Review: CRESS by Marissa Meyer

Title: CRESS
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: February 4th, 2014
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3
Genre: YA Sci-fi / Fantasy
Pages: 560
POV: 3rd, multiple alternating
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: Printed ARC
Source: Publicist
Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf

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 liked CINDER, loved SCARLET, and adored Meyer's latest installment in the Lunar Chronicles, CRESS. With each novel, Meyer's writing grows more captivating, entertaining, and surprising as she takes each major and minor storyline in intriguing directions. CRESS picks up where SCARLET left off, and the excitement level kicks up a few notches right from the very beginning. Prepare yourself for journeys across deserts, adventures in space, fight scenes, and plenty of Carswell Thorne being as fabulous as Carswell Thorne can possibly be. I had high hopes for this novel, and Meyer succeeded in creating a wonderfully entertaining novel from start to the finish.

I'm going to keep quiet about specific plot points, since Meyer's books are better experienced without knowing too many details. With CRESS, readers gain the opportunity to see a bit more of the Lunars. We only receive glimpses into Lunar life, along with the small tidbits of knowledge Cress shares (since she is a Lunar shell, but this skilled hacker hasn't had the easiest life because of her shell status), but it's enough to make me very curious about the next novel. Fortunately, there is still plenty more to enjoy in this novel. This story is filled with action, secrets, adorable budding romances, humor, and so much more. If you are not reading this series, I'd highly recommend you start these novels soon, because you are in a for a delightful and surprising twist on some of your favorite classic fairytales.

Highlights: Meyer excels at balancing a large cast and doing each character justice when it comes to the different perspectives, not to the mention the multiple storylines. Cress is a fabulous addition to the cast since her timid strength and dreamy, hopeful nature created a nice contrast to Scarlet's toughness and Cinder's more serious nature. Even Captain Thorne managed to surprise me, because under his humorous and slightly selfish personality, there really is a guy with a heart of (mostly) gold. Also, Iko is a definite highlight¹.

Lowlights: It ended? I wanted a bit more with the Lunars. The wait for WINTER (Snow White retelling, set on the moon - yes, the moon) is going to be a nightmare, because I need that book now.

Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf. CRESS is a wonderful sci-fi / fantasy twist on familiar fairytales, with quite a few surprises in store for readers. If you're looking for a fun, exciting series to start reading, I'd highly suggest checking out the Lunar Chronicles.

1 No surprise there. Iko rocks. 

 

The Queen's Library (39): July, August, September, and October Books

The below books are from July, August, September, and part of October!! 

FOR REVIEW (Printed ARCS)
LET THE STORM BREAK by Shannon Messenger (from publicist/publisher)
CRESS by Marissa Meyer (from publicist / publisher)!!!!!!!!!!
SEKRET by Lindsay Smith (from publicist/publisher)
NIL by Lynne Matsen (from publicist / publisher)
HOW TO LOVE by Katie Cotugno (from Amazon Vine)
FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell (from Amazon Vine)
THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING by Robyn Schneider (from Amazon Vine)
EXILE by Shannon Messenger (from publicist - Not Pictured)
CHASING SHADOWS by Swati Avasthi (from Amazon Vine - Not Pictured)
THE BURNING SKY by Sherry Thomas (from Amazon Vine - Not Pictured)

FOR REVIEW (eARCs - Not Pictured)
CONJURED by Sarah Beth Durst (from Netgalley / publicist)
WHITE SPACE by Ilsa J. Bick (from Edelweiss)

THE SHADOW PRINCE by Bree Despain (from Edelweiss)

THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Stiefvater (from Netgalley)
INTO THE STILL BLUE by Veronica Rossi (from Edelweiss)
AVALON by Mindee Arnett (from Edelweiss)
PANIC by Lauren Oliver (from Edelweiss)
CRUEL BEAUTY by Rosamund Hodge (from Edelweiss)

PURCHASED FOR KINDLE (Not Pictured)
ENSHADOWED by Kelly Creagh
FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell
ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell
THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay
VALKYRIE RISING by Ingrid Paulson (freebie)
THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER by Megan Shepard
THE WORLD OF DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth (freebie)
FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS by Diana Peterfreund

PURCHASED AUDIOBOOK
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green (snagged the $3.95 daily deal)

WON FROM PAPER LANTERN LIT
FURY by Elizabeth Miles
ENVY by Elizabeth Miles (autographed)

WON FROM THE BOOK CELLAR
WHEN YOU WERE HERE by Daisy Whitney (autographed and personalized)

Whew! So, that's all the books I've gotten during the past few months! Thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Amazon Vine, Random House, Simon & Schuster + Emma, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, HarperCollins, Macmillan + Ksenia, Paper Lantern Lit, Erica and anyone else I've forgotten to thank!

And a quick note: Sorry I've been a missing lately. My classes this fall are keeping me busy, but I should start having a bit more time to spend in the blogosphere soon!

My Weekly Recommendation

The feature is inspired by Pop Culture Junkie's This Week In Books, The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, and Mailbox Monday. The Queen's Library is a way for me to feature books that I add to my bookshelves and a place to post my weekly recommendations. This is not a new meme, but merely an adjusted feature that is better suited to my blog and needs.

Waiting on Wednesday (117): FATES and CRESS

WoW is hosted by Breaking The Spine

FATES by Lanie Bross
February 11th, 2014

"What if your destiny was to kill the one you love?

One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people’s fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she’s falling all over again—this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die.

In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?"

I'm intrigued by this book! It sounds like it could be interesting, and I like the cover!

CRESS by Marissa Meyer
February 4th, 2014

"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."

*freaks out silently* I pretty much need this book. Glad to see that it got a fabulous cover!

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

 

After a lot thinking (and scrolling through my Goodreads account), these are the top ten books I've read so far in 2013 (not all were published in 2013, just FYI):

1.  SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo (my review)
2.  OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys (my review)
3.  SCARLET by Marissa Meyer (my review)
4.  SHADES OF EARTH by Beth Revis
5.  A GAME OF THRONES George RR. Martin
6.  THE MOON AND MORE by Sarah Dessen
7.  THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green
8.  THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks
9.  UNBREAK MY HEART by Melissa Walker
10.  EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton

I think SIEGE AND STORM, SCARLET, TFIOS, and OUT OF THE EASY are my favorites of 2013 - so far, anyway! ;)

What's in your top ten?

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: SCARLET
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: February 5th, 2013
Series: Lunar Chronicles #2
Genre: YA sci-fi / fantasy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
POV: 3rd, alternating
Pages: 464
Format: ARC
Source: Publicist

"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."

All of the main characters from CINDER are back and ready for some dangerous adventures in SCARLET. Cinder and Kai are both struggling in their new, opposing roles as they try to become the leaders they need to become. And then there's Scarlet, a new character with a firecracker personality who isn't giving up on locating her missing grandmother, even if the lousy local police have decided it's a closed case. With a little initiative, she teams up with Wolf, a mysterious street fighter with a strange numbered tattoo who knows exactly where her grandmother is. Add in Captain Thorne, Cinder's new flirtatious and endearingly ridiculous accomplice, and you've got yourself a story that will make you laugh, gasp, and leave you eager for so much more.

I enjoyed CINDER, and remember thinking that this series had a lot of potential. So, I expected the sequel to be similar to the first book. Needless to say, I was blown away by the character development in old and new characters, the exciting bursts of action, the breathtaking twists, and the overall excitement that is present in every single page of this story. If CINDER was a good story, then SCARLET is a superb sequel that is fun to read from the first page to the last. Anyone who is debating on whether or not to continue with this series after reading the first novel (or debating on whether or not to start this series) should absolutely give this series a chance, because SCARLET is magnificent.

Highlights: I usually dislike alternating 3rd person POV's (this book had mainly 3, but went up to about 5), but Meyer made it work. Meyer's large cast of characters are likable, different, and sometimes a bit complicated. The story was more exciting this time around. There is so much more happening in this book, to the point where I felt satisfied at the end but still curious about the next novel. I love how fresh Meyer makes familiar fairytales, and I'm eager to see what she'll do in her next two novels. 

Lowlights: The romance formed between two characters is very quick (at least the couple even references the quickness). 

The Queen's Library (22)

Credit / Inspiration

For Review - Requested ARCs
FLASH POINT by Nancy Kress (from Netgalley) (not pictured)
SCARLET by Marissa Meyer (from publicist)

For Review - Unsolicited from Publisher
PIRATE CINEMA by Cory Doctorow
JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman
OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys
THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH by Maureen Johnson (2 ARC's)

I'm still freaking out over the surprise books from Penguin! I'm a fan of Gayle Forman, Ruta Sepetys and Maureen Johnson, so I was beyond thrilled to receive their newest books....Also, I'm so excited to read SCARLET (love the tagline on the ARC)! Can't wait to see what happens in that one. Many thanks to Tor Teen, Ksenia and Macmillan, Netgalley and Penguin Teen!

What books did you get this week?

COVERS: Mila, Scarlet, Scoundrels, and more

MILA 2.0

This is fascinating. Normally, this isn't the kind of cover I'd like, but I think it's interesting. It makes me curious about the story inside...

Uncontrollable (The Nature of Grace #2)

I like the first cover more, but I'm glad it matches the first book. The eyes are (yet again) so stunning!

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

It's not as striking as Cinder's cover, but I like that they stuck with the same overall theme. I love the font and flowing cloak! 

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3)

 

I kind of hate it. After the gorgeousness of ATU hardcover, ATU paperback, and AMS hardcover, they redesigned the entire trilogy (you can see all three new covers at Wired) and made it look like a middle grade series -- which, I guess, is supposed to draw in more male readers. I wish they had waited until after they put out a matching HC for Shades of Earth and then redesigned the trilogy in paperback. I'm extremely disappointed in this cover and the late change in covers, so the story better be epic to make up for it. 

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)

 

YAY for a new Heist Society novel! So happy to see that this cover matches up nicely with the first two. 

Fragments (Partials #2)

Why does the girl have black hair on Partials and light brown hair on Fragments? I like the background for Fragments a lot, but I feel like Partials has a much better and stronger cover. 

Have you spotted any great covers lately?

The Queen's Library (7)

For Review
Once by Anna Carey

Won from Pure Imagination

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Free Audiobooks
Irises by Francisco X. Stork
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

Thanks to HarperTeen for the surprise package, Lori for SLN, and Sync for the wonderful audiobooks!

What did you get this week?

The Queen's Library (5)

Inspiration for TQL

Purchased
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
(signed, along with my copy of Cinder)

Won (not pictured)

Glow in the dark Through to You wristband

Signed Through To You Bookmark

From the Fierce Reads event
Bookmarks
Temporary Tattoos
Shadow and Bone pins (love these!)
Two Fierce Reads posters autographed by the authors!

Thank you to Emily Hainsworth! Also, many thanks to the lovely Fierce Reads authors for the swag, and for signing an extra poster - click here to enter to win an autographed poster + swag

What did you get this week?

Autographed Fierce Reads Swag Giveaway

I just got back from a Fierce Reads event (which I highly recommend you attend, if possible!) and the authors were kind enough to autograph a poster for one of you lucky readers...

One winner will receive

• A Fierce Reads poster autographed by
• Jennifer Bosworth
• Anna Banks
• Emmy Laybourne
• Leigh Bardugo  
• Marissa Meyer (who drew an adorable cartoon version of Cinder's cover in the top left corner!)
• Bookmarks
• Temporary tattoos
• Other swag - whatever else I can dig up in my soon-to-be-empty swag stash

Sorry I couldn't include a signed book or two - but sadly, I'm pretty much broke right now (much to my dismay, since I desperately want to read Struck, Monument 14 and Of Poseidon now). Which also, unfortunately, means this is US ONLY. Sorry! 

Contest Policy

To enter, fill out the form

The Queen's Library (4)

Inspiration for TQL

   New Additions to the Royal Bookshelf   

Purchased - Printed books
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
(my review)

Purchased - Kindle books 

Hourglass by Myra McEntire ($1.99!)
(my review)

Cinder's such a pretty book! Love the details and interior designs.

   The Weekly Recommendation   
What books did you get this week?

Mini-Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder 
Marissa Meyer
Released: January 3rd, 2012Pages: 387 (hardcover)Publisher: Feiwel & FriendsPOV: 3rd person, alternating Source: Netgalley

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...see more at Goodreads.

Cinder is a cyborg, the best mechanic in New Beijing, and unafraid to get her hands dirty. She's an endearing character, especially when it comes to her genuine love for those who she cares about. The narration switches mostly between Cinder and Prince Kai, giving a well-rounded view the events taking place as the intimidating Queen Levana of the Lunars visits....and things get pretty complex once she shows up. As the story begins to delve into political conspiracies and the illness sweeping New Beijing, it only becomes more intriguing. Meyer has a way with words that keeps you turning the pages, eager for more. Building off of the bare bones of Cinderella's story, Meyer shapes Cinder into something unique and spectacular. 
Highlights: Despite being inspired by Cinderella, Meyer takes smart creative liberties that work very well. A few moments, especially with the Lunar queen, had me hooked as the suspense built. One the largest highlights involved the characters - Iko (an android), Peony, and Queen Levana. Even the fact that not all the characters were safe¹ from harm was an interesting aspect that I respect. 
Lowlights: Some aspects of the plot were extremely predictable², and not just the Cinderella aspects. The story also had a slow beginning. And the ending was a bit unsatisfying - too many loose ends, even if this is a series.   
Rating: 

1 (Slightly spoilerish -- highlight at your own risk): Iko!!! NO!!!! Why, Marissa Meyer, why??? 2 Personal bias. I hate obvious twists.    
Curious about Cinder?Listen to the first 7 minutes of the audiobook version of Cinder

Image + Summary from Goodreads