Mini Reviews: The Lunar Chronicles Edition (with a Gold Star!)

I FINALLY got the chance to catch up with the Lunar Chronicles series, which is one of my favorites! I love how Meyer manages to combine the soul of the original fairy tales with some fantastic new science fiction elements creating a whole new world that manages at once to also feel familiar.

Cress 
by Marissa Meyer
Lunar Chronicles, book 3

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

I loved how this particular addition to the series managed to add yet another set of characters and their own back stories to the mix, but still managed to feel completely cohesive. That's tough to do!  Each portion of the story, no matter how far it seemed to stretch from Cinder's central, pivotal story line, still felt vital and I was kept right on the edge of my seat. Well done. 

Full disclosure: Book Purchased for my own Personal Library 

Fairest: Levanna's Story 
by Marissa Meyer
Lunar Chronicles, book 3.5
Prequel to Cinder

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. (Description from Goodreads.com)

I was completely and utterly enthralled with this book. I LOVE to think about how the villains of stories came to be the people they are when we see them interact with our heroes and heroines. Levanna's story was utterly compelling - learning her history and actually feeling sorry for her - having to remind myself about the things she goes on to do...Just wow. I actually want to give this novella a shiny Gold Star!

Full disclosure: Audio book received from AudioFile for Review/Book Purchased for my own Personal Library 

Read From My Personal Library - March Update

So, I promised you all that I'd keep you updated on my self-imposed "Read from my Personal Library" challenge.

This is what the challenge stated: My realistic goal is going to be to read 3 personally owned books for every 1 that I read from the Library, etc.  

And here's how I did for the rest of March:

I read 9 books total.  

Four of those books were from borrowed through the Library where I work - 1 fun fiction read, 2 personal non-fiction reads, and 1 fiction book for work (for the book club I lead).

One book was sent to me for a Blog Tour review.  

Four of those books came from my own Personal Library!! Not quite the 3:1 ratio that I'd been aiming for, BUT a 1:1 ratio is a decent start...I'm going to aim for better in April.  

So, what did I read from my Personal Library?

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

 

Cress (Lunar Chronicles 3)

Fairest (Lunar Chronicles Prequel)

The Final Act (Immortal Circus 3)

Anyone else read from their own bookshelves (physical or virtual) this month?

Cover Craving...Cress!

Cress 
by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles, book three

Publication Date: February 4, 2013

HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LOVE THE COVERS FOR THIS SERIES??
Sooooo much cover love.

Scarlet

Scarlet

by Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles, book two

Show less

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. (description from Amazon.com)

 

I loved Cinder so much that I was actually a little nervous to read this book. However, I need not have been worried! Meyer manages to blend both storylines so well that both Cinder and Scarlet become and stay compelling heroines. This gives me great hope that the series will continue to be EPIC.

 

Anyway... Cinder's storyline continues to be intriguing and at the moment heartbreaking.  In the chapters that alternated (one for every two or three Scarlet chapters) interspersed into the larger story, we get to see Cinder escape from prison and continue to learn more about her back story. As much as we learned here, I can't wait for the next book (Cress, 2014) to find out even more - what Cinder can do, who can help her, how exactly she became who she is today.

 

Scarlet's story not only brought in new characters, but also added dimension to Cinder's tale. We find out more about Queen Levana's plans and what she has in place on earth. Wolf's character is both there for his overall "hunkiness" and to help move that plotline along rather nicely.  You can really see Meyer's talent as a storyteller and worldbuilder. Things that seemingly have no connection end up building upon one another to create a more fleshed world.

 

A fantastic addition to the Lunar Chronicles series.

 

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile Magazine 

Book Trailer - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I just found this book trailer and had to share. I'm so excited to read this one!!



What do you think?

Scarlet

by Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles, book two

 

Publication date: February 5, 2013

EW posted the exclusive CINDER book trailer today!

I can't tell you how excited I am to read Marissa Meyer's debut book, Cinder!



I had previously posted information about the upcoming Lunar Chronicles series because it is a scifi/fairy tale blend that sounds awesome. Anyway, Entertainment Weekly posted the exclusive trailer here today - and it does a really great job of letting you know what the book's about and still being totally intriguing.

I cannot wait to read this book!!

Check it out and let me know what you think~