Book Review :: Broken Throne, by Victoria Aveyard

Broken Throne by Victoria Aveyard
ISBN: 0062912925
Series: Red Queen #4.5
Also in this series: Glass Sword, Red Queen, Cruel Crown, King's Cage, War Storm
Published by Hachette
on 2019-05-07
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Source: Hachette Publishing NZ
Find at Hachette NZ
Goodreads

Return once more to the deadly and dazzling world of Red Queen in Broken Throne, a beautifully designed, must-have companion to the chart-topping series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard.

The perfect addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, this gorgeously designed package features three brand-new novellas, two previously published novellas, Steel Scars and Queen Song, and never-before-seen maps, flags, bonus scenes, journal entries, and much more exclusive content.

Fans will be delighted to catch up with beloved characters after the drama of War Storm and be excited to hear from brand-new voices as well. This stunning collection is not to be missed!

Last updated on 14 October 2023

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What is Broken Throne about?

Broken Throne is a collection of novellas by Victoria Aveyard set in the Red Queen world, full of characters we already know. Some are a jump to the past, with characters’ backstories (or at least in part), and some stories happen after the events of War Storm, the final instalment of this series.

The first two novellas were actually published in the collection called Cruel Crown, so when I picked up Broken Throne I was able to skip right to the middle of the book. I thought I’d just give a quick run-through of each story so you can get an overall sense of what characters we encounter and what to expect when you pick it up.

The 5 stories in Broken Throne

Queen Song

This takes place before the events in Red Queen and follows Coriane, Cal’s mother. It’s the story of how Coriane goes from being a member of one of the High Houses to being Queen of Norta. She keeps a diary of her time in court, her relationships, and the birth of Cal. I enjoyed reading this story a few years back – it was nice to read more of her story and flesh out a little more of her character, as she’s not really mentioned in the first few books in the Red Queen series.

Steel Scars

Diana Farley is a strong fighting woman, scouring the country for people to join in her in the first attempt at an attack on the capital. Along the way, she meets Mare Barrow – a girl with lighting who may change the entire operation. While I didn’t enjoy Steel Scars as much as Queen Song in Cruel Crown, it was, again, another great way to get a little bit of back story to a character who plays such an integral part in the series later on.

World Behind

Ashe is a captain of a keelboat and Lyrisa is a Silver princess. They meet when Lyrisa wants passage on Ashe’s boat. Unlike all the other stories, this one has characters who don’t really follow the story at all; they’ve kept their distance as much as they can. I actually didn’t really enjoy this story much; it might have to do with the fact that it was the first one I was jumping back into the world with (seeing as I started in the middle, re having already read the first two), however, it was quite cool to read a different perspective from those characters who we know so well in the main storyline.

Iron Heart

At the end of War Storm, Evangeline and Elane have left Norta for Montfort where they can be together without judgement. Iron Heart follows them both as they try to adjust to this new land and a new way of being. They’re trying to let go of the past, and create a new future, and do so together, which is really beautifully laid out in the story. I really enjoyed this novella, because Evangeline was one of my favourite characters in the main series. I’m really glad that Aveyard treated us to catch up with these two and where their stories might take them. We also get to hear Elane’s perspective for the first time in the series (I believe).

“Go break some thrones.”

Fire Light

Two months after the events in War Storm Mare Barrow has just arrived in Montfort after a break with her family. Cal is there too, and the two of them, having been separated for so long, try to work in the same vicinity with the other leaders, while working out what they are now that they’ve had time apart to think on it. Alongside their relationship queries is the building of a new Norta; what will that look like under the new regime and system?

Along with Iron Heart, this was my favourite in the collection. Perhaps it’s just because I want Mare and Cal’s ‘ending’ to be a least a little bit ‘happily ever after’, although in their line of work and in the land they live, it’s likely to be anything but. However, they’ve both grown a lot over the course of this series, and it’s so great being able to glimpse a little of their future here in Fire Light.

“Even without her lightning, Mare Barrow still manages to strike me through.”

Fare Well

The last story is very brief, and told from Maven’s perspective, as he sees Cal for the last time. It’s basically just Maven sitting in a Silent Stone cell thinking to himself, and it was a bit meh for me. The nicest part was right at the end, but I won’t tell you spoilers. You’ll have to read it for yourself and find out.

Extras

Not only did this book have these five stories, but it had extra bits and pieces thrown in, mostly between stories. These were in the form of journal entries, letters, maps, and a little wrap up of how the future plays out. I have to admit, I dislike letters and journal entries and logs etc, in books. I don’t want to read them, so usually don’t. But a brief look through of them told me a few nice bits of information, so if you’re one who enjoys that sort of thing then I suspect it’s highly worthwhile.

Broken Throne Overall

Broken Throne is a really nice addition to the Red Queen series. While I didn’t love every story, they all definitely added some interesting details to the main plot we already know. If you’ve read the Red Queen series, this is a great collection to flesh out some of those characters a bit more and find out what happens after the events in the final book.

Have you read Broken Throne?

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Thank you to Hachette NZ for the review copy. I received this for free from Hachette in exchange for an honest review. It does not affect my opinion and all thoughts are my own.