Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Square Fish (Feiwel and Friends)
Pages
552
Description
Science Fiction. Folklore. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series! In this third book in Marissa Meyer's bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, 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 prevent her army from invading Earth. Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped 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 being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she's just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she'd ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has..… (more)
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-02-04
Physical description
552 p.; 8.25 inches
ISBN
1250007224 / 9781250007223
Similar in this library
Lexile
840L
User reviews
LibraryThing member jnwelch
Cress is the third in Marissa Meyer's sci-fi/fairytale mashup quartet called The Lunar Chronicles, and it continues to deliver on the promise of the first two, Cinder and Scarlet. We've got a mysterious plague on Earth, a ruthless Lunar Queen who has the antidote and wants to take over the planet,
Isolated on a satellite and required to assist the Lunar Queen, Cress surreptitiously helps the rebels and hopes someday to be rescued by them. She has a crush on rascal hero Carswell Thorne, and they end up unexpectedly spending some time together. As possibilities open up before Cress, she grows stronger, and brings skills that the rebels badly need. Meanwhile, cyborg Cinder and Prince Kai continue to grow in their roles as potential saviors, while becoming more attracted to each other. Scarlet, the heroine of the second book, struggles to overcome a more direct conflict with the Queen, while Wolf is initially frustrated in his desire to help her. Toward the end we get a glimpse of Princess Winter, derived from Snow White, who reportedly will join the others in the forefront in the concluding volume. Can't wait! This is an imaginative and engaging series, being guided by an author who knows how to fluidly weave the plotlines and keep those pages turning.
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and three principal characters (soon to be four) based loosely on Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and now Rapunzel, who are leading the fight against her. They're aided by androids, wolf-human hybrids, disenchanted Lunars, a charming scapegrace, and others. The books are fast-paced and tightly plotted. Meyer knows exactly how the plotlines will unfold, and there is no excess. She dextrously juggles political machinations, clashing strategies, romance, fights between the rebels and the Queen's forces, as well as the overarching concerns, while smoothly bringing the newest character, Cress, to center stage.Isolated on a satellite and required to assist the Lunar Queen, Cress surreptitiously helps the rebels and hopes someday to be rescued by them. She has a crush on rascal hero Carswell Thorne, and they end up unexpectedly spending some time together. As possibilities open up before Cress, she grows stronger, and brings skills that the rebels badly need. Meanwhile, cyborg Cinder and Prince Kai continue to grow in their roles as potential saviors, while becoming more attracted to each other. Scarlet, the heroine of the second book, struggles to overcome a more direct conflict with the Queen, while Wolf is initially frustrated in his desire to help her. Toward the end we get a glimpse of Princess Winter, derived from Snow White, who reportedly will join the others in the forefront in the concluding volume. Can't wait! This is an imaginative and engaging series, being guided by an author who knows how to fluidly weave the plotlines and keep those pages turning.
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LibraryThing member tanaise
It was horrible, HOOOOOOREEEEIBBBLLLE.
Or possibly that's just because now I need to wait another year to read Winter. WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN, MARISSA MEYER???
Or possibly that's just because now I need to wait another year to read Winter. WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN, MARISSA MEYER???
LibraryThing member SimplyKelina
I am going to be honest that I was not expecting this book to be as amazing as it was. First off, this is over 500 pages long and I thought I was going to be bored with it until the last 100 pages (I was wrong). I also was not a huge fan of Scarlet, so I was not sure if I was going to enjoy
This book started off with a bang and never slowed down. The pace was fantastic. There was never a dull moment. It was action packed with providing a field of emotions. I laughed out loud, I cried, and I sat in anticipation in regards to what would happen next.
I absolutely loved what Crest brought to this series! I loved the romance between her and Thorne. When you find out about her past, I was blown away and totally caught off guard. It was just thrown in there, but it worked in a powerful way. I freaked out and admit I shed a small tear.
I know some people were upset that Scarlet was lacking in this book, but I did not mind. She was not a favorite for me and I was actually glad there was limited scenes with her involvement. I prefer reading about Cinder and Cress, so this was perfect for me.
