FAIREST by Marissa Meyer

“‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?’ Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.”

What is the book about?

This short novella gives readers a glimpse into Levana's life before and as she gradually became the tyrant queen that we have grown to hate throughout the first 3 books of the Lunar Chronicles series. Levana was the youngest child, her older sister Channary was the one destined to be Queen of Luna. However, since she was old enough to understand what being queen meant she knew that she could and would be a much better queen than her sister, who couldn't care less about politics or their people. Not only that but she has always been confident that her sister didn't deserve the power and respect that would come with her new title as she is as cruel as she is beautiful. Ever since Levana could walk her sister tortured her and used her for her own enjoyment to the point that Levana has to use glamour constantly to cover the scars that her sister left on her after one traumatising day. Levana has her own story and it doesn't appear like she has always been as cruel and violent as we all thought. She may be the villain of Cinder's story, but she is the victim in her own story. 

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

Initially I was a little annoyed that I had to read a novella before getting to the fourth and final novel in the Lunar Chronicles series, Winter. I was very keen to continue reading and find out how the story that just kept getting better would finally end, and I was so desperate that I considered leaving Fairest until after I read the final book in the main series. However, after reading the blurb of the book and finding out what the novella was actually about I was intrigued to read it. I didn't know what to expect but I knew I would enjoy it and I was very interested to find out the truth about Levana and what led her to become the cruel leader that will stop at nothing to get everything she wants. Soon my initial thoughts changed and I was no longer annoyed and much more excited to read it. Once I started reading I found it a little hard to get used to the novella as there were none of the characters that I had grown used to, however I soon got used to and found that I was enjoying it as much as the actual novels in the series. 

Who was your favourite character and why? 

I don't think I could choose a favourite character in this novella without it being partly a lie. It feels so wrong to say that I liked Levana after all she did and it is also clearly a lie. Even though I feel so bad for her and I know she would be a much better person if she hadn't been treated so badly since she was a child she is still a monster. Most of what she did she thought she was justified in doing and she made some very questionable decisions but every time she claimed she was doing it for the good of her kingdom. I know deep down she felt like she was good but slowly she turned into a monster and I cannot honestly say that I liked her. Even the other 'good' characters weren't exactly good and treated Levana so badly when all she was was just a child who had never felt love. Evret who strung her along for 10 years without telling her that he would never love her, when it was clear she believed that they could be happy together. Winter who would never address her directly, even when all she did was try to give her a mother. Her sister who tortured her and called her ugly since she was little and made her live in her shadow. Her parents who clearly didn't do any good parenting. Everyone in this book thought themselves to be good and thought they were fighting against the villain but it was clear that the villain was herself just a victim. No one deserves the title as my favourite character. 

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

I honestly cannot pick a favourite part because this whole novella was just torture and threatened to tear me apart at any moment. In every single part of the book there was something so so sad that I could not keep out of my mind. The main theme throughout the whole book was that Levana just wanted to be happy and at every moment it was clear that she thought she was getting her happiness. When she married the love of her life without knowing he would never love her back, when her sister died and she realised she would finally get the chance to be queen, even if it was just for 12 years, when she killed her niece believing it was for the best and she would get to keep her role as leader of Luna, the thing that meant so much to her. She never even realised that she never actually had any of that. She spent years believing she had everything she could ever want and need and she didn't realise till the end that it was all a lie. I felt so bad for her and how she had been tortured and manipulated by everyone and had never had the protection and loved that she so craved. Every part was so tragic and I can't in good conscience choose a favourite part of such a sad book.

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this short story and I soon found myself believing that maybe Levana was just misunderstood. One reason I really enjoyed the novella was because I got a glimpse into the past and some much needed information on the supposed villain of the Lunar Chronicles series. I always love when books have flashbacks and for some reason they are always my favourite parts. I love being able to see the characters that I have grown to really know as their younger selves and to see what made them who they are. However, I love novellas set in the past even more because it's a whole book dedicated to exactly what I said above. This book was exactly that but it was also so much more because it was a short story on the life of Queen Levana, the villain for all intents and purposes. This leads me on to another reason why I loved this book: it made me feel sorry for Levana. After everything she has done and everything that she is hoping to achieve I never thought anything, not even a whole story about her past, could change my mind on what a cruel and unfeeling woman she is. Although I still stand by these beliefs, I also know that she is also just a victim herself and one that has been mistreated by those who should have cared for her since she was young. Learning what her sister did to her broke my heart and how she continued to use the scars that she had against her and call her ugly when she is really just injured and broken was enough to leave me in tears. Although I won't condone her reactions and everything she did after that, she was just trying to protect herself and her people. She honestly thought that she was the best person to be Queen and if she let her young niece rule then she was sentencing her people to a terrible future. She did what she thought was right and, no matter how messed up it was, she sacrificed so much for Luna, including the one person she loved more than anything. The poor girl had never known love before and did everything she could to try to get someone to love her and when she realised that would never happen she gave everything up and threw herself into her role as queen and turned herself into a monster for what she thought was the good of her people. It was a great novella that left me feeling so much for this cruel Lunar Queen and I now don't know what to think. 

