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Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2014)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 higher 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.
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 higher 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.
552 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2014
About the author
Marissa Meyer
60 books120k followersI live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31,283 reviews
January 3, 2015
***BEFORE READING
OH. MY. GOD I THINK I HAVE MADE A MIRACULOUS DISCOVERY!
So, I was re-reading Cinder when I came upon the part where Dr. Erland is explaining why he hates the Queen so much and it's because his daughter-who is a shell- was supposedly murdered by the Queen. His daughters name is Crescent Moon. CRESCENT MOON. CRESCENT SHORT FOR CRESS BY ANY CHANCE !
That was not my only discovery but, we all know that the 4th book called Winter will be about Snow White. Does anyone else remember in the beginning where Cinder was talking about all the rumors about the Queen and said "They said she forced her stepdaughter to mutilate her own face because, at the sweet age of thirteen, she had become more beautiful than the jealous queen could stand" MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL WHOSE THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL? .
I may be wrong this is just a guess
***AFTER READING
Oh my ... This book was just am-.... Characters were absolutely incre- .... Plot was spot o-....
Seriously I don't even know where to begin this review for this undeniable master piece of a novel. For one, it totally lived up to every single one of my expectations which was pretty surprising since I had such high expectations; there's nothing worse then hyping up a novel/movie/event so much that when you do read/watch/go to it , it's all a bit anti climatic because of all these impractical hopes you had. So when I did read Cress I was in absolute awe on how much I loved it.
The characters were all so dearly loveable and each one of them had a clear distinct personality. Thus when reading all the different point of views you could clearly distinguish a unique voice making each chapter a refreshing breath of new air. As for the new characters Cress was a brilliant actress in the making and captured the dreamer inside of us all perfectly. I particularly adored how Meyer made I even loved to hate Levanna and I just cant wait for the next installment where we get to learn more of her back story. That being said can we all talk about that little sneak peek we got on I could literally write an essay on every single character on why their magnificent and why I love them but... that would make this review a bit dull and mundane so I'll leave the essay writing for English.
The plot was fast paced with not a dull moment to be seen. It was filled with adventure: treks through the dessert, hopeless situations,(not so) damsels in distress, battles and small dashes of romance that spontaneously made me have a stupid, goofy grin.
All in all Cress was a steller novel filled with twists and turns and the power to enchant readers reminding them of the oh so familiar fairytale: Rapunzel.
Me reading all the swoon worthy romance bits *cough cough Cinder and Kai cough cough*
Me reading everything else
(Also addressing my prediction
Side note: I've received a few messages concerning the prediction part of my review - due to it actually becoming true I should mark it as a spoiler. Many apologies in advance for unintentionally spoiling Cress. I seriously made that prediction a long, long, LONG time ago ... like before Scarlet even came out and never thought about it from the perspective of fresh eyes. So once again, sorry.
OH. MY. GOD I THINK I HAVE MADE A MIRACULOUS DISCOVERY!
So, I was re-reading Cinder when I came upon the part where Dr. Erland is explaining why he hates the Queen so much and it's because his daughter-who is a shell- was supposedly murdered by the Queen. His daughters name is Crescent Moon. CRESCENT MOON. CRESCENT SHORT FOR CRESS BY ANY CHANCE !
That was not my only discovery but, we all know that the 4th book called Winter will be about Snow White. Does anyone else remember in the beginning where Cinder was talking about all the rumors about the Queen and said "They said she forced her stepdaughter to mutilate her own face because, at the sweet age of thirteen, she had become more beautiful than the jealous queen could stand" MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL WHOSE THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL? .
***AFTER READING
Oh my ... This book was just am-.... Characters were absolutely incre- .... Plot was spot o-....
Seriously I don't even know where to begin this review for this undeniable master piece of a novel. For one, it totally lived up to every single one of my expectations which was pretty surprising since I had such high expectations; there's nothing worse then hyping up a novel/movie/event so much that when you do read/watch/go to it , it's all a bit anti climatic because of all these impractical hopes you had. So when I did read Cress I was in absolute awe on how much I loved it.
The characters were all so dearly loveable and each one of them had a clear distinct personality. Thus when reading all the different point of views you could clearly distinguish a unique voice making each chapter a refreshing breath of new air. As for the new characters Cress was a brilliant actress in the making and captured the dreamer inside of us all perfectly. I particularly adored how Meyer made I even loved to hate Levanna and I just cant wait for the next installment where we get to learn more of her back story. That being said can we all talk about that little sneak peek we got on I could literally write an essay on every single character on why their magnificent and why I love them but... that would make this review a bit dull and mundane so I'll leave the essay writing for English.
The plot was fast paced with not a dull moment to be seen. It was filled with adventure: treks through the dessert, hopeless situations,(not so) damsels in distress, battles and small dashes of romance that spontaneously made me have a stupid, goofy grin.
All in all Cress was a steller novel filled with twists and turns and the power to enchant readers reminding them of the oh so familiar fairytale: Rapunzel.
Me reading all the swoon worthy romance bits *cough cough Cinder and Kai cough cough*
Me reading everything else
(Also addressing my prediction
Side note: I've received a few messages concerning the prediction part of my review - due to it actually becoming true I should mark it as a spoiler. Many apologies in advance for unintentionally spoiling Cress. I seriously made that prediction a long, long, LONG time ago ... like before Scarlet even came out and never thought about it from the perspective of fresh eyes. So once again, sorry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2016
“Have you given any thought to your wedding vows?” Kai snorted.
“Delete anything that has to do with love, respect, or joy, and I’ll sign on the dotted line.”
3 1/2 stars. After I finally gave in and read Scarlet recently, people have been urging me to read Cress. I can see why - this book is so so much fun.
Firstly, I have to say that Meyer has really worked on her pacing since the days of Cinder (which I personally found really boring). This book zips along from action scene, to discovery, to maybe romance and all of it is pretty well-balanced. It's not high literature, but it is pure enjoyment.
In this book, we get to know Cress - a girl locked away by herself in a spaceship and based on the fairy tale character Rapunzel. While completely different from the level-headed Cinder or the fiery Scarlet, Cress is absolutely lovable. I usually tend to find myself liking stronger, more cynical characters, but Cress' naivete is both realistic and completely charming.
In fact, this is the funniest book yet, with lots of humourous banter to balance out the plagues, near death experiences, and evil bitch queens.
The author pokes fun at instalove and silly, romantic obsession, portraying Cress as a sheltered girl with unrealistic romantic expectations suddenly receiving a cold hard shock as she enters the real world and finds that eyes do not simply meet across crowded rooms.
“You want to know another secret? The biggest secret? I’m scared, Kai. I’m so scared.”
As well as the light entertainment, things are also getting serious. My sympathy for Kai and his unfortunate situation increases with every book, and I like Cinder more when she is not the sole focus of the story. And I'd just like to say that there is something really exciting about the psychotic villains of this series (hence why I had to pick up Fairest right away).
But mostly, I think I am just in love with Captain Thorne. He's such an hilarious, unconventional love interest and I welcome every scene he is in. He kind of gives off a Gilderoy Lockhart vibe - good-looking, self-obsessed, lovable and so full of it. His comments in dire situations had me laughing out loud.
That's all for now. I need to go read Fairest and Winter. It looks like all kinds of crazy has been set up for the next book.
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November 23, 2015
THIS BOOK DEFINITELY LIVED UP TO THE HYPE FOR ME. OH MY GAHHHHH.
ACTION. ADVENTURE. MADNESS. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY MY NEW SHIP: THORNE AND FREAKING CRESS. I LOVE THEM TOGETHER SO MUCH. AHHHH.
(sorry not sorry for my not so professional review. ALL THE CAPS LOCK. ALL OF IT.)
ACTION. ADVENTURE. MADNESS. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY MY NEW SHIP: THORNE AND FREAKING CRESS. I LOVE THEM TOGETHER SO MUCH. AHHHH.
(sorry not sorry for my not so professional review. ALL THE CAPS LOCK. ALL OF IT.)
May 24, 2015
FAVE.
May or may not be because of Thorne.
(It totally is.)
May or may not be because of Thorne.
(It totally is.)
April 7, 2017
4.5*
Dannnnnnng that ending!!! I totally get why a lot of people say this is their favourite in the series, it's definitely mine!
Dannnnnnng that ending!!! I totally get why a lot of people say this is their favourite in the series, it's definitely mine!
March 29, 2022
MY LONGEST YEAH BOI EVER.
This review only really needs to be two sentences long. Here are those sentences:
1) This book has Cress.
2) This book has Thorne.
End review.
As everyone knows because I never shut up about it for even one second, I don’t love characters very often. It just takes a lot for me to be Interested. But these two...these two.
I am a currently living human being (hard as that may be to believe), and that means I love heists. If there is a better trope than the heist plotline, I know not of it, and honestly I don’t care to know it because I may be overwhelmed by Goodness. Heists are the most fun, and roughly 45 to 67 percent of that high level of fun-ness is due to the dope character archetypes. RAGTAG GROUPS OF FUN-LOVING, THIEVING RUFFIANS.
This seemingly unrelated paragraph has a point, and the point is this: Both Cress and Thorne are archetypes straight out of a heist.
Cress is The Hacker. Hackers are so fun and ridiculous that I firmly believe they should exist in every story ever. This includes historical fiction, because what could be more fun and ridiculous than that? Picture your favorite pioneer-West story or medieval royalty romance, except with a hacker. Try to tell me that isn’t both ridiculous and fun.
You can’t.
Thorne is The Charming Rogue. This is a trope that doesn’t always work for me, because even though it is a classic heist archetype, it is also a classic Cringey YA archetype. And since I’m usually reading cringey YA, that’s the feeling that comes through.
BUT NOT THIS TIME. Because this time, we have a hacker.
I myself can’t picture anything much more fun than well-executed iterations of The Hacker and The Rogue falling in love. Except if there was a heist involved.
But that’d just be greedy.
Bottom line: I simply don’t care about anything about this book besides Cress And Thorne. Luckily those two are enough in and of themselves.
RIDICULOUS AND FUN.
---------
pre-review
honestly not sure whether I'd rather marry Cress or Thorne. so I'll settle for them marrying each other
review to come / 4.5 stars
---------
currently-reading updates
I AM READY FOR JOY AND HIJINKS.
and this was my favorite book in the series when I first read them, so if I do not get joy and hijinks I will be forced to burn everything to the ground.
This review only really needs to be two sentences long. Here are those sentences:
1) This book has Cress.
2) This book has Thorne.
End review.
As everyone knows because I never shut up about it for even one second, I don’t love characters very often. It just takes a lot for me to be Interested. But these two...these two.
I am a currently living human being (hard as that may be to believe), and that means I love heists. If there is a better trope than the heist plotline, I know not of it, and honestly I don’t care to know it because I may be overwhelmed by Goodness. Heists are the most fun, and roughly 45 to 67 percent of that high level of fun-ness is due to the dope character archetypes. RAGTAG GROUPS OF FUN-LOVING, THIEVING RUFFIANS.
This seemingly unrelated paragraph has a point, and the point is this: Both Cress and Thorne are archetypes straight out of a heist.
Cress is The Hacker. Hackers are so fun and ridiculous that I firmly believe they should exist in every story ever. This includes historical fiction, because what could be more fun and ridiculous than that? Picture your favorite pioneer-West story or medieval royalty romance, except with a hacker. Try to tell me that isn’t both ridiculous and fun.
You can’t.
Thorne is The Charming Rogue. This is a trope that doesn’t always work for me, because even though it is a classic heist archetype, it is also a classic Cringey YA archetype. And since I’m usually reading cringey YA, that’s the feeling that comes through.
BUT NOT THIS TIME. Because this time, we have a hacker.
I myself can’t picture anything much more fun than well-executed iterations of The Hacker and The Rogue falling in love. Except if there was a heist involved.
But that’d just be greedy.
Bottom line: I simply don’t care about anything about this book besides Cress And Thorne. Luckily those two are enough in and of themselves.
RIDICULOUS AND FUN.
---------
pre-review
honestly not sure whether I'd rather marry Cress or Thorne. so I'll settle for them marrying each other
review to come / 4.5 stars
---------
currently-reading updates
I AM READY FOR JOY AND HIJINKS.
and this was my favorite book in the series when I first read them, so if I do not get joy and hijinks I will be forced to burn everything to the ground.
February 10, 2017
“Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.”
Once Upon a Time, there was an avid reader (let's call her Teri) who lived and breathed words. When she was sad, she bought a book to cheer her up. When she was happy or successful, she bought a book to celebrate. When she was worried, she bought a book to forget her problems. One cold winter's night, she found herself in a magical place known as the Bookstore. A place full of wonders and fairydust, a safe haven from a world so mundane and self-destructive. A place to be herself. She spent hours strolling in the corridors illuminated by the brilliance of Luna, and when she left she took a piece of Luna with her. She took Cress.
“I promise, I will not let you die without being kissed.”
After Cinderella and Red Riding Hood, it was Rapunzel's time to contribute to the interplanetary efforts to ger rid of Evil Queen Levana and her bloodthirsty minions whose only life purpose was world domination and extermination of mankind. And Cress' story reminded Teri so much of Disney's Tangled that she kept trying-and failed-to supress the urge to squeal (she will get angry if she finds out I told you this but she's watched Tangled more than
“Maybe there isn’t such a thing as fate. Maybe it’s just the opportunities we’re given, and what we do with them. I’m beginning to think that maybe great, epic romances don’t just happen. We have to make them ourselves.”
Teri wasn't sure if she liked Cress. She was really naive, really childish and her fantasies were wilder than her hair. But Teri couldn't help but admit that Marissa Meyer's ability to paint so many different yet interesting characters was admirable. There were no similarities between Cinder, Scarlet and Cress besides the fact that their destinies were interwined, that the fate of Earth and Luna would be determined by their joint efforts and sacrifices. The diversity and complexity of the female characters, the smart humour, the sassiness, the suspense, the action and the unpredictable turns of the events made Cress such an addictive book. And the swoonworthy male leads. And the sweet, innocent and pure romance.
Teri was in love with Thorne. His attempts to convince Cress that he was no hero or a good man but instead an opportunist thief that treated everything as a big joke failed when he showed compassion and kindness. He was lost, but he had a hero quality that no one can question. There was also Wolf. Shy and awkward and scary and savage Wolf that loved Scarlet so much that made Teri weak in the knees.
And Kai who was torn between his hope that Cinder actually cared for him and his anger for everything that happened is one of the characters that hold your heart and you don't even realize it. And finally Jacin, who is cryptic and kind of an asshole but Teri is positive she'll fall for him in the next book. But even though Thorne is Teri's favorite male character, Scarlet her favorite female character, Scarlet/Wolf her favorite ship, the entire gang, their banters and their loyalty and friendship is after all the main reason the Lunar Chronicles is a series so special.
P.S. Wanna bet who is Teri?
✨ Cinder review
✨ Scarlet review
✨ Winter review
✨ Stars Above review
December 10, 2020
Fun, lighthearted and delightful. I absolutely love how each book in this series is better than the last!
Maybe great, epic romances don't just happen. We have to make them ourselves.
As with the previous two, we have a fairytale themed futuristic dystopian adventure. While each book follows a different couple, we get to catch up on the previous ones and get hints at the new.
This one focuses on Cress (Rapunzel). She's a "Shell" (a Lunar who is immune to Lunar glamours).
She's spent her entire life in a satellite in orbit and while her isolation drives her a bit mad, but hey, at least she has the internet.
And on that internet, she discovers Thorne - excuse me - Captain Thorne. He's the daring and dashing hero - the defender of innocents, the savior of all things good and Cress is completely, and irrevocably enthralled.