I even loved the side characters who also evoked emotional moments. When the towns people stood up to protect Cinder I had chills. Another powerful moment!
This had everything you needed in a book: romance, lust, suspense, kidnapping, death, and surprises. You will be lost in the story with all the twist and turns.
Again, this was an amazing read and the best of the series so far. I can't wait to start the conclusion and read Winter. I hope it picks up with the intensity that Cress brought to this series. I loved it!
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continuing with this series. I am so glad I did, as this was amazing! The best of the series by far!This book started off with a bang and never slowed down. The pace was fantastic. There was never a dull moment. It was action packed with providing a field of emotions. I laughed out loud, I cried, and I sat in anticipation in regards to what would happen next.
I absolutely loved what Crest brought to this series! I loved the romance between her and Thorne. When you find out about her past, I was blown away and totally caught off guard. It was just thrown in there, but it worked in a powerful way. I freaked out and admit I shed a small tear.
I know some people were upset that Scarlet was lacking in this book, but I did not mind. She was not a favorite for me and I was actually glad there was limited scenes with her involvement. I prefer reading about Cinder and Cress, so this was perfect for me.
I even loved the side characters who also evoked emotional moments. When the towns people stood up to protect Cinder I had chills. Another powerful moment!
This had everything you needed in a book: romance, lust, suspense, kidnapping, death, and surprises. You will be lost in the story with all the twist and turns.
Again, this was an amazing read and the best of the series so far. I can't wait to start the conclusion and read Winter. I hope it picks up with the intensity that Cress brought to this series. I loved it!
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
The Lunar Chronicles continue with a strong new heroine and a new fresh perspective on the story. I get a kick out of the clever retellings and the unexpected twists.
LibraryThing member Yogiboo
Very enjoyable, like the rest of the series. All the romances are a bit sickeningly sweet now. Everyone is pairing up with a convenient partner. Favourite character is Iko in this one. I'm not sure what to make out of this long drawn out series. Every pickle they land in seems to come unstuck
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pretty fast. Wolf has lost his nuts somewhere. Loveable rogue Captain Thorne fell for dull sweet Cress in a nano second. Aside from that it was good and a fast read and is gripping so four ticks from me. Show Less
LibraryThing member kcody03
The adventure continues in Cress!
The amount of action in this series just keeps getting bigger and better with every book. Things continue to heat up in this third installment and now the gang is getting ready to launch their first strikes against Levana. The first being to Save Cress! As Cinder
We meet Cress first in Cinder very briefly and I was intrigued, but not completely sure what to expect from her. After getting to know her in this book I was so excited. She is so adorable! Cress is also brilliant when it comes to programming which is why she is being forced to work for the lunar queen. I loved her courage and determination. She is trapped and betrayal could cost her her life, but she still does what she can to help the people of earth. I also loved her banter with Thorne. It was some of the best parts of the book!
Thorne was always the secondary wise cracker of the group and I liked that in this book he got some more time to shine. We definitely get to see A LOT more of his usual humor in this book, but I feel that we also get to see a softer side to him. It was kind of nice to see him caring so much for someone. Although his relationship with Cress has a long way to go I think there really is a small spark there.
So for all you lunar fans out there I highly recommend you go get your copy of Cress right now if you haven't already. Be warned it will put you on a roller coaster ride of emotions that will leave you screaming for the next book!
The amount of action in this series just keeps getting bigger and better with every book. Things continue to heat up in this third installment and now the gang is getting ready to launch their first strikes against Levana. The first being to Save Cress! As Cinder
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digs deeper and more and more secrets are being revealed it is soon clear that it will take all that they have and as many allies as they can get to take down Levana. There was so many new mysteries cleared up in this book that I was constantly jumping up and down in excitement with each page turn. With more action unfortunately comes more danger and a few sacrifices. There was definitely some tear jerking moments in this book, but there were also plenty of just plain hilarious moments.We meet Cress first in Cinder very briefly and I was intrigued, but not completely sure what to expect from her. After getting to know her in this book I was so excited. She is so adorable! Cress is also brilliant when it comes to programming which is why she is being forced to work for the lunar queen. I loved her courage and determination. She is trapped and betrayal could cost her her life, but she still does what she can to help the people of earth. I also loved her banter with Thorne. It was some of the best parts of the book!
