King's Cage
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Who Else Didn't Really Like the Ending?
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Sydney
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Feb 22, 2017 12:06PM

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So anyway, Mare seemed to start to get this. Then they find each other again, seemed to put difficult aspects of their past relationship aside, and built something.
Then when he expresses the idea that him being King with her by his side could affect the change she wants, she not only doesn't even consider it for a micro-second, she feels it's the ultimate betrayal. She's back to being certain that she's right and he's wrong. Sure, Cal may be playing into the hands of the Scarlet Guard (don't get me started about how, if Mare allows him to be a pawn without letting him know that's what he is, she's basically leading him to the slaughter), but he doesn't know that and neither did she at the time. She's just all, "Kings are bad and you suck for thinking they're not." Whether, in the end, she turns out to be correct isn't the point. When Cal asks, "choose me," there's no hesitancy. She won't entertain the notion for even a moment. She expected him to throw away everything he ever knew and immediately choose her, but she obviously isn't capable of immediately choosing him, even when it doesn't require throwing away everything she believes in.
So yeah, as far as these two are concerned, the book was 2 steps forward. The ending was 3 steps back.

There will be 2 options for Cal:
1. He sees through what he really did. Change and go back to mare.
2. He cannot change and -i feel it- he's going to perish.
Or worse than anything both Mare and Cal die. o.o
Really hope the author goes for options 1.
And yes i do prefer Cal over someone else *cough*Mavel*cough*.
Really up to what's going to happen to the scarlet guards now.





But maybe Cal really does want to use his power as king (once he ascends to the throne) to have a positive effect on Norta. I agree that he hasn't ever let go of his desire for the crown, but it frustrated me how Mare immediately reverted back to her arrogant opinions, as Lisa said above, "She's back to being certain that she's right and he's wrong." She placed all of the blame on him and even though Cal refused to choose her, Mare also refused to choose him (although I honestly have no idea how that would've worked out; House Samos wouldn't have agreed to it in a million years). I thought the ending was really heartbreaking, and I'm equally frustrated with Cal and Mare. They had better (somehow) get back together in the next book!

I agree that Cal would try and use his power as king to better Norta, but he's trying to regain a split crown now. Cal should know how much the scarlet Guard and their alliances don't wish for a silver crown - but he only thought of how he may get the crown back (or a crown of some sorts). It never really occurred to him that three silver kings fighting for the same crown would be what the Scarlet Guard ect, were hoping for, 'We're going to let them kill each other'. I'm quite excited to see how Victoria Aveyard plays the story out though.
But again i agree, Mare is selfish and she keeps asking Cal to choose her (which is getting tedious), and the one time he asked her to choose him, she doesn't. I think she made the right choice though in staying with the Scarlet Guard. I just don't see how more people pushing for the crown would help the situation. Destroy the crown completely and then rebuild from there.


I so agree about the whole not-choosing-Cal thing, like? Obviously she shouldn't leave everything else she has behind just for Cal but she should have thought about it more and longer! She has been for the whole time asking Cal that exact thing and she didn't seem to even realize that? That bugs me the most, but maybe there will be some scene where she realizes this in the next book... I hope..
But the thing I liked about the ending was that I didn't see it coming, I was shocked.

However, Cal is clever and maybe he will fight for equality between Reds and Silvers or even fight this marriage. Then there is the fact that Evangeline does not want this life and wants to be happy with Elane. Maybe she will stand up to her father and say no.
I have mixed feelings about the end. It is not what I would have liked to happen, but it was unexpected.







thank you! I got so annoyed by it all. She's just dragging this without any substance

I think she wants us to believe that there is suspense but we all kind of know how things will end.
Honestly who can be surprised that he wants back his kingdom wasn't this a no brainer? he is the heir to fucking kingdom was he supposed to be farmer?
Also I agree that Mare is overreacting, hes not betraying her by wanting his birthright if anything he might make an excellent king and help with the whole red/silver thing (as if we haven't all guessed shel be queen at the end)
Mavens future so far is the only uncertain one, will he trick them again, will he die, can he be saved? juicy juice here
As for Evangeline, I have really come to like her in Kings cage and I honestly hope she becomes queen in her own kingdom instead of being someone else wife + her parents give me the impression that their cooking something evil

and of course too skinny as mentioned 1000000 times


By now I'm here for the plot, not for the relationships. And for Cameron (she's fabulous!).

