Review: Winter

Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: November 10th, 2015
Hardcover, 824 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar 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.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

It was certainly bittersweet finishing this series. I've followed along since Cinder came out in paperback (so not quite as long as others) and fell in love. When Scarlet came out, I knew I'd found my new favourite heroine. And I waited hours to meet Marissa Meyer at Yorkdale mall when Cress was released. Dressed in my red hoodie, I knew I'd love Cress as much as Scarlet and damn was it good. And now, Winter is finished and I'm still not ready to say goodbye to this series. Winter is a great heroine, all four of these ladies are, and her story is just as fantastic and important as the rest. I loved watching everything come together in this fourth book, and seeing all our characters get their happy endings. This is probably the longest teen book I've read but the 800 pages were still too few when I turned the last one. This has been one epic adventure spanning planets with hope, love, and redemption. 

We finally got to meet Winter. She's been hinted at and we know about her background from Fairest, Queen Levana's prequel book, and she is bad ass. Scarred from a young age so that she is no longer the most beautiful on Luna, Winter has endured much from Levana, but not nearly as much as Selene did. Even though her face is scarred, she is still seen as the most beautiful girl on Luna, a praise that Levana despises. Levana will do anything to get rid of Winter once and for all, including using Jacin, Winter's personal guard and very good friend, to kill her. Jacin's feelings for Winter stop him from doing so and he hides Winter until the time is right. Cinder and her friends are on their way to Luna to stop the wedding of Prince Kai and Queen Levana and to get the rightful ruler back on the throne - Princess Selene (also known as Cinder). There are so many plot lines and many adventures that make this book riveting from start to finish. Seeing how it all came together was magical and wonderful and I couldn't be happier with how this all ended. 

Even though this is Winter's story, everyone still gets equal page time. My favourite has to be Cress and Thorne as they discover their feelings for each other and have moments that were certainly swoon-worthy and wonderful. Scarlet and Wolf have some ups and downs as Wolf faces a part of his life he had hoped to leave behind, and Cinder is trying to run a revolution while also making sure her boyfriend doesn't end up married to another woman. I love that most of this book took place on Luna, it gave me a chance to really see how that planet is run and how different it is from Earth. It certainly gave the whole book a magical quality, something I've found this series has lots of.

I could say more, I could give away the whole book because I want to talk about it all night, but I also want you all to experience it yourselves. Please read The Lunar Chronicles, fall in love with these characters and their stories. Go into a futuristic fairytale world and relive the stories we know by heart from our childhood. If you're a Sailor Moon fan, I hope you catch the references and enjoy how it all weave together. I love fairy tales and re-tellings and this series is by far my favourite of both. Stars, there's no way else to say this - this book is fan-freaking-tastic! I can't wait for the last piece of the puzzle, Stars Above, coming out 2016!

“She was prettier than a bouquet of roses and crazier than a headless chicken. Fitting in was not an option.”

“She’s our lost princess. And she’s coming home.”

Review: Fairest: Levana's Story

Fairest: Levana's Story
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: January 27th, 2015
Hardcover, 222 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

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.

It takes a certain kind of author to make me feel sorry for a villain. Marissa has woven a tale that stands on its own in the wonderful series of hers. The Lunar Chronicles blew me away from the very start and Queen Levana has been a terribly evil villain from the beginning. It just got worse the more she discovered about Cinder, the more Scarlet hid from her and more Cress defied her. So we go back to the beginning, before Levana was queen, before Cinder or any of the others were even born, and started to learn about what made Levana tick.

Her life starts out horribly. Her older sister and future queen, Channery, is the most awful older sister. She uses Levana and destroys everything good about her. Levana hides her true face behind glamours, and hides her loving feelings for the one guard who always seems to pay attention to her. The closer Channery gets to the throne, the more Levana seethes beneath the surface. The fonder she grows for her guard, the more cruel Channery becomes. So when she dies and Levana takes over the throne until Princess Selena, Channery's daughter, is old enough, things change for the worse. Levana is a good ruler. She wants what's best for Luna and will do anything to protect her country. But she is not the queen, she is only holding the throne and it isn't long before thats not enough for her and she plans a way to get rid of the princess. Anyone who has read the rest of the series will see how this plays into it, and I loved seeing the back story come to life. Levana marries the guard and in so becomes the step-mother to baby Winter, someone we will soon learn more about in the final chapter of this series.