“Captain,” she murmured. “I think I’m in love with you."Finally, Cress makes a harrowing break for freedom and much to her delight, she is accompanied by Captain Thorne.
Only, she soon discovers that the man she's dreamed of for the last few years is nothing like the man before her.
A hand landed on Cress’s head. She gasped and recoiled, but Thorne was already wrapping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing her against him.With the revolution starting and the plague spreading, does Cress even have the time to get to know the real Thorne?
“Just checking it was you,” he whispered.
Overall - LOVED it!
Cress and Thorne have got to be my favorite couple - I loved her joyful innocence and his blustery confidence cinched them as a couple in my mind.
“How are your eyes?" she asked.Cress and Thorne have such a natural chemistry. Every time they were "on screen" I was ecstatic!
"Well, I've been told they're dreamy, but I'll let you decide for yourself.”
“Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, squeezing. "Maybe there's a little bit of a hero in me after all. But... really, Cress. Only a little.”In addition, I feel like the other couples have gotten stronger - in particular Scarlet and Wolf are really hitting it off.
However, Cinder & Kai just don't click for me.
To be fair, they haven't been in the same room for a couple books (I still maintain that Cinder EASILY could've sent him an email and thus completely resolving the issues of book 2 and 3). Hopefully they will be together a bit more later on...?
Anyway, I really feel like Marissa Meyer has hit her stride in this series - the characters are fabulous, the banter is witty and the plot is just swimming along. I could not be more excited to see how this series turns out!
P.S. Is it just me or does Iko really need to fall in love!? Give the poor girl a robot boyfriend!
Audiobook Comments
Read by Rebecca Soler and she was a fabulous reader. Cress sounded so freaking adorable throughout!
If you are curious about Rebecca Soler, check Tucker the Reader's interview!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
February 11, 2014
This is my 100th book of 2013 and it was magnificent.
NEED. WINTER. NOW.
When I first jumped on the Lunar Chronicles bandwagon, I was late to the party. I tend to avoid any novel in the blogosphere that is garnering a ton of hype, due to past experiences where the hype completely killed my enjoyment. However, I dove into Cinder trepidatiously and came out completely in love, mostly thanks to the sweet nostalgia feelings from the cleverly added Sailor Moon references. And if that wasn’t clear before, I’m somewhat of a huge Sailor Moon fangirl. Like, it's a little scary. Perhaps you should run?
Unfortunately, with Scarlet, I didn’t get the same warm fuzzies and I began to worry that this story was simply too big for Meyer to conquer. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy Scarlet, but the pacing and connection to the characters didn’t happen for me. It wouldn’t be the first time I read a series where the best book was the first book. So, again, I found myself wary for Cress, but those worries proved to be unnecessary. Ahem, allow me to eat my words.
Cress is a complete improvement over Cinder and Scarlet. Where Cinder had its issues with predictability, Cress’s plot was noticeably tighter. While Scarlet had parts where the pacing felt off due to the dual point of views, Cress kicked it up a few notches with perfectly timed highs and lows. At no point did I find myself bored to tears, banging my head against the wall from frustration, throwing the book across the room, or simply suffering from major disappointment. It’s action-packed, well plotted, and exciting!
I should probably take this time to mention that if you haven’t read Cinder and Scarlet, 1) it’s time to re-examine your life choices 2) the rest of the review may contain slight spoilers for the first two books. But you should know by now, that's just how I roll.
The novel begins with the gang (Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf, and Iko) on a mission to rescue Cress from her satellite. STUFF happens and things go horribly wrong, causing them to separate. What I loved about this was it gave the reader the perfect opportunity to get to know each individual character in a more intimate manner. Thorne and Cress end up stranded in the Sahara Desert, which is interesting because Cress has never stepped foot on Earth and being isolated for years didn’t exactly grant her the best social skills, and due to certain circumstances on the satellite, Throne is left blind. I didn't like this one bit. How could Meyer do this to my precious Throne?! MY PRECIOUSSS. MY PRECIOUSSS. He is sacred and must not be touched!! Still, it makes for an unlikely team and optimal time for character development and revelations. The only thing that I’m not too sure of is the romance brewing. Why does everyone in this series have to be paired up with someone? There is absolutely nothing wrong with self love. Even Oprah knows this.
That's probably something you never wanted to see. Welcome to a Steph Sinclair review.
Cinder on the other hand, struggles with decisions that she made on the satellite, ultimately leading to unfortunate outcomes for both Scarlet and Wolf. Can she really do this, lead people and start a rebellion? Should she simply give up and continue hiding from Levana? Is she slowly becoming the very woman whom she fears? She’s conflicted for most of the novel and tends to second guess herself a lot more once she realizes how severe the consequences of her actions can be. Basically, Cinder is no Mary Sue and carries mistakes and flaws just like any other character in this series.
Scarlet is not as present in Cress, but her role looks like it’ll be more important in the final installment, Winter. I can’t really talk about what Scarlet endures in this novel because I’m tip toeing around a minefield of spoilers here, but I was very surprised to see how far Meyer was willing push her character’s limits. And if you’ve already read Cress, I think you know exactly what scene I’m referring to. Can we say, “SHIT JUST GOT REAL?” I’m resisting the urge to throw in a “Brace Yourself” meme.
Oh, what the hell!
Overall, I’m left both amazed and impressed with Cress. I can confidently say that this series just gets better and better and I’d consider this my favorite so far. With the sneak peek of the newest character, Winter (she's adorably certifiable), at the end, I’m eagerly waiting for the final book. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.
An ARC was received from the publisher for an honest review.
More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddelbuggery.
NEED. WINTER. NOW.
When I first jumped on the Lunar Chronicles bandwagon, I was late to the party. I tend to avoid any novel in the blogosphere that is garnering a ton of hype, due to past experiences where the hype completely killed my enjoyment. However, I dove into Cinder trepidatiously and came out completely in love, mostly thanks to the sweet nostalgia feelings from the cleverly added Sailor Moon references. And if that wasn’t clear before, I’m somewhat of a huge Sailor Moon fangirl. Like, it's a little scary. Perhaps you should run?
Unfortunately, with Scarlet, I didn’t get the same warm fuzzies and I began to worry that this story was simply too big for Meyer to conquer. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy Scarlet, but the pacing and connection to the characters didn’t happen for me. It wouldn’t be the first time I read a series where the best book was the first book. So, again, I found myself wary for Cress, but those worries proved to be unnecessary. Ahem, allow me to eat my words.
Cress is a complete improvement over Cinder and Scarlet. Where Cinder had its issues with predictability, Cress’s plot was noticeably tighter. While Scarlet had parts where the pacing felt off due to the dual point of views, Cress kicked it up a few notches with perfectly timed highs and lows. At no point did I find myself bored to tears, banging my head against the wall from frustration, throwing the book across the room, or simply suffering from major disappointment. It’s action-packed, well plotted, and exciting!
I should probably take this time to mention that if you haven’t read Cinder and Scarlet, 1) it’s time to re-examine your life choices 2) the rest of the review may contain slight spoilers for the first two books. But you should know by now, that's just how I roll.
The novel begins with the gang (Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf, and Iko) on a mission to rescue Cress from her satellite. STUFF happens and things go horribly wrong, causing them to separate. What I loved about this was it gave the reader the perfect opportunity to get to know each individual character in a more intimate manner. Thorne and Cress end up stranded in the Sahara Desert, which is interesting because Cress has never stepped foot on Earth and being isolated for years didn’t exactly grant her the best social skills, and due to certain circumstances on the satellite, Throne is left blind. I didn't like this one bit. How could Meyer do this to my precious Throne?! MY PRECIOUSSS. MY PRECIOUSSS. He is sacred and must not be touched!! Still, it makes for an unlikely team and optimal time for character development and revelations. The only thing that I’m not too sure of is the romance brewing. Why does everyone in this series have to be paired up with someone? There is absolutely nothing wrong with self love. Even Oprah knows this.
That's probably something you never wanted to see. Welcome to a Steph Sinclair review.
Cinder on the other hand, struggles with decisions that she made on the satellite, ultimately leading to unfortunate outcomes for both Scarlet and Wolf. Can she really do this, lead people and start a rebellion? Should she simply give up and continue hiding from Levana? Is she slowly becoming the very woman whom she fears? She’s conflicted for most of the novel and tends to second guess herself a lot more once she realizes how severe the consequences of her actions can be. Basically, Cinder is no Mary Sue and carries mistakes and flaws just like any other character in this series.
Scarlet is not as present in Cress, but her role looks like it’ll be more important in the final installment, Winter. I can’t really talk about what Scarlet endures in this novel because I’m tip toeing around a minefield of spoilers here, but I was very surprised to see how far Meyer was willing push her character’s limits. And if you’ve already read Cress, I think you know exactly what scene I’m referring to. Can we say, “SHIT JUST GOT REAL?” I’m resisting the urge to throw in a “Brace Yourself” meme.
Oh, what the hell!
Overall, I’m left both amazed and impressed with Cress. I can confidently say that this series just gets better and better and I’d consider this my favorite so far. With the sneak peek of the newest character, Winter (she's adorably certifiable), at the end, I’m eagerly waiting for the final book. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.
An ARC was received from the publisher for an honest review.
More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddelbuggery.
June 5, 2017
Well THAT was fun. Why. Why did I wait so long to read this series??!
Cress. Thorne. Freaking cuteness overload. Yep, I'm going to talk about it because I may or may not have squealed aloud several times while reading this book. They are easily one of my all time favorite ships.
Cress herself is just so stinking cute. She's so not like a typical heroine. She's extremely intelligent but is primarily a daydreamer and tends to be swept up in her imagination. Ahem... that sounds familiar. Anywayyyy I love how socially awkward and naive she is to the outside world. And Thorne, who is obviously brother from another mother to Nikolai Lansov (Grisha Trilogy) because they are both so completely snarky, cocky, down right hysterical divas.
So if it isn't already completely obvious- I had some major Cress / Thorne feels and their slow burn actually drove me a little nuts with my impatience. I still need so much more... I enjoyed them SO much. They are so similar the characters in Tangled (but different too!)
Of course, they tended to take the front seat in this novel but the rest of the characters/storylines were not far behind. This book was definitely action packed and full of fun surprises. Not to mention- the hole left in my heart for Cinder/Kia from book one definitely tugged at me again in this book. Was it resolved? I guess you'll have to see!
And Iko! I did not expect her to take on a bigger role in this book - but she easily became one of my favorite characters! Such a pleasant surprise.
The world building is still fairly mediocre to me (nothing super unique) but it was more fun just based on the fact that all the fairytales we grew up with are intertwined. I still fail to see how Levana is anything beyond a typical 'evil' villain. I don't feel strongly about her- I'm hoping she gets more complex. Additionally, while some of the other characters aren't as strong as others, their vastly different personalities kept me intrigued. Plus, the plot was just down right fun. The pacing was perfect in this one.
Do I recommend this series? Heck yeah I do. So far all three books have been light and fun while still managing to get some pretty strong emotions out of me. It's been a nice change of pace for me - a refreshing break from my average fantasy reads.
SOOO here I go to book four- I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint because I STILL need so much resolution for my ships!!
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Cress. Thorne. Freaking cuteness overload. Yep, I'm going to talk about it because I may or may not have squealed aloud several times while reading this book. They are easily one of my all time favorite ships.
Cress herself is just so stinking cute. She's so not like a typical heroine. She's extremely intelligent but is primarily a daydreamer and tends to be swept up in her imagination. Ahem... that sounds familiar. Anywayyyy I love how socially awkward and naive she is to the outside world. And Thorne, who is obviously brother from another mother to Nikolai Lansov (Grisha Trilogy) because they are both so completely snarky, cocky, down right hysterical divas.
So if it isn't already completely obvious- I had some major Cress / Thorne feels and their slow burn actually drove me a little nuts with my impatience. I still need so much more... I enjoyed them SO much. They are so similar the characters in Tangled (but different too!)
Of course, they tended to take the front seat in this novel but the rest of the characters/storylines were not far behind. This book was definitely action packed and full of fun surprises. Not to mention- the hole left in my heart for Cinder/Kia from book one definitely tugged at me again in this book. Was it resolved? I guess you'll have to see!
And Iko! I did not expect her to take on a bigger role in this book - but she easily became one of my favorite characters! Such a pleasant surprise.
The world building is still fairly mediocre to me (nothing super unique) but it was more fun just based on the fact that all the fairytales we grew up with are intertwined. I still fail to see how Levana is anything beyond a typical 'evil' villain. I don't feel strongly about her- I'm hoping she gets more complex. Additionally, while some of the other characters aren't as strong as others, their vastly different personalities kept me intrigued. Plus, the plot was just down right fun. The pacing was perfect in this one.
Do I recommend this series? Heck yeah I do. So far all three books have been light and fun while still managing to get some pretty strong emotions out of me. It's been a nice change of pace for me - a refreshing break from my average fantasy reads.
SOOO here I go to book four- I'm hoping it doesn't disappoint because I STILL need so much resolution for my ships!!
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January 7, 2023
**4.5-stars rounded up**
We have lift off!!!
It's official. I am over the moon for The Lunar Chronicles!!
In Cress, the third installment, we find our favorite fugitives, Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf, on the run.
Thus far, they have been able to evade all authorities as they travel through space. This comes as a surprise to everyone, most of all, them.
Their best hope for a full escape, however, lies with a girl they have never met.
Cress is a captive on a satellite orbiting Earth.
Unbeknownst to our favorite band of outlaws, she is actually the reason they have been able to evade capture; she's been helping them along the way.
A genius hacker, Cress has been able to keep the Queen's forces from locating the fugitive ship.
During this time, she's also developed a healthy crush on our very own, Captain Thorne. And who can blame her?
When Cinder and crew try to rescue Cress from her virtual prison, things go terribly wrong and their group is separated.
Now they must not only try to evade the Queen, but also try to reunite as the stakes are pushed even higher, with the fate of the entire Earth in their hands.
I loved the introduction of Cress as a character. There is something so sweet and relatable about her.
Once the group gets separated, Cress gets stranded with Thorne and they have to work together in order to survive. Their relationship...
I ate it up like a school girl. I cannot wait to see where that goes in the next book.
Speaking of the next book, I need to read it soon!!!! If so, this will be my first completed series in A WHILE!
I am certainly hoping Queen Levana gets hers in the end. Precious Kai deserves more, as does my girl, Cinder.
In short, loving this series with my whole heart. Incredibly happy that I finally decided to give it a shot. It has far surpassed all of my expectations.
We have lift off!!!
It's official. I am over the moon for The Lunar Chronicles!!
In Cress, the third installment, we find our favorite fugitives, Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf, on the run.
Thus far, they have been able to evade all authorities as they travel through space. This comes as a surprise to everyone, most of all, them.
Their best hope for a full escape, however, lies with a girl they have never met.
Cress is a captive on a satellite orbiting Earth.
Unbeknownst to our favorite band of outlaws, she is actually the reason they have been able to evade capture; she's been helping them along the way.
A genius hacker, Cress has been able to keep the Queen's forces from locating the fugitive ship.
During this time, she's also developed a healthy crush on our very own, Captain Thorne. And who can blame her?
When Cinder and crew try to rescue Cress from her virtual prison, things go terribly wrong and their group is separated.
Now they must not only try to evade the Queen, but also try to reunite as the stakes are pushed even higher, with the fate of the entire Earth in their hands.
I loved the introduction of Cress as a character. There is something so sweet and relatable about her.
Once the group gets separated, Cress gets stranded with Thorne and they have to work together in order to survive. Their relationship...
I ate it up like a school girl. I cannot wait to see where that goes in the next book.
Speaking of the next book, I need to read it soon!!!! If so, this will be my first completed series in A WHILE!