Would you recommend this book?  

I would definitely recommend that anyone who has enjoyed reading the Lunar Chronicles series or is interested in starting it should read this short story. It offers some great new information and is full of all the stuff that you would love in the main novels of the series. 

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

A short story full of romance and heartbreak that will leave you thinking that maybe there is never a villain, only victims that react differently to their suffering. 

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

CRESS by Marissa Meyer

“‘Even in the future, there are damsels in distress.. ’ Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder about Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem.  She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has 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 involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf 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.”

What is the book about?

Cress has lived on a satellite since childhood, alone with no one except her netscreens and her own imagination for company. She risked everything to let Cinder know about Queen Levana's plans and now has a huge problem. She has been ordered to track down the ship that Cinder and her allies are aboard for the queen. Although the tracking down was the easiest part, now the problem is that she doesn't want to give her mistress the information to give to Levana. So now she is risking her life further to keep Cinder and her friends safe from the people who want to kill them. However, when she is finally able to make contact with the Rampion, Cinder and her friends agree to rescue her and for once Cress thinks she is safe. But the rescue doesn't exactly go according to plan and the group gets separated. Now Queen Levana thinks she has won and won't let anything stop her marriage to Emperor Kai, but she didn't factor in the cyborg and her allies who will stop at nothing to protect Earth and Luna from her tyranny. 

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

After finishing Scarlet I was really excited to continue reading and start the third book of this series that has definitely exceeded my expectations so far. In a way I feel like the end of Scarlet was the start of the true series, the true plot and battle against Levana. I was really excited to finally see Cinder face her and to embrace her true Lunar self. I started reading Cress almost instantly after Scarlet as I was really keen to continue the story and to find out what would happen next. I was quite confident that I would enjoy reading the book and that it would be just as good as the previous 2 books in this series. I honestly, now having read this book and the 2 previous ones, don't even know how I could have waited so long with the books just gathering dust on my shelf. Once I read the blurb I was even more intrigued as I was wondering how the group would get separated and how they would ever find themselves back together. Soon I started reading and I think this was the first book of the series where I was able to really get into it from the start, without having to read a few chapters before I really started enjoying it. 

Who was your favourite character and why? 

My favourite character was probably once again Thorne or possibly even Cress. I really liked Thorne for the same reasons as I liked him in the previous book: his humour, charisma and just how entertaining and confident he seemed to be. Even though it might have been annoying to the other characters that he didn't really appear to take things seriously and was always just trying to keep things light and fun, I really liked that about him. However I liked him even more in this book as it was clear that he wasn't just all the stuff that I said above and that he wasn't always confident and sure of himself. He had doubts and was clearly just keeping up an act so that the other characters wouldn't panic even more. He was trying so hard to lighten the mood not only for his own benefit so that his thoughts about how he didn't actually know anything didn't catch up to him but also for his friends who worried far too much. Cress was a really interesting character and I really liked her mainly because of her imagination. She was constantly trying to trick herself into thinking she was somewhere else, doing something else, so that she wouldn't let all her worries take over, kind of like her own coping mechanism like Thorne's joking personality. I also liked how she reminded me of myself because I often find myself lost in my own little world, building up worlds in my head. I really liked both these characters and I definitely liked them together, even though not much happened (though there is a whole book left so I have hope).

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

I honestly can't pick just one favourite part in this book as it's really just the whole book together that I enjoyed and not just one specific part. The whole vibe was just so great and I found that I loved everything about it. There wasn't one specific part of the book that stood out to me and it wouldn't be fair of me to single out just one part. Also there wasn't really many happy parts in the book as the characters were separated and constantly worrying about having to find themselves back together. I did really enjoy the time that Cinder spent in that village in Africa though, as I loved how the people living there helped her even though they knew the risks. However, the way that ended wasn't the most lovely thing so I can't really say that it was my favourite part. Honestly the whole book was just great and I can't wait to read the next one and enjoy it just as much. 

