Locked away in a marvelous prison cell, Mare has finally fallen into enemy hands, bound by Maven’s leash. Escaping is hopeless due to the silent stone that constrains the manacles ‘silencing’ her powers. All she can do is sit and wait for a rescue that never seems to come.

The previous book, “Glass Sword,” ended with Mare’s crew flying in a jet on another rescue mission when the metal plane was ripped to threads by Megatrons (silver blooded people who can control metal). Cal held onto Mare as they fell from the sky when the metal from the jet reformed into a cage around them stopping them from hitting the ground inches from their deaths. Maven appeared and made a deal with Mare: Go with him and be his prisoner or all her friends die in front of her. Cal tried to fight for her but the Megatrons were too strong for him to handle. Mare accepted the deal, and was finally arrested and sent away.

Fast forward one month. Mare awaits in her surprisingly fancy ‘prison cell’ wondering what Maven has planned for her. She expects him to kill her but then wonders why he has waited so long. She knows he wants something and trying to figure out his intentions drives her insane. Her hope of escape is still alive even after months go by as she fights with her guards for fun trying to pass the time. Her time trapped inside the kingdom walls is the first instance where readers get a glimpse at the struggling young king Maven and they see what is really happening to him that the world doesn’t get to see. With all the high houses secretly against him combined with his genuine love for Mare, it’s so hard not to feel bad for the malicious, misunderstood Maven.

“King’s Cage” is the first book in the series to have different character points of view including Mare, Cameron and Evangeline. Meanwhile back at the Scarlet Guard base, Cameron, the girl with the silence ability Mare forced to join their organization in “Glass Sword,” describes the events taking place. Cal is uptight trying to find a way to rescue Mare after no one else is willing to take action. Captain Farley is pregnant with Mare’s dead brother’s baby and Cameron is just trying to keep her sanity. Waiting is a hard game to play. They need to wait for just the right moment to rescue Mare while also being forced see the terrible things Maven is doing to her over the news reports broadcasted throughout the kingdom.

The confident, unstoppable, metal-bending Evangeline also has problems of her own. After being betrayed by Maven when he finds a new queen to marry, Evangeline is the one to let Mare escape when her rescue team has finally come for her. Throughout all the chaos of the rescue invasion, she protects her and even revives her powers after being suppressed for so long. It’s the start of an unlikely friendship after months of hating each other. Only time will tell if Evangeline will be there when the time really counts in the final book.

One aspect Aveyard executed well was how she passed time throughout the book considering it takes place throughout multiple months. With the help of three points of view, the reader always knows what’s happening even when the characters are split up and various viewpoints also shine new light on the true intentions of certain characters.

“King’s Cage” throws “Glass Sword” out of the water with even more plot twists, action and heartbreaking love scenes between unexpected characters. It’s saddening to think this is the third book in the four book series and Mare’s adventure is coming to an end. Readers only hope the fourth and final book is the grand finale that answers all of the suspenseful questions and hopes. The prominent question still stands: Will Mare and Cal live happily ever?

Overall “King’s Cage” deserves 5/5 stars for Aveyard’s seamless time lapse and unexpected ending outcome of the story.