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Rachel Turner is an Orange – born with Orange hair and an Orange aura. Her sister, Annie, is a Pink – and as such is hunted mercilessly by the Reds. Even their own mother tried to murder Annie as a baby, believing having a Pink daughter was treasonous to her Red lineage. Their mother is run out of their village afterwards, and the two girls are raised by their father, who is a Yellow.
When their father is killed while working, the two girls must try to make ends meet, as well as keep Annie safe from groups of Reds who often hunt in packs. When the sisters set out to trade their wares, they’re attacked by a group of hunters – Rachel is sedated and Annie is taken to the worst place she could go – the Pinky Prison. When Rachel wakes, she knows she is the only one who will care enough to rescue her sister from certain death; all of the other colours are either too afraid of the Reds, or simply too apathetic.
Smith’s debut novel is a thrilling, fast paced fantasy novel for young adults, with a complex lore and fascinating characters. Revenge of the Reds has a whole backstory readily laid out so the reader can begin to understand how the world of Kuzman works. Discrimination and diversity is threaded throughout the book, with heavy emphasis on how the Pinks (or Pinky’s) are unfairly treated just because of the colour of their birth. For one so young, she has written an incredible commentary on the injustices faced by people of colour every day in our world, without being too direct.
Revenge of the Reds is a fun, easy read, perfect for anyone who wants to escape into a rich, action filled, adventurous, fantasy novel. Although in places, I became frustrated at the lack of explanation of the other Colours magic (or if they even had magic or powers), I enjoyed this remarkable story. In places, the prose felt a little clunky, it was a still a brilliant debut for the recent High School Graduate.
S. A
First published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC program. You can read the original review here.
Revenge of the Reds is available to buy from Amazon. You can purchase it by clicking on the name of the book.