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, Cress was a really great book and I really enjoyed reading every part of it. One thing that I really enjoyed was the link to the original Rapunzel throughout the whole novel. Some parts didn't quite seem obvious to me at first as I was initially comparing it to the Disney version, however soon the blindness started to make sense when I thought of the original version of the fairy tale. The long hair that was then cut, the fact that Cress was locked in a satellite all alone, the name Thorne and even the name Cress (another leafy vegetable like Rapunzel, which I think means lettuce is some language). It was such genius on the authors part and I am honestly in love with her approach to the fairy tale retellings throughout this whole series. Another thing that I really enjoyed was that we finally got to see parts of Luna (though the circumstances weren't exactly the best) and we also got to be introduced to the 4th girl who would be part of the final book of the series. This is the first time I knew who the book title was referring to in advance (though I suppose I have known since the first book) and it made me even more excited to read the next and final book in this series. I am so excited to finish the series and to see what happens at the end and I can't wait to read Winter.

Which book did you like better, the first, the second or the third?

All 3 of the books were absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed reading them, however I would probably say that so far Cress is my favourite book. One of the main reasons is that this book is partly based on the fairy tale of Rapunzel, which is my absolute favourite story and so obviously I have a huge soft spot for this book. Every link to the story made me so excited and made me love the book even more. Initially I wasn't quite sure what to expect or which was the fairy tale that would show up in the book as the title didn't showcase it like with the previous books but I was pleasantly surprised and gradually grew to really love it. Another thing I loved about the book that made it stand out more than the previous books was the fact that the main plan, the plan to finally face Levana and save everyone, was starting. It made me so excited as I was going to get to see Cinder embracing her future and her true identity and also see every character work together to save the world. Cress had  everything I had loved about the previous books (the short chapters and the fairy tale elements) but it also just had more that I enjoyed. So far the books have just been getting better so I just can't wait to see what Winter is like. 

Would you recommend this book?  

I recommend reading Cress but obviously after reading Cinder and Scarlet, the previous 2 books in the series. It is a great book for those who enjoy some romance, dystopian fiction and fairy tale retellings, with a shrinking of save the world vibes. 

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

Another perfect novel with a whirlwind of an adventure and great romance to make you squeal. 

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

SCARLET by Marissa Meyer

“‘Even in the future, beware of the big, bad wolf...’ Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the best-selling Lunar Chronicles. She is trying to break out of prison – even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.”

What is the book about?

Cinder is stuck in prison after being put there by Kai, who she was only trying to protect, and will be handed over to the Lunar Queen Levana as a bargaining tool. If she doesn't escape she will face trial on Luna which means only one thing – her execution. However, if she doesn't succeed in escaping she will be the Commonwealth's (and likely Earth's) most wanted and she is unlikely to be able to stay hidden for long. Halfway across the world, in a small village in France, Scarlet Benoit is facing her own nightmare. After years living peacefully with her grandmother on her farm, her grandmother is missing and no one seems to care, they all just think she ran because she was a little eccentric (or crazy as they like to say). But Scarlet knows that she would never do that and that something bigger and much worse happened, especially when her father shows up after years of no contact looking for something. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information on her grandmother's whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him. He says he will help her find her grandmother, and, despite having known him for less than a day, she goes with him to find her and gradually they start to feel a connection. As they begin to unravel the mystery on why her grandmother was taken in the first place, their adventure overlaps with Cinder's and they find themselves having to work together to keep Queen Levana from taking over the Commonwealth and then Earth.

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

I'm not kidding when I say that I started reading this book immediately after I finished Cinder. I had the book ready to go and after the cliffhanger ending that left me wanting more I was certainly glad for it. Since I had already read the first book in this series and had really enjoyed reading it, my initial thoughts Scarlet were very optimistic. I was quite sure that this book was going to be just as enjoyable as the previous one and that I would find it just as interesting. I was really intrigued to find out what happened next and was desperate to figure out how things would go, as everything was really up in there. The blurb intrigued me even more as I was going to meet completely new characters and it wasn't just going to be all about Cinder. I was also excited to see how Little Red Riding Hood was going to come into the story. Once I started to read I was initially disappointed like with Cinder and found it a little hard to get into the book and let the real world fade, however the doubts lasted less than with the previous book. Soon I was enjoying the book and found that once again I finished it in 2 days, reaching for the next book seconds after. 