Whenever they had something to do and she refused to participate id be like why are you being a selfish brat? go help! But then every time she explained why she was angry and what her reasons were for being this way I couldn't help but agree with her.
I think that the writer is using her as the voice of reason sometimes to ground us and Mare at the same time.
In any case I do look forward to her characters evolution in the next book

To me, Mare's choice to not choose Cal makes perfect sense. I feel like a lot of you are forgetting the ordeal she was JUST in...she was just stuffed into Maven's cage and had to parade around as his pet and she was absolutely miserable. She got to see the behind the scenes of the decisions he had to make to keep his kingdom secure and she also saw herself mirrored in Maven, which scared the shit out of her! She sees the monster he was made into and she realizes she could easily become the same. I think she also realized power can taint and ruin a person and she really wants nothing to do with it.
So when Cal asks her to choose him and she doesn't, it makes sense. I reread the whole part again and she is thinking of lots of things but she does recall being Maven's pet and she doesn't want to do that again with another king. Cal may not realize Samos and his grandmother's plans to return the world to how it was, but Mare wants nothing to do with the old world. He hesitated when he said he could possibly marry her (in the old world, that would never happen, Mare is still Red). She'd be his glorified mistress or just another "pet." I think Cal is naive thinking he can do good for Norta by accepting his crown back because he isn't aware of all the plots and scheming. Mare isn't either, but I wonder how she will play it out now that she knows what the Scarlet Guard is up to.
Some of you think she should have accepted him, but personally I would never sacrifice who I am and what I stand for to marry the person I "love." Love comes with compromises but real love doesn't ask you to go against what you believe in. Mare's thread of steel is about her dislike for power and the old world. It also is about her never entering into another royal "union" like the one she had with Maven. Sure, Cal would be 10x nicer to her but she'd still have to deal with Evangeline and the fact that they'd have babies. I don't know about any of you, but that does NOT sit well with me. Mare comes from a family where her parents are still married and together (even through all of the crazy hardships they went through)...Red families care about each other and build each other up...the silvers are always competing for power. I don't see a lot of love coming from their families.
The ending was heartbreaking because I've been there. It sucks so much to make a decision like that, but when your gut tells you to do something you listen. I relate to Mare in that way because when she immediately didn't choose him I respected her for knowing what she wanted. Since there's a 4th book things can always change! I'm excited to see where the author takes Mare and what happens to the Calore brothers.

First I must admit that I thought this would be the last book so maybe at page 400 I was like "Ooops, I'm sensing a huge cliffhanger and surpriiiise, there it is."
And I also have to say I'm more of the Maven-Mare crew, I mean just look at the alliteration, they could name their daughter Melissa or so (Yes I know, they two will never be together because of Maven's cruelty but I couldn't arrange with Cal because:)
1. How could he cooperate with people who just wish to get the old order back? Can't tell me he's not sensing that, it's just obvious!
2. How can he even think about marrying Evangelina, does he want Mare to end like his mother (Yes Evangelina seems to be a lot nicer than Elara but seriously, Cal doesn't know about this and she tried to kill Mare several times)
3. Babys with a woman I hate instead of the one I love? Hell No!
4. Lastly: I just don't like the idea of monarchy, so I disagree with Cal because I think he as king would also discriminate the Reds, maybe not on purpose, but like you all agree on: He was raised like this so change comes slow
I completly understand Mare's decision. Yes, maybe slow progress is better than none, but the biggest change always comes with a revolution and not with reforms and I think that is what she wants, regardless what I think (maybe Cal's children with Evangelina would be as cruel or as passionate about power as their mother and Whopsi do no rights for the Reds, don't know, in general I tend towards the more peaceful option but I'm not shute if, in this situation it's the right one).
Just to say: I understand Cal and I understand Mare, both aren't open for compromises (what is the quintessence of a healthy relationship), but because I agree more with Mare's ideals I'm angry at ihm for him choosing power and maybe discrimination instead of love and equality.
Peace out!

