenging what we know and love. In saying that, this challenge never feels forced. There is this natural progression, and everything feels like a conscious, well thought-out decision on her part; not something done out of convenience to advance the plot.

War Storm starts right after the events of King’s Cage, about an hour after that heartbreaking ending. The continuation is seamless and as a reader, there isn’t a feeling of disconnect between one book and the next.

CHARACTERS

MAVEN
I think it’s fair to start off with my personal favourite. His descent into madness is breathtaking and extremely gut-wrenching. This poor human trapped in the hands of his mother, even after her death. Victoria has created my favourite villain/antagonist so far in the YA world. There isn’t a massive growth of his character in War Storm, it’s almost a regression and his narrative could be compared to an Azula (Avatar). Maven is a boy coming into his adulthood, and he’s been lost to this completely different person—one of his mother’s creation.

It’s also great that Victoria manages to continue sub-plots and themes, never forgetting to mention the little things. For example, Maven still hears his mother voice in his head.

His character has one of my favourite scenes in the book, given that it’s his final scene, but there is this poetic sense to his death. Mare and Maven are fighting one another, Mare taking her final blow:

I don’t think. I just swing wildly, blade ready, as his eyes fade. They seem sad and… Satisfied.

I don’t think that I’ve ever teared up for a villain’s death, but it’s almost depressing that Maven was happier in death than in life. There is this sense of relief in his death and no longer does Maven have to suffer under his mother’s influence.

MARE
Mare definitely had a stronger presence in War Storm. Her character experiences an increased level of maturity, which might be due to her separation from Cal. Mare grows into her own, developing new relationships and alliances with other characters. The dynamic between Mare and Farley, previously unimaginable, becomes one of my favourite aspects of the book. At a point early on in the novel, Mare acknowledges that she loves Farley, and would protect her at all costs—she essentially has become part of Mare’s family and out of that sparks this deep connection between the two characters.

But, back to Mare. She’s suffering from PTSD and the scars are physical, mental, and emotional; they are taking a toll on her well-being, and Victoria never forgets to mention this. For example, every time someone tries to hold Mare’s wrist, she retaliates—it’s only a natural response. In saying that, as the novel progresses Mare overcomes this drawback. And, the final scene between herself and Maven shows this progression. I liked Mare the most in this instalment—she’s not my favourite character, but she was really good in War Storm.

EVANGELINE
It’s impressive how her character played out, and not just in War Storm, but throughout the whole series. She isn’t the narcissistic rich girl anymore, she developed into this ‘I deserve to be happy and live a life with the woman I love’ character. Evangeline was and will always be a strong and take no prisoners character, except here, love wins. Her love for Elane, for Ptolemus and for herself. She fights this internal conflict of trying to make her parents happy, but never manages to think of her own happiness. As her arc progresses, the concept of her future becomes important to her. Her character is incredibly intriguing and it would be great to read more about what comes next for her.

CAL
Our beloved King. He’s passionate about saving those he loves, our resident protector, and clearly a true Gryffindor. Cal somehow manages to be a complete douche and a great character all at the same time. His position is very similar to Maven’s and that’s even said in the book. Both are influenced by one of their parents—Cal, his father, and Maven, his mother. But, as we reach the climax of his character arc, Cal’s mother shatters that influence. The strength of his mother’s love, extending beyond death, completely shifts Cal’s decisions.

It seems Cal is a lot like Harry Potter, which means he’s faced with all these responsibilities, but in the end, he has all this support from friends and some family. But Maven on the other hand is a lot like Draco—he has all these responsibilities, but he has no support, no love in his life, and becomes this shell of negativity. They are two sides of the same coin. Very poetic.

RELATIONSHIPS

MARE AND CAL
My OTP. There is this sense of denial between these two at the beginning of the novel except this completely shifts after a fight scene. The two are in the middle of a war and it’s so emotionally charged that you can feel a strong energy between the two characters.

“I can’t,” I bite out, looking anywhere but his face.

He responds quickly, with force. “Neither can I.”

“But I also can’t -”

Stay away. Keep doing this. Denying ourselves in the face of always-looming death.

That’s just a little snippet, but you can feel the want and need in the air, and here the dynamic between them shifts. Mare calls him Cal, not Tiberias. The significance behind that is too damn high and watching these two grow separately was nice, but seeing them grow together is even more rewarding.

KILORN AND MARE
Kilorn is like a brother to Mare and the two have such a special relationship that it kind of mirrors the whole concept of choosing your family. They’ve experienced a lot together and they have grown significantly throughout the series. A really emotional point for the two is when the other is close to death. Both witness each other on the brink of dying and you could feel the desperation in Mare’s voice as she watched Kilorn’s body be flung down a staircase. There’s just a lot to love about these two.

EVANGELINE AND PTOLEMUS
Evangeline loves her brother and nothing in the world is stronger than their relationship. I don’t think even Elane can replace the special place Ptolemus has in his sister’s heart.

MAVEN AND CAL
They have such a solid dynamic. Cal loves his brother and goes through this constant struggle of trying to save him. It takes time for Cal to acknowledge that his brother is no longer the person he knew and love. In the end it seems Maven and Cal still love each other as deep down they were still the same brothers who were there for each other, but unfortunately Maven was too far gone.

PLOT

The plot of War Storm felt very much like Game of Thrones as everyone wanted to be on that throne, and no one let anything stand in their way. Victoria talked recently mentioned that stakes should get higher every single chapter; there should always be this level of anticipation. She said that this doesn’t always mean that each chapter should have a bigger and better action scene, as there could be emotional stakes or stakes that have more meaning to a character. It felt that throughout the whole of War Storm the stakes were progressively getting bigger and bigger. For example, going back to the scene between Mare and Cal, the emotional stakes here were peaking. Overall the plot was incredibly enjoyable as nothing felt like an afterthought and it all had a purpose.

As a whole, War Storm was a perfect conclusion to the series. It had action, emotion, and one of the best final fight scenes. The ending was open, but the ending felt right for this quartet. It wrapped up the events of this story,and left room for future stories to grow and bloom.

And with that, till next time.

You can find War Storm at Book Depository, Amazon and all good book retailers.

What did you think of War Storm? Tell us your thoughts on the book in the comments below!

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Synopsis | Goodreads

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.