Fairest by Marissa Meyer: Review

Synopsis:

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

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

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

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

***

"From this day forward, you will be my sun at dawn and my stars at night."

Queen Levana. The villain we love to hate. She's made such a good bad guy in three of the books, a shadow lurking behind trying to strike and gain her power. But in Fairest, we get to have a glimpse of what Levana's truly like, before the power, before everything. It's quite shocking to see just how insecure Levana really is. She longs for attention and love. Yet she can gain neither. Worse yet, she's constantly being reminded that she's "worthless" and stuff. It's a really huge downer and I can guess how she's come to her obsession with power and outer beauty. I feel myself sympathize her past. This book has certainly make Levana's character more complex. Deep down she's just a desperate girl who craves for something she can never truly possess. The words are masterfully written, and I can actually feel slightly horrified at her insane stubbornness and empathy for all her loss. It's a good novella that the fans should never miss.

Winter makes quite an appearance. In Fairest, Winter's bloodline is revealed, and her childhood story is also told. I like that it's kind of a foreshadowing of just how screwed up Winter's life is. However, even as a child, Winter still makes quite a interesting side character in Fairest. There's also a teaser of Winter, in which the princess gets the center stage and becomes the major narrator of the story. Although it's not long, I'm liking the book and Winter already. It's not every day you'll read about a character who is also kind of crazy (besides Mara Dyer) but also wicked smart. I wish it's November. I can't wait for the final installment!

Fairest is definitely better than I anticipated, and it's a must read for The Lunar Chronicles fans. 

Rating: 8/10

Cress: Review

Synopsis:

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

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

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only 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 goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

***

Cress is awesome. There's absolutely nothing that I don't like in this book. It's only a matter of what I like more. It's filled with action, humor, and excitement. Cress is practically unputdownable. There's no way you can find a place where you can just stop reading for a while and have a rest or something. You have to finish it once you pick it up. And you can't help but like (or love) every part of the book.

The story with Cress (Rapunzel) is even more fun to read than the previous two. Trapped in a satellite (tower), she's instructed by Sybil (the witch) to hack into the ship Cinder is in. That part alone has greatness written all over it. It's Cress as a hacker, come on! A mix of the original fairy tale and futuristic world, mingled perfectly. The original Rapunzel's story is one of the better fairy tales I've heard, and it comes with a war and an almost-apocalypse situation. There are no words to describe how brilliant this is.

Cress's love interest is Thorne. And this gotta be one of the cutest relationship. Thorne is always over-confident (but in a nice way) and makes me laugh, while Cress is naive and innocent and good compared to... well, Thorne. There are tons of fun reading about them. And though Thorne is constantly making jokes, there's no hiding that they feel strongly for each other, and for some reason I really love that. They're a cute couple, though out of the three couples we have read about in the entire series, I think this might not be the best one yet (because I love Scarlet and Wolf more). Yes, there's no denying that Cress and Thorne has strong affections for each other, but for some reason I just think it's not as strong as the bond shared between Scarlet and Wolf.

One of the nicer surprises is Cinder and Kai. Yes, we get to see more of Cinder and more of Kai in Cress! With Cress's story along with Scarlet's story and Cinder's story, I think I'll see no more of Cinder and Kai than in Scarlet. I'm glad that I've been proven wrong! Cinder is even more badass than in the previous two books, with Wolf training her Lunar gift and with Scarlet and Thorne. I truly believe there's no telling how strong Cinder can get when she's determined. That's it, I love that girl. And we also get to see a certain character that will appear in Winter again AND will be the main character! Ah, I'm so excited for the final installment!

Cress have all things escalated. I'm pretty sure every Lunar Chronicles fans will enjoy it as much as I do. I absolutely love it. 

Rating: 9/10

The Little Android: Review

Synopsis:

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles by New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

When android Mech6.0, saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programing. Androids aren’t not meant to develop unpractical reasoning or near-emotional responses…let alone fall in love.

***

The Little Android is a retelling of the original fairytale The Little Mermaid. The story is not meant to have a nice closure (at least for Mech6.0/Star in some ways). But it is enchanting, and I really like every single part of it. I'm also surprised that Cinder is there as well. And she's the remake of the Sea Witch (though the end is slightly different). I hope I can know more about the android and the engineer, though I know the story is not meant to last. But still, I strongly recommend Lunar Chronicles fans read this. It's fun and interesting and strangely heartbreaking.

Rating: 8/10

Read it here:

http://www.wattpad.com/36352935-the-little-android

Top Ten YA Novels 2013 #10: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I'm very excited to present my top ten YA novels in the following days! Day 1 holds a special place. The tenth place is always the hardest to choose, because there are so many almost-as-good books peeking out in the eleventh, twelfth places!

And now, the tenth place belongs to:

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis:

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

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

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

***

Date Read: February 7, 2013

My Review: http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2013/02/scarlet-review.html

My Rating: 9/10

Top 5 Reasons Why I Like It:

1. Merging the two stories together

I mean, how cool is that? Cinder and Scarlet, two strangers, encountered two different problems, collide together and WORK together? This ought to be one of the best plots ever.

