Scarlet Guard, your mission continues: to reread the Red Queen series, relieve all the epic moments, and fangirl (ahem, we mean, strategize) with your fellow operatives in the official Red Queen Series Facebook Group. We’re nearly through our series reread and our emotions are all over the place. In case you missed it (or in case you need another refresher) check out the official recaps of Red Queen and Glass Sword, then check out this King’s Cage recap!
King’s Cage is epic, electrifying, and stresses us the heck out! Honestly, this was us during our entire reread. Oh, and NEW POV ALERT! King’s Cage features chapters from not only Mare’s perspective, but also Cameron Cole and Evangeline Samos! Okay, Scarlet Guard. Are you ready? You should know the drill by now, but just in case:
Now let’s kick off this King’s Cage recap!
What Happened in King’s Cage?
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Murder at Corros Prison: During the Scarlet Guard’s attempt to free the prisoners at Corros, Shade Barrow is killed by Ptolemus Samos, which sends Mare into a blind rage. She ends up killing Queen Elara, and broadcasts her decapitated head to the kingdom of Norta to show the power of the Scarlet Guard.
• Rescue Attempt: Mare and Cal plan to bring a team to the Choke to rescue the young Red soldiers forced to fight on the frontlines. However, their plane is downed by Maven (with the help of a few Magnetrons from House Samos), who strikes a deal with Mare: the rest can go free if she becomes be his prisoner.
• Kneel or Bleed: Mare sacrifices her own wellbeing and gives herself up to Maven. Chained and paraded around the capitol, Mare is forced to kneel before King Maven Calore.
Check out the Red Queen and Glass Sword recaps for characters we’ve already met! See below for our new friends (and enemies) that show up in King’s Cage!
• Evangeline Samos: While previously mentioned as one of Red Queen‘s antagonists, Evangeline re-enters the story in a major way. Still at Maven’s side as the story begins, Evangeline orbits around Mare at court and begins to use her as a way to advance her own agenda, often challenging her betrothed in subtle ways. Though reluctant to move against him, Evangeline recognizes that his reign is… problematic, to say the least.
• Lady Larentia of House Viper: Evangeline’s mother, an Animos of House Viper. She is brutal and ambitious, and manipulates animals (such as snakes) into clothing, similar to Evangeline’s penchant for metal dresses.
• Elane Haven: Elane is a Silver Shadow, Evangeline’s lover, and betrothed to Ptolemus.
• Egg, Clover, Kitten, & Trio: Nicknames given by Mare to her prison guards. These four are Silvers from House Arven, whose ability is Silence. They keep Mare’s abilities at bay to prevent her from escaping or harming Maven.
• King Orrec of the Lakelands: King Orrec is a Nymph, with the ability to manipulate water. He and Maven sign a treaty to end the war that has been going on for generations, under the condition that Maven and Princess Iris marry.
• Princess Iris of the Lakelands: The youngest daughter of King Orrec, Iris is quiet, calculating, and religious, betrothed to Maven to solidify the alliance between Norta and the Lakelands.
• Premier Dane Davidson of Montfort: Davidson is a Newblood Shield (one with the ability to create protective energy fields) and is an elected official in the Free Republic of Montfort. He is described as appearing fairly average and neutral, and works closely with Mare and the Scarlet Guard to defeat Maven.
• Queen Anabel of House Lerolan: Queen Anabel is a Silver Oblivion and the mother of King Tiberias, making her Cal and Maven’s grandmother. She wishes to install Cal back on the throne.
• Princes Daraes, Alexandret, and Bracken : Three Silver Princes of Piedmont, an ally nation of Norta.
• Ella, Rafe, and Tyton: Three Newbloods with the same ability as Mare, known as Electricons.
• Imprisoned in Whitefire Palace: Mare is kept as Maven’s prisoner for months under the effects of Silent Stone and her four Arven Guards. She is kept from court, despite many Silvers calls for her execution. She realizes that Maven’s twisted love for her makes him want to keep her close as well as for her to fade and be forgotten.
