Review: Fairest

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #3.5
Publisher: Feiwei & Friends
Release Date: January 27th, 2015
Source: Bought
Date Read: 2/9/15 to 2/9/15
222 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish there was more. More than 222 pages I mean. (I was actually wondering why my book was thicker, but that's because there's an excerpt of Winter in there that I don't want to read, because that is just a cruel teaser). Anyways.

This is a review of a novella from The Lunar Chronicles! The story itself contains no spoilers for the entire series, but in my opinion it would be more enjoyable to read after the third book, Cress.

As said in the blurb, the story is about Queen Levana's childhood, well mostly her messed up teen years. Seriously, what is wrong with this family? 

Truthfully, I felt no pity for Levana. Even though her older sister was the one that kind of made her into the person she is in the present, more of it was due to Levana's hopeless crush and obsession on a married soldier. 

It was really creepy stalkerish. 

But yeah, the motives and thoughts of Levana are definitely questionable, I mean she manipulates someone into loving her, and glamouring herself to look like his dead wife. NO. NO. YOU NEED TO STOP. gah.

IT IS TOTALLY WRONG. IT IS. HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU

And Levana really, really wants the throne. So much that there is just DEATH EVERYWHERE. Some of it isn't even her fault, but she probably did play a part in it somewhat. Pretty much all I got from this novella was that 1) Levana is crazy and 2) She needs to be stopped even though she's only doing what is right for Luna 3) GO CINDER GO I BELIEVE IN YOU.

The story itself was very fast paced. I really wanted it to slow down so it could expand on certain things, but then again it is still only a novella. It didn't succeed in changing my thoughts about Levana, I still want to see her go down. 

Review: Cress

Cress by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #3
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: February 4th, 2014
Source: Owned
Date Read: 10/14/14 to 10/29/14
550 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Where is the next book when you need it?
Seriously. When is it coming out?
Ok, Fairest is coming out in January, but where is Winter! I want Winter! gah

If you've read both my reviews for Cinder and Scarlet, and still haven't picked up the series yet, what are you doing with your life? 

I'm just kidding. But seriously, The Lunar Chronicles just gets better and better. At first I thought Cinder was amazing, and then I read Scarlet and thought it was even better. And then Cress, just take the amazingness of Cinder and Scarlet, but them together, and multiply that by ten. That's how good Cress was.

It is also such a beautiful book on it's own. Just look at it.

Since this is the third book in the series, and I can't exactly do a full review without spoiling anything, but, I can say that this is one of the best books I've read so far this year. (You know, if you haven't gotten that from my previous statements)

The best part of Cress isn't just the storyline, or the fact that it's another fairy-tale retelling. No. Cress is all about the characters. Meyer weaves together a story that fleshes out every single character she creates, making us, the readers, fall in love with them completely. 

I loved our new addition to the gang, Cress. Although around half of the book centered around her, Meyer was able to somehow develop the other main characters, Captain Thorne and Cinder, even when she was limited to 550 pages. Oh, and don't forget her amazing writing, her ability to create an amazing side story out of nowhere, while weaving it perfectly into the main plotline.

It's official. Marissa Meyer is now on my list of favorite authors.

I'm really at a loss for words, because Cress is the epitome of amazing. All I can do is wait until 2015 for the next two books. 

Seriously, this review does no justice (I know), so I'll leave you with this beautiful photo of the pumpkins my friends and I carved earlier today.

I carved the cat by the way.

I hope that from this review, anyone who hasn't started the Lunar Chronicles, will start it right now.

That is all I have to say. Also, Happy Halloween everyone! I would've made it two different posts, but I'm lazy, and I also haven't gotten a book review up in a while. I don't read spooky books though, so the two are kind of unrelated (lol Cress is not spooky)

Review: Scarlet

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #2
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: February 5th, 2013
Source: 
Date Read: 9/12/14 to 10/10/14
452 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Marissa Meyer, I will honestly read anything by you. I don't care the topic.

Seriously, I cannot believe I waited THIS long to continue on with the series. What was I thinking??!  I even spent a month on it because I wanted to savor the writing. I didn't skim or skip ahead, and instead I read every single word on each page.

For the readers that have not even touched Cinder yet (my review here), here are a couple reasons on why you must pick up the book now.

• The author is a genius, no joke. Her writing is perfection. The futuristic world is portrayed through show, and not tell.  
• And speaking of the world of The Lunar Chronicles, it is everything I ever wanted in a series. Nothing is underdeveloped, I can envision everything in my head, and I'm never left asking for more. Because it's already there, even in the first book.
• The characters, do I even need to explain this? Cinder is awesome, and original. A cyborg, genius mechanic, what more could you ask for?