2. The villains are playing their part well

Queen Levana. I like to refer her as the Master Bitch Queen. But I have to admit, she's a true villain. I hate her with all my passion. That is how a villain should be.

3. Captain Thorne!

Yep, Captain Carswell Thorne. He's really cute and lovable. And guess what? We'll see him star in Cress once again... with Cress!!! (Excuse me while I swoon)

4. Wolf!

Another impossibly adorable yet dangerous character. I really do love the relationship between Scarlet and Wolf. And I'm so happy that we'll see more Wolf-Scarlet in Cress.

5. Cliffhanger

It leaves me so hanged that I can't think of anything but Scarlet and what might happen in Cress in about... a week or so.

P.S. You might think this is not a lot of time, but considering my busy lifestyle in this freaking busy city, that's a helluva long time.

***

Why I recommend this book/series:

Actually, it's not just the book that I recommend. The whole freaking series is awesome. A world set after the 4th World War. Cinder, a mechanic with a life that is like a high-tech version of Cinderella. The change of her life is so similar to Cinderella's, only Cinder's fate is nowhere as good as Cinderella... And Scarlet, trying to find her grandmother, only to encounter a danger that can throw her world into chaos, and has to ally with someone she's never met before, and can possibly be dangerous... And their story collides. Like, freaking collides with sparks and burns and whatnot. This is dynamic. It's hard not to like this series because there's nothing I can't like.

***

Do I like the cover?

It looks a bit strange to me at first, but I've grown to like it. Though I have to say, Cress's cover is awesome.

***

Top 3 Favorite Scenes: (Beware spoilers)

1. When Wolf asks Scarlet what carrots are (Chapter 3)

This is one of the funniest scene ever. Scarlet, handing some carrots to Wolf, and Wolf asks what CARROTS are? Out of every vegetables? I couldn't stop laughing when I first read the scene, and I still can't stop snickering whenever I read this scene.

2. Chapter 46 (I mean the whole chapter)

Scarlet and Wolf! Nothing more is needed to be said. :3

3. Various conversations between Cinder and Thorne

Okay, that's not really a scene. But trust me, they're hilarious. Like this one:

A relieved grin filled up Thorne's face. "We're having another moment, aren't we?

"If by a moment, you mean me not wanting to strangle you for the first time since we met, then I guess we are."

*wink

***

OTP: Scarlet and Wolf!

P.S. Cinder and Thorne are a close second. But I know they will never, ever be an item :p

Cover Reveal: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Originally from The Lunar Chronicles:

The big day is here. Cover for Cress, the third book of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer:

Synopsis:

Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair - or her guard.

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

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only 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 goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Cress will be released on February 4, 2014

Cress: Synopsis Reveal and First Chapter

Originally post in here:  http://www.facebook.com/lunarchronicles

Oh god. We have huge stuff from Cress, the third book of bestselling series Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer! Here's what I/we found:

Summary (Apparently):

This is from scribd where chapter 1 of Cress is uploaded. And... it sounds like a summary.

Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair - or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only 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 goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.





***

I think this paragraph pretty much covers up the book.

And here's chapter 1 of Cress! Woohoo! Read it here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/149892070/CRESS-Chapter-One-by-Marissa-Meyer

***

Now, onto the wait for the cover and the actual book, of course :D

Cress will be released on February 4, 2014

Scarlet: Review

Synopsis:

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

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

***

(This review may contain spoilers. Be careful if you haven't read Scarlet or even Cinder)

Cinder returns! And this book gets even more awesome than the first book! The Lunar Chronicles has officially become one of my favorite series now. The book is written in multiple point of view. With Scarlet and Cinder (of course), Prince Emperor Kai, Wolf, and more characters as well. If you've already fallen in love with Cinder in the first book, you will definitely love her more in this book despite that I think she hasn't changed much.

The excitement level reaches to an all-new high in Scarlet. It starts with Scarlet encountering mysterious and handsome Wolf. Which is... not what I expected in the first place. I mean, in the original Red Riding Hood tale, the girl didn't meet the big bad wolf until her grandmother was eaten. But then, this is not the fairy tale you remember, either. So it works just fine. Great, really. And you will be stunned how much the book resembles to the original Red Riding Hood yet how different they are.

And then there's Cinder, our main female protagonist. Well, I can't say Cinder is transformed. In fact there's hardly any difference between the Cinder in Cinder and the Cinder in Scarlet (okay, except the whole identity and race thing). But I can't help but love her even more in this book. Guess it's the glamor. Maybe because she refuses to use the glamor even though it will help her escape. It makes her more... human. And since that she's always tough and nice to others, what's not to love?

