Mini Reviews 20

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
Summary: *spoilers for The Kiss of Deception*
Lia and Rafe are being held captive in the kingdom of Venda with no chance of escape. While trying to navigate the horrors of being prisoners, they are also trying to learn all they can about their captors and are surprised to find much to praise in them. But their situation becomes more dire as the Komizar is determined to use Lia and her gift for unknown purposes.

My Thoughts:
Honestly, I can't remember what happens. I read it a few months ago now and I did like it. It was interesting how nothing they did was easy and no way out seemed plausible. Although I thought a few things seemed mighty convenient. Pearson managed to get all the characters into some seriously dire straits and I just didn't know what was going to happen to Lia. Now I need to read up on what actually went on.

The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
Summary:
This is not the Robin Hood you remember from those sweet, sly foxes in the Disney film. Robin an his band of grim and tired outlaws are nearly forced into hiding and inundated with those who also loathe sheriff of Nottingham and all he does to his people. But will things work out for them in the end or is there no happy ending in sight?

My Thoughts:
I love how it was messy and not what you expect. I loved Robin and I loved how very realistically it was portrayed that, yeah, they lived in the forest: no roofs, rain, dirt, etc. They didn't have an easy or terribly envious lifestyle. Things were not idealized, and I loved how Marian rocked the bow. Rather sad to read at times, but so glad I finally did it (thank you, Angie).

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Summary:
When her father is brutally murdered, Kate is drawn into a world full of revenge, secrets, and hidden gold. She follows the trail of those who killed him, determined to take them on single-handed, but ends up in an alliance with some unlikely characters, soon to be friends.

My Thoughts:
This one was kind of good and bad for me. I think I was most interested in it for the local factor - a lot of it takes place right here in Arizona and even some of it near to where I am. That made it more interesting to me. Otherwise, I was kind of meh about the story and the characters. Her whole motivation for chasing folks down and being insane and doing stuff she shouldn't, at times was a bit unbelievable. I did, however, enjoy the story. For a wild west flavor, check it out.

Winter by Marissa Meyer
Summary: *Spoilers for the first three books*
Winter has been stuck under the thumb of her stepmother for years, but despite her delicate appearance and wandering mind, she's got more power than anyone knows. Cinder is ready to take on Queen Levana and determined to incite the Lunars to rise with her. With the help of her friends and some new allies, they are ready for an uprising, until everything seems to go wrong.

My Thoughts:
A nice finish for a series I adore. I loved how things worked out in the end, I loved seeing how hard it was for Cinder and all the characters. Winter was a really unique kind of person and I often had a hard time figuring out what to think of her and what she was thinking. All together, I think this is a fabulous and unique fairy tale retelling series that I just plain enjoy.

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Summary:
Lee has a gift, an unusual power that her family has tried to hide for years: she can sense gold. Her life seems ordinary enough, until all she has and loves is suddenly taken from her unexpectedly. Now Lee must make her way across the country, hoping to escape her past and make a future, but how can she when everyone around her would do anything for gold?

My Thoughts:
Interesting, unique, a bit strange. Reminded me a bit of Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel. I loved Lee and the things she was determined to do. She had a difficult life and I thought her reactions to things was realistic. I didn't like how everything seemed to be put off for a later book, but I guess they had plenty of troubles along the way. A different kind of story, you don't often read about people going west and the difficulties that must have been.Though, two westerns in one mini review post!

Book Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication date: January 2015
Length: 6 hrs, 36 min
Source: Audiobook from publisher
For: Review
Series: Lunar Chronicles, Book 3.5?

 

Summary (from goodreads):

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.

Things I Liked:
I adore these retellings, though this one was a lot shorter and maybe not quite as complete a story as I would have liked.  I guess it's more like a novella.  It doesn't actually retell the whole Snow White story (as I assume Winter will be more along those lines), but the story behind the evil queen of that tale.  I felt very sorry for Levana throughout the book, and I found myself very sad at the choices she made. I listened to this on audio, and I thought the narrator, Rebecca Soler, was good but not great.  I also own a hard copy, cause I'm like that. I am excited to get to the next book (only a few weeks)!

Things I Didn't Like:
Too short :).  I found the narrator's voice was really great at young girls tones, but her male voices were...not good.  It sounded like a teenage girl's diary read aloud.  Which, I guess it kind of was.

Read-alikes:
Start with Cinder by Marissa Meyer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: X
a bit

v-factor: ->

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: February 2014
Pages: 560
Source: Purchased
For: Fun
Series: Lunar Chronicles, Book 3

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for Cinder and Scarlet*

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 high 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.

Things I Liked:
This series just gets better and better.  I can't seem to get the stories and characters out of my head.  I love, love, love the fairy tale aspects Meyer squeezes in.  It seems ridiculous to imagine a sci-fi/space version of Rapunzel, but Meyer does it perfectly.  I loved the other parts of the story just as much.  The fight against Queen Levana is engrossing and I love that all the stories weave together with characters from before, but also new perspectives and characters.  Pitch perfect and exciting enough to keep me wanting the next installment.  Which is apparently going to be the story of Queen Levana (Fairest)!