And to hear that the one she loves and trusts most would still choose his crown over her, it must be sickening. No wonder she rejected Cal. He would rather have power in his possession than Mare, no matter what, and he is reluctant to help the Guard's cause because the Silvers are his people. I feel like one day that's going to backfire. With Mare and the Scarlet Guard.

Let me start by saying that I'm sorry that something like that happened to you it must really suck.
In Mares case however they never really went into details (as far as I remember) about what their future together would be like. for her to think that Cal going for his crown is so shocking is not realistic, like what else was he going to do? He has bravely fought and stood up for the reds ever since he left with her but to what end?
I agree that his grandmother wants things to go back to how they were but I don't know if that's what he wants and once hes king there not much other ppl can do about it he can change the laws if he wants to. But I think the Samos family have more tricks up their sleeve everything was too calculated and too perfect with them. at least now we know that Evangeline is not like them and doesn't actually want the same things, I think that in the next book she will switch sides - just a feeling.
I get that it is normal for both Cal and Mare to want the things they do but neither of them can be truly shocked, for me at least as a reader their motives have been pretty obvious. Also I don't agree that Mare doesn't like power, she doesn't like to be controlled by anyone else which makes sense given her past but she is super controlling herself. whenever she doesn't like something she takes it upon her to do something and control the situation. When they first started recruiting she was acting like the boss too. She calls all the shots. She has a very bizarre relationship with authority but she cant seem to get go of it herself. Also Mare is not the only one who went through hell in this series, everyone lost someone or went through something so we cant really use the past as an excuse for anyone besides Maven whos situation is totally diff.
I don't think he chose his crown over her, in the book he wants her to be with him by his side he never wanted to leave her. I think this sucks for him as much as it does for her bcz he doesn't want to marry Evangeline either.
In the end I believe they will be together one way or another, I think at least I hope that Evangeline will be queen of her own kingdom instead of marrying Cal.

In the first book I liked the relationship, and it made sense, and then everything got thrown out the window and I was sad and betrayed.
Then in the second book I was upset because of what Mare was doing. And then I was starting to get it. I was happy with what was happening with her and Cal. Only upset that neither one really trys to look past their own feelings to the others. Both Cal and Mare think their right and it takes a lot for them to even constider someone elses points.
Then in the third book, once again I was so hurt, by everything that happened. I think it was good for her to loose her powers for a while so that she can learn to appreciate them more. It looked like this was what was going to happen, and she was starting to look back on her life, and realize everything she had done. But then when she broke out she kinda just forgot everything she went through.
I feel like after all the time it should have made her powers stronger, and I get she is already powerful, but because she had the chance to think for so long, she should be able to use them with so much more, I don't know, power. But this doesn't really happen.
I was glad we had some chance in prosective and I liked Evanelines POV. I also liked that we got a look into what she was feeling, and it helped to understand everything she like EVER did in the books. I'm really hoping that she gets her own kindom instead of marrying Cal. I think she would feel caged by Cal, because he want to be in charge of everything.
I think that Cal and Mare go well together, but I don't think they could like a life that way. Mare is more of a free spirit full of feelings, but Cal would want to cage that to some exstent.
Yes Cal is also a spirit in need to roaming, but I don't think he understands Mare the way we do.
I also wish that Mare's family has more to do in the next book, because I really like all of them.
I also like how orgainzed everything got near the ending of the book. I mean Mare littaraly jumped head first into so many things, and that's why she ended up the way she did. Now that everything is in order, she might look at it from a different point of view and finally try to understand so things, but maybe she will just take advantage to this at just keep doing what she wants. I want the first thing, but I don't think she will it just doesn't match how I picture her, and unless she does change (something she doesn't do much) she will, most likely, keep doing what she wants and keep getting people hurt.
I like the fact that Maven had a big part in the book. I really like his as a character, even if he is a "bad person". I really want him to realize everything he has done (maybe spend some time without his powers too) but I still love what the author has done with him. I like him more than I should, but I still hate him in so many other ways.
In this series it feels like I'm hating so much of what happens, but I love enough stuff to keep me intrested. Sometimes making me hate something makes me want to read more, because it give the book a chance to change. I feel like no matter what the ending I'm going to hate what happens to some character. I really love this series but I don't like what is happening around them.

