Review: Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles 0.5, 0.6, 3.1, 4.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Started reading: August 8th 2019
Finished the book: August 8th 2019
Pages: 369
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Retelling
Published: February 2nd 2016
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.23
My score:

Synopsis

The enchantment continues....


The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

Review: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Started reading: October 17th 2018
Finished the book: October 22nd 2018
Pages: 222
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Published: January 27th 2015
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.02
My score:

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.

Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Started reading: December 21st 2017
Finished the book: January 3rd 2018
Pages: 827
Published: November 10th 2015
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.49
My score:

Synopsis
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mark her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Review: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Started reading: July 8th 2017
Finished the book: July 16th 2017
Pages: 552
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA
Published: February 4th 2014
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.46
My score:

Synopsis
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.

Review: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Started reading: May 7th 2017
Finished the book: May 14th 2017
Pages: 454
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA
Published: February 5th 2013
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.30
My score:

Synopsis
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. 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

My thoughts

This series is so unique, I loved this second book. Have read the first book twice now, and it's one of my favorites. The second wasn't a favorite, but I still enjoyed to read this book very much! The way Marissa Meyer can transform a fairy tale into a great sci-fi story and the fact that you still recognize the fairy-tale, is a real talent.

Pros

• Characters: This second book introduces a couple of great new characters. Some series don't need new characters, but I feel that the new characters in this series can definitely add something unique to the story. The characters are likable and add a new layer to the story. Wolf is very intriguing and Tanner adds a nice dose of sarcasm and testosterone. 
• Stories coming together: The way the stories in this book come together is really cool. Scarlet has her own story, as well as Cinder. The way their stories are woven together to a new story with all the history around it is very well thought through.
• Action: The action in this book is awesome. I like action when it's adds something to the story and when it's written well so you can vision it in your head. The last part of the book has some gruesome action to it and I highly enjoyed it!
• Queen Levana: The big "bad guy" (bad girl in this case) in this book is someone to be afraid of. Some books have an evil person and sometimes they don't scare me, but Queen Levana is someone to be afraid of, which she proves again in this book.

Cons

• Vibe: The first book had a vibe, a feeling to it, which made me love it and add it to my favorites. I didn't feel the vibe in this book, although I absolutely enjoyed the book. Maybe it was because Cinder was on the run and the story had a lot of different aspects to it, while in the first book you really only followed Cinder around.
• Plot-twists: I felt like this book didn't have that much plot twists, or maybe I figured them out too quick. There were some minor aspects that I didn't see coming, but in the end the book didn't leave me with big surprises that needed thinking through.

Overall

Such an enjoyable series that turns your modern fairy-tale into a great action paced sci-fi story. I love how every book evolves around a different fairy tale and how the different fairy tales are woven to one new story. This series is something very unique and enjoyable to read!

Little Red Riding Hood, eat your heart out!

Other opinions about this book

"Returning fans of Meyer's Cinder will gladly sink their teeth into this ambitious, wholly satisfying sequel."

- Publishers Weekly

"The author has stepped up the intrigue and plot from the first novel, and readers will be eagerly awaiting the next."

- School Library Journal

"Further development of this futuristic world plus plenty of action, surprises, and a fast pace will keep readers invested in their journey."

- The Horn Book

Memorable quotes from this book

"I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you."

"It would be easy to abuse a person when they never recognized it as abuse."

Whats your opinion on this series? Did you read it and what did you think?

And if you didn't read it yet; are you planning on reading it?

  

Review (re-read): Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Started reading: April 18th 2017
Finished the book: April 24th 2017
Pages: 387
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA
Published: January 3rd 2012
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.15
My score:

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

My thoughts

I LOVE fairytales and Disney and everything that comes with it. I've read the book a year ago and it was an instant favorite of mine. Since then I've been wanting to read the other books. I've bought them a month ago and decided to read Cinder again, since I have a thing for series and I also remembered I LOVED the book. It was so much fun to read it again. It's a nice retelling of a fairytale.

Pros

• Sarcasm: I LOVE sarcasm. I totally get this type of humour and it's so well embedded in Cinder's personality. I loved to read the parts where she was being sarcastic, it makes me relate with characters in books and I always seem to appreciate characters a little more when they don't take everything so seriously.
• Cyborg/Lunar: This modern fairytale consists Cyborgs and Lunars. I love a great thought through fantasy book and that's what Cinder is! The Cyborg and Lunar part is very believable and that's a very strong part about the book.
• Real threat: There is a real threat in this book the form of Queen Levana. She was so fierce and felt like a real threat to me. I'm not a person to believe everything right away, but she is a very believable character who adds a great deal of tension to the book.
• Nice ending: The ending is so strong. You get yourself some answers and after that you really want to know what is going to happen, and then the book ends. Yep, I like it!

Cons

• "Big Secret Reveal": I remember from the last time, when I read this book that I figured "the big secret" out pretty quick. It felt like it was right in front of Cinder but she was a bit naïve to not see what was going on. This was just a tiny con for me, still a favorite this book!

Overall

A really nice book that I would enjoy every time I'd read it. I feel like the re-telling of fairytales is something magical, when it's done right. And it is definitely done right in this book, to my opinion.

Most definitely magical!

Other opinions about this book

"Singing mice and glass slippers are replaced with snarky androids and mechanical feet in this richly imagined and darkly subversive retelling of 'Cinderella.'"

-BCCB

"This is one buzzed novel that totally delivers."

- Stacked Book Blog

"Author Marissa Meyer rocks the fractured fairy tale genre with a sci-fi twist on Cinderella."

- The Seattle Times

Memorable quotes from this book

"I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on."

"Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth."

"Prince Kai! Check my fan, I think I'm overheating."

What's your favorite fairytale of all time?

Mine is Beauty and the Beast.