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mndy's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is definitely my favorite out of the series so far; Cress is such an amazing addition, and seeing different romances play out in their own dynamic was so enjoyable. Thorne will always remain one of my favorite characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gun violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Murder
theartsybookwitch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Blood
Needles,abigailnoack's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Reread December 2020
Upon rereading, this is my favourite in the series. It used to be Scarlet, because that’s my favourite
romance storyline, but it seems that everyone agrees that this is the best book out of the four. With the added perspective of Cress, Thorne playing a much larger part in this book, and the whole Rampion crew in the midst of planning to overthrow Queen Levana, there’s so much action and high stakes that makes this book a standout from the previous two.
I definitely think that Cress is the most vibrant character out of the main protagonists. She stands out the most from the original fairytale version of Rapunzel that we know from Disney and other stories. She has such a pure sense of wonder about everything in her life on the satellite and on earth. She’s tenderhearted and timid, but she’s really determined and loyal. I love being in her head, and also really appreciate how different she is from Cinder who is very level headed and the leader, and Scarlet who has a fiery personality, but she is equally as valuable to the team. This is probably my favourite way that Marissa Meyer has weaved a fairytale into the sci-fi moon war setting. This is the only Rapunzel retelling I know, and it is so superior to all others, we truly need more. It’s all so clever: the satellite as a prison tower, Sybil Mira the thaumaturge as the evil witch, the bittersweet reunion with her parent at the end, Thorne legitimately going blind, etc. I’ve always loved that Cress, Rapunzel, and Rampion, are all different names of cabbage, which I think is just a thoughtful way to add meaningful detail to the story when it comes to names. Also note that there’s so much more going on in this book than just the Rapunzel aspect, and it all makes it so interesting and complex.
Marissa Meyer is so good at delayed gratification. As this is Cress’s book, naturally Cinder/Kai and Scarlet/Wolf take a bit of a backseat. It’s so painful to see Cinder and Kai apart for so long, but the satisfaction when they are finally reunited is so worth it! I actually really like Cinder a lot even when she’s not the main focus of the story, as I personally don’t think she has the most interesting POV. This book it becomes so clear how Cinder truly brings out the best in everyone on her team and I love that. I also don’t think I remembered how early the main crew gets separated and I was absolutely devastated at the lack of resolution between Scarlet and Wolf. I missed having Scarlet be a bigger part of this book, but the level of angst it creates between Scarlet and Wolf is perfection to me.
This book is definitely the funniest. There’s amazing banter and all the characters play off of each other so well and it makes for hilarious content. And it’s not insensitive either; it’s a perfect balance between the humour and serious stakes and conflict in the book.
Since this was a reread, there was a few times where I could glaringly see through the plot. The most obvious to me is that the whole conflict of the Rampion crew getting separated could have been prevented if they had simply asked for the ship password, “Captain is King” then Sybil and Jacin couldn’t have invaded their ship, lost Scarlet, wounded Wolf, etc.
All in all, this book creates such an amazing set up for the final book, Winter. The small sneak peak of her character already makes me want to read more about her (even though I’ve already read the book) and it’s exciting to add another brilliant but different perspective to the crew. You also get to see Levana a lot more in this book with all the wedding planning, which makes me excited to read Fairest again. I totally forgot about the one chapter from Levana’s POV and you find out about her previous husband.
Upon rereading, this is my favourite in the series. It used to be Scarlet, because that’s my favourite
romance storyline, but it seems that everyone agrees that this is the best book out of the four. With the added perspective of Cress, Thorne playing a much larger part in this book, and the whole Rampion crew in the midst of planning to overthrow Queen Levana, there’s so much action and high stakes that makes this book a standout from the previous two.
I definitely think that Cress is the most vibrant character out of the main protagonists. She stands out the most from the original fairytale version of Rapunzel that we know from Disney and other stories. She has such a pure sense of wonder about everything in her life on the satellite and on earth. She’s tenderhearted and timid, but she’s really determined and loyal. I love being in her head, and also really appreciate how different she is from Cinder who is very level headed and the leader, and Scarlet who has a fiery personality, but she is equally as valuable to the team. This is probably my favourite way that Marissa Meyer has weaved a fairytale into the sci-fi moon war setting. This is the only Rapunzel retelling I know, and it is so superior to all others, we truly need more. It’s all so clever: the satellite as a prison tower, Sybil Mira the thaumaturge as the evil witch, the bittersweet reunion with her parent at the end, Thorne legitimately going blind, etc. I’ve always loved that Cress, Rapunzel, and Rampion, are all different names of cabbage, which I think is just a thoughtful way to add meaningful detail to the story when it comes to names. Also note that there’s so much more going on in this book than just the Rapunzel aspect, and it all makes it so interesting and complex.