So to answer the question..the ending was horrible, but not in quality! Just in feeeellllsss :( I thought Victoria did an amazing job at portraying a true crumbling of a relationship and the pain involved in that.

Well said! I've been there too and that's why the ending really hit home for me. The author did such a good job at portraying what it's actually like to suddenly realize you both want different things even though you care about one another. Its heart-wrenching.
You're right though, Mare made the right choice.

I feel your pain too! That ending scene between Mare and Cal destroy my heart. I still believe in Cal to make the right decision. (Please Victoria! Please let my Cal and Mare ship sail!) And for Maven...
He can go die in a pit of fire. I will never forgive the things he done to everyone he known! Especially the trauma he cause on Mare and Cal.


She is writing another book, but it's not coming out til February!

How do you spend time writing something knowing people are posting and are getting excited and just bring down the whole plot with one sentence... for what all the readers went through with that...DISASTER, Maven could at least have died at the end(or Mare and Cal and Cameron{?}) Just a suggestion... :)

Yeah, the ending was definitely boring for me. but the rest of the book was very good like you said.

Obviously there will be a war duh but I really wonder which side everybody will be on. We have Cals family teaming up with Evangelines (my new fav character) to regain the throne.
Mavens army to keep him in the throne and the red rebels who will fight anyone of the above for their rights.
Anyone have any ideas where this might go?

Hey! Welcome to the party. What did you think?

Oh God, same! I was in freaking tears, I hope that some way they get back together.

Hey! Welcome to the party. What did you think?"
Thanks for the welcome!
I think the book as a whole was really intense and good. But that ending just broke my heart and I'm piss at Cal. LIKE WHY CAL?! YOU MADE A FREAKIN PROMISE TO MARE AND YOU BROKE IT! HOW COULD YOU?!
...Anyway, I hope the last book has a happy ending and my ship for Cal and Mare still happens. I hope.


I don't mind giving characters emotions, it's great! But this case...
At the beginning we see the bitchy antagonist doing whatever she needs for her goal - ok, fine.
Then we see that she loves her brother and she's convinced in "You are a daughter of fangs and steel. What are you meant for, if not to rule?Be the best, the strongest, the smartest, the most deadly and the most cunning. The most worthy." - hah! more info of reasons and individuality, good!
But then: "Tiberias would be my friend and Elane my lover. She would marry Tolly, as planned, ensuring none of us could ever be parted." - marring brother and lover? em? what?
The farther we go, the more we see a girl afraid of her parents and wishing a loving family. Such a twist but:
"I don’t want this anymore. Let me go home.
Make him choose, Mare. Make him turn me aside."
Aaaand instead of metal queen here is a little girl unable to do anything on her own. Asking your archenemy for help? Really?
From bitch to spineless girl... (I wonder what is worse?)
Why, Victoria?



-btw cal didnt even try to chase mare at the end -

I dont blame both of them for their choices but i do hope that both of them end up together again. and i agree with Afiqah about how Cal doesnt even try to chase Mare (If you love her why dont you chase her??). Im not that happy with the ending but i felt that its the ending that should be done whether its good or bad.
Btw I miss Shade so much in this book
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