Levana's life is one of horror, deceit and unrequited love. Though she marries, she is never loved for who she is and continuously tries to be someone she is not. She takes her anger out on Luna, on Earth and on anyone who gets in her way. By the end, she is the cruel woman we know and hate, but the way she got there is heartbreaking. It's hard not to feel sorry for her and to understand why she is now the way she is, even though that person is an awful human being. Marissa created so much more drama, such a bigger world and dug me deeper into a story I'm already so far into. There wasn't anything happy about this book, not like the love stories we see in the rest of the novels. I wanted a better ending for Levana, I wanted her to get the love she wanted and to live happily ever after, but then we wouldn't have a villain or a story, so I know it will make Winter fantastic to read. I can't wait to see more of Levana, get to know Winter more, and see how this series plays out. An amazing addition to the this series and a book I won't soon forget. It was short, but boy did it pack a punch.

"The guilt and the horror and the memory of that awful smell might stay with her forever, but she was the queen."

Top Ten Tuesday: If You Like That, Try This

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make lists about bookish topics to share around the world.

This week's topic is Top ten books to read if you like these T.V. shows, movies, plays, etc.

If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer read... Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: Hunters, hunted, lots of puns and snark!

If you like Once Upon a Time read.... The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Fairytales remade into something completely different
                                                           
If you like Pitch Perfect read... This Song Will Save Your Life by Laila Sales: Finding out who you are through music, solo girl making friends

If you like Easy A read... Uninvited by Sophie Jordan: Ostracized for something she didn't do

If you like Mean Girls read... Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers: Mean girls of course!

If you like Romeo and Juliet read... Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: Forbidden love, war between families

If you like The Walking Dead read... The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: Zombies!

If you like Romantic comedies read... anything by Jennifer E. Smith! Cuteness overload with happy endings

If you like Veronica Mars read... Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers: Girl goes from top to bottom, trying to figure out something that happened to her.

If you like Anything so much you want to watch it over and over again, read... Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This is a must for anyone who is obsessed with anything.

I feel like I could do this all day, there are so many good books and movies out there that relate to each other in on way or another. What's your top ten?

Review: Cress

Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: February 4, 2014
Hardcover, 550 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

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.

Everything about this series is perfect. Fairy tale retellings, dystopian world, a plague, an evil queen from another planet and cyborgs and wolves, oh my! When I first picked up Cinder, I wasn't sure if I would like a cyborg Cinderella, but boy was I wrong. And it just got better after that with Scarlet, red riding hood for a new age. Throw in Levana, an evil queen from the planet Luna and some genetically altered man-wolves, and suddenly I was thrown into a world I never wanted to leave. When Cress was announced as being a retelling of Rapunzel, I knew I had found my new favourite series.

There is something very refreshing about a book that focuses on the mission at hand and not the love story. Don't get me wrong, I love a good love story, especially a fairy tale, but Meyer has woven such a wonderful world that yes I want to read about kissing, but I also really want them to destroy Levana and find a cure for the plague. But I do love Cinder and Prince Kai, a couple that against all odds will hopefully come out on top. And Scarlet and Wolf gave me chills with their sexual tension, and don't even get me started on Cress and Thorne because they are absolutely adorable together. The love stories are important and even better there aren't any love triangles - boys and girls can really just be friends! - but the real adventure is about trying to win the war over Luna. With each new book, we are introduced to a new character who is going to play a big part in doing so. The group keeps getting bigger and new mysteries are solved and I just know it's all leading up to something huge and wonderful. 

Cress is a beyond wonderful character. She is sweet and somewhat naive, having lived in a satellite all her life, but she has watched and learned about the real world and when she finally gets to be a part of it, she is intrigued and amazed. While her and Thorne are wandering through the desert, she can't help but all in love with the earth, even if it could kill her. She is an intelligent girl, able to hack into security systems. Though she gets into some trouble, she is smart enough to figure a way out. I only have love for Cress, she is one of my favourites and the perfect counterpart to Cinder and Scarlet. 