I am certainly hoping Queen Levana gets hers in the end. Precious Kai deserves more, as does my girl, Cinder.
In short, loving this series with my whole heart. Incredibly happy that I finally decided to give it a shot. It has far surpassed all of my expectations.
November 21, 2015
"When she was jut a child, the witch locked her away in a tower that had neither doors nor stairs."
BEFORE READING:
Cinder?...and Rapunzel?...in a desert?...in 2014?
Can life get any more depressing?!?!?! It sounds so interesting but also sooooo far away! I just read Scarlet and now I have to wait a whole year!!!!
It's like....
(was that the perfect gif or what?)
Oh and Scarlet and Wolf better be there too or I'll just...I'll just:
EXPLODE!
In the mean time....
UPDATE!!!!!
The cover for these books are sooooo flippin awesome!!!!
My original reaction went something like this:
....and then I looked at the date:
UPDATE!!!!!!
TEASER!!!!
READ THIS! Teaser from Cress!!!
UPDATE!!!!!!
Let the count down begin!!!!!!!
P.S. Cress is sooooo gonna end up with Thorne!!!!
WHILE READING!!!!!!!! :
AFTER READING!!!!!!!!! :
First WOW. How does Marissa Meyer do this? How does she create this world with all these intertwining characters and have it all fit together so beautifully? I just don’t understand!!! I could not put it down, I literally read it in like a day! I just got it yesterday!
Last night on February 12 I went to a Cress book signing in DC and actually got to meet Marissa Meyer! She is so nice and funny and just overall awesome! She always had a smile on her face and seemed so relatable. She was just great, a great person and an amazing author.
But ANYWAY, on to the review!
The book starts a few days after Scarlet ends. The crew of the Rampion is out in space thinking of ways to stop Levana’s wedding to Prince Kai and save the Earth when they finally make contact with Luna’s greatest hacker: Cress. She has been stranded in a satellite orbiting the earth for seven years and has never since then had human – or lunar – contact other than Levana’s head thaumaturge, Sybil. So of course our heroic crew goes out to get her but things get complicated when they become separated.
Thorne is now with Cress stranded in the middle of the Sahara, Cinder is left to care for an unconscious Wolf and Scarlet has been taken away to Luna. On top of that, the wedding of the century is only days away. Though the odds are not in their favor, that has never stopped the crew before. Will they stop the wedding? Will they ever re-unite?
You’ll have to read to find out.
Now before I start speaking of my thoughts let me show the real story of Rapunzel (shortened version) Long, long ago in a house that overlooked a beautiful garden lived a childless couple. They prayed to God every day to bless them with a child. One day they found that God had answered their prayer. They were at long last going to have a baby!
Their days passed in happiness but alas! the wife fell ill. She would eat nothing and the husband was worried that she would waste away. He tried to tempt her with many good things but she refused everything. “But you must eat something, my dear,” he begged her. “There is a herb called Rapunzel in the garden next door. I will feel better if I can eat that,” she said. The husband’s heart sank when he heard her. This garden was owned by a wicked witch who would let no one enter. But he loved his wife very much and so with a pounding heart, he decided to go into the garden at a time when the witch was away. One day, finding an appropriate time he went into the garden. He had managed to pluck the herb but as he was about to leave, the wicked witch came back. “You thief! How dare you enter my garden?” she screamed. She threatened to put a curse on him. He fell at her feet and begged, “Please don’t curse me. If my wife doesn’t eat this herb, she will die. She is going to have a baby and is very ill.” The witch stopped to think awhile. “I will let you go on one condition. You will give me the baby after it’s born.” The poor man had no other way out but to agree.
He took the herb to his wife and miraculously she soon recovered and gave birth to a beautiful girl. But as per the agreement the witch came to take the baby away. She took Rapunzel—for that’s what she named her—far away and locked her in a high tower. The tower had no doors or stairs. There was only a window on top.
The only person whom Rapunzel ever saw was the wicked witch. Rapunzel grew up to become beautiful with pretty eyes, a beautiful voice, and her golden hair grew very, very long. All day long, when Rapunzel was alone, she would sing and weep.
Every day, the wicked witch came to the tower with food. She stood at the bottom of the tower and shouted. “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let your hair down!” Rapunzel would drop her long, braided hair through the window. The witch used the hair as a rope to climb into the tower.
One day, a handsome prince was passing by and heard her sing. He fell in love with her voice and unknown to all came to the tower every day to hear her sing. One day, the prince saw the witch climbing up the tower using Rapunzel’s hair.
The next day, the prince too called out to Rapunzel. “Let down your hair,” he said. The prince climbed to the top of the tower. After that, the prince came to meet Rapunzel every night.
Alas! the witch soon discovered the prince with Rapunzel. She pushed him from the tower onto a thorny bush, making him blind. She banished Rapunzel into the desert far away.
Many years passed. The blind prince wandered alone and finally reached the same desert. One day, he heard familiar voice singing. Following the sound he found her. They hugged each other in joy. Tears of happiness rolled down Rapuzel’s cheek. As the tears fell on the prince’s eyes, he regained his vision.
The prince took Rapunzel to his kingdom and they lived happily ever after.
Now that you’ve seen that you can compare it to Cress and see how wonderfully Miss Meyer put it all together.
My thoughts:
I loved this book. I love the entire series. I admit that I had my problems with Cinder but the Scarlet came and my mind was blown and just when it was getting back together Cress comes and leaves me in an even worse state than I was before and I can’t believe that I have to wait another year for Winter. I honestly don’t think I can wait that long. I just love this story and how well they intertwine and of course I love the characters. These characters have been pushed to their limits and then pushed some more. Just when you think they can’t get up they leap into the air and keep moving and I love that. These characters aren’t whinny or stupid as I’ve seen some characters be but they are strong and all just wonderful people and I love strong willed likeable characters and Miss Meyer knows how to write them so well.
I also love the characters relationships with each other. I love how they all have their matched pairs and it’s just so cute to read. Originally my favorite pairing was that between Wolf and Scarlet but I have to admit I LOVE Thorne and Cress!
In Scarlet I really began liking Thorne but here in Cress I really am starting to love him. At the signing she mentioned that Thorne is one of her favorite characters to write and it definitely shows in her writing of him. He has officially become one of my favorite characters. Part of him kind or reminds me of Puck in the IRON FEY SERIES who is one of my favorite characters EVER in that he always has that cocky smile even in the worst times and is always making jokes even in the face of death and despite that they are both really great people with hearts of gold.
Now more proof of Marissa Meyer’s awesomeness is the names!!!
The first is Rapunzel which is actually a type of vegetable kind of like cabbage. Now as you all know, Captain Thorne’s ship is called Rampion. In some versions of the Brothers Grimm story (see above) instead of rapunzel that the woman craves it is rampion another name for …wait for it…rapunzel!!! Then you bring in the name Cress which is *drum roll please* A VEGATABLE IN THE CABBAGE FAMILY!!!! The ship had been named Rampion way before Cress was introduced and yet it was still connected to the story! Holy God! This woman is genius!!!! It is obvious that she put in so much detail in making her story and I greatly admire that.
I really have nothing bad to say about this book other than:
I NEEDED MORE SCARLET AND WOLF! THERE WAS NO SCARLET AND WOLF!
There better be some Scarlet-Wolf interaction in Winter that is all I ask.
Oh and another thing that got to me was in the last chapters of the book. There was one line that completely blew my mind:
“Her warm brown skin was flawless…”
WARM BROWN SKIN!
Plot twist! Snow White is NOT WHITE!!!!
I absolutely LOVE that! I would never have thought of that. It’s just so clever and creative. I cannot wait to read from her POV.
Great book! Passed all my expecttions.
I now have a review of Winter!
February 26, 2020
AJDJFJSJDNDNSHEBDSHH!!!
BEST ONE SO FAR!!! OMGGGGGGGG!!! YOU ALL WERE RIGHT!!! I HATE THAT IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO LISTEN!!!
AAJSJDJSJDNDNXNFNDNDND!!!
NEXT ONE!!! NEXT ONE!!!
BEST ONE SO FAR!!! OMGGGGGGGG!!! YOU ALL WERE RIGHT!!! I HATE THAT IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO LISTEN!!!
AAJSJDJSJDNDNXNFNDNDND!!!
NEXT ONE!!! NEXT ONE!!!
August 14, 2021
I’m on BookTube now! =)
”Kiss her, she thought. Isn’t that what people did after they survived thrilling, near-death experiences together? She was sure it wasn’t an appropriate suggestion, but this close, it was all she could think about.”
Ahh, Cress is such a romantic! <3 The way she swooned over Thorne was just adorable! But let’s not get off topic here and focus on the overall review instead! This said “Cress” was already the third book in “The Lunar Chronicles” and basically everybody and their grandma told me that it’s the best book in the series. Of course there were also a couple of voices that said it’s the weakest book in the series so I decided to just read it and form my own opinion. (As always. Did you expect anything different from me? ;-P)
So did “Cress” live up to my expectations or not? Well, the answer is: Yes, I think it did. It was very entertaining and I loved to see how the story of all those different characters came together in the end. What I really liked about this book was that we got some background info about all the characters and that some of them finally got a chance to confront not only each other but also their personal problems as well. No matter if it’s Cinder, Thorne, Cress or Wolf, they all experience things that force them to act and ultimately lead them to finding themselves and their own path in this (by now very) huge storyline.
Interestingly enough Queen Levana didn’t have an all too big part in this instalment but I’m actually glad she had a secondary role. It gave our protagonists room to plan their next moves and to come to terms with their destiny and their individual parts in the game. The introduction of Princess Winter and Jacin was interesting as well and I can’t wait to read their story. Considering Winter’s mental state I’m sure it’s going to be quite something though. XD For now let’s get down to business and talk about the MCs of “Cress”!
The characters:
If you dare to take a trip to the Sahara be my guest! It’s wise to be careful though, there are many dangers that can be found in the desert and mirages and spoilers are just two of them. ;-P Consider yourself properly warned. That’s all I can do for you, my friend!
Cress:
Cress glanced up, and though his expression was sympathetic, she thought he was probably mocking her. ”I’m not crazy. I know she’s just a computer. It’s just ... I programmed her myself, and she was the only friend I had. That’s all.”
Okay, Cress is probably one of the most innocent characters I ever came across in a book but considering she spent almost her entire life on an isolated satellite this doesn’t really come as a surprise. (On a side note: You just gotta love how Meyer turned the initial tower into a satellite. ;-P) She is definitely a cinnamon roll and it’s no wonder she had troubles to adapt to the life on earth. I suppose everyone would have troubles to adapt to life in a desert though so I think she actually did pretty well! Also I kinda liked the contrast of her being a hacker wizard on the keyboard and knowing nothing about the real world. XD I’m very curious where her character arc will head. Still, to find out Dr. Erland was her father was really quite the plot twist. It makes me sad that he died before they could get to know each other. T_T
”She tried to swallow down the rising panic, this sensation that her existence was as small and unimportant as the tiniest fleck of sand blowing against her shins. There was a whole world – a whole planet. And she was stuck somewhere in the middle of it, away from everything. There were no walls, no boundaries, nothing to hide behind. A shudder swept over her, goose bumps crawling across her bare arms.”
Thorne:
”Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he said, squeezing. “Maybe there’s a little bit of a hero in me after all. But ... really, Cress. Only a little.”
Poor boy had it really rough in here. He lost his sight due to the satellite crashing and I was really worried about him. I think it was amazing that he never gave up though. You could tell that he was struggling with his fate and had trouble to adjust to a life without his eye sight but he did what needed to be done and he helped Cress as best as he could. Some might say Thorne is arrogant and self-assertive but I know he isn’t. It’s just a way to hide his insecurities and he is indeed the misunderstood hero Cress thought him to be. I loved to get a glimpse at his true thoughts and to see his character arc was really amazing. <3 Thorne came a long way and I think his journey isn’t over yet.
”She was a girl. A living girl, smart and sweet and awkward and unusual, and she was worth far more than they could ever realize.”
”It seemed like hours since he’d so flippantly said good-bye to Cress, when she was still in the bath, when her singing was still echoing in his ears. And he’d left her. He’d just left her – and why? To show off his gambling skills? To prove that he was still self-sufficient? To prove that he didn’t need anyone, not even her?”
Cinder:
”Of course I will. I’m the rightful heir!”
She drew back, stunned by her own words. She didn’t think she’d ever felt so invested in her identity, and determined to claim her place. It was a strange feeling, bordering on pride.
Cinder actually accepted her powers, but she still feels conflicted about them and I think that’s a good thing! I loved to see how she got stronger and started to see the Lunars as her people and came to terms with her identity. She had to make a lot of difficult choices though and I was really afraid that she might break under the pressure. To think you’re just a cyborg that works as a mechanic and to realize you’re the rightful heir to Luna... I can’t even fathom how tough this must have been. It’s no wonder she’s so insecure, but she has a lot of people that love and support her so I’m sure she’ll make her way. =)
”Standing on the hotel step, with sixty guns trained on her, Cinder realized she was no better than that thaumaturge. This really was war, and she really was in the middle of it.
If she had to make sacrifices, she would.”
“News flash: I have never manipulated you. And I hope I never have to. But you aren’t the only one with responsibilities and an entire country of people who are relying on you. So I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but you are coming with me, and you’re just going to have to figure out whether or not you can trust me when we’re not so pressed for time.”
”You want to know another secret? The biggest secret?” She sat, splaying her legs like a broken doll in front of her. “I’m scared, Kai. I’m so scared.” She thought it might feel better, to say the words out loud, but instead they only made her feel pathetic and weak.
Kai:
”Excellent. And have you given any thought to your wedding vows?”
Kai snorted. “Delete anything that has to do with love, respect, or joy, and I’ll sign on the dotted line.”
Seriously whenever I read about Kai’s and Levana’s upcoming wedding I felt dread! >_< I really, really, really didn’t want him to marry her and ahhh the mere idea of their wedding was already enough to cause me to scream and tear at my hair! He still defied her though and I’ll never get tired of this boys defiance! *lol* Kai is the best and I love him so much! <333 The things he did for his country and people were amazing and I hated to see his self-doubt and insecurity. He did everything he could and it’s not his fault Levana was cunning enough to plan this invasion for years or even decades. It could have happened to his father if he wouldn’t have died of the plague so I really hope he stops blaming himself for everything that happened. It’s not his fault. T_T
”He hated Levana. He hated himself for giving in to her. He hated that his father had managed to keep her and her threats of war at bay for years and years, and within weeks of Kai taking the throne, he’d let everything fall apart.”
”Maybe she’s trying to help me. Cinder knows that if she finds the princess, it could be the end of Levana’s rule. I wouldn’t have to marry her. She would probably be executed for treason. Cinder risked her life going to that farm, and she did it ... she may have done it for me.”
”He would never tell Torin that a part of him hoped Cinder would be safe. And he would never tell a single living soul how terrified he was, every moment of every day. How afraid he was that he was making an enormous mistake.”
Iko:
”Aaaaw,” squealed Iko. “Did Wolf just say that he loves Scarlet? That’s so cute!”
Iko fangirling over Scarlet and Wolf was one of the best things in this book! *lol* She’s basically the embodiment of every shipper and the comical relief of this series. XD Also I almost choked when she spoke about Adri and Pearl. Haha! I just adore Iko and I’m so glad she got a new body now. Thorne really picked the perfect robot. It’s a shame she got hurt when she tried to help them, but I’m sure Cinder will find a way to fix her. =)
”See? Injustice. Here we are, risking out lives to rescue Kai and this whole planet, and Adri and Pearl get to go to the royal wedding. I’m disgusted. I hope they spill soy sauce on their fancy dresses.”