Marissa Meyer is so good at delayed gratification. As this is Cress’s book, naturally Cinder/Kai and Scarlet/Wolf take a bit of a backseat. It’s so painful to see Cinder and Kai apart for so long, but the satisfaction when they are finally reunited is so worth it! I actually really like Cinder a lot even when she’s not the main focus of the story, as I personally don’t think she has the most interesting POV. This book it becomes so clear how Cinder truly brings out the best in everyone on her team and I love that. I also don’t think I remembered how early the main crew gets separated and I was absolutely devastated at the lack of resolution between Scarlet and Wolf. I missed having Scarlet be a bigger part of this book, but the level of angst it creates between Scarlet and Wolf is perfection to me.
This book is definitely the funniest. There’s amazing banter and all the characters play off of each other so well and it makes for hilarious content. And it’s not insensitive either; it’s a perfect balance between the humour and serious stakes and conflict in the book.
Since this was a reread, there was a few times where I could glaringly see through the plot. The most obvious to me is that the whole conflict of the Rampion crew getting separated could have been prevented if
All in all, this book creates such an amazing set up for the final book, Winter. The small sneak peak of her character already makes me want to read more about her (even though I’ve already read the book) and it’s exciting to add another brilliant but different perspective to the crew. You also get to see Levana a lot more in this book with all the wedding planning, which makes me excited to read Fairest again. I totally forgot about the one chapter from Levana’s POV and you find out about her previous husband.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Minor: Kidnapping and Gun violence
brynn_books's review against another edition
4.5
”It always came back to love. More than freedom, more than acceptance - love. True love, like they sang about in the second era. The kind that filled up a person's soul. The kind that lent itself to dramatic gestures and sacrifices. The kind that was irresistible and all-encompassing.”
*I have broken this review up into sections: Writing, Plot, Characters, Pace, Setting, and then the retelling aspect (basically how good of a Rapunzel retelling it was)
Writing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really like Marissa Meyer's writing style. It's really easy to read and it makes understanding the world so much easier. She really has a simplistic way of writing that can grip a reader in and make them want to continue reading because the writing is so beautiful.
She writes some of my favorite quotes and this is one of my favorite books because of all those memorable quotes.
Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The plot is finally coming together. Cinder is coming up with a plan to rid Levana of this Earth and take back her Lunar crown. Everyone is separated and they all need to come back together to execute the final piece of the plan.
Reading this book makes me more excited for the finale, Winter, so I can see how these plans are executed and whether they succeed or not.
”The same stars she'd known all her life, and yet now they were spread out like a blanket over her. Now there was an entire sky and an entire world ready to engulf her.”
Characters
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
I love all the new characters that we were introduced to. Cress is everything and I really felt like I related to her on some aspects. She is always dreaming and romanticizing everything which is something I also tend to do.
She was also shy and awkward but still fierce when she needed to be. She survived the desert and she survived Sybil which is no easy feat.
The character of Princess Winter really intrigued me. I don't know if I like her or not but she seems like a really interesting character and I am so excited to continue learning more about her in the next book.
I was suspicious of Jacin and I don't like him. I honestly, have no idea who's side he is on but he seems like he really cares about Princess Winter so it seems like he's on her side so I guess we'll just have to find out in the next book.
The reason i gave this section 4.5 stars instead of 5 stars was because of Wolf. He really annoyed me throughout this whole book. All he was focused on was Scarlet and nothing else. He barely helped them come up with a plan because he was brooding over Scarlet. If he really loved he, he should have helped them come up with a plan so they can hopefully save Scarlet.
Pace
⭐⭐⭐✨
The beginning and end of this book moved at a very fast pace where so much was happening at once that it did tend to get a little confusing at times. But the middle of the book was so slow.
The middle of the book was when everyone was separated from each other and they were trying to find their way back to each other. I get that it was going to take a long time to get back to each other but I just wish that other stuff happened during that time. It felt liek the entire middle section of the book were filler chapters.
”That was why Levana despised mirrors so much, but Cinder found her reflection almost comforting. The shopkeeper called her brave and beautiful. Jacin called her blinding. It was kind of nice to know that they were both wrong. She was still just Cinder.”
Setting
⭐⭐⭐⭐
It was really interesting to discover new places in the world. Thats what's so interesting about this book series. Each book takes place in a different setting. The first book was set in the Commonwealth. The second book was set in Paris. This book was set in Africa.
Africa is definitely not one of my favorite settings but I still enjoyed getting to see more of a different culture and how different people lived in this terrible world. It seems that Africa has more Lunars than most Earthen societies. Africa was the origin for the plague so it makes sense why so many Lunars would be in Africa.
This book also featured the first glimpse into Luna so that was pretty interesting., I'm sure in the next book, we will be able to get a full glimpse of Luna.
Retelling
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It was really interesting to see the parallels between Rapunzel (Tangled) and this book. Cress was locked in a spaceship for seven years and then Thorne was the one who saved her, like Flynn Rider saved Rapunzel.
They then went on an adventure as Cress was discovering Earth for the first time and then Thorne went blind, just like Flynn Rider.
Instead of Cress having magical healing tears like Rapunzel, she did it the traditional way with eye drops so hopefully Thorne regains his vision in the last book.
I think the retelling aspect of these books are done in a very cool and clever way. I like how they are all connected to each other. It's also weird how in this book, all the main characters seem to be secretly Lunar or at least connected to Luna in some way. Luna is the center of all their problems!
Well, that concludes my review. I hope you liked it and found it very helpful. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to continue on with this series by reading the final installment of the Lunar Chronicles, Winter.
*I have broken this review up into sections: Writing, Plot, Characters, Pace, Setting, and then the retelling aspect (basically how good of a Rapunzel retelling it was)
Writing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really like Marissa Meyer's writing style. It's really easy to read and it makes understanding the world so much easier. She really has a simplistic way of writing that can grip a reader in and make them want to continue reading because the writing is so beautiful.
She writes some of my favorite quotes and this is one of my favorite books because of all those memorable quotes.
Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The plot is finally coming together. Cinder is coming up with a plan to rid Levana of this Earth and take back her Lunar crown. Everyone is separated and they all need to come back together to execute the final piece of the plan.
Reading this book makes me more excited for the finale, Winter, so I can see how these plans are executed and whether they succeed or not.
”The same stars she'd known all her life, and yet now they were spread out like a blanket over her. Now there was an entire sky and an entire world ready to engulf her.”
Characters
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
I love all the new characters that we were introduced to. Cress is everything and I really felt like I related to her on some aspects. She is always dreaming and romanticizing everything which is something I also tend to do.
She was also shy and awkward but still fierce when she needed to be. She survived the desert and she survived Sybil which is no easy feat.
The character of Princess Winter really intrigued me. I don't know if I like her or not but she seems like a really interesting character and I am so excited to continue learning more about her in the next book.
I was suspicious of Jacin and I don't like him. I honestly, have no idea who's side he is on but he seems like he really cares about Princess Winter so it seems like he's on her side so I guess we'll just have to find out in the next book.
The reason i gave this section 4.5 stars instead of 5 stars was because of Wolf. He really annoyed me throughout this whole book. All he was focused on was Scarlet and nothing else. He barely helped them come up with a plan because he was brooding over Scarlet. If he really loved he, he should have helped them come up with a plan so they can hopefully save Scarlet.
Pace
⭐⭐⭐✨
The beginning and end of this book moved at a very fast pace where so much was happening at once that it did tend to get a little confusing at times. But the middle of the book was so slow.
The middle of the book was when everyone was separated from each other and they were trying to find their way back to each other. I get that it was going to take a long time to get back to each other but I just wish that other stuff happened during that time. It felt liek the entire middle section of the book were filler chapters.
”That was why Levana despised mirrors so much, but Cinder found her reflection almost comforting. The shopkeeper called her brave and beautiful. Jacin called her blinding. It was kind of nice to know that they were both wrong. She was still just Cinder.”
Setting
⭐⭐⭐⭐
It was really interesting to discover new places in the world. Thats what's so interesting about this book series. Each book takes place in a different setting. The first book was set in the Commonwealth. The second book was set in Paris. This book was set in Africa.
Africa is definitely not one of my favorite settings but I still enjoyed getting to see more of a different culture and how different people lived in this terrible world. It seems that Africa has more Lunars than most Earthen societies. Africa was the origin for the plague so it makes sense why so many Lunars would be in Africa.
This book also featured the first glimpse into Luna so that was pretty interesting., I'm sure in the next book, we will be able to get a full glimpse of Luna.
Retelling
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It was really interesting to see the parallels between Rapunzel (Tangled) and this book. Cress was locked in a spaceship for seven years and then Thorne was the one who saved her, like Flynn Rider saved Rapunzel.
They then went on an adventure as Cress was discovering Earth for the first time and then Thorne went blind, just like Flynn Rider.
Instead of Cress having magical healing tears like Rapunzel, she did it the traditional way with eye drops so hopefully Thorne regains his vision in the last book.
I think the retelling aspect of these books are done in a very cool and clever way. I like how they are all connected to each other. It's also weird how in this book, all the main characters seem to be secretly Lunar or at least connected to Luna in some way. Luna is the center of all their problems!
Well, that concludes my review. I hope you liked it and found it very helpful. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to continue on with this series by reading the final installment of the Lunar Chronicles, Winter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death, Kidnapping, Blood, Confinement, and Trafficking
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