Glass Sword

On the run with the Scarlet Guard and Cal, Mare uses Julian Jacos's list to find other Reds with powers before Maven does. She recruits a small army, including Cameron, but Maven sets traps and kills the ones she can't reach in time. To keep everyone safe, Mare grows harder and more suspicious, even of her friends. In a raid on Corros prison, the group frees prisoners, but Shade is killed. In the end, cornered, Mare agrees to surrender to Maven in exchange for the others' lives.

1. Behind the scenesA road story

   Back in 2015, Aveyard previewed book two: a road story with new characters, and for the first time a foil for Mare.

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2. Behind the scenesThe ending showed up midway

   She didn't have the whole series plotted at the start. The ending became clear about halfway through Glass Sword. 'Now I know where it's going,' she said.

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3. ReferenceBuilt on the old world

   Aveyard drew on the power vacuum after Rome fell and applied it to a collapse of the American 'empire.' 'It was really interesting for me to literally build on top of the old world,' she said. Watch the ruins along the way.

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4. SetupPower corrupts

   Aveyard named the book's core theme: power corrupts, and the characters struggle with who they're becoming. Watch Mare's choices, not just the villains'.

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5. Behind the scenesKneel or Bleed

   The US cover pairs the title with a tagline: Kneel or Bleed. The later books got taglines too.

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