Who was your favourite character and why? 

There were a few characters that I liked in this book but I would probably say that my favourite character was Thorne. Even though he was probably ridiculously annoying to the other characters who didn't appreciate his jokes and his carefree attitude towards everything, I loved it. He added some much needed comedy and entertainment to the book as all the other characters were much too focused on not dying and trying to find a way to stop Queen Levana. It was probably the reason why I also really loved Iko whose enthusiastic personality didn't falter even when they were in the middle of a war. And when you put both of these characters together not only did that mean a headache for Cinder and whoever else was on the ship but it also made for great comedic relief. I can't wait to keep reading about them. 

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

My favourite part of the book was probably the scene where Scarlet and Wolf were together in that train carriage. Ever since the two characters had met, there had been a clear attraction between them and it was also clear that neither wanted to act on it. It was such an obvious connection because if it had been anyone other than Wolf I don't think Scarlet would have just followed him blindly to Paris, or have trusted him enough to have him help her all the times they found themselves in trouble. However, neither of them was dumb enough to act on it when they had only known each other for a day, no matter how badly I wanted them to. Fortunately, whatever they felt for each other clearly took over their brains in that train carriage and for a few moments they were just Wolf and Scarlet, two teenagers without a care in the world and nothing to think about other than the other person. I really loved this scene and was glad for the moments of happiness these characters got because it was obvious that after a few more hours their whole lives were going to be completely different and much less manageable. 

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, Scarlet was a stunning book and I really enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed it for a lot of the same things as Cinder, clearly showing the author's talent for satisfying her readers. One thing I loved was the short chapters which definitely made me like the book more. I love short chapters and they always make me feel like I am flying through a book and I'm sure anyone else would feel that way. The fact that you can say you are on chapter 15 in less than half an hour feels like such a prize. It made me feel like the book was so easy to read and I'm sure it was part of the reason why I finished the whole book so quickly. Another thing I really enjoyed was how this book flowed so easily from the previous one. It was so clear that Marissa Meyer knew what she was doing and had intended even when she first started writing for this to be a 4 book series. I loved how I was easily transported back into the dystopian world and how everything fit together so well, with things that I had initially dismissed in Cinder becoming much more significant than I could have ever though in this book. One last thing was how once again the fairy tale story (this time Little Red Riding Hood) was so subtly incorporated into the story. I loved to see the similarities between the stories and I can't wait to see what fairy tale pops up next. 

Which book did you like better, the first or the second?

Although I enjoyed both Cinder and Scarlet and found that both were amazing, I would say that my favourite out of the two of them was definitely Scarlet. There are a couple reasons for this... Firstly, I really enjoyed having more points of view involved in the story and loved how this book was almost following 2 different storylines that were linked together in more ways than one. I found this much more engaging because it was much easier to read as I was always on edge hoping to get back to the next perspective so I could find out what happened next. Secondly, I found that the reveals throughout this book were much less predictable and I found myself being really surprised at some points of the story, really shocked to find out how certain things linked together. It was definitely more engaging and less predictable than the previous book and I found myself loving every second of it. Now I can't wait to read the next book of the series and keep going in this surprisingly amazing plot. 

Would you recommend this book?  

I definitely recommend Scarlet (though obviously read Cinder – the first book in the Lunar Chronicles series – first) and think it is a great book for romance, dystopian and fairy tale lovers. 

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

A thrilling adventure set in the future with the perfect sprinkling of romance and the looming threat of war.

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

CINDER by Marissa Meyer

“‘Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon A Time...’ Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl... Sixteen-year-old Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. Because there is something unusual about Cinder, something that others would kill for.”

What is the book about?

This story is set in the future, after World War 4 where now everyone is dependent on androids and hovers. In New Beijing, the streets are always crowded with androids, humans and cyborgs (which are humans with metallic parts that have been placed in them after serious accidents occur to give them a second chance at life). Not only that but a deadly disease, a plague, also roams the streets of the whole of Earth, threatening the lives of the whole population with no cure in sight. Sixteen-year-old Cinder was adopted at age 11 by her stepfather, whose death she is blamed for by her stepmother. She is a cyborg, a second class citizen and treated as a slave by her stepmother and now also blamed for her stepsister's illness. Her life was already a disaster, but when the handsome, loved Prince Kai suddenly comes into her life, she finds herself in the middle of an intergalactic struggle for peace and a struggle through her emotions. She must now uncover the secrets about her past, the past she cannot remember, in order to protect the future of her planet. But she never asked for any of this and will have to choose between her freedom and loyalty to her country. 