Meyer has made these fairy tales her own. She has only vaguely taken the characters and stories, but everything else is her own. If you are familiar with the original fairy tales, you'll see the small similarities throughout the novels. In Cress, Thorne being blinded is an ode to the original tale, among other things. It's small, but I love how she's incorporated it into the novel. The third person narrative works really well with this series, giving us insight into every character involved. I can't wait to find out how everything will come together. I hope they find the antidote, I hope Wolf reunites with Scarlet and I hope Thorne gets his sight back. All in all though, I hope everyone gets their happy ending. 

“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.” 

Also, I could include so many quotes at the end of this, because all of it was so good. And I'm meeting Marissa this evening, I can't wait!

Waiting on Wednesday: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight a book we just can't wait to get our hands on!

My pick this week is:

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)
By Marissa Meyer
Hardcover, 560 pages
Expected Publishing date: February 4, 2014

(summary from Goodreads)

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.

The Lunar Chronicles have been blowing me away. Cinder took everything I knew about Cinderella and threw them away and Scarlet turned Red Riding Hood into a fearless girl hellbent on getting her grandmother back. So I know Cress will show Rapunzel in a new light and continue this epic journey the same way the others have. This series is not to be missed!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Like to See Turned Into Movies or TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic that the participants come up with a top ten list for.

This week's topic is Books I'd like to see turned into movies or TV shows

1. Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent: By far my favourite series and I think it would make a great TV show. There are too many books to make movies out of them, but there's more than enough content there to get through some seasons, and even add some new content, I won't mind.

2. The Curse Workers series by Holly Black: Another fantastic series that would make a great show. There could be so much back story created with both Cassel and Lila and we could explore some of the tricks and mischief that happened before the series began.

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: I fell in love with this book, these characters, and Paris! This make a fantastic movie with so many amazing visuals and swoon worthy romance. 

4. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder: I read this book a while ago, but it's stuck with me since. This would make a great sci-fi movie for a younger audience with twists and turns and mysteries throughout it. 

5. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: The world Meyer has built in these books would look fabulous on screen. The characters are sharp and strong and visuals play an important part throughout these books. I'd die if I got to see Cinder and Scarlett light it up in a theatre!

6. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi: Dystopians have become a hit with The Hunger Games and I think this one would make a great follow up after Divergent. The atmosphere would look great on screen, especially the Aether. 

7. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers: I need to have Summers on every list because she is such a great author. This zombie book is unlike anything I've read and it captures what teens would feel during an ordeal like this so perfectly. It would hit some people hard and it would be visually creepy and stunning.

8. Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella: By far my favourite stand alone from her and if they don't plan on making anymore Confessions of a Shopaholic movies, why not try another one of her books? They are all so funny and charming and would make the perfect rom-coms!

9. Shade series by Jeri Smith-Ready: I think this could make a good series, but it would also work well as movies. A world where people under 17 can see ghosts would look awesome on screen and I think it would be nice to be able to expand some character while still focusing on Aura. Maybe even have some of the first season be pre Logan death? There's a lot to explore in this world and I'd love to see it done!

10. True Believer by Nicholas Sparks: I had to put Sparks on here because the movies made from his books are always so wonderful. There is always so much love and heartbreak that it can be overwhelming, but sometimes that's what you need. This one is one of my favourites because of the ending and I think it would transfer well onto film (just like all his other books!)

I'd love to see any one of these books beautified on screen, either large or small, and if I'm lucky enough to see just one of them, I'll be happy. Any one have any doubles? I'd love to hear what you think and what your lists look like!

Review: Scarlet

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: February 5, 2013
Hardcover, 452 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

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.

The Lunar Chronicles continue in this second instalment, following a new fairy tale character, Scarlet, as she searches for her grandmother. It starts with a bang and never silences. Early in the book, Scarlet meets Wolf, a mysterious street fighter who's willing to help her look for her grandmother. But the longer she looks, the more information she realizes her grandma was hiding from her, and the closer she gets to Wolf, the more dangerous he becomes. While Scarlet is on her own search, Cinder has escaped from prison and is on her own mission, eager to stop the war that is destined to happen all because of her. The chapters coordinate so flawlessly, it's hard to believe this book follows so many different story lines. 

