REVIEW: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Pub. Date: January 27th 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 222
Readership: Young adult
Genres: sci-fi

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.

Wow. I admit, at first I was a little pressed that Winter wasn’t going to come out until Fall 2015 instead of, well, winter. However, then the news of Fairest was released and I admit, I was intrigued. A Levana origin story… I love me a good villain origin story. I was sure that Fairest would make the wait for winter worth it. 

And it did!

I have always loved Levana in the way that I loved Maleficent and Te Red Queen: they were great, creepy, fantastic villains. They may be bad but damn, they do it so well. 

I love that we got to see Channary. I love that we got to see how Levana was more than just a product of her upbringing. It was chemical. It was both. I loved that we got more of Winter and Cinder’s upbringing and past. 

Marissa was brilliant in that she weaved in what could have potentially been difficult into Levana’s origin: understanding. Not acceptance of the horrible things that Levana was done but an understanding as to why she did what she did and why she is doing what she’s doing. That is not something that is easy to do but Marissa did it perfectly. 

She was also able to make the dislike and resentment of Levana grow more than ever before. Because Evret. Oh, poor sweet Evret the world did you wrong. I loved learning about him and seeing his life unfold, even through the bad. 

Levana became more of a monster than she ever had been and I loved it. It definitely made the wait 

for Winter worth it.

★★★★★ 

I LOVED IT 

*Thank you to Raincoast Books for providing an copy for review!!! Follow @raincoastbooks on twitter and HarperCollinsCanada on Facebook!* 

PURCHASE 

(amazon) (amazon kindle) (the book depository) (chapters/indigo)

(2 GIVEAWAYS!) Marrisa Meyer Signing in Toronto 2.24

Guys! Yesterday I attended the Marssia Meyer event in Toronto and I had a great time. I had planned to get there around 1 or 2 in the afternoon but I was able to snag an early ride and ended up there at 11am instead. So I ended up first in line. Indigo was so impressed Indigo Green Room tweeted a pic of me. Which was pretty cool.

I was pretty bored waiting around for more people to show up so I read a bit and took lots of random pictures.

At around 1 people started showing up, including my girls so I finally had some company! The event was still six hours away but the time honestly flew by. It didn't feel like I had waited for 8 hours at all.

Around 4 o'clock, Marissa showed up! I was chatting with fellow book blogger Siobhan of Coversations of a Reading Addict when she and her husband appeared seemingly out of nowhere. I had a "wait.. what... is it???? IT IS!" moment so for a few seconds I was just gaping. Oops. She brought everyone in line buttons and then she asked who was first in line and I meekly mumbled "me". (Sidenote I get really awkward around people at first. Awkward, quiet and rambly, oh boy.) Then she asked me since when so naturally I said 11 and she was shocked. THEN she handed me an ARC of Cress that had been her husbands! I had no idea what to say so I just meep'd a thanks and then she asked me if I wanted it personalized. At that point I was like "oh boy oh boy, she's talking to me! This author I admire is talking to me!!!" So of course being me I totally rambled and was all "I.. well.. I ... have one?! I do giveaway on blog!?" and she chuckled and was all "aw sweet!". So that's a thing that happened and smh, I need to work on my social skills.

I was really bummed because I was going to show her my Little Red Riding Hood tattoo that I have but I forgot in the moment. (It's not Scarlet based, but it is Grimm original tale based and I thought she would like it.) I said to myself "Ok, I'll do it at the signing!"

When there was about an hour to go before the signing, we were all moved from a line to the seats in front of the stage. Then some cosplayers showed up! I believe the Cress works for Raincoast but I'm not very sure and I didn't see anyone to ask. Anywho! The Cress was fab and the Scarlet was fab.

Right after that, the Indigo peeps played some games with the crowd to get us all warmed up. Like a dumbass, I volunteered to go up there before they told us what we would be volunteering for and I ended up having to dance in front of everyone. God I hope that doesn't end up on YouTube I am like Chandler Bing.

Finally it was time for the event to start!! Marissa was adorable as always. She opened with the story of how she was published and then she talked about fairytales and told us all the Grimm version of Rapunzel. I recorded that and the video should be uploaded to YouTube soon. I'll update the post with the link when it's ready.