Thorne was always the secondary wise cracker of the group and I liked that in this book he got some more time to shine. We definitely get to see A LOT more of his usual humor in this book, but I feel that we also get to see a softer side to him. It was kind of nice to see him caring so much for someone. Although his relationship with Cress has a long way to go I think there really is a small spark there.
So for all you lunar fans out there I highly recommend you go get your copy of Cress right now if you haven't already. Be warned it will put you on a roller coaster ride of emotions that will leave you screaming for the next book!
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LibraryThing member Jessika.C
The Lunar Chronicles Book THREE and can I just put out there that 3 is one of my favorite numbers???? Okay back to the review
Here we have Crescent Moon who likes to go by Cress, she has super long, frizzy, tangly blonde hair because she's not allowed sharp objects in the satellite she had been
Sybil Mira makes an unfortunate visit to Cress in her satellite and thwarts the gang's attempt to recruit Cress and the thing ends up crashing down with Cress and Thorne inside but not before Cress saves them both with her computer skills. Unfortunately some major group dynamics change within the Rampion outside of Thorne's absence. Cinder manages to convince Sybil's pilot Jacin to land them on Earth to help a wounded Wolf and to contemplate Scarlet's rescue.
Meanwhile Kai is preparing for the wedding he very so much reluctantly agreed to in the last book with his wedding planner Priya and his cabinet advisor Torin. He really really really doesn't like it but what can an emperor do when his country is being threatened with war from a planet with an army of genetically enhanced humanoids with wolf-like qualities?
SO this book is a freaking BRICK. And I will tell you why.
This book not only has Cress' introduction/adventure it also has Kai and his problems, Cinder and her problems, the return of Dr. Erland and a ton of little mini introductions/cameos (hi Winter! hi Jacin!) and the biggest plot point in the novel towards the end. I was a little worried I would get bored with it but I never did because by the time it was time to put it down I was saddened by the fact that I had to sleep. Marissa Meyer had the whole pacing of the novel done in a way that when you finish one chapter and it's suddenly about another character and you didn't want it to pause but then you finish that chapter and you suddenly want to go back to the other character...it was a never ending waterfall of feels.
Cress was such a relatable character for me. I honestly don't know why but I really resonated with her social awkwardness and really felt for her need to see the good in things. Obviously she had to know that Sybil wasn't asking her for Earthen feeds to help Earth out yet she desperately wanted approval and did it anyway. Or when she was telling Thorne why she thought he could be a hero I felt the exact same way. While she isn't as badass as Cinder or Scarlet I felt more of a connection with her role in the group. And her cute major crush on Thorne was adorable. I don't really see it as an insta love story because I honestly don't feel like he reciprocates it...quite yet because of a few hints I took from the bookfor example, when they were reunited with the Cinder and Wolf he practically leaps of joy when he finds that Cinder is okay but maybe it could be because of the already established friendship they have. or the fact that he was so easily able to flirt with a droid escort without even thinking that Cress could see him at some point. I don't think he loves her but he definitely appreciates her companionship, it kind of reminds me of the tenth Doctor's budding relationship with Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)...the relationship part...because Thorne is not like the Doctor at all...While he did take a step back from the flirtatious cocky captain money lover type he still has a long way to go before he's suitable for Cress.
Oh and I'd like to add somewhere in this review that Kai is like 1029834928734 times hotter because of his new role as a leader. He finally grows a pair and takes charge no more letting Levana bully him and there's a really touching moment where he realizes what his true role is not just as an Emperor but as a human being and I don't want to add what that part is because it's just too darn good to spoil.
Scarlet and Wolf were totally missed for different reasons of course but it still sucked. Even though I hate what was done I liked that Scarlet's kidnapping paved way for Winter's brief introduction as well as Jacin's grand entrance...."Jacin Clay[...]Sybil's guard, with the blond hair and beautiful eyes and the rising sun in his smile"....This is why I think Jacin and Winter's romance is going to be my favorite. Technically that wasn't his grand enterance but just thought I'd share that because his grand entrance was kind of sad and also because he didn't really get along with Cinder but her interactions with him were my second favorite from the series knocking out her interactions with Thorne, almost beating out Kai's.
and finally I shall talk a bit about Cinder. I was kind of disappointed with her character development because it practically happened almost towards the end. We already know she's freaking out about being a long lost Princess with no clue as to how to rule a monarchy but her drive has always been to help out Kai. The reason I liked her talks with Jacin was because he really said what I had been thinking but I won't go into detail, so I'd just like to share that the last three chapters were my favorite with Cinder.
This book is so good I hate the fact that I have to wait yet another year for the final installment. Seriously it's too good not to finish it.
Here we have Crescent Moon who likes to go by Cress, she has super long, frizzy, tangly blonde hair because she's not allowed sharp objects in the satellite she had been
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locked up in for seven years, she's really good at hacking computers, spends time reading up on Earthen news feeds and likes to pretend a lot of things which is quite understandable especially when her awful caretaker Mistress Sybil belittles every achievement she's ever done for her (even though infiltrating Earthen political leader's webcam feeds is pretty darn impressive). So when the chance to finally be rescued by Captain Carswell Thorne...and Cinder and her friends of course, she jumps at the chance to finally be free but since this is a pretty dramatic series it's not that easy. Sybil Mira makes an unfortunate visit to Cress in her satellite and thwarts the gang's attempt to recruit Cress and the thing ends up crashing down with Cress and Thorne inside but not before Cress saves them both with her computer skills. Unfortunately some major group dynamics change within the Rampion outside of Thorne's absence. Cinder manages to convince Sybil's pilot Jacin to land them on Earth to help a wounded Wolf and to contemplate Scarlet's rescue.
Meanwhile Kai is preparing for the wedding he very so much reluctantly agreed to in the last book with his wedding planner Priya and his cabinet advisor Torin. He really really really doesn't like it but what can an emperor do when his country is being threatened with war from a planet with an army of genetically enhanced humanoids with wolf-like qualities?
SO this book is a freaking BRICK. And I will tell you why.
This book not only has Cress' introduction/adventure it also has Kai and his problems, Cinder and her problems, the return of Dr. Erland and a ton of little mini introductions/cameos (hi Winter! hi Jacin!) and the biggest plot point in the novel towards the end. I was a little worried I would get bored with it but I never did because by the time it was time to put it down I was saddened by the fact that I had to sleep. Marissa Meyer had the whole pacing of the novel done in a way that when you finish one chapter and it's suddenly about another character and you didn't want it to pause but then you finish that chapter and you suddenly want to go back to the other character...it was a never ending waterfall of feels.
Cress was such a relatable character for me. I honestly don't know why but I really resonated with her social awkwardness and really felt for her need to see the good in things. Obviously she had to know that Sybil wasn't asking her for Earthen feeds to help Earth out yet she desperately wanted approval and did it anyway. Or when she was telling Thorne why she thought he could be a hero I felt the exact same way. While she isn't as badass as Cinder or Scarlet I felt more of a connection with her role in the group. And her cute major crush on Thorne was adorable. I don't really see it as an insta love story because I honestly don't feel like he reciprocates it...quite yet because of a few hints I took from the book
Oh and I'd like to add somewhere in this review that Kai is like 1029834928734 times hotter because of his new role as a leader. He finally grows a pair and takes charge no more letting Levana bully him and there's a really touching moment where he realizes what his true role is not just as an Emperor but as a human being and I don't want to add what that part is because it's just too darn good to spoil.
Scarlet and Wolf were totally missed for different reasons of course but it still sucked. Even though I hate what was done I liked that Scarlet's kidnapping paved way for Winter's brief introduction as well as Jacin's grand entrance...."Jacin Clay[...]Sybil's guard, with the blond hair and beautiful eyes and the rising sun in his smile"....This is why I think Jacin and Winter's romance is going to be my favorite. Technically that wasn't his grand enterance but just thought I'd share that because his grand entrance was kind of sad and also because he didn't really get along with Cinder but her interactions with him were my second favorite from the series knocking out her interactions with Thorne, almost beating out Kai's.
and finally I shall talk a bit about Cinder. I was kind of disappointed with her character development because it practically happened almost towards the end. We already know she's freaking out about being a long lost Princess with no clue as to how to rule a monarchy but her drive has always been to help out Kai. The reason I liked her talks with Jacin was because he really said what I had been thinking but I won't go into detail, so I'd just like to share that the last three chapters were my favorite with Cinder.
