Titles: Cress & Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles #3 & 3.5
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Overview: In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had 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 of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen 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. -Goodreads
The Reviews:
Cress [4 stars]: Even though I liked Cinder and Scarlet, Cress took the series to the next level. It also happens to be one of the few rare YA books I’ve actually enjoyed lately (I’m going through a phase). Part of the reason I found it (and the series as a whole) so successful has to do with Meyer’s plot construction. Although each book focuses on a different title character, Meyer doesn’t push the others into the background, but continues their storylines with the same momentum. Cress was a convergence of stories which produced plenty of action, romantic tension, and plot progression. Many of my fellow blog buddies say it was the best of the series, and I can’t say I disagree (I’m almost finished with Winter – RTC). My favorite elements were the creativity and the organic semi-atypical love stories. Overall, this series makes itself easy to recommend – it’s a lot of fun.
Fairest [3 stars]: Even though I didn’t particularly enjoy FAIREST, as the story components were a bit unsavory, I did think it essential to my enjoyment of the series as a whole. Before reading it, Queen Levana was an enigma, but a rather shallow one. I could never really take her seriously because her motives weren’t evident. Fairest provided that much-needed insight as to why Levana’s brain ticks the way it does. It also gave crucial information as to why she’s not just evil, but totally off her rocker (it was a really subtle drop-in that explained what’s wrong with her mind… Did you catch it?). In any case, after reading it, I then had the backstory I needed to fully enjoy Levana’s role in Winter. I believe Fairest is required reading to get the full experience out of the Lunar Chronicles.
Other books you might like:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Hunter by Mercedes Lackey
- Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
- Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh
- Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
I haven’t enjoyed the later books in this series as much as the first one (and I still haven’t read the last book yet) but for some reason I really liked Fairest even though it’s just the companion novella. Guess I just like reading stories from the villain’s point of view :)
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I liked the last book, sort of. But it was really long winded. And I know what you mean – sometimes the villains book is the best one! It’s certainly the one I remember the most. :)
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“convergence of stories” that’s exactly right! Cress brings everything together and the pace just hurtles alone. So great :D
And thank you for the review of Fairest!! I really should finish it…gah, it’s so hard to read though lol Not because it’s not amazingly written, but, as you said, the unsavory subject matter. I have a hard time with that in my genre fiction. If I want to deal with unsavory, I tend to read southern gothic like Flanner O’Connor or other classic genres. Then I can reach my fill of disturbing characters and happily return to the more optimistic genres! Lol
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*oops, hurtles “along”! Lol
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Yeah fairest caught me a little off guard with how dark some of the elements were. I imagine it doesn’t get much worse than what you’d read so far, for what it’s worth. I know exactly what you mean too – I read to escape reality, not to be dragged into the dregs of it haha.
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Right?! Lol. Well okay, I’ll finish it. I do hate having a well-crafted book on my dnf shelf 😋
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Haha do it!!! Only if you’re in the mood though. ;P maybe read a chapter at a time between happier books lol.
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That sounds doable. I’m determined!! Lol I never would have done it without your review, but now I’m feeling up to it. Thanks ;)
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Oh good! And oh no! I hope I don’t lead you astray 😬
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Oh don’t worry, I know what to expect now Lol Exactly what I was expecting before, but now I know it will enrich my understanding of the whole series and Levana in particular…she did feel extremely human and young in what I read of it.
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It will definitely make her feel more robust. I’m excited to see what you think! :)
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