Jacin:
”Because Thaumaturge Mira was preoccupied with your operative. Otherwise, I would have been the same brainless mannequin that I usually am.” His tone was self-deprecating, but Cinder could detect bitterness beneath it. Nobody liked to be controlled, and she didn’t think anyone ever got used to it.
Now here’s a new character that has me intrigued. Mostly because he’s still one big question mark and we all know how much I love question marks. XD But please, Jacin! I don’t believe you a single second that you’re not in love with Princess Winter! He so is! It was pretty obvious. After what I saw from Winter I can’t help but wonder about their relationship though. Is his love one-sided, does she reciprocate? I need answers and since the last book is named “Winter” I’m sure I’ll get them soon. ;-)
”Do you ... do you love her?”
He glared at her, disgusted. “Don’t try to push your swoony psychodrama on me. I’m sworn to protect her. Can’t very well do that from down here, can I?”
The relationships & ships:
Cress & Thorne:
”But you’re a prisoner,” said Thorne.
“I prefer damsel in distress,” she murmured.
One side of Thorne’s mouth quirked up, into that perfect half smile he’d had in his graduation photo. A look that was a little bit devious, and all sorts of charming.
Those two are such an unlikely pair but they still worked somehow. XD I loved them together and they were pretty cute. I mean Cress is super innocent and Thorne well, let’s just say he has a lot of experience with women and all sorts of crimes. *lol* Despite everything they are still kind of perfect for each other. I loved that Cress brought out the compassionate and chivalrous side of Thorne and that he didn’t care about who she was or how she looked like. The fact that he couldn’t see her might have helped to see her inner values more clearly but that was exactly what it was supposed to do so yeah. Also Thorne protecting Cress and taking care of her was legit the cutest thing! She saw his true self long before he saw it and I think her believing that he’s a good person might have helped to actually make him one. Plus can we appreciate that Thorne is super gentle and caring with her. He’s kind of a rake but he got all protective and considerate with her. So, nope, I don’t agree with Dr. Erland. I think Thorne is exactly what Cress needs! <333
He rubbed her shoulder. It was the kind of touch that would have filled her with giddiness and yearning if she hadn’t been too tired to feel anything. “You have to trust me, Cress. I’m going to get us out of this.”
”Good idea,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “How could they not think that we’re in love?”
“How couldn’t they?” she murmured. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to memorize the exact feel of him.
Knees suddenly weak, she reached for his forearms to stabilize herself. “You came for me.”
He beamed, looking for all the world like a selfless, daring hero.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” Dropping the cane, he pulled her into a crushing embrace that tore her away from Wolf and lifted her clean off the floor.
”While Cress’s thoughts continued to churn through the horrible things that could happen to her, she felt herself being suddenly sprung around and dipped backward, a supportive arm scooping beneath her back. She yelped and caught herself on Thorne’s shoulder.
Then he was kissing her.”
Cinder & Kai:
”Right. And what if I’d said, oh, sure, Your Highness, I’d love to go to the ball with you, but first you should probably know that I’m cyborg. And then what?”
Kai looked away.
“You never would have talked to me again,” she answered for him. “You would have been mortified.”
“So you were just going to keep it hidden forever?”
“Forever?” Cinder waved her arm toward the window. “You are the emperor of an entire country. There was never going to be a forever.”
He was surprised how much the words stung. She was right.
I was so glad they finally got a chance to talk!!! This conversation was so overdue and I was damn happy when they eventually had their confrontation! Also I remember wishing that Cinder would kidnap Kai before he marries Levana when I wrote my Scarlet review and well, it happened! *lol* Marissa Meyer actually threw me a bone here! YAY! XD I guess now that Cinder cleared things up and Kai knows that she’s Princess Selene they got closer to getting their happily ever after and I can’t wait for it to happen!!! <333 I ship them, HARD! Both on their own couldn’t do a lot against Levana but Cinder and Kai together? They’ll crush her! I know they will because they have the potential to be a power couple! ;-) And it definitely helps that they both know how it feels to be responsible for an entire nation. They can support each other and push through their doubts together and I’m so ready to see that!!! <3
He lifted his gaze. “Just to be clear, you’re not using your mind powers on me right now, are you?”
She blinked. “Of course not.”
“Just checking.”
Then he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her.
”Arms wrapped around her. Cinder pressed her face against his silk shirt. There was some sort of cologne or maybe soap there – so faint she hadn’t picked up on it before.
“I know exactly how you feel,” Kai said.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Not exactly.”
“I think pretty close.”
Scarlet & Wolf:
Cupping his chin, Scarlet tilted Wolf’s face away from her and pressed a kiss against the wound. He inhaled sharply, but otherwise became as still as a rock – an unusual feat for him.”
They broke my freaking heart!!! T_T I can’t believe Scarlet got kidnapped by Sybil and ended up as a prisoner on Luna. I felt so sorry for both of them because Wolf knew exactly what they’d do to her and Scarlet suffered so damn much. >_< Poor girl!!! I could understand why Wolf considered her to be dead because the torture she went through physically as well as mentally will leave its scars and make her a different person than she used to be. Ahhh! I feel so damn sorry for Scarlet! To lose her grandmother was already horrible enough but now this?! T_T I really hope Meyer gives my girl a break in the next book! Wolf and her deserve to be happy and neither of them are right now and it’s just not fair. =(((
”She suppressed the voice out of nervous panic that her mistress would sense her confusion. She did not want that. There was no confusion.
She knew precisely where she wanted to be. Precisely who she wished to be serving.”
”But then Wolf’s breath hitched and all the fury drained out of him with a shudder. Like a man shot fatally through the heart, he collapsed over his knees, covering his head with his good arm like he wanted to block out the world.”
”The illusion and the pain vanished, but the horror lingered. The rawness of her throat. The damp salt on her face. Scarlet rolled onto her side, sobbing in the middle of the playroom floor, grateful that the boy couldn’t maintain the brainwashing while he was distracted.”
Conclusion:
All told “Cress” was one of those sequels in which most of the plotlines come together and finally turn into one central theme. The only loose thread that’s still left is Winter’s and Jacin’s story and I’m already very curious about it. I really liked that some of the character’s problems were addressed, resolved and smoothed out. This lays a good foundation for the final book and I’m ready to read it soon! =)
______________________________
Okay, I get why so many of you love this book!
The last 200 pages were basically unputdownable!
I really, really NEEDED to know how it ends... and the ending. Oh wow!
Guess Queen Levana better get ready for a rough ride. *lol*
Full RTC soon! This was fun! XD
_______________________________
And here we go with book two from my BookTube May TBR!
So many of my GR friends told me that this is the best book in the series and others said it was the worst. *lol* So umm... I guess I’ll have to read “Cress” in order to form my own opinion. XD
I’m very curious if I’ll like it or not. The first two books were great so I think I should be safe?
Let’s do this and see what Prince Kai, Cinder, Wolf, Scarlet, Thorne and Iko are up to! ;-P
P.S: Wow the character cast list gets longer and longer. 😅
”Kiss her, she thought. Isn’t that what people did after they survived thrilling, near-death experiences together? She was sure it wasn’t an appropriate suggestion, but this close, it was all she could think about.”
Ahh, Cress is such a romantic! <3 The way she swooned over Thorne was just adorable! But let’s not get off topic here and focus on the overall review instead! This said “Cress” was already the third book in “The Lunar Chronicles” and basically everybody and their grandma told me that it’s the best book in the series. Of course there were also a couple of voices that said it’s the weakest book in the series so I decided to just read it and form my own opinion. (As always. Did you expect anything different from me? ;-P)
So did “Cress” live up to my expectations or not? Well, the answer is: Yes, I think it did. It was very entertaining and I loved to see how the story of all those different characters came together in the end. What I really liked about this book was that we got some background info about all the characters and that some of them finally got a chance to confront not only each other but also their personal problems as well. No matter if it’s Cinder, Thorne, Cress or Wolf, they all experience things that force them to act and ultimately lead them to finding themselves and their own path in this (by now very) huge storyline.
Interestingly enough Queen Levana didn’t have an all too big part in this instalment but I’m actually glad she had a secondary role. It gave our protagonists room to plan their next moves and to come to terms with their destiny and their individual parts in the game. The introduction of Princess Winter and Jacin was interesting as well and I can’t wait to read their story. Considering Winter’s mental state I’m sure it’s going to be quite something though. XD For now let’s get down to business and talk about the MCs of “Cress”!
The characters:
If you dare to take a trip to the Sahara be my guest! It’s wise to be careful though, there are many dangers that can be found in the desert and mirages and spoilers are just two of them. ;-P Consider yourself properly warned. That’s all I can do for you, my friend!
Cress:
Cress glanced up, and though his expression was sympathetic, she thought he was probably mocking her. ”I’m not crazy. I know she’s just a computer. It’s just ... I programmed her myself, and she was the only friend I had. That’s all.”
Okay, Cress is probably one of the most innocent characters I ever came across in a book but considering she spent almost her entire life on an isolated satellite this doesn’t really come as a surprise. (On a side note: You just gotta love how Meyer turned the initial tower into a satellite. ;-P) She is definitely a cinnamon roll and it’s no wonder she had troubles to adapt to the life on earth. I suppose everyone would have troubles to adapt to life in a desert though so I think she actually did pretty well! Also I kinda liked the contrast of her being a hacker wizard on the keyboard and knowing nothing about the real world. XD I’m very curious where her character arc will head. Still, to find out Dr. Erland was her father was really quite the plot twist. It makes me sad that he died before they could get to know each other. T_T
”She tried to swallow down the rising panic, this sensation that her existence was as small and unimportant as the tiniest fleck of sand blowing against her shins. There was a whole world – a whole planet. And she was stuck somewhere in the middle of it, away from everything. There were no walls, no boundaries, nothing to hide behind. A shudder swept over her, goose bumps crawling across her bare arms.”
Thorne:
”Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he said, squeezing. “Maybe there’s a little bit of a hero in me after all. But ... really, Cress. Only a little.”
Poor boy had it really rough in here. He lost his sight due to the satellite crashing and I was really worried about him. I think it was amazing that he never gave up though. You could tell that he was struggling with his fate and had trouble to adjust to a life without his eye sight but he did what needed to be done and he helped Cress as best as he could. Some might say Thorne is arrogant and self-assertive but I know he isn’t. It’s just a way to hide his insecurities and he is indeed the misunderstood hero Cress thought him to be. I loved to get a glimpse at his true thoughts and to see his character arc was really amazing. <3 Thorne came a long way and I think his journey isn’t over yet.
”She was a girl. A living girl, smart and sweet and awkward and unusual, and she was worth far more than they could ever realize.”
”It seemed like hours since he’d so flippantly said good-bye to Cress, when she was still in the bath, when her singing was still echoing in his ears. And he’d left her. He’d just left her – and why? To show off his gambling skills? To prove that he was still self-sufficient? To prove that he didn’t need anyone, not even her?”
Cinder:
”Of course I will. I’m the rightful heir!”
She drew back, stunned by her own words. She didn’t think she’d ever felt so invested in her identity, and determined to claim her place. It was a strange feeling, bordering on pride.
Cinder actually accepted her powers, but she still feels conflicted about them and I think that’s a good thing! I loved to see how she got stronger and started to see the Lunars as her people and came to terms with her identity. She had to make a lot of difficult choices though and I was really afraid that she might break under the pressure. To think you’re just a cyborg that works as a mechanic and to realize you’re the rightful heir to Luna... I can’t even fathom how tough this must have been. It’s no wonder she’s so insecure, but she has a lot of people that love and support her so I’m sure she’ll make her way. =)
”Standing on the hotel step, with sixty guns trained on her, Cinder realized she was no better than that thaumaturge. This really was war, and she really was in the middle of it.
If she had to make sacrifices, she would.”
“News flash: I have never manipulated you. And I hope I never have to. But you aren’t the only one with responsibilities and an entire country of people who are relying on you. So I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but you are coming with me, and you’re just going to have to figure out whether or not you can trust me when we’re not so pressed for time.”
”You want to know another secret? The biggest secret?” She sat, splaying her legs like a broken doll in front of her. “I’m scared, Kai. I’m so scared.” She thought it might feel better, to say the words out loud, but instead they only made her feel pathetic and weak.
Kai:
”Excellent. And have you given any thought to your wedding vows?”
Kai snorted. “Delete anything that has to do with love, respect, or joy, and I’ll sign on the dotted line.”
Seriously whenever I read about Kai’s and Levana’s upcoming wedding I felt dread! >_< I really, really, really didn’t want him to marry her and ahhh the mere idea of their wedding was already enough to cause me to scream and tear at my hair! He still defied her though and I’ll never get tired of this boys defiance! *lol* Kai is the best and I love him so much! <333 The things he did for his country and people were amazing and I hated to see his self-doubt and insecurity. He did everything he could and it’s not his fault Levana was cunning enough to plan this invasion for years or even decades. It could have happened to his father if he wouldn’t have died of the plague so I really hope he stops blaming himself for everything that happened. It’s not his fault. T_T
”He hated Levana. He hated himself for giving in to her. He hated that his father had managed to keep her and her threats of war at bay for years and years, and within weeks of Kai taking the throne, he’d let everything fall apart.”
”Maybe she’s trying to help me. Cinder knows that if she finds the princess, it could be the end of Levana’s rule. I wouldn’t have to marry her. She would probably be executed for treason. Cinder risked her life going to that farm, and she did it ... she may have done it for me.”
”He would never tell Torin that a part of him hoped Cinder would be safe. And he would never tell a single living soul how terrified he was, every moment of every day. How afraid he was that he was making an enormous mistake.”
Iko:
”Aaaaw,” squealed Iko. “Did Wolf just say that he loves Scarlet? That’s so cute!”
Iko fangirling over Scarlet and Wolf was one of the best things in this book! *lol* She’s basically the embodiment of every shipper and the comical relief of this series. XD Also I almost choked when she spoke about Adri and Pearl. Haha! I just adore Iko and I’m so glad she got a new body now. Thorne really picked the perfect robot. It’s a shame she got hurt when she tried to help them, but I’m sure Cinder will find a way to fix her. =)
”See? Injustice. Here we are, risking out lives to rescue Kai and this whole planet, and Adri and Pearl get to go to the royal wedding. I’m disgusted. I hope they spill soy sauce on their fancy dresses.”
Jacin:
”Because Thaumaturge Mira was preoccupied with your operative. Otherwise, I would have been the same brainless mannequin that I usually am.” His tone was self-deprecating, but Cinder could detect bitterness beneath it. Nobody liked to be controlled, and she didn’t think anyone ever got used to it.
Now here’s a new character that has me intrigued. Mostly because he’s still one big question mark and we all know how much I love question marks. XD But please, Jacin! I don’t believe you a single second that you’re not in love with Princess Winter! He so is! It was pretty obvious. After what I saw from Winter I can’t help but wonder about their relationship though. Is his love one-sided, does she reciprocate? I need answers and since the last book is named “Winter” I’m sure I’ll get them soon. ;-)
”Do you ... do you love her?”
He glared at her, disgusted. “Don’t try to push your swoony psychodrama on me. I’m sworn to protect her. Can’t very well do that from down here, can I?”
The relationships & ships:
Cress & Thorne:
”But you’re a prisoner,” said Thorne.
“I prefer damsel in distress,” she murmured.
One side of Thorne’s mouth quirked up, into that perfect half smile he’d had in his graduation photo. A look that was a little bit devious, and all sorts of charming.