Now here's my review of the next book, Scarlet. Feel free to skim, but just letting you know there aren't any spoilers! 

Scarlet blew me away, and it was honestly just as amazing as the first book, though probably even better. There were a decent amount of new characters introduced, such as Scarlet (well, duh) and the ever mysterious Wolf.

The main reason I loved Scarlet, was not only did it expand on the world-building (and also Paris!), but Meyer did that one thing that I love the most. She took both pairs of characters, developed them separately, and then forced them to meet in the end. I'm such a sucker for those things.

And then there was the lies and and the deception! Wooo! Even though it made me sad when it happened, it was a good kind of sad. Even I was sometimes fooled. I kept on changing my mind on whether I should trust certain characters or not.

ALSO. FAIRY TALE RETELLINGS. Red Riding Hood isn't even that popular, but Meyer still made it more awesome. She wove the characters and subplot into the main plot so neatly, with absolutely no plot holes or "what just happened" moments. Basically, this awesome sci-fi world with comms and ships and reimaginings of cities, but in the future, just grew larger and more amazing. I really just want to immerse myself in this world, and learn more and more and more and more.

I think the one thing that bothered me a little was that there was less Cinder, and more Scarlet. I mean, I still loved Scarlet and Wolf, but you know, I wanted to more about Captain Thorne. ALSO PRINCE KAI. I still think he's "eh" but whatever. I do want him to be part of the action in Cress, or I guess Winter.

But anyways, I'm already reading Cress with Holly @ Part of Your World, which may be a bad thing since I'll be finished with it before Fairest and Winter come out. But I'm going to read it anyways. I'll just have to find something to distract me in the mean time.

Review: Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publisher: Feiwei & Friends
Released: January 3rd, 2012

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Taken from Goodreads

Start: 4/6/2014 | End: 4/8/2014 | Pages: 387 | Rating: 5 Stars  

My Thoughts:

I just finished Cinder five minutes ago, and I am speechless. I'm at a loss of words. Really, anything said in this review cannot express how amazing and wonderful this book is. My review does no justice.

I'm literally going to be walking around like a limp noodle for the next few days, in a daze over THIS BOOK.

This gif totally fits bwahaha

But honestly, where do I begin. Obviously with forcing everyone who hasn't read Cinder to go read it now. Cinder is the story of a cyborg mechanic in a far off future where the letumosis plague is eating everyone away. Stuck with her "evil" stepmother and her two daughters Pearl and Peony, she manages to survive by supporting them with her genius mechanical skills.

Everything changes when Peony catches the illness, and Cinder is sent away for the "voluntary" cyborg draft, where she will be tested on to find a cure. And everyone knows no cyborg comes back from those tests. No one except for Cinder, because she's the only hope for Earth when it comes to the Lunar race, and more importantly the Lunar Queen.

The moment I met Cinder, I instantly loved her, and her sarcasm. After reading so many YA books with mediocre heroines, Cinder blew me away. I really can't describe it right at the moment, nor am I emotionally capable of writing this review at the moment, but Cinder is a smart, kickass MC, who makes smart, and reasonable, decisions that aren't questioned by the reader. Plus she's a cyborg, which I know is looked down upon in the book, but I personally think that's awesome.

All of the minor characters were mostly or fully developed. The reason I know this? Because I fell in love with every one of them, even Adri and the Lunar Queen (I don't actually "love" them, just the characters themselves.....blagh it's hard to explain, hopefully you know what I mean? What I'm trying to say is that they were done well).

Iko and Peony were definitely my favorites.

And PRINCE KAI! Oh I have mixed feelings about you! Especially at the end there. But I leave further judgements to the next book.

This is one of the best world-building I have ever read about in a YA novel. It's absolutely stunning. 

Everything about New Beijing is well put together. There's no info dump, everything is gradually put on you. The context of the story gives you accurate descriptions of the environment and the new tech, like androids, hovers, IDs, etc. If an author had to learn one thing from Meyer, it's that you don't just tell us what this or that is, you show show show SHOW. 

I am in love with this fantasy, science fiction, dystopian mix of a genre. ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE, and I really cannot contain my inner fangirlness!

I'm dying to read the next book. I want more! I read half of the book in one sitting and the rest just now, and I seriously need the rest of the series. Someone send me Scarlet now please!  

✰✰✰✰✰