As you can see, I took quite a few pictures! I got a new camera and was a bit trigger happy.

Weirdest face ever, I wasn't prepared for the pic yet so my face is half smile, half "oh what??????"

I got even more photos than this but I don't want to spam the post! And here's a cameo by Siobhan getting some books signed.

But now to the good stuff. Giveaways!! Since I do already have an Cress ARC, first up is the ONE OF A KIND ( ;) ) signed copy that was once Marissa's husband's. 

Both giveaways are INTERNATIONAL!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now I have signed hardcover copies of Cinder, Scarlet and Cress up for grabs!! I was a part of the wonderful Lunar Chronicles Street Team these past few months thanks to MacTeen and as a thanks, they sent me signed copies! But, as I had attended Marissa's past event in Toronto, I already have copies of each signed. I thought it wouldn't be fair or nice to hold on to and hoard these copies so I want to share them!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC REVIEW: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Pub. Date: February 4th 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 560
Readership: Young adult
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia

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.

Ok guys. Cress. It is finally here. The question I have is how the heck am I going to do this review without a) fangirling my butt off and b) not spoiling. That being said this review is either going to be really short or really long depending on how much I try to NOT spoil and to NOT flail.

I'm going to start off simple: Cress is a thrill ride. Seriously. There was not one moment of down time. There was not one moment where there was something amazeballs happening that had to do with the plot. Everything was fastpaced but not so much so that it was a whirlwind and you couldn't get a grasp at what was going on.

All of the old favorites are back. Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, Throne, Prince Kai, Iko and Queen Levana just to name a handful. The favourites honestly remained favourites for me throughout but I will say, as much as I loved Throne in Scarlet, I think he shot to my number one by the end of Cress. Honestly, I think he's close to number one in my all time favourite YA dudes list. He's smooth, he's charming, he's clever, he's gorgeous and above all, he is fantastically written. The journey he goes on through the book is one that I want to applaud Marissa for. He has his flaws but hell, he is just so damn good. Scarlet's journey is a tough one to sit through. Not because it's so bad it's cringeworthy, but because it's so damn sad. The girl has been through so much already but Marissa really put her through the ringer in this one. Levana remains as evil as ever, Cinder as badass as ever and Wolf as.... well... as Wolfy as ever. I can't even get started on how great Iko is because then I won't stop and that will spoil the whole thing!

Cress as a character is everything I hoped she'd be and more. She is shy, brave, a little awkward but by the end she really finds her ground. I was also overjoyed with the references and easter eggs to the original fairytale. Cress was so well written that she felt real. I saw so many of myself in her and so many bits of people I know. That is the amazing thing about Marissa's writing: even though it's such a futuristing, sci-fi tale, she makes it all seem so possible. She makes it feel as if these are people you know or people you could run into on the street.

Cress is an intricately woven thrill ride that will make the reader want to flip right back to page one and start all over again once they're finished. Fans of the series will be thrilled with the third instalment. Personally, it is my favourite so far. There is just so much that I want to re-read it and then re-read it again to fall in love with everything for second and third times. Cress did not disappoint.

★★★★★ 

I LOVED IT 

*Thank you to Raincoast Books for providing an ARC for review!!!

PURCHASE 

(amazon) (amazon kindle) (the book depository)

REVIEW: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Pub. Date: February 5th 2013
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 452
Readership: Young adult
Genres: fantasy, dystopia, fairytale retelling

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.

Scarlet was definitely one of my most anticipated reads this year. I absolutely loved Cinder so I was a little worried that I wouldn't love Scarlet as much - even though this time around it's Red Riding Hood's story we're reading and it's my favorite fairytale. But I loved it. I loved Scarlet even more than I loved the first book.

In Scarlet, we meet Scarlet Benoit. She's a farmer's granddaughter but her grandmother is missing. She is determined to find her. She will do anything to find her, no matter what it takes. That was one of the reasons I loved Scarlet so much. She's brave, selfless, self-sacrificing, headstrong, but she's sweet and she's smart and she's everything I want in a heroine. She even carries a gun.