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

I bought the Lunar Chronicles series years ago (seriously!) and have had it sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. I kept meaning to read it, interested to see why so many people had enjoyed them. I had read a few books by Marissa Meyer before and had really enjoyed them so my initial thoughts were that this book would be great and I would really enjoy it. I love fairy tale retellings and have loved them since I was little and was really interested to see what this one would be like. I knew it was going to be a really wild retelling and I was really intrigued to see how the author would approach the iconic Cinderella in China in the future, but I had hope for it, especially after seeing how popular the books were. After reading the blurb I was even more interested as I wanted to see how the threat of war from an entirely different race of people living on the moon would become part of the story. Soon I started to read the book and initially I was a little disappointed as I found it difficult to really get into the story and become absorbed in the new dystopian world of New Beijing. However, after a few chapters, it really started to pick up and I began to really enjoy the story and find myself a part of the book. It took a little bit of time for me to get into it but soon I was soaring through and I finished the book in 2 days, realising that I shouldn't have waited so long to start the book.

Who was your favourite character and why? 

My favourite character was probably Iko, which may be a bit odd to some as she wasn't a main character really and was just an android, but I loved her. Her energy and personality was so sweet and energetic that it was almost impossible not to love her. The way she acted like an actual human and had the personality of a teenage girl simply because she had a ‘damaged’ personality chip. I loved how excited she got about the prince and how she was there for Cinder to keep her company and to kind of give her a glimpse into the life of a teenage girl and kept her from just being absorbed into her role as a mechanic and a slave for her stepmother. She was so easy to like and it made me smile how happy she always was and how much she liked all the things that I like all girls love. It was also clear that Cinder cared for her as I do and that she loved having her friendship. Even though I'm sure it must be annoying at times to have such a chatterbox to assist you, especially when you are busy with work, but I loved Iko and hope to see her soon in the next books. 

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

This was a really hard question to answer, not just because I had enjoyed the whole book but also because I finished the book 2 sittings, in 2 days and every part just blurred together and I could honestly only remember the story as a whole and not any specific parts. However, after some thought, I would probably say that my favourite part was when Cinder made up her mind on how she would use the money she had gotten. She had never had money to use as she pleased as everything she owned was her stepmother's as her stepmother owned her, however finally she had money and made the most significant decision of her life. She chose to work on the car, work on her escape from a life at her stepmother's beck and call, work on her freedom. I knew she'd never actually leave as that would make one depressing and pointless book if all the main character did was runway, but I loved to see that defiance and that after years being treated as nothing by her stepmother and stepsister (Pearl) and hundreds of others who thought her a disgusting no one because she was a cyborg. She finally chose to stand up for herself and I knew that it wouldn't be the last time. 

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, I thought Cinder was a really great book and I enjoyed reading it. Initially I wasn't quite sure what to expect of a Cinderella type story set in China with the main girl being a cyborg, however I was pleasantly surprised and found that I really enjoyed it. I really liked how it wasn't exactly a fairy tale retelling and it was more like there were just elements of the Cinderella that I grew up with and that the actual story, the actual plot was a lot deeper than the simple fairytale that anyone could tell. The car that was a faint orangy colour (like a pumpkin), the name Cinder, the fact that she had an evil stepmother and stepsister, the foot lost on the steps, and (though this may just be my own little thought, which I will continue to believe even if told otherwise) Peony as her fairy godmother who gave her a dress. I loved the incorporation of these elements into what will clearly become a much bigger story. Another thing I really liked about the book was how easy it was to read. The short chapters, every single one of them, was like a breath of fresh air and made me love the book even more. If you are a reader you will know what I mean when I say that it felt like a reward to have a book with all short chapters and that it was much easier to read this way. One thing that did kind of annoy me was how predictable this book was and how I saw the big reveal from miles away, and it had nothing to do with the fact that I knew Cinderella's story inside out (though I predicted that she would lose the foot because of that). I would have liked to have been a bit more surprised as I love plot twists and big reveals, though I suppose it might have been a surprise to some. Either way I am excited to continue the series and so interested to see how the author will incorporate other fairy tales into the series and to see how the deeper story develops. 

Would you recommend this book?  

I would recommend reading the book, it is a really interesting and enjoyable book, especially for over 14 year olds who enjoy romance, dystopian fiction and fairy tale retellings (especially non traditional ones).

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

An interesting science fiction twist on a traditional fairy tale.

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego