The Lunar Chronicles – A Review
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Fairest
A Synopsis
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.
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.
Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series. (Goodreads)
My Thoughts
I love when villains get a backstory, so I was happy to read this one. Because of the numbering, I chose to read this book before Winter, which turned out to be a great decision. Knowing why Levana did some of the things she did, made her more than a one-dimensional villan. It enriched my understanding of the previous novels and gave me the opportunity to appreciate her actions in Winter.
Winter
A Synopsis
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? (Goodreads)
My Thoughts
At 824 pages, it’s the longest book in the series. Winter is not only a retelling of Snow White, with a POC protagonist. It is also a novel that manages to wrap up the loose ends from the other overarching series plot.
Many people I’ve spoken to about this series have told me that Cress is their favorite character and novel in the series, but Winter is by far my favorite. Having contended with Queen Levana her entire life, Winter is brave in a way the others could never be. Her defiance is quiet, subtle, but still there. And it is by her kindness alone that she inspires others to take up her cause. With all her supposed weaknesses, Winter has a strength of mind and character I can only hope to attain. So, she and her story will always be my favorite.