Those two are such an unlikely pair but they still worked somehow. XD I loved them together and they were pretty cute. I mean Cress is super innocent and Thorne well, let’s just say he has a lot of experience with women and all sorts of crimes. *lol* Despite everything they are still kind of perfect for each other. I loved that Cress brought out the compassionate and chivalrous side of Thorne and that he didn’t care about who she was or how she looked like. The fact that he couldn’t see her might have helped to see her inner values more clearly but that was exactly what it was supposed to do so yeah. Also Thorne protecting Cress and taking care of her was legit the cutest thing! She saw his true self long before he saw it and I think her believing that he’s a good person might have helped to actually make him one. Plus can we appreciate that Thorne is super gentle and caring with her. He’s kind of a rake but he got all protective and considerate with her. So, nope, I don’t agree with Dr. Erland. I think Thorne is exactly what Cress needs! <333
He rubbed her shoulder. It was the kind of touch that would have filled her with giddiness and yearning if she hadn’t been too tired to feel anything. “You have to trust me, Cress. I’m going to get us out of this.”
”Good idea,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “How could they not think that we’re in love?”
“How couldn’t they?” she murmured. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to memorize the exact feel of him.
Knees suddenly weak, she reached for his forearms to stabilize herself. “You came for me.”
He beamed, looking for all the world like a selfless, daring hero.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” Dropping the cane, he pulled her into a crushing embrace that tore her away from Wolf and lifted her clean off the floor.
”While Cress’s thoughts continued to churn through the horrible things that could happen to her, she felt herself being suddenly sprung around and dipped backward, a supportive arm scooping beneath her back. She yelped and caught herself on Thorne’s shoulder.
Then he was kissing her.”
Cinder & Kai:
”Right. And what if I’d said, oh, sure, Your Highness, I’d love to go to the ball with you, but first you should probably know that I’m cyborg. And then what?”
Kai looked away.
“You never would have talked to me again,” she answered for him. “You would have been mortified.”
“So you were just going to keep it hidden forever?”
“Forever?” Cinder waved her arm toward the window. “You are the emperor of an entire country. There was never going to be a forever.”
He was surprised how much the words stung. She was right.
I was so glad they finally got a chance to talk!!! This conversation was so overdue and I was damn happy when they eventually had their confrontation! Also I remember wishing that Cinder would kidnap Kai before he marries Levana when I wrote my Scarlet review and well, it happened! *lol* Marissa Meyer actually threw me a bone here! YAY! XD I guess now that Cinder cleared things up and Kai knows that she’s Princess Selene they got closer to getting their happily ever after and I can’t wait for it to happen!!! <333 I ship them, HARD! Both on their own couldn’t do a lot against Levana but Cinder and Kai together? They’ll crush her! I know they will because they have the potential to be a power couple! ;-) And it definitely helps that they both know how it feels to be responsible for an entire nation. They can support each other and push through their doubts together and I’m so ready to see that!!! <3
He lifted his gaze. “Just to be clear, you’re not using your mind powers on me right now, are you?”
She blinked. “Of course not.”
“Just checking.”
Then he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her.
”Arms wrapped around her. Cinder pressed her face against his silk shirt. There was some sort of cologne or maybe soap there – so faint she hadn’t picked up on it before.
“I know exactly how you feel,” Kai said.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Not exactly.”
“I think pretty close.”
Scarlet & Wolf:
Cupping his chin, Scarlet tilted Wolf’s face away from her and pressed a kiss against the wound. He inhaled sharply, but otherwise became as still as a rock – an unusual feat for him.”
They broke my freaking heart!!! T_T I can’t believe Scarlet got kidnapped by Sybil and ended up as a prisoner on Luna. I felt so sorry for both of them because Wolf knew exactly what they’d do to her and Scarlet suffered so damn much. >_< Poor girl!!! I could understand why Wolf considered her to be dead because the torture she went through physically as well as mentally will leave its scars and make her a different person than she used to be. Ahhh! I feel so damn sorry for Scarlet! To lose her grandmother was already horrible enough but now this?! T_T I really hope Meyer gives my girl a break in the next book! Wolf and her deserve to be happy and neither of them are right now and it’s just not fair. =(((
”She suppressed the voice out of nervous panic that her mistress would sense her confusion. She did not want that. There was no confusion.
She knew precisely where she wanted to be. Precisely who she wished to be serving.”
”But then Wolf’s breath hitched and all the fury drained out of him with a shudder. Like a man shot fatally through the heart, he collapsed over his knees, covering his head with his good arm like he wanted to block out the world.”
”The illusion and the pain vanished, but the horror lingered. The rawness of her throat. The damp salt on her face. Scarlet rolled onto her side, sobbing in the middle of the playroom floor, grateful that the boy couldn’t maintain the brainwashing while he was distracted.”
Conclusion:
All told “Cress” was one of those sequels in which most of the plotlines come together and finally turn into one central theme. The only loose thread that’s still left is Winter’s and Jacin’s story and I’m already very curious about it. I really liked that some of the character’s problems were addressed, resolved and smoothed out. This lays a good foundation for the final book and I’m ready to read it soon! =)
______________________________
Okay, I get why so many of you love this book!
The last 200 pages were basically unputdownable!
I really, really NEEDED to know how it ends... and the ending. Oh wow!
Guess Queen Levana better get ready for a rough ride. *lol*
Full RTC soon! This was fun! XD
_______________________________
And here we go with book two from my BookTube May TBR!
So many of my GR friends told me that this is the best book in the series and others said it was the worst. *lol* So umm... I guess I’ll have to read “Cress” in order to form my own opinion. XD
I’m very curious if I’ll like it or not. The first two books were great so I think I should be safe?
Let’s do this and see what Prince Kai, Cinder, Wolf, Scarlet, Thorne and Iko are up to! ;-P
P.S: Wow the character cast list gets longer and longer. 😅
December 12, 2020
Third Read Review:
This reread was such a nostalgic one for me. I still remember that I read this book for the first time when I was 16. And now, I’m 21 years old. What surprises me is that 5 years has passed, and I still enjoy reading it. wow.
This series honestly gets better with each of its sequels. The way Meyer weaves the plot inside of the book is just splendid. The characters are also amazing and so different from one another. I’m pretty sure that if there are some lines and I’m expected to guess the characters, I’d be correct in guessing it. The characters just sound so different and it’s amazing considering there are lots of characters within the book.
I’m gonna be honest here, Cress is probably the least of my fav characters in the series. Maybe it’s just because I’m much older now than the previous time I reread it, but Cress often sounded juvenile or dramatic and she had me rolling my eyes a couple of times. And her insta-love toward the love interest? Well, let’s just say it’s cute but I’m not a fan of it. On the other hand, Cinder is my top favorite. She’s just so tenacious and such an inspiration.
Overall, it’s still a great book. The plot was so engaging and funny. The characters development and friendship were awesome. Now, I’m off to read the last book, Winter. So excited!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Hey, everyone! I AM BACK!
It honestly feels like such a long time since I read a book! I miss reading SO much. So I think it’s the perfect time for me to continue my reread of this series. I miss the characters already. 😊
•••••••••••••••••••••
This reread was such a nostalgic one for me. I still remember that I read this book for the first time when I was 16. And now, I’m 21 years old. What surprises me is that 5 years has passed, and I still enjoy reading it. wow.
This series honestly gets better with each of its sequels. The way Meyer weaves the plot inside of the book is just splendid. The characters are also amazing and so different from one another. I’m pretty sure that if there are some lines and I’m expected to guess the characters, I’d be correct in guessing it. The characters just sound so different and it’s amazing considering there are lots of characters within the book.
I’m gonna be honest here, Cress is probably the least of my fav characters in the series. Maybe it’s just because I’m much older now than the previous time I reread it, but Cress often sounded juvenile or dramatic and she had me rolling my eyes a couple of times. And her insta-love toward the love interest? Well, let’s just say it’s cute but I’m not a fan of it. On the other hand, Cinder is my top favorite. She’s just so tenacious and such an inspiration.
Overall, it’s still a great book. The plot was so engaging and funny. The characters development and friendship were awesome. Now, I’m off to read the last book, Winter. So excited!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Hey, everyone! I AM BACK!
It honestly feels like such a long time since I read a book! I miss reading SO much. So I think it’s the perfect time for me to continue my reread of this series. I miss the characters already. 😊
•••••••••••••••••••••
March 12, 2019
"Sweet Crescent Moon,
Up in the sky,
You sing your song so sweetly,
After sunshine passes by."
Stars above, this was one heck of a book
I'll be honest, I can't think of a proper way to start this review other than saying that i really enjoyed this book (what a surprise).
In fact, i enjoyed it so much that i can't find the words to describe my love for it, and for the lunar chronicles as a whole.
But I think it's safe to say by now, that this is my absolute favorite series of all times.
Let's kick things off by talking about the plot,
In this installment, We continue from where we left things off in the previous book, in adittion to the introduction of Cress and her unique story.
This book was action-packed and well plotted. There were always exciting events and secrets revealed, that constantly kept me on the edge of my seat, reading to find out more .
It was also very funny, And I often found myself laughing out loud at certain jokes and actions during the course of this story.
Overall, i would say that it was an exciting, funny and really engaging plot.
Moving on to the characters,
In this book, we are introduced to Cress, who has been trapped in a satellite (
I really liked Cress and her quirky, awkward personality (which was really entertaining to read about in some parts). And i found her to be a great ,fun and interesting addition to the story.
Moreover, I noticed that there was a focus on character development in this book, which is ALWAYS a good thing.
We also got to know each individual character in a better - more intimate manner.
Now last but certainly not least, i would like to talk about Marissa Meyer's writing ,
I personally really like Marissa's writing style, i think it suits the story very well,
Her writing is not too descriptive(which i consider to be a good thing), but yet she manges to portray the world and the characters so well, making the story feel so real and alive !
Now, i talked about Marissa's writing in my review of Cinder ,
But i decided to talk about it again just to address the Improvement that I saw in her writing, pacing and overall story telling, which can be clearly seen in this book.
Also, i think it's worth mentioning that this book had ALOT of different point of views, and story settings often changed.
I was a bit taken off at first by the amount of POVs in this book, but as i read on, Meyer proved to be very talanted at merging all these storylines together to create a one big-EPIC overall story.
Bottom line is that this book was awesome !
It's well written, well plotted,
and, well.... JUST EPIC.
So,
If you're someone who is debating whether or not to continue on with this series , I would highly recommend reading this book, because things DO get crazy and exciting,
And i promise it's completely worth it !
My reviews for previous books in this series :
Cinder
Scarlet
October 3, 2018
this is the series that just keeps on giving and i couldnt be more blessed.
this book was a different reading experience for me than the previous two in that i knew nothing about the story of rapunzel. im familiar with cinderella and little red riding hood, so it was easy to follow along with those loose retellings, but this book felt like a completely new story to me. and it was quite refreshing not having those expectations going into this.
however, i was a little worried this installment would be all over the place. i mean, we now have six main characters, meaning six different POVs. i was so sure this book was going to be thinly spread across everyones stories, especially since they all part ways pretty early on. but i was pleasantly surprised to find nothing was lacking. not only did i feel like each character got an equal amount of page time, but the plot was nicely developed, the pacing was on point, and it was a great set-up for the next and final book. which i am so excited for because winter sounds like a positively and delightfully insane girl!
heres hoping my little group of cyborg, misfit, and criminal children can pull everything off!
↠ 4 stars
this book was a different reading experience for me than the previous two in that i knew nothing about the story of rapunzel. im familiar with cinderella and little red riding hood, so it was easy to follow along with those loose retellings, but this book felt like a completely new story to me. and it was quite refreshing not having those expectations going into this.
however, i was a little worried this installment would be all over the place. i mean, we now have six main characters, meaning six different POVs. i was so sure this book was going to be thinly spread across everyones stories, especially since they all part ways pretty early on. but i was pleasantly surprised to find nothing was lacking. not only did i feel like each character got an equal amount of page time, but the plot was nicely developed, the pacing was on point, and it was a great set-up for the next and final book. which i am so excited for because winter sounds like a positively and delightfully insane girl!
heres hoping my little group of cyborg, misfit, and criminal children can pull everything off!
↠ 4 stars
April 6, 2021
"Maybe there isn’t such a thing as fate. Maybe it’s just the opportunities we’re given, and what we do with them."
Stunning, heartbreaking, thrilling are just a few words to describe Cress. And it's not enough. This was such a good read, I had to put this book down a few times and just breath. Out of fear (oh Marissa Meyer knows how to build up suspense) and relief (well at least she loves her characters enough not to kill them off one after another).
Cinder is brave as ever, Scarlet(well let's not spoil this), Cress is absolutely adorable(and adorkable), Thorne always lightens my sorrow-filled heart, Wolf on the other hand is the one who fills my heart with sorrow and Kai has the coolest of names. Obviously.
One thing I really enjoyed was reading from Iko's POV, because reading what a robot thinks and "feels" is pretty uncommon and therefore even more interesting.
In a nutshell: possibly my favourite in the series.
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Stunning, heartbreaking, thrilling are just a few words to describe Cress. And it's not enough. This was such a good read, I had to put this book down a few times and just breath. Out of fear (oh Marissa Meyer knows how to build up suspense) and relief (well at least she loves her characters enough not to kill them off one after another).
Cinder is brave as ever, Scarlet(well let's not spoil this), Cress is absolutely adorable(and adorkable), Thorne always lightens my sorrow-filled heart, Wolf on the other hand is the one who fills my heart with sorrow and Kai has the coolest of names. Obviously.
One thing I really enjoyed was reading from Iko's POV, because reading what a robot thinks and "feels" is pretty uncommon and therefore even more interesting.
In a nutshell: possibly my favourite in the series.
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November 16, 2020
Yep. It definitely got better.
This was my favorite of the Lunar Chronicles. It was so sweet and personal, while keeping up the action-packed plot. Each time Thorne and Cress popped up, I devoured every word. They're my cinnamon rolls.
I had one big problem, however.
Wolf. I hate him.
He spent a good chunk of this book unconscious, which I felt was deserved. And then, when he wakes up, he has a temper tantrum because "his alpha was missing," he rips his stitches, and he puts Princess Selene in a chokehold. And then he proceeds to spend the rest of the day howling in a corner like the useless character he is.
Maybe I wouldn't have minded this if he actually treated Scarlet like a person and not like some "alpha" thing he's supposed to be proud of. Or if they had known each other for longer than a month.
When they break into the palace, he's STILL MOPING and refuses to even try to act like he's enjoying the party. They're supposed to blend in, and yet he won't even attempt to look any more like an actual human being. He's too busy "mourning Scarlet." Pleeease. Wolf needs two things. Therapy and a class on anger management.
Besides that...
I loved Cress and Thorne and Cresswell with all of my shriveled heart. Cress is adorably naive (did I mention that Rapunzel is my favorite fairy tale), Thorne is the perfect combination of sarcastic and supportive, and together - *cries* *swoons* PERFECTION.
Oh, and Kai was officially elevated to Cinnamon Roll Status. Because Wolf dropped. Kai's like those slightly stale cinnamon rolls you get from the grocery store bakery in a plastic box... while Cress and Thorne are fresh, warm, sticky ones. Sorry for the food analogy, I couldn't help myself.
The plotline itself was entirely too convenient. They all happen to land up in the same obscure African town JUST BY CHANCE. Which I find hard to believe. But I'm going to stop being skeptical and just enjoy this magnificence.
This was my favorite of the Lunar Chronicles. It was so sweet and personal, while keeping up the action-packed plot. Each time Thorne and Cress popped up, I devoured every word. They're my cinnamon rolls.
I had one big problem, however.
Wolf. I hate him.
He spent a good chunk of this book unconscious, which I felt was deserved. And then, when he wakes up, he has a temper tantrum because "his alpha was missing," he rips his stitches, and he puts Princess Selene in a chokehold. And then he proceeds to spend the rest of the day howling in a corner like the useless character he is.