This book is so good I hate the fact that I have to wait yet another year for the final installment. Seriously it's too good not to finish it.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the 3rd book in the Lunar Chronicles by Meyer. The 4th book in the series, Winter, is scheduled to release in Feb of 2015. I have loved all the books in this series and this book was the best in the series so far.
Cress sits alone in her satelite, her job is to spy on Earth for the
I have really loved this series, it is just so creative. While it is mostly science fiction, it does an excellent job of wrapping fairy tale elements, and steampunk elements into the story as well.
This book switches viewpoint between Cress, Scarlet, Cinder, Thorne, and Kai. This works really well for this book and I enjoyed hearing from all of the characters. All of these characters are interesting, engaging, and likable.
This does an excellent job of mirroring the Rapunzel fairy tale. Cress is in a satellite instead of a tower, and the evil witch is one of Levana’s minions. Cress believes that Thorne is her true love and that he has come to save her. When they crash Thorne loses his sight from a concussion, again mirroring the original fairy tale. I love how elements from Rapunzel are woven into this action packed science fiction story.
This is pretty much Cress’s and Thorne’s book. We learn a lot more about both of them and watch as they adventure through the desert together and slowly start to fall in love. Cress is an interesting blend of tech-savvy and naivete. She’s been pretty isolated her whole life, but she is daring and an excellent hacker.
Cinder also plays a large part in the book as she struggles to learn and control her Lunar abilities. She struggles with the worry that she is turning into someone like Queen Levana, someone she doesn’t want to be.
Most of the time when we hear from Kai, he is planning the wedding with Queen Levana. Kai is struggling to keep things from completely falling apart. He is turning into more of a leader than he was before. He also spends some time trying to unravel Cinder’s past and figure out what her story is.
The plot progresses nicely with lots of twists and turns, excellent action scenes, awesome adventure, and lots of intrigue. It’s an incredibly engaging book. Although it is a long book, it doesn’t feel that way. I breezed right through it and never noticed how much I was reading. It’s very well written. The book ties up some elements nicely, but leaves us at a bit of a cliffhanger as it sets things up for the 4th book in this series.
Overall this was a spectacular read. I love the creative setting, the complex story, the engaging characters, and the writing style. There is so much here to love. I really enjoy how the fairy tale of Rapunzel was subtly woven throughout this story as well. I love the science fiction and steampunk elements throughout the book as well. I highly recommend this whole series to everyone, it is just so different from most of the YA books out there. I can’t wait to see what Winter holds for us!
Cress sits alone in her satelite, her job is to spy on Earth for the
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Lunars...she has been given specific instructions to track down Cinder. However she doesn’t want to. Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, and Captain Thorne are determined to stop Kai’s wedding to the Lunar Queen Levana, hoping to overthrow Queen Levana and save Earth. Cress is their best hope of doing this, so they go on a mission to rescue Cress...but of course things go awry.I have really loved this series, it is just so creative. While it is mostly science fiction, it does an excellent job of wrapping fairy tale elements, and steampunk elements into the story as well.
This book switches viewpoint between Cress, Scarlet, Cinder, Thorne, and Kai. This works really well for this book and I enjoyed hearing from all of the characters. All of these characters are interesting, engaging, and likable.
This does an excellent job of mirroring the Rapunzel fairy tale. Cress is in a satellite instead of a tower, and the evil witch is one of Levana’s minions. Cress believes that Thorne is her true love and that he has come to save her. When they crash Thorne loses his sight from a concussion, again mirroring the original fairy tale. I love how elements from Rapunzel are woven into this action packed science fiction story.
This is pretty much Cress’s and Thorne’s book. We learn a lot more about both of them and watch as they adventure through the desert together and slowly start to fall in love. Cress is an interesting blend of tech-savvy and naivete. She’s been pretty isolated her whole life, but she is daring and an excellent hacker.