It's hard to tell that these two books focus on two totally different fairy tales. Meyer blends them together so seamlessly, that it's like she's created everything about these characters and stories herself. Adding in the futuristic universe, plague, and a whole other planet, creates a completely new fairy tale that stands on its own. I liked finding the small references to Little Red Riding Hood throughout the novel, from Scarlet's red hoodie to a wolf impersonating her grandmother. There were more twists in this book than in Cinder, leaving me wondering more than a few times about how it would end. Meyer added Scarlet as a main character perfectly, making it seem like she's been in the story all along and having her encounter Cinder in the best way possible. I can't wait to see how she'll add the other two girls, Cress and Winter, into the tale.

I knew I would love Scarlet the minute I met her. She has the same fierceness that Cinder embodies, both girls ready to fight for what they love. Scarlet is fiery and carries a gun. She's not afraid of what she amy encounter along her journey, except maybe her feelings for Wolf. These two have fire between them. I loved Cinder and Prince Kai, but what they were missing Scarlet and Wolf make up for threefold. Fans who read The Queen's Army will recognize Wolf, which just adds to the tension. I found myself way more interested in Scarlet's story than Cinder's, but I was very happy when they came together. Cinder's new partner, Captain Thorne, was hilarious and charming and I liked what he added to the story. 

Fairytale re-tellings always grab my attention. I like that authors can take well known stories and turn them into something completely different. Meyer has done a great job so far keeping the fairytale practically separate from her writing. It's wonderful that she's created a whole new world but the meaning behind the fairytales is still there and prominent. This is hard thing to do and she has managed to do it perfectly. The ending has left me eager for more and her writing has let me wanting to improve mine. Normally I'm not a fan of third person, but these books just wouldn't be the same if they weren't written that way. Beautiful modern fairytales for a modern world. Because princesses kick ass now, didn't you know that?

“Little Red was a tender young morsel, and the wolf knew she would be even tastier than the old woman.” 

Review: Cinder

Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: January 3, 2012
387 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

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.

So this is the first third person book I've read in awhile, so it took some time to get into the flow of things, but even after the first chapter, I knew Id love this book. A revamped and epic twist on the classic fairy tale, Cinderella, Cinder uses the same emotions and basic plot lines yet creates a completely different tale. Cinder is a cyborg living in a futuristic Earth where cyborgs are lower class. She is lucky enough to live in a good apartment, but her step mother hates her. Throw in a deadly plague and going to the ball isn't the only thing Cinder has to worry about. 

Adding the futuristic, sci-fi elements really sets this story apart from other fairy tale retellings. The fact that Cinder is Cinderella is only secondary to everything else that takes place in this book. Not only is she trying to hide the fact that she's a cyborg from everyone, including Prince Kai who has taken an interest in her, but there is also a colony on the moon whose queen is threatening war on Earth. The fantastic part is that going to the ball is not Cinder's biggest mission in this book. Instead, she's trying to get away from everything and could care less about going to the ball. It's the perfect ideal for teens to read. The prince is not the only thing that matters to her, saving those she loves and making a name for herself are more important.

One of my favourite parts is that this is a series. With an open ending, and promise of other fairy tale heroines to join the ranks, I know I'll enjoy the others as well. The Lunar queen becomes the largest enemy and she's sure to be a large part of the other tales. The next in the series, Scarlet, which is out now, focuses on Little Red Riding Hood and connects with Cinder's tale. The other two, Cress and Winter tell the tales of Rapunzel and Snow White, and the idea of this makes me so happy. I can't wait to find out how each girl connects to the other (although there are some hints in Cinder) and see how Meyer creates a bigger picture while still having each girl play out her fairy tale. 

Fairy tale retellings are forever popular and for good reason. I've read many of them, including Alex Flinn and Jessica Day George's revamped versions. What I like about the retellings is that not one is alike even though they all have the same basic plot. It takes a lot of skill to reconstruct something so well known into your own device and Meyer has wired the words perfectly to create an entirely new series like nothing else before. Cinder is a character that everyone will be able to relate to and you'll find yourself devouring this story and routing for her the entire way through. A joy to read and I can't wait to pick up the next instalment of The Lunar Chronicles.

“Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.”

“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.”