Maybe I wouldn't have minded this if he actually treated Scarlet like a person and not like some "alpha" thing he's supposed to be proud of. Or if they had known each other for longer than a month.
When they break into the palace, he's STILL MOPING and refuses to even try to act like he's enjoying the party. They're supposed to blend in, and yet he won't even attempt to look any more like an actual human being. He's too busy "mourning Scarlet." Pleeease. Wolf needs two things. Therapy and a class on anger management.
Besides that...
I loved Cress and Thorne and Cresswell with all of my shriveled heart. Cress is adorably naive (did I mention that Rapunzel is my favorite fairy tale), Thorne is the perfect combination of sarcastic and supportive, and together - *cries* *swoons* PERFECTION.
Oh, and Kai was officially elevated to Cinnamon Roll Status. Because Wolf dropped. Kai's like those slightly stale cinnamon rolls you get from the grocery store bakery in a plastic box... while Cress and Thorne are fresh, warm, sticky ones. Sorry for the food analogy, I couldn't help myself.
The plotline itself was entirely too convenient. They all happen to land up in the same obscure African town JUST BY CHANCE. Which I find hard to believe. But I'm going to stop being skeptical and just enjoy this magnificence.
July 30, 2017
Re-Read on Audio. Still awesome and still loving this narrator.
Beautiful fan art of Thorne and Cress ↓
**Older Review**
Wow!! I just finished Cress!! These books aways end with me thinking "You Didn't Just Stop There" !!!
I loved meeting the new member of the storyline, Cresent Moon. What a beautiful name! Cress for short. I can't believe she lived on that satellite for so long! The Lunars are cruel with shells! Can't say any more without spoilers.
There is so much going on in this book with everyone, but it's not confusing.
Iko got her game on :-). That's all I'm saying :-)
A lot of sadness for Wolf. A shocking reveal for Dr. Erland, two actually.
Trauma to Captain Thorne.
A few deaths and a lot of coolness!
I can't wait to read Fairest and Winter!!
Beautiful fan art of Thorne and Cress ↓
"Captain?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?"
"No. I'm pretty sure it was Cinder."
**Older Review**
Wow!! I just finished Cress!! These books aways end with me thinking "You Didn't Just Stop There" !!!
I loved meeting the new member of the storyline, Cresent Moon. What a beautiful name! Cress for short. I can't believe she lived on that satellite for so long! The Lunars are cruel with shells! Can't say any more without spoilers.
There is so much going on in this book with everyone, but it's not confusing.
Iko got her game on :-). That's all I'm saying :-)
A lot of sadness for Wolf. A shocking reveal for Dr. Erland, two actually.
Trauma to Captain Thorne.
A few deaths and a lot of coolness!
I can't wait to read Fairest and Winter!!
April 6, 2021
Anything I say about this book is going to do it an injustice. It was pure, it was good, it was heartbreaking and it was they most enjoyable read I have had in a long time.
So basically what you should do is take everything I say and just times it by a big fat ten.
Holy crap, okay. So the book starts out with a big bang.
The gang (you know, Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, Thorne and Iko) contacts Cress and realize she is a huge asset to their team because A: She's the one that has been hiding their spaceship from satellites and such, B: she knows their location and has been tracking them this whole time, C: She knows all about anything they have ever done that was recorded or stored somewhere, and D: She knows all about the Queen's plans, totally geeky when it comes to computer/tablet/portscreen/whatever it's technology.
So they venture to go and rescue the girl with really long hair from her satellite in the sky.
And the whole time everyone is like, "howweird, odd, fragile, socially awkward, helpless, annoying, have I said weird yet, obnoxious, in-need-of-a-straight-jacket, special is she going to be?"
Well, let me tell you a little about our little Cresent Moon Darnel.
01. She's easily the cutest thing to ever live, Lunar, Shell or human or android or whatever else lives, walks, swims, flies or waddles.
02. I'm not sure who decided to portray all Rapunzel-like characters as adorable and cute and innocent and hilarious but I absolutely love it and it fits Cress to a T.
03. She is dead set on the fact that her and Thorne are soulmates and are going to have an epic romance because he is so selfless and honorable and wonderful and gorgeous and pure-hearted (please stop laughing, let her live in her fantasy world). He has gorgeous and wonderful going for him though, let's all be honest. Their relationship is a little like this:
After a few unfortunate events, the group gets separated: Cindy with Wolf and Jacin (huh? who are you? I'm probably not going to explain), Scarlet... er... elsewhere, and Cress with her beloved blind Thorne.
WHAT HE IS BLIND?
Yah, I'm probably not going to explain that either.
Anyway, a lot of the people above get trapped in the desert. I am just going to say it now: it's a very depressing read for the, er, group that gets trapped in the desert. They are down on rations, the sun is laughing at their predicament, and someone lost their shoes in the, errrr, adventure to the desert.
It's all kind of horrifying and sad and not something I ever want to put my heart through again. I read that without spoilers and I can tell you I had to count my inhales and exhales I was so nervous.
HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSE TO ACT WHEN ALL MY LOVES ARE WANTED BY ALL THE CROWNS IN THE NEAR SPACE AND PLANETS AND MOONS?
Oh! Oh! Oh! I forgot to mention that the "evil mother" in this is Mistress Sybil. AND GUYS, she is literally the worst.
I'm pretty sure I pulled out all my hair when her name was on the page. She ruins everything. I, UGH. No. Onto happier thoughts.
Some small things that I loved that doesn't give anything away:
01. Crescent's LOVE for Earth!
02. That this epic moment does happen!
even though it isn't in an epic way, butttt.
03. Throne & Cress because they are so SHIPPED I need them to SAIL into the SUNSET
04. How helpful Cress is to help these people she doesn't even know (well, she knows about them, but she doesn't really know them, you know?).
She literally fits so well with their team. The needs they need, she has. And she is so willing to help because she finally has a purpose in life!
05. Cress... can I just love Cress?
There are huge reveals, there are deaths, there are a lot of laughs, there is action, there is romance and there are three, beautiful stories woven into one huge, wonderful masterpiece.
Don't worry though, we are getting our fourth.
Because what do a [lunar] mechanic, [human] a pilot and a [shell] computer geek need to defeat an evil queen?
her step-daughter, the [mad] princess.
So basically what you should do is take everything I say and just times it by a big fat ten.
Holy crap, okay. So the book starts out with a big bang.
The gang (you know, Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, Thorne and Iko) contacts Cress and realize she is a huge asset to their team because A: She's the one that has been hiding their spaceship from satellites and such, B: she knows their location and has been tracking them this whole time, C: She knows all about anything they have ever done that was recorded or stored somewhere, and D: She knows all about the Queen's plans, totally geeky when it comes to computer/tablet/portscreen/whatever it's technology.
So they venture to go and rescue the girl with really long hair from her satellite in the sky.
And the whole time everyone is like, "how
Well, let me tell you a little about our little Cresent Moon Darnel.
01. She's easily the cutest thing to ever live, Lunar, Shell or human or android or whatever else lives, walks, swims, flies or waddles.
02. I'm not sure who decided to portray all Rapunzel-like characters as adorable and cute and innocent and hilarious but I absolutely love it and it fits Cress to a T.
03. She is dead set on the fact that her and Thorne are soulmates and are going to have an epic romance because he is so selfless and honorable and wonderful and gorgeous and pure-hearted (please stop laughing, let her live in her fantasy world). He has gorgeous and wonderful going for him though, let's all be honest. Their relationship is a little like this:
After a few unfortunate events, the group gets separated: Cindy with Wolf and Jacin (huh? who are you? I'm probably not going to explain), Scarlet... er... elsewhere, and Cress with her beloved blind Thorne.
WHAT HE IS BLIND?
Yah, I'm probably not going to explain that either.
Anyway, a lot of the people above get trapped in the desert. I am just going to say it now: it's a very depressing read for the, er, group that gets trapped in the desert. They are down on rations, the sun is laughing at their predicament, and someone lost their shoes in the, errrr, adventure to the desert.
It's all kind of horrifying and sad and not something I ever want to put my heart through again. I read that without spoilers and I can tell you I had to count my inhales and exhales I was so nervous.
HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSE TO ACT WHEN ALL MY LOVES ARE WANTED BY ALL THE CROWNS IN THE NEAR SPACE AND PLANETS AND MOONS?
Oh! Oh! Oh! I forgot to mention that the "evil mother" in this is Mistress Sybil. AND GUYS, she is literally the worst.
I'm pretty sure I pulled out all my hair when her name was on the page. She ruins everything. I, UGH. No. Onto happier thoughts.
Some small things that I loved that doesn't give anything away:
01. Crescent's LOVE for Earth!
02. That this epic moment does happen!
even though it isn't in an epic way, butttt.
03. Throne & Cress because they are so SHIPPED I need them to SAIL into the SUNSET
04. How helpful Cress is to help these people she doesn't even know (well, she knows about them, but she doesn't really know them, you know?).
She literally fits so well with their team. The needs they need, she has. And she is so willing to help because she finally has a purpose in life!
05. Cress... can I just love Cress?
There are huge reveals, there are deaths, there are a lot of laughs, there is action, there is romance and there are three, beautiful stories woven into one huge, wonderful masterpiece.
Don't worry though, we are getting our fourth.
Because what do a [lunar] mechanic, [human] a pilot and a [shell] computer geek need to defeat an evil queen?
her step-daughter, the [mad] princess.
November 12, 2015
Reread updates:
“The people of Luna don’t need a princess. They need a revolutionary.”
Cinder furrowed her brow. “A revolutionary,” she repeated. She liked that a lot better than princess.
WELP. I'm sad to say that Cress still drove me mad for the first 75% of this book, but once again, she inexplicably improved in the end. This is one series that benefits greatly from multiple POVs.
Onward and upwards.
THEORIES:
11/8/15: REREAD. B/c WINTER. On TUESDAY.
*waves at Cress*
3.5 stars
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I’ve been very up front about my love of fairy tales, and RAPUNZEL is one of the only Grimms’ Fairy Tales that has a somewhat happy ending (even if it is a little bit risqué).
In the original version, the prince finds Rapunzel after hearing her sing. He comes back day after day to listen to her, and, eventually, he sees the Witch and learns how to gain "entrance to her tower."
And he does. Frequently.
*suggestively waggles eyebrows*
Which brings us to how Witch discovers that she is no longer Rapunzel’s only visiter--Rapunzel is found to be inthefamilyway (ifyouknowwhatimean).
Anyway, Witch is so furious at Rapunzel’s “betrayal” that she cuts her hair and casts her out into the wilderness. Then she waits . . . *cue ominous music* . . . for Prince to show up, and when he does, she flings him from the top of the tower, and briers scratch his eyes, BLINDING him, when he lands.
Stuff happens and they live HEA.
CRESS by Marissa Meyer is the RAPUNZEL--based third installment of the LUNAR CHRONICLES, and while I had no urges to throw or otherwise damage books in this reading, I did have to stifle an urge to throw or otherwise damage Cress (the MC, not the book).
I’ll say up front--until around the 75% mark, Cress is downright A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G. Fortunately, having multiple other POVs kept this from being overwhelming.
I’ve already stated that RAPUNZEL is my all-time favorite fairy tale (and has been since I was like five), so mayhap my expectations were always going to be too high. All I can say is I was dancing with glee that Meyer got the blinding (of the “prince”) part right, while simultaneously pulling out giant handfuls of hair every time Cress did a not-at-all-endearing imitation of a certain Disney character.
BUT Cinder and Kai were spot-on, and Thorne was as incorrigible as ever, so it balanced out (Scarlet and Wolf weren’t a huge part of the storyline this go-round). AND once I hit the 75% mark, Cress stopped being silly and ridiculous and started being . . . something else. I don’t know what exactly, but I didn’t hate her anymore, and that’s all that matters.
Or almost all that matters.
I figured out a while back that my rating system is mostly based on THE FEELS. The books that are decent, but don’t really evoke much emotion get 2 to 3.5 stars. The books that have me doing various things of a superlative nature get everything else.
Problem is, sometimes a book is pretty MEH until the very end, then BAM--THE FEELS. Suddenly, I forget all of the MEH from the front 90% of the book.
I’ve been working on that.
Which is why CRESS gets 4 stars and not 5. THE FEELS actually kicked in around the same time I stopped wanting to wallop Cress, and she was the minority (no other characters drove me batty). BUT she was the main character, so I didn’t feel I could in good conscience be totally swayed by THE FEELS.
I felt that Meyer wrapped up CRESS beautifully. Am I happy to be waiting another twelve months to read the conclusion? No. Of course not, but I’m still ridiculously excited to see what happens next. Especially with a nutso Lunar princess waiting in the wings. Winter is clearly C-R-A-Z-Y.
My other reviews for this series:
Glitches (Lunar Chronicles 0.5)
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles, #1.5)
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5)
Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)
“The people of Luna don’t need a princess. They need a revolutionary.”
Cinder furrowed her brow. “A revolutionary,” she repeated. She liked that a lot better than princess.
WELP. I'm sad to say that Cress still drove me mad for the first 75% of this book, but once again, she inexplicably improved in the end. This is one series that benefits greatly from multiple POVs.
Onward and upwards.
THEORIES:
11/8/15: REREAD. B/c WINTER. On TUESDAY.
*waves at Cress*
3.5 stars
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I’ve been very up front about my love of fairy tales, and RAPUNZEL is one of the only Grimms’ Fairy Tales that has a somewhat happy ending (even if it is a little bit risqué).
In the original version, the prince finds Rapunzel after hearing her sing. He comes back day after day to listen to her, and, eventually, he sees the Witch and learns how to gain "entrance to her tower."
And he does. Frequently.
*suggestively waggles eyebrows*
Which brings us to how Witch discovers that she is no longer Rapunzel’s only visiter--Rapunzel is found to be inthefamilyway (ifyouknowwhatimean).
Anyway, Witch is so furious at Rapunzel’s “betrayal” that she cuts her hair and casts her out into the wilderness. Then she waits . . . *cue ominous music* . . . for Prince to show up, and when he does, she flings him from the top of the tower, and briers scratch his eyes, BLINDING him, when he lands.
Stuff happens and they live HEA.
CRESS by Marissa Meyer is the RAPUNZEL--based third installment of the LUNAR CHRONICLES, and while I had no urges to throw or otherwise damage books in this reading, I did have to stifle an urge to throw or otherwise damage Cress (the MC, not the book).
I’ll say up front--until around the 75% mark, Cress is downright A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G. Fortunately, having multiple other POVs kept this from being overwhelming.
I’ve already stated that RAPUNZEL is my all-time favorite fairy tale (and has been since I was like five), so mayhap my expectations were always going to be too high. All I can say is I was dancing with glee that Meyer got the blinding (of the “prince”) part right, while simultaneously pulling out giant handfuls of hair every time Cress did a not-at-all-endearing imitation of a certain Disney character.
BUT Cinder and Kai were spot-on, and Thorne was as incorrigible as ever, so it balanced out (Scarlet and Wolf weren’t a huge part of the storyline this go-round). AND once I hit the 75% mark, Cress stopped being silly and ridiculous and started being . . . something else. I don’t know what exactly, but I didn’t hate her anymore, and that’s all that matters.
Or almost all that matters.
I figured out a while back that my rating system is mostly based on THE FEELS. The books that are decent, but don’t really evoke much emotion get 2 to 3.5 stars. The books that have me doing various things of a superlative nature get everything else.
Problem is, sometimes a book is pretty MEH until the very end, then BAM--THE FEELS. Suddenly, I forget all of the MEH from the front 90% of the book.
I’ve been working on that.
