Tag: Retelling
Title: Book Review: Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Title: Hunted
Author: Meagan Spooner
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub Date: March 14, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 374
Source: Purchased
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling
Rating: ★★★½
Goodreads || Buy on Amazon
Book Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith
Title: The Reflections of Queen Snow White
Author: David Meredith
Publisher: David Meredith
Pub Date: October 2, 2013
Format: Kindle eBook
Pages: 155
Source: Review Copy
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance, Retelling
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads || Buy on Amazon
Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only 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 goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
My review:
“Maybe there isn’t such a thing as fate. Maybe it’s just the opportunities we’re given, and what we do with them. I’m beginning to think that maybe great, epic romances don’t just happen. We have to make them ourselves.”
Cress is definitely the best book in the series (so far). But I suppose we’ll see if “Winter” changes that!
I feel like there isn’t much I can say without giving away spoilers, so here it goes:
- I am fascinated by how every character’s story is entwined with that of another’s.
- Cinder is finally coming to terms with who she is (which is a complete and total badass).
- Kai is still honourable and kind, but like always, he’s a little clueless.
- Scarlet and Wolf still give me butterflies. He’s still dark and brooding but there are valid reasons for that.
- Cress is a breath of fresh air. She’s so sweet and adorable and dorky!
- Thorne is that quirky asshole you can’t help but laugh at, or laugh along with.
- Jacin is rubbing me the wrong way but I’m hoping he’ll have some redeemable qualities later on.
- We get a small glimpse of Winter, and well… colour-me-intrigued. I want to know more about her.
- My heart breaks for Doctor Erland.
- The Queen is still as fucking evil as ever. She needs to go.
- Torin is a pretty cool dude.
I apologize for this completely useless review but you should just read the book! In my opinion, Cress and Thorne definitely stole the spotlight. I really can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.
★★★★ (4 stars) for Iko, because her spirit is everything.
Book Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.
My mini-review:
“She did not know that the wolf was a wicked sort of animal, and she was not afraid of him.”
This review is going to be on the shorter side again. Scarlet was slightly closer to being a 4-star book but it took more effort than I would have liked to exert just to keep reading at certain parts. I’m still quite invested in the story though, so I’m starting Cress right away. Hopefully it stays engaging. I really just want to see Levana taken down. And I also really want to see Kai and Cinder have a serious conversation. It would be great for her to have a chance to explain herself.
As far as sequels go in general, this one isn’t terrible. Things are slowly unraveling and more things are starting to make sense. Bring on the next one!
★★★★ (3.75 stars) because I’m quite fond of Wolf and Scarlet together.
Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.
My mini-review:
“I’m sure I’ll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.”
It took me quite a while to get into the story, but I found myself taking to Cinder and Kai quite easily. They are both very likable characters, so naturally it did not take long for me to start rooting for them. Just keep in mind that the plot moves fairly slowly.
On another note, I really like the concept of this disease that’s plaguing the Earthens. It sounds very interesting and adds more depth to the conflict between Luna and the Eastern Commonwealth. I’m curious to see if a cure will ever be found!
Plot-wise, things are a little predictable. There is a “discovery” later on that is easily predicted from the get-go, but that didn’t ruin the plot for me. I mostly just wanted to see what would happen after that particular information was confirmed. I won’t say much else though.
The book could have been better but I am still looking forward to the next instalment. I want to know how Scarlet, Cress, and Winter come into this!
★★★ (3.5 stars) because I need to know what Kai thinks of Cinder now.
laylabetweenthelines.com 