My immediate reaction upon seeing this was the following:
OMG we know the title of book three!!!
*cue fangirling*
AND we have to wait till February 2017 to read it.
*cue tears*
BUT on June 28th we'll see the cover!!!!!
*resume fangirling*
- Is someone in a cage? Will they get out of it?
- Why are they in a cage?
- Does "cage" refer to an actual cage or is this symbolic of something else?
- Who is being referred to as the "king?"
- Will the cover have another crown or something else? A cage perhaps?
- WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?????
So I did what any good booknerd does in this situation. I went back to the books to look for clues to what this confounding title could mean. Guess what? I found something.
Before I dive into my thoughts, I want to state that this is all SPECULATION. It's just my opinion and thoughts on what the title could POSSIBLY, MAYBE mean. The purpose of sharing this is to have fun discussing a favorite series. If I'm right YAY! If I'm wrong BUMMER! In a few days we'll know the answers. Until then let's enjoy trying to solve the mystery.
Alright, let's get started!
TITLE SPECULATION
I think for most people the word "cage" in the title was unexpected. It's a little random but also mysterious, dark, and ominous. However, when I skimmed through GLASS SWORD and arrived at the epilogue, I stumbled upon something VERY INTERESTING:
It's ok. Take a moment... or several. Let it sink in.
In this scene Mare is being taken to Maven to be put on display for the entire kingdom after her surrender. The little lightning girl in chains. "A living trophy" to be gawked and jeered at. Mare isn't in a literal cage but a symbolic one. She recognizes being in this situation before. In RED QUEEN her "cage" was being paraded around as Mareena Titanos. Both times Mare made the selfless choice so she could protect those that she loves.
Maven is King of Norta (for now) and I do believe he is the "king" being referred to in the title. Therefore, I SPECULATE that KING'S CAGE is a symbolic reference to Mare being Maven's prisoner. Mare has gone from being Maven's "red queen" to the "glass sword" that would kill him to being trapped in the "king's cage" as his prisoner. It's interesting how POSSIBLY all three titles connect Mare and Maven.
COVER SPECULATION
So far the covers of RED QUEEN and GLASS SWORD have featured bloody (but gorgeous) crowns. Makes sense as "queen" is in the title and this is a fantasy story with royals/kingdoms. It's a logical assumption that the pattern of using a bloody crown on the cover of book three would continue. Of course when the title was finally revealed as KING'S CAGE this called into question the established cover pattern. Could the cover feature an actual cage, even if it's a fancy one?!
As I kept reading the epilogue of GLASS SWORD I discovered another possible clue that could hint at the cover to KING'S CAGE:
Is it all clicking into place now?
I believe that the collar is the physical symbol of Mare as Maven's prisoner. Wouldn't this collar perfectly represent the title KING'S CAGE?
But wait!!! What about the pattern of using crowns on the covers? Read the description of the collar again. Doesn't it sound like a deadly but beautiful CROWN fit for a "living trophy?" The crowns' designs are a symbolic interpretation of the titles and story.
RED QUEEN - silver crown with red blood - symbolizes Mare as a Red with Silver abilities
GLASS SWORD - glass crown with a sword in the middle covered in red and silver blood -
symbolizes Mare becoming a weapon to kill Maven
KING'S CAGE - jeweled crown with spikes (not sure about the blood color) - symbolizes Mare as Maven's prisoner
See, the pattern of featuring crowns on the covers remains intact. No need to worry about the books not matching. LOL.
So there you have it Scarlet Guard! What do you think of my speculations? Did any of what I said make sense? Is it just coincidence? Am I over thinking this? What do you think the title means? What do you think the cover to KING'S CAGE will look like? Please comment below! I'd love to read your thoughts!
Thanks for reading!
~Amna
@PeruseThePages