Which is why CRESS gets 4 stars and not 5. THE FEELS actually kicked in around the same time I stopped wanting to wallop Cress, and she was the minority (no other characters drove me batty). BUT she was the main character, so I didn’t feel I could in good conscience be totally swayed by THE FEELS.
I felt that Meyer wrapped up CRESS beautifully. Am I happy to be waiting another twelve months to read the conclusion? No. Of course not, but I’m still ridiculously excited to see what happens next. Especially with a nutso Lunar princess waiting in the wings. Winter is clearly C-R-A-Z-Y.
My other reviews for this series:
Glitches (Lunar Chronicles 0.5)
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles, #1.5)
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)
Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5)
Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)
February 24, 2018
Cress is Rapunzel . . . Scarlet is Red Riding Hood . . . Cinder is Cinderella . . . Wolf is the not so Big Bad Wolf . . . Thorne is the charming scoundrel pilot (still picture Han Solo) . . . Iko is the quirky droid
A cross between fairy tales and Star Wars - really, Star Wars fans might hate me for blasphemy, but I really do keep thinking about it!
I like this series - it is very entertaining! I care about the characters and what happens to them. I enjoy the relationships. It might be kinda cheesy from time to time, but I love me some brie! :)
Note on Thorne and Cress . . . it all makes so much sense now!
A cross between fairy tales and Star Wars - really, Star Wars fans might hate me for blasphemy, but I really do keep thinking about it!
I like this series - it is very entertaining! I care about the characters and what happens to them. I enjoy the relationships. It might be kinda cheesy from time to time, but I love me some brie! :)
Note on Thorne and Cress . . . it all makes so much sense now!
April 20, 2015
THIS. BOOK. WAS. AMAZING.
Wow, I'm just amazed of how much I liked it! I loved the interactions between all the characters and the scenes where they were all together were simply WONDERFUL. I really liked Cinder and Kai in this book, both of them have so much responsability on their shoulders and I think they are handling it just fine! I can't wait to see what will they do in the next book! The ending of this one was EPIC.
And Cress, oh, I love little Cress. She's so adorable and funny, and I adored how Thorne was with her <3. I want more of them!!!
AAAH, I just want to read Winter right now! How do I become a beta :(? Hahaha, I need that book in my life, 2015 is too far away! Definetly, Winter became one of my most anticipated books for next year.
Wow, I'm just amazed of how much I liked it! I loved the interactions between all the characters and the scenes where they were all together were simply WONDERFUL. I really liked Cinder and Kai in this book, both of them have so much responsability on their shoulders and I think they are handling it just fine! I can't wait to see what will they do in the next book! The ending of this one was EPIC.
And Cress, oh, I love little Cress. She's so adorable and funny, and I adored how Thorne was with her <3. I want more of them!!!
AAAH, I just want to read Winter right now! How do I become a beta :(? Hahaha, I need that book in my life, 2015 is too far away! Definetly, Winter became one of my most anticipated books for next year.
September 18, 2022
*Spoilers Ahead*
The time has come for the ultimate fangirling episode. The book which cemented my relationship with this series. This is so amazing i mean it's my favorite in the series and Cinder ... I know i have already adopted so many many children but PLEASE BE MY DAUGHTER.
Where do i even begin? Cress Of course!
So Cress.
CRESS.
CRESS.
CRESS.
This book holds my heart and it has everything i want in an adventure and so many things happen in this book gahhhhhhh!!! The drama, the plot twists, the romance, the epic battles, heists, and most importantly Carswell Thorne. The DRAMA MY DUDES THE DRAMA .
Let's do this thing.
●
● Starting with the obvious .... Cress!!
● The shy girl, the fan girl, the hopeless romantic, the imaginative dreamer. Socially inept and very, very prone to blush!
● In all my years reading YA and finding the sarcastic, whip smart, kick butt heroines (whom I love) I had never encountered, a wee little girl, who’s quiet, smart but not at all great with the whipping of the smarts. Then I found Cress and just …
● I may not be a tech-savvy genius, but I am definitely the kind of person to make up crazy fantasies and talk to myself! And they would most certainly be about a very swoony Vampire! (i dream about a very very particular vampire)
● I am so glad that along with i-am-gonna-kick-your-butt heroines we also have still-finding-the-courage heroines.
● And now onto our glorious returning characters ...
● CINDER
● aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
● aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
● la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
● LORDDDDDD
● LORDY LORDY LORD
● HOW IS IT THAT WITH EVERY BOOK I FALL EVEN MORE IN LOVE WITH HER SARCASM AND HER MECHANIC THINGY?!
● I ADORE EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH CINDER.
●
● She is my daughter people.
● And KAI
● WORLD STOP HURTING HIM.
● With Levana hovering over his shoulder you can’t blame him if he is a little down in the dumps! Especially since he still has feelings (though he “denies” them) for Cinder and basically the whole world and moon are trying to arrest her!
● MY POTATO
● His sass however, is always spot on:
● Of all the characters Scarlet was the least focused on in this book because *things* happen...
● #feelssssssssssssssssssssss
● poor gurl :(
● AND WOLF IS TEN TIMES BROODIER BECAUSE OF THE "THINGS"
● He goes through a lot of emotions too and takes a back seat in this one. I do love all his scenes though, I can’t get enough of my little wolf!
● Iko Iko Iko
● IKO
● IKO ALL DAY. She has the biggest personality and heart, despite only being a small chip!
●
● Her sass though #goals.
● Jacin ... meh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
● don't care 'bout you my lad.
● and *ahem* Thorne.
● T
● H
● O
● R
● N
● E
●
● me too Cress me too.
● CRESS GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY CAUSE THORNE IS MINE.
● I can’t help it! He is just everything that I needed from a fictional love interest. Funny. Suave. Foolish. Heroic yet criminalistic.
● ⚠️⚠️⚠️coherent thoughts not found
● *sighs*
● His heroics are put on full display in this book, on his journey with Cress. His humour, swooniness and overall gorgeousness are always on display.
● And this:
● I just can’t okay. The feels are too much when it comes to Thorne.
● and Levana is such a prefect villain i just LOVE TO HATE HER.
● THE RAMPION CREW GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!
● how is everyone not screaming?!
● I mean:
● *sighs*
● And the ships.
● Dagummit.
● We have a lot of Cresswell.
●
NO THORNE IT TOOK NANOSECONDS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU.
●
THIS DUDE THIS.
●
I WOULD HAVE DIED.
●
DREAMY, SWOON WORTHY, PERFECT!!
●
● *ddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddd*
● And then we have Wolflet.
● awwwwwwwwwwwwwww
● aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
● jtgkldjsiosdtulkdfguildktyd
● and then we have KAIDER
● O M GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
● That chapter. I died so many freakin' times. This is probably what the Rampion Crew was doing during that scene.
● I LOVE HIM TOO!!!!!!!
● I SHIP THIS.
● gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
● and that bromance between Cinder and Thorne.
● MY HEART
● WE NEED MORE BROMANCES IN YA!!!!!!!!
● The STORY. I sing its praises. It is not just about these stellar characters, but it also has a great adventure aspect, lots of fun cool Sci-Fi elements that frankly I quite enjoy! It is not just about romantic relationships, but it is also about friendship. There are so many friendships formed within this crew that make me melt with feels just like the romantic ships do!
● GLORIOUS
● A HEROIC CRIMINAL AND A TECH SAVVY DISTRESSED DAMSEL.
● A DESERT ADVENTURE.
● THE BEGINNING OF A SPACE WAR.
● WE ARE SO CLOSE TO GETTING TO THE MOON…
● And now onto our Hamilton summaries:
Cress:
Thorne: (I couldn't find the gif 😭)
● ONTO THE NEXT ONE.
● Adios folks!
P.S: We ArE GoiNg tO tHe MoOn aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The time has come for the ultimate fangirling episode. The book which cemented my relationship with this series. This is so amazing i mean it's my favorite in the series and Cinder ... I know i have already adopted so many many children but PLEASE BE MY DAUGHTER.
Where do i even begin? Cress Of course!
So Cress.
CRESS.
CRESS.
CRESS.
This book holds my heart and it has everything i want in an adventure and so many things happen in this book gahhhhhhh!!! The drama, the plot twists, the romance, the epic battles, heists, and most importantly Carswell Thorne. The DRAMA MY DUDES THE DRAMA .
Let's do this thing.
●
“Even in the future, there are damsels in distress…
● Starting with the obvious .... Cress!!
● The shy girl, the fan girl, the hopeless romantic, the imaginative dreamer. Socially inept and very, very prone to blush!
● In all my years reading YA and finding the sarcastic, whip smart, kick butt heroines (whom I love) I had never encountered, a wee little girl, who’s quiet, smart but not at all great with the whipping of the smarts. Then I found Cress and just …
● I may not be a tech-savvy genius, but I am definitely the kind of person to make up crazy fantasies and talk to myself! And they would most certainly be about a very swoony Vampire! (i dream about a very very particular vampire)
● I am so glad that along with i-am-gonna-kick-your-butt heroines we also have still-finding-the-courage heroines.
● And now onto our glorious returning characters ...
● CINDER
● aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
● aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
● la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
● LORDDDDDD
● LORDY LORDY LORD
● HOW IS IT THAT WITH EVERY BOOK I FALL EVEN MORE IN LOVE WITH HER SARCASM AND HER MECHANIC THINGY?!
● I ADORE EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH CINDER.
●
“You said yourself that the people of Luna need a revolutionary.” She lifted her chin, holding his gaze. “So I’m going to Luna, and I’m going to start a revolution.”
● She is my daughter people.
● And KAI
● WORLD STOP HURTING HIM.
● With Levana hovering over his shoulder you can’t blame him if he is a little down in the dumps! Especially since he still has feelings (though he “denies” them) for Cinder and basically the whole world and moon are trying to arrest her!
● MY POTATO
● His sass however, is always spot on:
“Have you given any thought to your wedding vows?”
Kai snorted. “Delete anything that has to do with love, respect, or joy, and I’ll sign on the dotted line.”
● Of all the characters Scarlet was the least focused on in this book because *things* happen...
● #feelssssssssssssssssssssss
● poor gurl :(
● AND WOLF IS TEN TIMES BROODIER BECAUSE OF THE "THINGS"
● He goes through a lot of emotions too and takes a back seat in this one. I do love all his scenes though, I can’t get enough of my little wolf!
● Iko Iko Iko
● IKO
● IKO ALL DAY. She has the biggest personality and heart, despite only being a small chip!
●
“The other girl, Iko, cupped her chin with both hands. "This is so much better than a net drama.”
● Her sass though #goals.
● Jacin ... meh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
● don't care 'bout you my lad.
● and *ahem* Thorne.
● T
● H
● O
● R
● N
● E
●
“Seeing that smile, Cress melted. Every. Time.”
● me too Cress me too.
● CRESS GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY CAUSE THORNE IS MINE.
● I can’t help it! He is just everything that I needed from a fictional love interest. Funny. Suave. Foolish. Heroic yet criminalistic.
● ⚠️⚠️⚠️coherent thoughts not found
● *sighs*
● His heroics are put on full display in this book, on his journey with Cress. His humour, swooniness and overall gorgeousness are always on display.
● And this:
"Wha—where'd she go?" Thorne's voice came to her through the screen.
"Honestly, Thorne." A girl. Linh Cinder? "Do you ever think before you speak?"
"What? What did I say?"
" 'Is that all hair?' "
"Did you see it? It was like a cross between a magpie nest and ball of yarn after it's been mauled by a cheetah."
A beat. Then, "A cheetah?"
"It was the first big cat that came to mind.”
● I just can’t okay. The feels are too much when it comes to Thorne.
● and Levana is such a prefect villain i just LOVE TO HATE HER.
● THE RAMPION CREW GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!
● how is everyone not screaming?!
● I mean:
● *sighs*
● And the ships.
● Dagummit.
● We have a lot of Cresswell.
●
“Captain,” she murmured.
“I think I’m in love with you.”
An eyebrow shot up. She counted six beats of his heart before, suddenly, he laughed.
“Don’t tell me it took you two whole days to realize that. I must be losing my touch.”
NO THORNE IT TOOK NANOSECONDS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU.
●
“Captain?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?”
He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. “No. I’m pretty sure it was Cinder.”
THIS DUDE THIS.
●
“But you’re a prisoner,” said Thorne.
“I prefer damsel in distress,” she murmured.
One side of Thorne’s mouth quirked up, into that perfect half smile he’d had in his graduation photo. A look that was a little bit devious, and all sorts of charming.
Cress’s heart stopped, but if they noticed her melting into her chair, they didn’t say anything.”
I WOULD HAVE DIED.
●
“How are your eyes?” she asked.
“Well, I’ve been told they’re dreamy, but I’ll let you decide for yourself.”
DREAMY, SWOON WORTHY, PERFECT!!
●
“She loved him more than ever. And not because she’d scoured file after file of reports and summaries and data and photographs. Not because he was the dreamy, untouchable Carswell Thorne that she’d imagined kissing on the banks of a starlit river while fireworks exploded overhead and violins played in the background. Now he was the Carswell Thorne who had given her strength in the desert. Who had come for her when she was kidnapped. Who had kissed her when hope was lost and death was imminent.”
● *ddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddd*
● And then we have Wolflet.
“Aaaaw,” squealed Iko. “Did Wolf just say he loves Scarlet? That’s so cute!”
Scarlet cringed. “He did not – that wasn’t -” She balled her fists against her sides. “Can we get back to these soldiers that are being rounded up, please?”
“Is she blushing? She sounds like she’s blushing.”
“She’s blushing.” Thorne confirmed, shiffling the cards. “Actually, Wolf is also looking a little flustered -”
● awwwwwwwwwwwwwww
“She’s my alpha”
● aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
● jtgkldjsiosdtulkdfguildktyd
● and then we have KAIDER
● O M GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
● That chapter. I died so many freakin' times. This is probably what the Rampion Crew was doing during that scene.
● I LOVE HIM TOO!!!!!!!
“Bending his head, Kai pressed his lips to her knuckles. The plating had no nerve endings, and yet the touch sent a tingle of electricity along her arm.
“Cinder?”
“Mm?”
He lifted his gaze. “Just to be clear, you’re not using your mind powers on me right now, are you?”
She blinked. “Of course not.”
“Just checking.”
Then he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her.
Cinder gasped, pressing her palms against his chest. Kai pulled her closer.
Seconds later, her brain began registering all the new chemicals flooding her system. INCREASED LEVELS OF DOPAMINE AND ENDORPHINS, REDUCED AMOUNTS OF CORTISOL, ERRATIC PULSE, RISING BLOOD PRESSURE …
Leaning into him, Cinder sent the messages away. Her hands tentatively made their way to his shoulders, before stringing around his neck.”
● I SHIP THIS.
● gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
● and that bromance between Cinder and Thorne.
● MY HEART
● WE NEED MORE BROMANCES IN YA!!!!!!!!
● The STORY. I sing its praises. It is not just about these stellar characters, but it also has a great adventure aspect, lots of fun cool Sci-Fi elements that frankly I quite enjoy! It is not just about romantic relationships, but it is also about friendship. There are so many friendships formed within this crew that make me melt with feels just like the romantic ships do!
● GLORIOUS
● A HEROIC CRIMINAL AND A TECH SAVVY DISTRESSED DAMSEL.
● A DESERT ADVENTURE.
● THE BEGINNING OF A SPACE WAR.
● WE ARE SO CLOSE TO GETTING TO THE MOON…
● And now onto our Hamilton summaries:
Cress:
Thorne: (I couldn't find the gif 😭)
● ONTO THE NEXT ONE.
● Adios folks!
