I was not expecting this series to be so dark! I freaking loved it! I enjoy when teen fiction pushes the envelope and pulls no punches. Aveyard has written a memorable teen fantasy series that is reminiscent of the worlds created by Nix and threatens her character-babies like George R.R. Martin.
If I'm being totally honest, it took me months to move past the first portion of Red Queen. If you're there, try and stick with it. The brutal, mind-fuckery you're in for is intense - and totally awesome because scary faerie/Avator LAB element-wielding beings are awesome.