Cinder also plays a large part in the book as she struggles to learn and control her Lunar abilities. She struggles with the worry that she is turning into someone like Queen Levana, someone she doesn’t want to be.
Most of the time when we hear from Kai, he is planning the wedding with Queen Levana. Kai is struggling to keep things from completely falling apart. He is turning into more of a leader than he was before. He also spends some time trying to unravel Cinder’s past and figure out what her story is.
The plot progresses nicely with lots of twists and turns, excellent action scenes, awesome adventure, and lots of intrigue. It’s an incredibly engaging book. Although it is a long book, it doesn’t feel that way. I breezed right through it and never noticed how much I was reading. It’s very well written. The book ties up some elements nicely, but leaves us at a bit of a cliffhanger as it sets things up for the 4th book in this series.
Overall this was a spectacular read. I love the creative setting, the complex story, the engaging characters, and the writing style. There is so much here to love. I really enjoy how the fairy tale of Rapunzel was subtly woven throughout this story as well. I love the science fiction and steampunk elements throughout the book as well. I highly recommend this whole series to everyone, it is just so different from most of the YA books out there. I can’t wait to see what Winter holds for us!
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LibraryThing member Punkfarie
My Rating – 4 Stars
Cress is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles. This review will include spoilers about the series.
Oh boy, where do I begin? This book is wavering between 3 and 4 stars. Not because it was a bad book, it was good. It was just a tad predictable. But can I really fault a
Cress lives alone in a satellite that orbits the Earth day after day after day. Her only company is her netscreen, a program she made when she was ten that she calls Little Cress and the occasional visit from Thaumaturge Sybil, the Queen’s second in command. She is a shell (if you remember from the previous books, a shell is a Lunar born without abilities) and thus, the reason she has been banished from Lunar (Shells are supposedly killed on Lunar as babies. Supposedly). That and her amazing hacking skills.
It is her duty to be a spy for the Lunar Queen, Levana. She watches Earthern leaders and keeps Lunar spaceships hidden from Earthern eyes. Her latest assignment is to find Cinder. Which she does, quite successfully but then because she hates the Queen and Sybil she keeps the crew of the Rampion from being tracked. She is pretty much the reason Cinder has made it as far as she has.
After Cinder makes contact with Cress, they plan her escape. After seven years of forced isolation, Cress is finally going to be free!
But there is no way it’s going to be that easy, right? Sybil makes an unexpected visit while the Rampion is about to dock, which leads to a nasty battle. Scarlet gets taken, Wolf is injured, and Thorne and Scarlet plummet to the Earth inside her satellite, that’s not exactly built for entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Miraculously, Cress and Thorne survive, though a bad blow to the head has left Thorne blind. They are in the middle of a desert, no clue where they are or how far away civilization is. Plus Cress has never set foot on Earth before.
The crew is now separated. Cinder has to find Dr. Erland to save Wolf. Scarlet is under the mind control of Sybil and being tortured on Lunar and Cress and Thorne are wandering the desert. How exactly are they going to stop the wedding between Levana and Kai AND overthrow Levana if the team of misfits is spread out all over the galaxy?
Cress is cute and socially awkward. She’s got the hots for Thorne, which developed while she was searching for the fugitives. She is under the (rather misguided) assumption that he is the prince to her damsel in distress. But she’s been locked in a satellite for seven years so her lack of social skills, her fantasies and her tendency to cry and overreact are completely understandable. She is pretty damn smart though, and willful. I wasn’t really that in to the Thorne/Cress love story though. I don’t feel like they mesh well. I do like both characters separately though. Thorne is still a sarcastic ass.
Scarlet is barely in this one which depresses me since she is, so far, my favorite. I say so far because Winter is briefly introduced and she is LOONEY, in a “The Shining/the walls are bleeding” kind of way and I do love me some crazy characters. Wolf is also hardly featured and when he is, he is moping around because Scarlet was kidnapped(Understandable to a point.) Their love story is the only one that really works for me and it’s probably the most ridiculous.