Things I Didn't Like:
Honestly, I'm not sure I can think of anything.  Except that I want the next book now!

Read-alikes:
Start with Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Some other fairy tale retellings, though this is pretty original

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe a handful

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
some fighting

Overall rating: *****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer AND Little Red Riding Hood

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: February 2013
Pages: 464
Source: Purchased
For: Classic Double Challenge
Series: Lunar Chronicles, Book 2

Summary for Scarlet:
*Spoilers are inevitable for Cinder*
Scarlet's grandmother has been missing for weeks and the police aren't helping much. Scarlet decides she's better off searching by herself and sets off, in the uneasy company of Wolf, a street fighter with more than a few secrets. Cinder is breaking her way out of prison and hopes to escape the wrath of the lunar queen. With the help of the quirky Captain Thorne, she goes in search of someone who might know more about herself than she does. When Cinder's and Scarlet's paths cross, they will discover a lot more secrets than either one knew before.

Things I Liked (about both):
I am not sure I can pinpoint one specific thing about this book and series that makes me love it so much.  Maybe it is the fantastic way the original fairy tales are incorporated into the story.  I read a few versions of Little Red Riding Hood (or Little Red Cap) and I just loved seeing how Meyer took such a short, sometimes annoyingly simplistic story and made it into something fabulous.  I kind of hate the original tale, because Red Riding Hood seems to just be so stupid and the moralizing is pretty annoying.  Perrault's version didn't have the mother telling Red Riding Hood to be careful and not stray from the path, but it also did not end with her being freed from the wolf.  She dies at the end.  In the belly of the wolf.  And then Perrault discusses the moral for young ladies to avoid wolves, even the ones that don't appear to be wolves.  The Grimm version does have the moralizing mother and Red Riding Hood is saved from the wolf by a woodcutter.  Either way, not one of my favorites.

I love how the details of the original fairy tale, the significant ones that everyone recognizes, make their way into the story.  We have the girl with her ubiquitous red hood(ie) and a journey to grandmother, the wolf (who may or may not be a bad guy), and even the fantastically iconic "what big teeth you have" scene.  It's absolutely perfect.  Not only does Meyer have these elements incorporated into her story, but the world she built is fascinating and deep and completely stands on its own.  Our favorite characters from the last book come back for more and I loved seeing both old and new interact.  I can't wait to see what happens to Cinder and Scarlet and all their friends next.

Things I Didn't Like (about both):
As I mentioned, Little Red Riding Hood is NOT a favorite fairy tale for me.  The moralizing, the stupidity of the main character, even the obnoxious fact that she has to be saved by some random woodcutter, just make me not like it.  Although, I did hear there are a few versions where she actually gets wise to the wolf and avoids death on her own smarts.  Still, I think the most familiar version of the story is the one where she's eaten and then hacked out of the belly of the wolf.  Bravo to Ms. Meyer for making a version of this story that not only I can stomach (and I LOVE Scarlet) but that I loved every minute of!  I really can't think of anything I didn't like about her book.  :)

Read-alikes:
Start with Cinder by Marissa Meyer
There are loads of other fairy tale retellings, though none quite like this series!

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS (for Scarlet):
s-factor: !
maybe one or two

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
there are a few brutal scenes near the end

Overall rating: *****

If anyone is looking for a nice pair for the Classic Double Challenge, these two stories went down real easy (at least the original fairy tale is short :)! (Also, check out my guest post from Marissa about writing fairy tale retellings!)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: January 2012
Pages: 400
Source: ARC sent by publisher
For: Review
Series: Lunar Chronicles, Book 1

When Cinder has a chance meeting with Prince Kai, little does she expect so much to come of it.  As a cyborg, she is a lesser citizen in New Beijing, and her stepmother won't let her forget it.  But, when her stepsister gets the plague and she is blamed for it, Cinder might discover that she plays an unusually important role in the survival of her whole world.

Things I Liked:
What a fun, unique book with a stellar concept.  I loved the futuristic twist on a classic fairy tale.  There is nothing I love more than fairy tale retellings, so adding a sci-fi element made it even more fun.  I love Cinder - the tough, vulnerable, realistic cyborg who is trying to figure out where she fits in her world.  I loved the world Meyer has built and the societies she has created to inhabit this bleak future.  The sci-fi elements are simplistic enough to make it accessible for those who don't like sci-fi, but believable enough for the true connesieur.  The original story is there, but with originality and twists that make it much more interesting and fun.  Just a darn good story.

Things I Didn't Like:
Ok, so I had Cinder figured out long before the end of the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching her figure it out.  And really, that's all that might have bothered me.  Very much looking forward to the next books!

Read-alikes:
Not exactly like other fairy tale stories and not exactly like anything sci-fi either - it's pretty unique

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
occasionally

mrg-factor: none 
just some kissing

v-factor: -> 
maybe a little gruesome in relation to the plague

Overall rating: ***** 

What other fairy tales do you think could be great sci-fi?

Check out this clip from the awesome audio version of Cinder!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage