HOT CHOCOLATE AND BOOK TALKS

     The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a series of four sci-fi novels,

retellings of famous fairytales. The first book in the series "Cinder" is a retelling

of Cinderella, the second "Scarlet" is Red Riding Hood, the third "Cress" is

Rapunzel and the last "Winter" is a retelling of Snow White. I will go in depth

about each one later on.

     It is a sci-fi series like I have said, but it isn't a hardcore one. For example, if

you haven't read a sci-fi novel in your life, this series can offer a smooth

introduction into the genre. The reason behind this statement is the fact that

each aspect that makes this book sci-fi is explained so anyone can understand.

Take for example the Lunars, they are basically humans that at some point in

history moved to the Moon, reffered to as Luna, and over time, they developed

a mutation that allows them to control the minds of Earthens. Yes, it is still far-fetched and futuristic, but it is to be expected, since the book is set in the future, but at least we recieve an explanation for the Lunar powers.

     As a retelling, I have to say that it was the best one so far, the connections between the books and the fairytales were hidden, but still obvious for someone growing up with the originals. I have to say Cinderella and Snow White were not my favorite growing up, but i've fallen in love with Marissa Meyer's versions of them.

     Another thing I loved through out the series is the way the stories intersect. The first novel follows the story of Cinder, but the next ones follow the other stories individually, until the characters cross paths. I guess what I am trying to say is that you should not skip books and insted start from the begining for the action to make sense. Also, none of the characters have a happy ending until the very last novel.

     Moving on to the books individually.

     "Cinder" is the first and a retelling of Cinderella in cyborg form. Cinder is the best mechanic in all New Beijing and she gets pulled into an experiment on cyborgs to cure a plague affecting all humans from the Commonwealth. Cinder also meets the handsome prince Kai when he comes to Cinder to fix his android. 

     I've literally read Cinder in one day, it was that good, toe-curling good, like I have said Cinderella was not my favorite princess growing up, but I loved Cinder. Also in this book we meet the evil characters in all the fairytales, who happens to be only one person, Levana, the Lunar Queen. She is the ultimate Evil Queen, I hate her with all my soul and when you hate the antagonist that much, you know the author has done their job right.

     The second one, "Scarlet" is probably my personal favorite, because I have seen retellings of Cinderella and Snow White, but I have not seen or heard of a retelling of Red Riding Hood. Maybe I haven't ventured that much into the realm of retellings, but to me is amazing that Marissa has done her version of the fairytale. This is also the most adorable couple out of all of them, Wolf and Scarlet. And the connections in this book are so amazingly done, it is amazing. And like I have said the story of Cinder and the story of Scarlet flow independently until their paths cross. 

     The third one is the one I identify with the most. "Cress" is a retelling of Rapunzel and the reason why I love this one so much is the fact that I think I am most likely to be Cress. Even though I have not been trapped in a satellite most of my life, I am just as awkward, if not more, and as much of a fangirl as Cress is. Also she loves programing and hacking, and while I have no history in hacking, I do love programing. 

     The forth and last one is "Winter", a retelling of Snow White and the happy ending to all the stoies. There isn't much I can say about this one without revealing much of the story so all I am going to say is that it does not let you down where writing and character building is concerned. The happy ending is truly heartbreaking since we are saying goodbye to a fantastic series that has slowly but surely changed my life.

     Another thing you should know is that the books grow in size, meaning Cider is the thinnes, Scarlet is average, but Cress and Winter are gigantic and also impossible to hold in your hands without dropping it onto your face.

     Anyway, if you guys have not read this series so far I highly recommend you do, it is life-changing, but if you had, let us know what you thought in the comments section below.

     PS: This might just be the longest review I've ever written.