Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles #4.5) by Marissa Meyer

Stars Above is a collection of nine stories, four of which were previously published and can be read for free on the Wattpad app, that are connected to the stories in Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles series or take place in the same world.

Previously published stories include:

"Glitches": In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….

"The Queen’s Army": In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.

"Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky": Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.

"The Little Android": A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.

New stories include:

"The Keeper": A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.

"After Sunshine Passes By": In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.

"The Princess and the Guard": In this prequel to Winter, we see a young Winter and Jacin playing a game called the Princess and the Guard…

"The Mechanic": In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.

"Something Old, Something New": In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century…

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I enjoyed all the stories in this collection, but my favorites were "The Mechanic" and "Something Old, Something New." I always love when authors retell scenes from books from different perspectives and getting to read about Kai's first impression of Cinder was fun. "Something Old, Something New" provided me with much needed closure I needed after finishing Winter. Plus, what girl doesn't love a good wedding? It made me smile and gave me that wonderful uplifting feeling that all happy endings leave you with.

Even though several of the stories have been previously published, more than half the book is full of new stories, which makes this a worthwhile read if you are a fan of The Lunar Chronicles. I'm a little sad to have reached the end of this series, but have discovered a new favorite author in Meyer. I'm looking forward to future releases from her. 

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

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.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

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In this final installment of The Lunar Chronicles, Marissa Meyer delivers one of the best finales to a YA series that I have read recently. She somehow manages to balance four robust story lines and weave them together in a way that creates a seamless narrative, all while uniquely infusing elements of some of the most beloved fairy tales. It had everything needed for a great read - action, excitement, a few surprises, and a dash of romance. I was satisfied with the endings for all the title characters, with the exception of Cinder. I felt like her and Kai's story was left a little unfinished. I read that there is a short story in Stars Above that serves as an epilogue to Winter, and I'm hoping that it will give me sense of completeness I currently lack. Overall, a very satisfying read.

Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer

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.

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Usually when I read books like, Fairest, I come away with a more sympathetic opinion towards the villain, but I don't know if I can say this is the case with Levana. There were moments when I felt sympathy and could almost understand why she did what she did, but then she would ruin the newly formed sentiment by doing something completely selfish and hypocritical that I found myself back at square one, thinking that she is just an awful queen to needs to be deposed. Her perceptions and understanding of the world were so off that it didn't take much of a stretch of the imagination to understand why she acted the way she did and made the decisions she made. Did Levana's story make me feel sorry for her? Yes, I had fleeting moments of sympathy, but in the end, this novel did little to change my opinion of her. I'm still #TeamCinder!

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Even in the future, there are damsels in distress...

In the third installment of the Lunar chronicles, Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder of Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem. She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress a great hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes as a high price. Meanwhile, Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

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Marissa Meyer continues to deliver stellar novel after novel. I continue to be impressed by how she weaves together so many story lines and characters, and yet manages to keep them all balanced and well developed. Cress is an interesting twist on the story of Rapunzel. I love that she’s a sheltered computer nerd. I loved that Carswell had a more starring role in this novel and think that he and Cress are adorable together. The story is a page turner and Marissa did a nice job of wrapping up some loose ends, while simultaneously setting the stage for what I anticipate to be an epic finale.

2016 Reading Challenge: A science-fiction novel

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the 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 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, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

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I really loved this novel. I enjoyed Cinder, but having the two parallel stories added another element that made it easy to fly through the pages. I loved how Marissa took the story of Little Red Riding Hood and put a unique twist on it. Scarlet is a fantastic character. I love her sass and independence. Wolf is intense, dangerous, and wild, which of course made for an exciting time as he and Scarlet got closer. It made me swoon a little to see how Wolf was tamed and softened by Scarlet, but never lost his edge. Carswell Thorne was great comic relief and his interactions with Cinder were fun to read. Marissa weaved the two story lines together beautifully and I love the motley crew of characters that is coming together. Scarlet is even better than Cinder and I’m excited to see what happens next. On to book three!

2016 Reading Challenge: A book based on a fairy tale

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

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.

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I have always loved fairy tales. Growing up in a Disney home, most of the movies and books I loved as a kid were fairy tales. As I grew up, I moved on to the original, and much less magical, versions of my favorite tales and fairy tale reimaginings. Even as an adult, I still enjoy fairy tale related mediums, such as the popular TV show, Once Upon a Time.

Cinderella has always been my favorite princess story and I have read/watched about every version I have come a cross. So naturally, when this Sci-Fi version came to my attention, I snatched it up at the Book Fair. Unfortunately, it’s been sitting on my self, not because I wasn’t excited to jump right in, but because like any other true book nerd, my to-read list is ever expanding and I just don’t have enough hours in the day (especially since I still have to work for a living...boo!).

While the essentials of the Cinderella story are there - mean stepmother, stepsisters, a prince, a ball - Cinder definitely puts a twist on the whole thing. Cinder is a mechanic and cyborg (she loses her foot instead of a shoe at the ball), whose companion is not friendly mice, but a friendly android named, Iko. There are also plenty of Sci-Fi elements injected into the story, which add another fun element. I liked Cinder as a character. She’s independent and little feisty, but still kind hearted. I also liked that the prince, Prince Kai, has his own story line and isn’t regulated to the sidelines like in other versions of Cinderella. 

This is probably the most action packed version of Cinderella that I have ever read and there are some fun twists in the plot that I am excited to see how they play out in the sequels. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. 

2015 Reading Challenge: A popular author's first book