In the first three parts of the book, Scarlet and Cinder's paths are separated. So you can definitely have some time with Scarlet and Wolf alone. And you're gonna love their relationship. Yep, Scarlet is not your typical girl either. First, she's not naive like the girl in the original tale . Okay, maybe she is, considering she doesn't even know what secret her grandma has been hiding. But not as naive as you think. And she can take care of herself surprisingly well. Yeah, I know the original Red Riding Hood can also sort of take care of herself, but she's independent and strong. Not what I expected. And Wolf... well, Wolf has his secrets. Big secrets. And if you truly want to get a hint, read The Queen's Army (The Lunar Chronicles #1.5). He's surprisingly sweet, also not what I expected. Okay, he's tough as nails, but sweetness is just not fit for a street fighter with his own dark secrets.

There's one very infuriating part, though. But not because of the author's skills. What angers me is... Kai. Yep, the handsome, sweet, human Emperor Kai. It's the plot that Kai doesn't know about Cinder being Princess Selene and that she hadn't used her glamor to Kai at all. But still, his not-knowing kind of bugs me. Ugh, I just can't stop my palm from twitching. And he makes the worst decision since mankind is created. Engaging with Queen Levana? Seriously? This really drives me crazy. So yeah, even though Kai is so damn infuriating in Scarlet, I can't help but appreciate how Marissa Meyer carry out such cliffhangers so successfully.

The book ends really well, and it kind of surprises me though. Because what you find in the end of Scarlet is like... it's supposed to be in the end of the THIRD book and not the SECOND book. But then, Cinder and Scarlet finally cross paths, and I'm anxious to see what will happen next. Will they be in the same journey in Cress? 'Cuz I really want more Scarlet and Wolf! One big cliffhanger at the end of Scarlet, yes. But then, it's a really full ending.

So if you still hasn't read the Lunar Chronicles yet, you should read Cinder right away. The craziness will struck you silent.

Rating: 9/10

The Book Trailer:

Cinder: Review

Synopsis:

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

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

***

In my version of Cinder, there's one quote: "THIS IS NOT THE FAIRY TALE YOU REMEMBER. BUT IT'S ONE YOU WON'T FORGET." I can never deny how true it is. You can never begin to imagine the awesomeness of this book until you read it. So go ahead, if you love sci-fi novels.

This book is the futuristic version of the age-old fairy tale, Cinderella. Her stepmother dominated Cinderella. Her sister despised her. And then a fairy godmother helped her to encounter the handsome prince and left a glass heel behind. And the prince find her using that heel and happy ever after. Lame story, right? But in this book, the fairy tale is turned into a heart-stopping modern tale. The plot is so similar to the original one yet so different.

Yep. There's Cinder. But she's not your delicate Cinderella. She's tough, like literally. She's a cyborg, after all. She's not that submissive girl you know in the original tale. She longs for freedom, and her actions is very obvious comparing to Cinderella. But she's not that different from Cinderella. She has a good heart. And she has a family like Cinderella. She still has to work for the hideous family, even though her job is not doing housework.

And then there's Prince Kai. He's not that prince either. There's not much about the prince in the original tale, though. Just that he was handsome and he wanted to find Cinderella like crazy. His first encounter with Cinder is so different. Not like the dreamy-ball-scene. And then he faces his own problems too (well, maybe not his OWN problem, but still). There's not much about Kai in the book, which is the only not-so-good part. But then, this book is called CINDER.

There's the hideous family. And they are still as hideous as the original story. Well, mostly. Adri, Cinder's stepmother, is more irritating than the one in the original tale. So does her elder daughter, Pearl. They are goddesses of bitches incarnate. There's one big difference though. Peony is not irritating and bitchy. Although she's a fangirl sometimes, she treats Cinder fairly well.

The romance is very different. Not like the love-on-the-first-sight kind in the original tale. And there's no big make-out scene or epic-love-confessions like typical YA novels. There are no real confession between Cinder and Kai. There are no making out scenes. And then there's only one single brief kiss, half of the purpose is because of appearance in front of the public. It's like they are just slightly more than friends. This kind of... I don't know, silent-romance or something? suits fine with the book. Great, actually. This is a book about androids and cyborgs, after all. Too much affection will definitely ruin the book. So Marissa Meyer's ability to control the amount of YA romance is to be appreciated.

On some level, this book is so similar to the original fairytale. Cinder's biological dad and mom is dead. And she has to work for Adri. And then there IS a ball. But it's so different on many level, which is why the book is epic as hell. Marissa Meyer successful combine the elements of the original tale and her new crazy ideas into one single book. It holds a strong echo of the original tale yet gives out fascinating futuristic elements like androids, cyborgs, and battle between two planets (Not the Star Wars kind, obviously. It's a YA novel, for crying out loud).

The book is not your typical fairy tale. I mean, there are no heart-stopping and breath-taking parts in the original tale. But there are plenty in Cinder. Not only does Cinder discover what she really is, but who she really is (Yep, you read it right. Spoiler: Who she is is way more important than what she is). But it's unforgettable. It's a tale you will always remember.

Rating: 8/10


Book Trailer of Cinder: