The Lunar Chronicles Stores - Part 2

Title: Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky(The Lunar Chronicles #2.5); After Sunshine Passes By; The Princess and the Guard; Something Old Something New

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Felwel andFriends 2016

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 39; 21; 61; 56

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retelling

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

"Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky" -- A cute little story featuring Thorne's childhood. I loved reading about the expansion of a story Cress learned in her research.

"After Sunshine Passes By" -- More insight into the history of the various characters. This time we get to learn more about Cress and her childhood. Sibyl Mira is as scary as ever in this story...

"The Princess and the Guard" -- My favorite story of the entire book. I loved learning more about the relationship between Winter and Jacin. The story shows us the depth of their relationship and sheds some light onto where their character's are at when we meet Jacin aboard Sibyl Mira's ships. A great short story!

"Something Old Something New" -- A nice epilogue story for the series. It was great seeing all the main characters again. Plus we get some development in their stories. My only disappointment was not enough Winter and Jacin in this story. They were my favorites!

The Lunar Chronicles

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel andFriends 2015

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 827

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retelling; I Love Libraries

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.

A fitting conclusion to The Lunar Chronicles. While I really enjoyed the previous books, this one really caught my attention. I was drawn into the story on page one. Winter is hands down my favorite character of the entire series. I loved the chapters that were from her point of view. The other chapters were good, but Winter stole the show. I was on pins and needles waiting to see if Winter survived and if she and Jacin finally got together. I was riveted by the build up to the confrontation between CInder and Levana. Oh my it was so stressful! But it was such a great ending. While the last chapter was a bit rushed, I still really really enjoyed it.

The Lunar Chronicles

#0.5 Glitches
#0.6 The Little Android
#1 Cinder
#1.5 The Queen's Army
#2 Scarlet
#2.5 Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
#3 Cress
#3.5 Fairest
#3.6 Stars Above
#4 Winter

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel andFriends 2015

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 220

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retelling; I Love Libraries

Pure evil has a name, hides behind a mask of deceit, and uses her "glamour" to gain power. But who is Queen Levana? Long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress in The Lunar Chronicles, Levana lived a very different story—a story that has never been told . . . until now. New York Times –bestselling author Marissa Meyer reveals the story behind her fascinating villain in Fairest, an unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes a special full-color image of Levana's castle and an excerpt from Winter, the exciting conclusion to The Lunar Chronicles.

In a sense, I didn't like this book. Levana is such a horrible person that of course I didn't want to have any sympathy for her. And I don't have any sympathy for her even after reading her story. She has always been a cruel person manipulating people to cover her own insecurities. On the other hand, I did enjoy getting more story featuring the characters we know now including Jacin, Winter, and Selene. Overall, a very interesting story...

The Lunar Chronicles

#0.5 Glitches
#0.6 The Little Android
#1 Cinder
#1.5 The Queen's Army
#2 Scarlet
#2.5 Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
#3 Cress
#3.5 Fairest
#3.6 Stars Above
#4 Winter

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Felwel andFriends 2014

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 552

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (365 Days of YA); Fairytale Retelling; I Love Libraries

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.

This may be my favorite book of the series. I loved the continuation of Cinder and Thorne and Wolf and Scarlet and Kai. But even more I loved Cress's story and growth. And we get to see more from Sybil and Levana, an appearance from Dr. Erland, and an introduction to Jacin and Princess Winter. So many characters in this one! If felt like the story was finally coming together. Plus we get some real movement in the plot to overthrow Queen Levana. I sped through this volume in a matter of three days. Can't wait to get to the library and pick up the next volume!

The Lunar Chronicles

#0.5 Glitches
#0.6 The Little Android
#1 Cinder
#1.5 The Queen's Army
#2 Scarlet
#2.5 Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
#3 Cress
#3.5 Fairest
#3.6 Stars Above
#4 Winter

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Felwel andFriends 2013

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 454

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (365 Days of YA #49); Fairytale Retellings; I Love Libraries

Cinder is back and trying to break out of prison―even though she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive if she does. 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.

Sped through this volume in just a few days. I love how on-the-go this story is. there's hardly a quiet moment. Sometimes the breakneck pace can get old, but I really enjoyed racing throughout the world with Cinder and Scarlet. Plus we get to finally see Queen Levana's plan to take over Earth. Loving the new developments and characters. Thorne is a great foil to Cinder and it's nice to see Wolf after reading The Queen's Army. Definitely need to pick up the third book soon and re-checkout the short story collection to read Thorne's story.

The Lunar Chronicles

#0.5 Glitches
#0.6 The Little Android
#1 Cinder
#1.5 The Queen's Army
#2 Scarlet
#2.5 Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
#3 Cress
#3.5 Fairest
#3.6 Stars Above
#4 Winter

The Lunar Chronicles Stories - Part 1

Title: Glitches (The Lunar Chronicles #0.5); The Little Android (The Lunar Chornicles #0.6); The Queen's Army (The Lunar Chronicles #1.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Felwel andFriends 2012

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 31; 35; 47

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Romance set in the future; Fairytale Retelling; 52 Books - W49

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

After reading Cinder, I decided to pick up Stars Above so I could read the short stories that take place before the first book or right after. "Glitches" was a fun little introduction to Cinder and her life before the events of the first book. We get to find out how she arrived in New Beijing and met her new family. It also drops some great hints are to who she really is. "The Queen's Army" gave us a glimpse into the creation of Levana's Lunar army. Very interested to see more of the Lunar side. And finally, "The Little Android" was a great retelling of The Little Mermaid. Now I can move on to reading Scarlet.

The Lunar Chronicles

#0.5 Glitches
#0.6 The Little Android
#1 Cinder
#1.5 The Queen's Army
#2 Scarlet
#2.5 Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
#3 Cress
#3.5 Fairest
#3.6 Stars Above
#4 Winter

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Felwel andFriends 2012

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 448

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Based on a Fairytale; Fairytale Retelling; Perpetual (365 YA #49, YA Retelling #25)

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.

Another middle of the night read. Somehow I forget that I had added this book to my Kindle at some point. Glad I rediscovered it a few nights back. I loved this retelling of Cinderella set in a distant future. I immediately fell in love with Cinder. Such a great character! And the side characters, including the androids, were a treat. But my favorite character was definitely Queen Levana. Very intriguing villain. I can't wait to read more from this world and follow Cinder's journey. Such a great start to a series.

The Lunar Chronicles

#0.5 Glitches
#0.6 The Little Android
#1 Cinder
#1.5 The Queen's Army
#2 Scarlet
#2.5 Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
#3 Cress
#3.5 Fairest
#3.6 Stars Above
#4 Winter