• Evangeline’s First Defiance: Evangeline disobeys Maven and forces his hand by bringing Mare to court in the middle of a feast and demanding punishment. Samson Merandus, the equally terrifying cousin of the late Queen Elara, is given permission to interrogate Mare using his abilities as a Whisper. His interrogation is BRUTAL and made us more than a little uncomfortable (being forced to replay Shade’s murder and the disturbing death of Queen Elara was A Lot).
• Mare Must Speak: Mare wakes up to Maven staring at her like a lunatic, which is pretty on brand for him, and explains his latest evil plan, which is also pretty on brand for him. Maven forces Mare to tell the world that the Scarlet Guard is luring Newbloods to their death in a quest to create a Red-only world. He coaxes Newbloods to join him for “protection,” when he really will force them to join his Silver army and eradicate the Scarlet Guard.
• Nanny’s Death: A Newblood is brought before Maven with the ability to sense others’ abilities with just a look. She accidentally outs Nanny, who was hiding in the court disguised as a member of House Iral. Before her secrets can be mined by Samson, Nanny swallows a suicide pill.
• From Cameron’s Point of View: One of our favorite angsty Newbloods gets her own chapters in King’s Cage! From Cameron, we get this killer quote that we wish we could hammer into Mare and Cal’s brains: “How many times does one wicked boy have to betray you people before you learn?” We also learn that Farley wants to lead a siege on Corvium, though Cal disagrees, fearing a massacre on both sides.
• Maven’s Childhood: After Mare makes an escape attempt, she asks Maven: “How much of it was her?” We learn that Elara hammered her way into Maven’s head from the time he was a baby, forcing him to walk before he was ready, until he would cry whenever she entered a room. He then delivered this chilling line: “Eventually she took the fear away too. Like so many other things.” YES, we feel bad for Maven, NO we are not happy about it.
• A Coup at Court: Mare is paraded in front of two Piedmont Princes, Alexandret and Daraeus, who demand answers about the Scarlet Guard’s activities in their country. They also ask, on behalf of Prince Bracken, where Prince Michael and Princess Charlotta are, though Mare has no idea. Later, at a feast, some Sentinels and members of the High Houses attempt to assassinate Maven. We learn that they want to put Cal back on the throne.
• The Court of Children: After the attempt on his life, Maven trusts even fewer Silver Nobles. He expels many from court, but keeps their children as a warning and a threat. He keeps Mare close to him and we learn even more disturbing facts about his past: Queen Elara cut out his love for his father and brother, but there are certain kinds of love that get twisted and mangled; hence his tragic obsession with Mare. We also learn that he was in love with Thomas, his “first real friend,” and accidentally killed him after losing control of his abilities.
• Attack on Corvium: The Scarlet Guard attacked Corvium and, with the help of the Red soldiers who turned on Silver officers, are able to take the city. However, they learn that some child soldiers (including Cameron’s brother Morrey!) are being held hostage. Cameron and Harrick (the Newblood who can alter reality) are able to rescue the Reds, but they have been fed Maven’s lies and are terrified of the Guard.
• Maven’s Coronation Tour: (Because of course he takes a coronation tour.) After spewing a lot of bulls#&t about pledging himself to both the Silvers and Reds of Norta, Maven holds a summit with King Orrec of the Lakelands in the center of the Choke to end the war between their nations. To seal the deal, Maven agrees to marry Princess Iris, to the shock and horror of the Samos family (Evangeline was betrothed to Maven!!!), who hastily exit the summit.
• Iris, Evangeline, and Anabel: Mare is at the mercy of some truly brilliant/cunning/terrifying Silvers. Iris, soon to be the Queen of Norta, lobs thinly veiled threats toward Mare and questions Maven’s feelings towards her. (She calls Mare Maven’s pet which is pretty creepy but also not all that inaccurate? Gross.) House Samos returns to the palace, and Evangeline sends Mare into Maven’s chambers, hoping that she might sway Maven from marrying Iris. Finally, Mare meets Queen Anabel and thinks that the Queen knows the truth about her son’s death (i.e. that it was Maven and Elara being psychopaths, not Cal being a traitor.)