Cinder is developing her gifts. She is not as “woe as me” as she was in the last book, which finally made me like her a bit more. She’s ready to fight and take down Levana. She’s scared, which it’s okay to be scared when you are faced with imminent doom but I feel like she’s
starting to own the responsibility she has now.
Kai is featured as a POV again and finally, finally starting to show some backbone. Took long enough! Though he does spend a good chunk of the book whining, about the middle of the book he starts redeeming himself. Towards the end is when he really grows some balls.
Iko is hilarious as always. I think she is my second favorite character.
Despite the minor character flaws, the plot moves along nicely. Things are accomplished. Action is taken. There is no lull that can sometimes happen in series books. I pretty much flew through this book. I was disappointed at first by the crew being separated but then I wondered how Cress would have grown if they hadn’t been and I got over it.
So overall, liked this book. I can’t wait until Winter!
You can read this review and more at Punk's House of Books and FicCentral
Cress is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles. This review will include spoilers about the series.
Oh boy, where do I begin? This book is wavering between 3 and 4 stars. Not because it was a bad book, it was good. It was just a tad predictable. But can I really fault a
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fairytale retelling for being predictable? Cress lives alone in a satellite that orbits the Earth day after day after day. Her only company is her netscreen, a program she made when she was ten that she calls Little Cress and the occasional visit from Thaumaturge Sybil, the Queen’s second in command. She is a shell (if you remember from the previous books, a shell is a Lunar born without abilities) and thus, the reason she has been banished from Lunar (Shells are supposedly killed on Lunar as babies. Supposedly). That and her amazing hacking skills.
It is her duty to be a spy for the Lunar Queen, Levana. She watches Earthern leaders and keeps Lunar spaceships hidden from Earthern eyes. Her latest assignment is to find Cinder. Which she does, quite successfully but then because she hates the Queen and Sybil she keeps the crew of the Rampion from being tracked. She is pretty much the reason Cinder has made it as far as she has.
After Cinder makes contact with Cress, they plan her escape. After seven years of forced isolation, Cress is finally going to be free!
But there is no way it’s going to be that easy, right? Sybil makes an unexpected visit while the Rampion is about to dock, which leads to a nasty battle. Scarlet gets taken, Wolf is injured, and Thorne and Scarlet plummet to the Earth inside her satellite, that’s not exactly built for entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Miraculously, Cress and Thorne survive, though a bad blow to the head has left Thorne blind. They are in the middle of a desert, no clue where they are or how far away civilization is. Plus Cress has never set foot on Earth before.
The crew is now separated. Cinder has to find Dr. Erland to save Wolf. Scarlet is under the mind control of Sybil and being tortured on Lunar and Cress and Thorne are wandering the desert. How exactly are they going to stop the wedding between Levana and Kai AND overthrow Levana if the team of misfits is spread out all over the galaxy?
Cress is cute and socially awkward. She’s got the hots for Thorne, which developed while she was searching for the fugitives. She is under the (rather misguided) assumption that he is the prince to her damsel in distress. But she’s been locked in a satellite for seven years so her lack of social skills, her fantasies and her tendency to cry and overreact are completely understandable. She is pretty damn smart though, and willful. I wasn’t really that in to the Thorne/Cress love story though. I don’t feel like they mesh well. I do like both characters separately though. Thorne is still a sarcastic ass.
Scarlet is barely in this one which depresses me since she is, so far, my favorite. I say so far because Winter is briefly introduced and she is LOONEY, in a “The Shining/the walls are bleeding” kind of way and I do love me some crazy characters. Wolf is also hardly featured and when he is, he is moping around because Scarlet was kidnapped(Understandable to a point.) Their love story is the only one that really works for me and it’s probably the most ridiculous.
Cinder is developing her gifts. She is not as “woe as me” as she was in the last book, which finally made me like her a bit more. She’s ready to fight and take down Levana. She’s scared, which it’s okay to be scared when you are faced with imminent doom but I feel like she’s
starting to own the responsibility she has now.
Kai is featured as a POV again and finally, finally starting to show some backbone. Took long enough! Though he does spend a good chunk of the book whining, about the middle of the book he starts redeeming himself. Towards the end is when he really grows some balls.
Iko is hilarious as always. I think she is my second favorite character.
