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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I feel like this book is one of those books that's hard to read, but is necessary. It was hard to see Levana start as a naive princess and read first-hand her downward spiral to being a ruthless queen. Now, I didn't like her or anything, but I felt sad pity for her. She's worn down by a cruel (mean doesn't even cover it) sister, unloving parents, and being told all her life that she is a failure. A second choice. And she tried to achieve love the only way she knew how, but this only turned her into somebody that craved it even more. I felt bad for her, but this does not, in my opinion, excuse the things she's done.
The excerpt of Winter was probably the happiest part of the book, and I CANNOT wait for it to come out.
The excerpt of Winter was probably the happiest part of the book, and I CANNOT wait for it to come out.
I am going to be so sad when this series is over. She is so good at creating a whole new world!!
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I actually really liked this book. I liked getting to know Levana, rather than just having her be a generic hated villain. She is still definitely the hated villain, but now I at least understand her backstory and why she does what she does.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was worried I'd sympathize Leveana, but I don't; she's crazy. wow, she was even more messed up as a teen then she is now. that being said, I really want to see her put in her grave in Winter and I need a Winter/Selene reunion; I have hope that Selene will remember Winter when she sees her.....please
How did the evil queen become evil? That's a question being asked more often in art today, with the recent movie Maleficent being the immediate example that comes to mind. The author of the Lunar Chronicles and creator of characters Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and more sets out to answer that question with regards to the evil Lunar queen Levana in this story.
I found Levana's story fascinating, and an excellent use of how nurture/childhood can drastically change how a person is affected as they grow up to be adults. The slow degeneration of morals and increase of greed and hauteur is shown in the differences between Levana's parents, her older sister, and then herself, as they all work to achieve their own increasingly desperate goals over time. Levana originally only wanted to find love, but that became so twisted that she ended up having to create some facsimile of it for herself, as she never learned how to have a good relationship. While it does not excuse her actions throughout the rest of the series, it does explain some of her motivations and brings a depth to the evil queen that was not there before.
This can be a standalone read, and if you're only interested in the evil characters it would be just fine that way. As read in the publishing order, however, it's perfect and left me ready for the next full novel in the series.
I found Levana's story fascinating, and an excellent use of how nurture/childhood can drastically change how a person is affected as they grow up to be adults. The slow degeneration of morals and increase of greed and hauteur is shown in the differences between Levana's parents, her older sister, and then herself, as they all work to achieve their own increasingly desperate goals over time. Levana originally only wanted to find love, but that became so twisted that she ended up having to create some facsimile of it for herself, as she never learned how to have a good relationship. While it does not excuse her actions throughout the rest of the series, it does explain some of her motivations and brings a depth to the evil queen that was not there before.
This can be a standalone read, and if you're only interested in the evil characters it would be just fine that way. As read in the publishing order, however, it's perfect and left me ready for the next full novel in the series.
4/5 stars
*mild spoilers if you haven't read Winter*
I don't know how...but this book actually made me feel bad for Levana. I don't know how it happened, but it did. Honestly, all she ever wanted was to be loved and accepted. Her parents were murdered, her own sister tortured her and left her with lifelong scars, the one man she ever truly loved didn't return her love... in a way it's heartbreaking. BUT at the same time, she's super crazy and messed up in that she tried to murder her niece and plotted to have her husband killed so she could try to form an alliance with Earth. *shudders* I'm not defending her actions, but it's nice to get the backstory about what made her turn into the crazy, controlling person she became.
On a more positive note, I loved reading about Selene/Winter/Jacin interacting as kids. <3
*mild spoilers if you haven't read Winter*
I don't know how...but this book actually made me feel bad for Levana. I don't know how it happened, but it did. Honestly, all she ever wanted was to be loved and accepted. Her parents were murdered, her own sister tortured her and left her with lifelong scars, the one man she ever truly loved didn't return her love... in a way it's heartbreaking. BUT at the same time, she's super crazy and messed up in that she tried to murder her niece and plotted to have her husband killed so she could try to form an alliance with Earth. *shudders* I'm not defending her actions, but it's nice to get the backstory about what made her turn into the crazy, controlling person she became.
On a more positive note, I loved reading about Selene/Winter/Jacin interacting as kids. <3
I liked this! I wasn't sure I would, but I did. My hatred for Queen Levana runs deep lol. I was super interested in her backstory though, and it was interesting. Even though now I get why she is the way she is, I still do not sympathize with her, at all. She's still evil in my book! hahaha, but this was a really quick and enjoyable read!