There are also a lot more POVs in Scarlet. There are chapters from Cinder's POV, Kai's, Scarlet's, and even crazy Queen Levana's POV. That was an unnerving read, that's for sure. I loved that we got to see the story from different people's perspectives. It was interesting to see Scarlet's journey to find her grandmother and her relationship building with Wolf, another new - and AWESOME - character. She went through quite a lot in the few days that this novel took place in. It was great to see how much she grew and all that she went through. Then there was going with Cinder on her journey to escape and to find out more about herself. I immediately fell in love with Thorne. He was my absolute favorite addition to the characters. He's sassy, funny, attractive but for all his bravado he's also very loyal and kind. I hope he sticks around throughout the series.

There was no shortage on action in Scarlet. From Cinder's narrow escape from jail, to the fights in Scarlet's home town and Scarlet's search for her grandmother, the book kept me on my toes. It kept me turning the pages even when I should probably be sleeping since it was 4 in the morning.

Scarlet left on a great note but I'm already foaming at the mouth for the sequel - Cress - coming out next year. It's about Rapunzel! I think what I love most about Marissa's series is that she's retelling all of my favorite fairytales: Cinderalla, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and then Snow White. I'm so excited! The series can only get better and better.

★★★★★

I LOVED IT

PURCHASE

(amazon kindle) (amazon hardcover) (the book depository)

REVIEW: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Pub. Date: January 3rd 2012
Publisher: Marissa Meyer
Pages: 387
Readership: Young adult
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia

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.

I start a lot of reviews off with I finally read this book! But... it's true. I finally read this book! After hearing so much about it and hearing great things I thought I'd finally dig out my copy and read it. I absolutely LOVED it. I breezed right through it. Forgive me if, during this review, I break off and fan girl. It was just so, so, so good.

First of all, I absolutely love fairytales. I grew up with Grimm, Hans, Disney movies and any fairytale I could get my hands on. I've been iffy about fairytale retellings in the past, and have read some less than mediocre ones but I went into Cinder with an open mind. I was glad that I did.

Cinder is every part original as it is fairytale. It keeps the essentials, the bare bones, of Cinderella: There is a Prince charming, Cinderella's step-mother (and family) are deplorable and terrible human beings, and there is a grand ball. But there is so much more to the story than the fairytale. Cinder is unique all on it's own, only using the essence of Cinderella to propel it forward. The characters in Cinder obviously have much more dimension than the fairytale as it's a full length novel. But it's more than that. All of these characters - good or bad - are so very human. In such a science-fiction, fantastical world, there are very human characters. Even Cinder, who is over 36% machine.  It was easy to forget that Cinder was part machine unless she was stating it. Adri and Pearl, Cinder's step mother and sister, can be called evil, rude and deplorable human beings but they're still so human that it's hard to hate them. Adri blames Cinder for her husband's death, all of her problems, and takes it out on her. Pearl is nothing but mean to her but they have their reasons.

Cinder is absolutely awesome as well. She is treated absolutely horribly by her so-called family except her youngest step-sister Peony. A life like that could make someone bitter, resentful and cold but Cinder is the opposite. Cinder is selfless, kind fo everyone but she does have her wits about her. She's fiesty, she's got a great heart - even if it's part silicon - and most of all she knows how to take care of herself because she's all she has.

Prince Kai is just so... there are no words. I loved him to pieces. He is seriously Prince Charming incarnate. He isn't what you think the only son of an Emperor would be. There is no arrogance in him, no rudeness to the regular, every day civilians. There is an air of arrogance to him but it's nothing like what you'd expect. He loves his people, he's sure of himself, he's charming, witty and feels as if he's one of the normal civilians. He is superb.

The plot is a little predictable at about the halfway mark, but that doesn't make the story any less entertaining and enjoyable. I quite like being able to pick up on things, figure things out and be able to go AH-HA! in the end. Meyer's world building was phenomenal. There was fantastic characterization, great wit, great relationships and a great ending. While it was a little bit of a cliffhanger, it didn't make me rip my hair out as other cliffhangers usually do. I cannot WAIT to read Scarlet. I am soooo looking forward to the rest of the series as well.

★★★★★ 

I LOVED IT

PURCHASE
(amazon kindle) (amazon hardcover)