Red Queen centers in a divided world; those born with red blood and those born with silver. The “Silvers” which is what the people born with silver blood is called, are the royals and the rich, born with superpowers, while the “Reds” are poor and often serves as slaves.
Mare, a seventeen-years-old Red lives together with her poor family. Her sister, who was the family’s initial bread-winner has her hand crushed, and pick-pocketing is not an option for Mare anymore. One day, as she is trying to earn money for her family, she meets the handsome Cal. He sees the situation she is in and decided to help her, which reveals that he is the crown prince, as he has assigned her to work in the royal Palace for the Silvers.
She decides to work there, as her family will be given a lot of money. There are many women trying to win the princess hand in marriage, and they show of their powers in a rink. As Mare serves the people around the rink, watching the shows the Silver women with powers are presenting, it is Evangeline turn to show off. She has the power of manipulating metals, and she causes and earthquake.
Mare falls down from one of the viewing boxes, towards the rink, but before she falls to her death, she saves herself by creating a lightning shield. This means that she has powers even though she is a red, and she is taken away by the royal guards. The king and queen make a cover story of Mare; she was the secret daughter of a strong Silver warrior, and therefore has great power. They decide that she will marry the youngest prince, Maven.
The Scarlet Guard is a resistance group that secretly works for the betterment and rights for the Reds. Mare secretly joins, as she is scared. She has always hated the Silvers for their treatment of the Reds, yet she begins falling in love with both the princess. Mare is surprised to find out that the prince’ weren’t as bad as she though they were, when Maven says he wants to join them as well, as he realizes the county hasn’t been working effectively.
There is a coup planned, where Mare and Maven join to kill the king. Cal tries to stop them, though the Queen makes sure the King is killed anyway. Maven reveals that he is a traitor, working for the Queen to have the throne, not the Reds. Mare and Cal have to escape, and she decides to kill Maven.
