Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Fairy Tale. 454 Pages. 5 Stars

Synopsis:

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. 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.

My Review: 

Book 2 of the Lunar Chronicles, Yay!! I am absolutely hooked on Mrs. Meyer’s story. This sequel was just as compelling as the first one. The new characters are gems to behold with specific personalities of their own. For most of the book, the story was split into two focuses. Though this made me a little jumpy going back and forth, I never quite found myself annoyed with it. Both story lines were equally intriguing. This book was a little more violent than the previous one, but Meyer does a fine job of restraining herself from too many gory details. I would still deem this appropriate for younger teens.

I think one of the aspects of this installment of the story that I enjoyed so much was the nitty gritty of the sci-fy world we’ve been brought into. At first, I half expected Wolf to be a werewolf; and though I am an avid fantasy reader and love seeing the twists on classic tales and new fantastical creatures, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Meyer had a much more appropriate answer for this riddle. I love that even the alien part of this story feels more science fiction than paranormal. I am very impressed with the ambiance of the world she has created. I only want to learn more about it, each location and culture is so distinct. What’s normal on Luna? How do the Lunars live an everyday life? What about the new America? How is it set up?

I completely and wholly adore the way that Cinder’s story intertwines with Scarlet’s. Initially I suppose I had expected four separate fairy tales in one world, but nope! Marissa Meyer has expertly spun these tales together in such an inseparable way. I cannot wait to see how the third and fourth book play into this magnificent story.

More: 

Book 1 in the Lunar Chronicles is Cinder (5 Stars)

Book 3 is Cress (5 Stars)

Novella 3.5 is Fairest (4 Stars)

Book 4 is Winter (5 Stars)

Book 4.5 Stars Above (5 Stars) is a collection of short stories which includes: 

• The Little Android 0.6 (5 Stars)
• Glitches 0.5 (5 Stars)
• The Queen’s Army 1.5 (5 Stars)
• Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky 3.1 (4 Stars)
• The Keeper 
• After Sunshine Passes By 
• The Princess and the Guard 
• The Mechanic 
• Something Old, Something New 

*Note: The first four short stories are listed separately on Goodreads in addition to Stars Above. The last five were new material and are only available as a part of Stars Above. There are individual mini-reviews for the first four short stories.

I have reviewed each of the above on Goodreads. Follow the links to find more info on the books and then scroll down to see the reviews. Mine is among them.

The main four books should be read in order. I wouldn’t read any of the shorts until at least after Cinder, Book 1. You could read them all in order, regardless of length, but it isn’t necessary to read the shorts or even Fairest (although, I think reading Fairest between books 3 and 4 made me appreciate book 4 more). The Little Android is the only story that is not related to the others at all and can be read at any point.

On GraceBought

If you missed it, check out my thoughts on the first book here and stay tuned next week for the review of the next book in the series!

Cinder