• The Red Wedding: Okay, we know this isn’t Game of Throne but this King’s Cage wedding is certainly one for the books. As soon as Maven and Iris say their vows, the Scarlet Guard attacks the wedding (including a Newblood with powers like Mare!) In the plot twist of the century, Evangeline frees Mare—though makes her promise that she won’t kill Ptolemus—and tells her to “let this f#&king place burn.” Mare finds Cal in the fray, but Samson takes control of them both to make them kill each other. Eventually, they are transported onto an airjet by a Newblood with the same ability that Shade had. Cal and Mare finally reunite and have a super sweet moment while everyone stares at them. Par for the course, honestly.
• From Evangeline’s Point of View: The first point of view from everyone’s favorite (though that’s a relative term) Magnetron! House Samos developed an escape plan as soon as Maven stopped listening to Volo Samos (they also used Elane Haven to spy on the king. Honestly, Elane and Evangeline are disturbingly sweet together). Evangeline recounts a bit of her own backstory: she was literally created to marry Cal (her mother, Larentia, is quite similar to Elara…) but has always been in love with Elane. She and her brother had a plan: she would marry Cal, and Elane would marry Ptolemus so that they could never be separated.
• The Kingdom of the Rift: Who would a Samos be without a power grab? After their escape, Volo crowns himself King of the Rift, making Evangeline the princess she was born to be.
• Family Time: Mare and crew land at a base in Piedmont, operated by the Scarlet Guard and citizens of the Free Republic of Montfort, including Premier Dane Davidson. She is finally reunited with the Barrows and learns that Sara Skonos healed her father, regrowing his legs and lungs, and we would be lying if we said this family reunion didn’t make us shed a tear. Oh, and just in case life couldn’t get any better for the Barrows (again, relatively speaking…) Farley gives birth to her and Shade’s baby and names her Clara!
• Debriefing: Mare plans to debrief Premier Dane Davidson, the Colonel, and a member of the mysterious Command… who turns out to be Farley, having just been promoted to General. She now outranks her father and it’s truly an inspiring moment. She tells the assembled group about her captivity and all that she learned. She’s then told that Davidson had Prince Bracken working for them, after kidnapping his children (the aforementioned Michael and Charlotta) to make him cooperate.
• The Training Montage: After nudging from Kilorn, who has been helping ease tensions between Reds and Newbloods, Mare agrees to start learning how to use her ability. She trains with three Newbloods who have the same ability—Ella, Rafe and Tyton—and learns that it has a name: Electricon.
• Back at the Rift: Evangeline is relishing being a princess, especially when several High Houses have pledged their support to King Volo. However, some resist—including Queen Anabel, who won’t support a Samos king while Cal lives. Volo, ever the power hungry monster, pledges Evangeline’s hand to Cal should he be restored to the throne, effectively ending her short-lived freedom.
• Another Battle at Corvium: Montfort and the Scarlet Guard enter into a shaky alliance with the Kingdom of the Rift and the other dissenting Houses who oppose Maven. This is another all-out, truly epic, wildly bloody battle at Corvium against Nortan and Lakelander soldiers and honestly, if you’re going to reread any part of King’s Cage, it should be from this chapter on! They win the battle, but Maven escapes. At a summit between Montfort, the Scarlet Guard, Queen Anabel, and King Volo, the Silvers make known their plane to install Cal on the throne and marry him to Evangeline. Davidson agrees to back this plan. Cal is furious, Evangeline is distraught, and Mare is heartbroken.
• Epilogue: Mare begs Cal to not take the throne, but he refuses. She sees that things will always be the same, and all of the sacrifice will have been for nothing: Cal continues to refuse to change the world or to truly pick a side. He begs her to be his consort and not to leave him alone, and she delivers this absolute BURN: “You aren’t alone. You have your crown.” After speaking with Davidson and Farley, Mare realizes that Montfort’s plan is to let the Silvers kill each other.
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