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"In school, we learned about the world before ours, about the angels and gods that lived in the sky, ruling the earth with kind and loving hands. Some say those are just stories, but I don’t believe that.The gods rule us still. They have come down from the stars. And they are no longer kind.”
- Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen, 11
The World of Red Queen
The map above gives a visual image of the world within Red Queen, a 2015 fantasy novel written by Victoria Aveyard. But to truly understand the mythopoieia that Aveyard has created, one must look within the pages of her novel. This world is full of oddities, of powers, of danger and mystical elements. A world ruled by 'Silvers', an elite race of humans gifted with special talents and powers - all of whom are not too kind to the weaker race living within their world, the reds. Reds are normal human beings, like us. But among the reds, there are some with a terrible secret. Some of the reds are not as weak as they seem - some of them have powers, too.
The star of the story is Mare Barrow, a sixteen year old red girl. Mare lives in The Stilts, seen above towards the middle of the map. Most of the people living in her village are poor reds. Not too far from the village is Summerton, the town where the King of Norta and the rest of the royal family, along with countless other Silver elite, live during the summers. By a strange series of events, Mare ends up with a servant’s job at the castle. She makes a startling discovery about herself during Queenstrial - a pageant where the daughters of Silver nobility display their powers for the chance to be chosen as the Prince’s wife. After surviving a fall that should have killed her, Mare discovers that she, too, has powers - the power to wield lightning created inside of her own body.
Silvers are an entirely new creation, named for the color of the blood
that runs through their veins - a “metallic, iridescent liquid” which acts
the same as human blood. Apparently, Silvers were a product of
evolution, gifting them with “powers and strengths beyond [their]
limited imaginations (Aveyard 48). These powers vary from Silver to
Silver, with some of them having the ability to not only control the
world around them, but the people, too.
"Their blood is a threat, a warning, a promise. We are not the same and
never will be."
(Aveyard, 9)
List of Silver Powers
Silvers are different from reds, not only in their abilities, but in their appearance. Although most Silvers are wealthy enough to dress in fine clothes and makeup, that is not the only thing that makes them stand out. Because they lack red blood, they appear paler than most Red citizens. They don't have the ability to blush, or turn red from the heat, or anything that a red would be able to do. In an effort to hide Mare's true identity - a Red with Silver powers - from the rest of the world, the Queen orders her to pretend to be a lost Silver daughter. They must cover every inch of her skin in thick makeup.
"In the mirror, it looks like the warmth is leeched from me, as if the powder has covered the heat in my skin. With a gasp, I realize it’s supposed to hide my natural flush, the red bloom in my skin, the red blood. I’m pretending to be Silver, and when they finish painting my face, I actually look the part. With my newly pale skin and darkened eyes and lips, I look cold, cruel, a living razor. I look Silver. I look beautiful. And I hate it." (Aveyard, 89)
Strongarms - Silvers that are gifted with extreme strength.
Nymphs - Silvers with the power to control water, even turning it into a weapon. They require a nearby source of water, though - they cannot produce it out of thin air.
Telkies - They possess the power of telekinesis, which allows them to move objects with their mind.
Stoneskins - They have the ability to turn their bodies to stone. A great mechanism for defense.
Whispers - A very dangerous kind of Silver. Whispers are able to read someone’s thoughts, get inside of their head, and control them. They can make their victim do anything. The Queen of Norta, Elara Merandus, is a whisper.
Swifts - Silvers gifted with super speed.
Silks - While they are not gifted with specific powers, they have high levels of agility and balance. They can move quickly and quietly, making them powerful in a fight.
Greenwardens or Greenys - Silvers with the ability to control all plant life. They can grow a tree in a few seconds, or whither a field of flowers with just a thought.
Cloners - Silvers with the ability to multiply their own body. Creating copies of themselves is a great tactic for intimidation, or escape.
Burners - They have the ability to control fire. The King of Norta, Tiberias, is a burner.
Oblivions - They can cause explosions by touching something.
Animos - They can control the minds of animals, forcing them to do anything.
Magnetrons - Silvers with the ability to control metal. The first example of this is Evangeline, who is favored to win during Queenstrial because of her raw strength and power.
"With an earth-shattering noise, metal pipes splinter the floor of the arena, rising up from far below. They burst through the walls, surrounding Evangeline in a twisted crown of gray and silver metal." (Aveyard 69)
Silencers - Silvers who can ‘silence’ the powers of other Silvers, rendering them powerless.
Blood healers - Silvers who can heal themselves.
Eyes - Silvers who have the ability to see into the future. Their power comes with limits though, as they can only see a few seconds into the immediate future, which can change at any time.
Shivers - They can control ice, able to freeze anything or send out a frost.
Shadows - A particularly menacing type of Silver, with the ability to bend light - they can become invisible by bending the light around them.
Singers - Silvers with the ability to control another person, so long as their victims are looking into their eyes.
Windweavers - Silvers who can manipulate the wind.
Storms - Silvers with the power to control the weather. Their power comes with limits though, and it’s range is not far-reaching.
Skin healer - Silvers who have the ability to heal anyone except for themselves.