P.S: We ArE GoiNg tO tHe MoOn aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
February 28, 2021
~ 4.5 stars ~
This was amazing. After having a mediocre experience with Scarlet, I didn’t expect much, though I was told that this one was much better, with it being the favorite of many, and I think it’s safe to say that I was not disappointed. It was enjoyable and I don’t really have any big critiques I can think of right off the top of my head ( other than a certain 2 characters and relationship that were a minor part of this book ).
I’ve also watched Tangled and an unfathomable amount of time, which enhanced my experience. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is because I decided when the year started to only give 5 stars to my absolute all time favorites, which as much as I loved this, it is not. Also the whole Africa thing. The way it was portrayed and how vague and convenient it is with the location and just in general their journey through it. The world-building could use some help.
What I liked:
• the characters:
Wolf: Kinda useless. I have absolutely no interest in him. But he was sedated for half of it, so we’re all good. Yay.
Scarlet: She was also barley in this book, so double yay for that.
Levena: I don’t know what to make of her, other than the fact that she is very clearly a person that is manipulative and is good at doing so. I’m going to be reading the novella soon, so hopefully her villain origin story isn’t disappointing. I feel like that one is one that people either hate or love, and no in between.
Iko: She’s so adorable, I need more Iko. We stan Iko.
Torin: I have no reason to add him to this list other than to mention that his back must ache from carrying the entire Eastern Commonwealth while Kai is busy doing whatever he does. Yearn for Cinder?
Jacin: I have no opinion on him. He’s not even developed enough for me to have one, which I suppose will happen in the next book, as he is meant to be Winter’s love interest.
Winter: She’s crazy but in an endearing way. I look forward to reading more from her.
Sybil: She just… y e e t. That was totally random and uncalled for.
Kai: I like him as a character. And his “in constant confusion” aura, because same.
Cinder: She is a character that I love, and her sarcasm just elevates her character for me. I can’t wait to see how she steps up to her role of Princess Selene.
Thorne: I enjoyed reading from him so much. One of my favorites in this series, and I’m only saying “one of” because I’m too indecisive. But yeah, he’s amazing and very lovable.
Cress: Our leading lady in this book, and one that I was immediately interested in. She’s an absolute cinnamon roll, smart, strong, and so easy to love.
•the relationships:
Scarlet x Wolf: Don’t care. Other than the “sHe’s My aLpHa” thing which makes me laugh because of how stupid it is.
Cinder x Kai: Their reunion scene was somehow exactly how I imagined it. It was awkward, but cute, and Cinder shot Kai. And they are no longer in denial of their feelings, which, finally!
Cress x Thorne: So cute. This ship needs to sail, and needs to sail now. Their dynamic is one I am completely here for. The only thing I'm disappointed in is that there was no frying pan scene.
And finally, sorry, I must add this…
Kai x Levena: Planning to kill your husband, once you have aquired what you want, and the title, after the wedding, because he is useless to you is kind of a power move. Why are we so against this again? You know...good for her. I may dislike her, but at least she knows what she wants...
•the plot: Lot’s of fun. I just sped through this book, and I’m liking the direction things are going.
• Thorne goes out of his way to get Iko and an escort-droid. It was both hilarious and precious at the same time.
• Again, Cinder shooting Kai. Nothing yells “true love” more than that.
• Wedding crashing. We love that.
Final Thoughts: So far my favorite, which just makes me more excited for Winter. It was very enjoyable, this series in general is, and now excuse me while I check my library every couple of hours to see when my copy will be ready.
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This was amazing. After having a mediocre experience with Scarlet, I didn’t expect much, though I was told that this one was much better, with it being the favorite of many, and I think it’s safe to say that I was not disappointed. It was enjoyable and I don’t really have any big critiques I can think of right off the top of my head ( other than a certain 2 characters and relationship that were a minor part of this book ).
I’ve also watched Tangled and an unfathomable amount of time, which enhanced my experience. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is because I decided when the year started to only give 5 stars to my absolute all time favorites, which as much as I loved this, it is not. Also the whole Africa thing. The way it was portrayed and how vague and convenient it is with the location and just in general their journey through it. The world-building could use some help.
What I liked:
• the characters:
Wolf: Kinda useless. I have absolutely no interest in him. But he was sedated for half of it, so we’re all good. Yay.
Scarlet: She was also barley in this book, so double yay for that.
Levena: I don’t know what to make of her, other than the fact that she is very clearly a person that is manipulative and is good at doing so. I’m going to be reading the novella soon, so hopefully her villain origin story isn’t disappointing. I feel like that one is one that people either hate or love, and no in between.
Iko: She’s so adorable, I need more Iko. We stan Iko.
Torin: I have no reason to add him to this list other than to mention that his back must ache from carrying the entire Eastern Commonwealth while Kai is busy doing whatever he does. Yearn for Cinder?
Jacin: I have no opinion on him. He’s not even developed enough for me to have one, which I suppose will happen in the next book, as he is meant to be Winter’s love interest.
Winter: She’s crazy but in an endearing way. I look forward to reading more from her.
Sybil: She just… y e e t. That was totally random and uncalled for.
Kai: I like him as a character. And his “in constant confusion” aura, because same.
Cinder: She is a character that I love, and her sarcasm just elevates her character for me. I can’t wait to see how she steps up to her role of Princess Selene.
Thorne: I enjoyed reading from him so much. One of my favorites in this series, and I’m only saying “one of” because I’m too indecisive. But yeah, he’s amazing and very lovable.
Cress: Our leading lady in this book, and one that I was immediately interested in. She’s an absolute cinnamon roll, smart, strong, and so easy to love.
•the relationships:
Scarlet x Wolf: Don’t care. Other than the “sHe’s My aLpHa” thing which makes me laugh because of how stupid it is.
Cinder x Kai: Their reunion scene was somehow exactly how I imagined it. It was awkward, but cute, and Cinder shot Kai. And they are no longer in denial of their feelings, which, finally!
Cress x Thorne: So cute. This ship needs to sail, and needs to sail now. Their dynamic is one I am completely here for. The only thing I'm disappointed in is that there was no frying pan scene.
And finally, sorry, I must add this…
Kai x Levena: Planning to kill your husband, once you have aquired what you want, and the title, after the wedding, because he is useless to you is kind of a power move. Why are we so against this again? You know...good for her. I may dislike her, but at least she knows what she wants...
•the plot: Lot’s of fun. I just sped through this book, and I’m liking the direction things are going.
• Thorne goes out of his way to get Iko and an escort-droid. It was both hilarious and precious at the same time.
• Again, Cinder shooting Kai. Nothing yells “true love” more than that.
• Wedding crashing. We love that.
Final Thoughts: So far my favorite, which just makes me more excited for Winter. It was very enjoyable, this series in general is, and now excuse me while I check my library every couple of hours to see when my copy will be ready.
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April 4, 2019
I'm going to say it...this was not as good as the first two.
I mean I gave it 4 stars so obviously it's not bad but ugh..Cress...ugh. I know she's the majority's favourite but dear God she was annoying. I mean I get she hadn't had human interaction in years but still, I did not enjoy her parts and she took up the majority of the book (well there's a reason it's called Cress and not Cinder or Scarlet but ya know?)
She was a bit too childish for my taste and very very irritating.
Overall the story was great. It was thrilling and really enjoyable.
I really missed Scarlet in this one though. She didn't get enough parts in the book :/ Not only is she my favourite character but she's also one of the most badass loveable character I've ever read.
And this series has started giving off some major Six Of Crows vibes.
I mean I gave it 4 stars so obviously it's not bad but ugh..Cress...ugh. I know she's the majority's favourite but dear God she was annoying. I mean I get she hadn't had human interaction in years but still, I did not enjoy her parts and she took up the majority of the book (well there's a reason it's called Cress and not Cinder or Scarlet but ya know?)
She was a bit too childish for my taste and very very irritating.
Overall the story was great. It was thrilling and really enjoyable.
I really missed Scarlet in this one though. She didn't get enough parts in the book :/ Not only is she my favourite character but she's also one of the most badass loveable character I've ever read.
And this series has started giving off some major Six Of Crows vibes.
July 25, 2017
4.5 stars
Cress isn't the type of character I usually like. She's naive, obsessed with grand destined love, frets about not having been kissed while possibly dying.
Yet strangely all these things only serve to make her more endearing and charming. In my first read of the Lunar Chronicles, Cress was the book that made me fall head-over-heels in love with the series. Scarlet was lovely; Cress triggered fangirl mode.
Meyer just gets it, how to create sweet characters without making them annoyingly optimistic, naive characters without making them ignorant. It's like that in Heartless, too.
It helps that Cress is a Rapunzel retelling, and Meyer likely drew inspiration from Disney's Tangled as well. Cress has been trapped on a satellite nearly all her life, being Queen Levana's (unwilling) hacker. After she's rescued, she's amazed at the sights and smells of Earth while still being her adorable, brave self. Thorne is slightly egoistic and never fails to deliver a witty line even in the company of enemies.
Their romance beats Scarlet/Wolf's on the squeal level. It's slowly fleshed out and very well-developed. Cress builds up an unhealthy idealistic image of Thorne at first, but she slowly begins to get to know the real Thorne and really falls in love with him in the process. Thorne, in turn, doesn't take advantage of Cress's initial starstruck state and even reminds her that he's the first guy she's ever met so she should reevaluate her true feelings.
And that fucking promise. You know what I'm talking about. ;)
If I have one complaint, it's Cinder. (It's always fucking Cinder, which destroyed the first book for me and almost made me give up on the series)
The writing is nice. Still not the most amazing thing I've ever read, but gets the job done. There aren't metaphors that change the way I look at the world. This series is mostly about the characters—Scarlet and Wolf, Cinder and Kai, Cress and Thorne, always.
Best book of the series.
"Because if there was one thing Cress knew about heroes, it was that they could not resist a damsel in distress.
And she was nothing if not in distress."
Cress isn't the type of character I usually like. She's naive, obsessed with grand destined love, frets about not having been kissed while possibly dying.
Yet strangely all these things only serve to make her more endearing and charming. In my first read of the Lunar Chronicles, Cress was the book that made me fall head-over-heels in love with the series. Scarlet was lovely; Cress triggered fangirl mode.
“Captain?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?"
He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. "No. I'm pretty sure it was Cinder.”
Meyer just gets it, how to create sweet characters without making them annoyingly optimistic, naive characters without making them ignorant. It's like that in Heartless, too.
It helps that Cress is a Rapunzel retelling, and Meyer likely drew inspiration from Disney's Tangled as well. Cress has been trapped on a satellite nearly all her life, being Queen Levana's (unwilling) hacker. After she's rescued, she's amazed at the sights and smells of Earth while still being her adorable, brave self. Thorne is slightly egoistic and never fails to deliver a witty line even in the company of enemies.
Their romance beats Scarlet/Wolf's on the squeal level. It's slowly fleshed out and very well-developed. Cress builds up an unhealthy idealistic image of Thorne at first, but she slowly begins to get to know the real Thorne and really falls in love with him in the process. Thorne, in turn, doesn't take advantage of Cress's initial starstruck state and even reminds her that he's the first guy she's ever met so she should reevaluate her true feelings.
And that fucking promise. You know what I'm talking about. ;)
If I have one complaint, it's Cinder. (It's always fucking Cinder, which destroyed the first book for me and almost made me give up on the series)
The writing is nice. Still not the most amazing thing I've ever read, but gets the job done. There aren't metaphors that change the way I look at the world. This series is mostly about the characters—Scarlet and Wolf, Cinder and Kai, Cress and Thorne, always.
Best book of the series.
February 28, 2016
Okay so I'm going to be honest, I was a little bored with this one early on when it was just mostly Cress and Thorne wandering around the desert, but then HOLY CRAP this book got good!
There was so much going on in this and it was so exciting and I just loved the way all the characters' story lines were all tied in with each other, and literally just this story is so gripping. I love it. I love all of the characters. Their each so unique and wonderful and flawed and beautiful and swing all of them together and how they interact is like watching a perfect symphony. I don't even know if I'm being coherent right now, but I really don't care. This book punched me right in the feels.
I'm not going to spoil anything but it was also kind of heartbreaking at times, and I'm really anxious for a certain person who's still apart from the group. She needs to catch a break, like seriously.
And I am SO intrigued by Winters character! She's like space Luna and I love it. We only got a couple glimpses of her here, but I can't to read Winter now and get MORE!
Anyway, rambling over. I loved this. On to the next one!
There was so much going on in this and it was so exciting and I just loved the way all the characters' story lines were all tied in with each other, and literally just this story is so gripping. I love it. I love all of the characters. Their each so unique and wonderful and flawed and beautiful and swing all of them together and how they interact is like watching a perfect symphony. I don't even know if I'm being coherent right now, but I really don't care. This book punched me right in the feels.
I'm not going to spoil anything but it was also kind of heartbreaking at times, and I'm really anxious for a certain person who's still apart from the group. She needs to catch a break, like seriously.
And I am SO intrigued by Winters character! She's like space Luna and I love it. We only got a couple glimpses of her here, but I can't to read Winter now and get MORE!
Anyway, rambling over. I loved this. On to the next one!
October 9, 2016
Well I probably want to start with the fact that I didn't give this book the 5 full stars I gave the other two books before this one. It's not a matter of liking this book less, because I didn't, I loved it just as much as the other two, only this one had some minor mishap that made it slightly less appealing.
For starters the book had a relatively slower pace than the other two, and when it's a matter of comparison, this point stands out in an authors style of writing. This slow pace in turn lengthened the book to about 500 something pages. Now under normal circumstances I would have relished the vivid detailing of the book, however, in this case it wasn't as mesmerizing. This was mostly because we are already familiar with the ideas and settings of this story as a whole. This was a huge deal for me, because slow pace and a long way to go, make me bored. Many parts of the book were so full of intrigue I simply couldn't stop, but at other times the feeling disappeared and was replaced by a sort of detachment.
But that makes an unfair complaint, because compared to so many books, this one is so great. The main issue for me was that its predecessors were so good that the slight difference in this book made a huge difference for me!
So now to all the great things about this book. First of all it was so entertaining! All the characters, all the plotting and moving and incredible amounts of action. I think I was still majorly hooked on scarlet and wolf, so all through out the book, I was just waiting for the parts that wolf and Scarlett story is told. I also have a peculiar yet healthy curiosity about princess winter, I mean like literally not being able to wait to see what her story is. So yes, that indirectly means I'm so looking forward to the fourth installment.
I'm going to emphasize the negativity that I initiated this review with is only to explain the one missing star in my rating, because otherwise I did love this book, and would recommend it to everyone who liked the previous two.
For starters the book had a relatively slower pace than the other two, and when it's a matter of comparison, this point stands out in an authors style of writing. This slow pace in turn lengthened the book to about 500 something pages. Now under normal circumstances I would have relished the vivid detailing of the book, however, in this case it wasn't as mesmerizing. This was mostly because we are already familiar with the ideas and settings of this story as a whole. This was a huge deal for me, because slow pace and a long way to go, make me bored. Many parts of the book were so full of intrigue I simply couldn't stop, but at other times the feeling disappeared and was replaced by a sort of detachment.
But that makes an unfair complaint, because compared to so many books, this one is so great. The main issue for me was that its predecessors were so good that the slight difference in this book made a huge difference for me!
So now to all the great things about this book. First of all it was so entertaining! All the characters, all the plotting and moving and incredible amounts of action. I think I was still majorly hooked on scarlet and wolf, so all through out the book, I was just waiting for the parts that wolf and Scarlett story is told. I also have a peculiar yet healthy curiosity about princess winter, I mean like literally not being able to wait to see what her story is. So yes, that indirectly means I'm so looking forward to the fourth installment.
I'm going to emphasize the negativity that I initiated this review with is only to explain the one missing star in my rating, because otherwise I did love this book, and would recommend it to everyone who liked the previous two.
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