Despite the minor character flaws, the plot moves along nicely. Things are accomplished. Action is taken. There is no lull that can sometimes happen in series books. I pretty much flew through this book. I was disappointed at first by the crew being separated but then I wondered how Cress would have grown if they hadn’t been and I got over it.
So overall, liked this book. I can’t wait until Winter!
You can read this review and more at Punk's House of Books and FicCentral
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LibraryThing member Jaylia3
This futuristic sci-fi fairy tale series continues to be inventive, suspenseful, and fun. In this third of four books we spend more time with Cress, a shy, romantic, computer hacker Rapunzel who has been trapped in an orbiting satellite instead of a tower. She now joins Cinder, a mechanically
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gifted cyborg Cinderella determined to rescue the prince, and Scarlet, a hoodie wearing space pilot Red Riding Hood who’s partnered with the genetically modified lunar soldier Wolf, as the cohorts struggle against the odds in their quest to overthrow the evil queen of the Moon, now threatening to wrest control of Earth. We’re also given an intriguing glimpse of Winter, the Snow White stepdaughter of the lunar queen, who will have her turn to shine in book four. With a growing group of great characters, cleverly integrated sci-fi elements, and plots that sweep readers along in the action, The Lunar Chronicles remains one of my favorite series. Show Less
LibraryThing member terriko
This is book 3 of the Lunar Chronicles, which started with Cinder and continued with Scarlet.
This is a sci-fi series with characters inspired from fairy tales. Some of the big moments are there, and the motivations (Scarlet, for example, is looking for her missing grandmother), but for the most
Cress is a Rapunzel who's trapped in a communications satellite being forced to hack spaceships and newsfeeds as a spy for the evil queen. I was horribly disappointed, given her repeatedly demonstrated computer skills, that unlike the other girls, she had to be the one who's sitting around dreaming of a dashing hero to rescue her from her "tower" in space. But in many ways, having her start there is giving Cress (and even the man she casts as her hero, much to his disbelief) a fair bit of room to grow. I quickly got so caught up in the adventure story that it didn't seem to matter so much that I thought she was a bit too traditional a princess.
It's hard to tell you much about the book without spoilers, but there's adventure and politics and daring rescues (more than one!) and spaceships and hacking and opera. (There's also violence, mind control, and torture. The latter is definitely not described in great detail, but it's definitely worth warning about.) If you liked the Vorkosigan series but wanted it to be mostly about women and less about women-that-Miles-totally-has-a-crush-on, this might tickle your fancy. If you like fairy tale retellings and also space ships, ditto. If you're looking for a book for your kids that isn't too heavy handed about feminism and social justice but it's still there *and* with romantic subplots, this is not the best in the series, but it's still there.
I continue to love the series, and despite my initial misgivings about Cress, I found myself caring about her along with the motley crew that's being assembled here. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!
This is a sci-fi series with characters inspired from fairy tales. Some of the big moments are there, and the motivations (Scarlet, for example, is looking for her missing grandmother), but for the most
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part the characters are their own. If you like princesses who also fix androids and get covered in grease, this is a series you should be reading.Cress is a Rapunzel who's trapped in a communications satellite being forced to hack spaceships and newsfeeds as a spy for the evil queen. I was horribly disappointed, given her repeatedly demonstrated computer skills, that unlike the other girls, she had to be the one who's sitting around dreaming of a dashing hero to rescue her from her "tower" in space. But in many ways, having her start there is giving Cress (and even the man she casts as her hero, much to his disbelief) a fair bit of room to grow. I quickly got so caught up in the adventure story that it didn't seem to matter so much that I thought she was a bit too traditional a princess.
It's hard to tell you much about the book without spoilers, but there's adventure and politics and daring rescues (more than one!) and spaceships and hacking and opera. (There's also violence, mind control, and torture. The latter is definitely not described in great detail, but it's definitely worth warning about.) If you liked the Vorkosigan series but wanted it to be mostly about women and less about women-that-Miles-totally-has-a-crush-on, this might tickle your fancy. If you like fairy tale retellings and also space ships, ditto. If you're looking for a book for your kids that isn't too heavy handed about feminism and social justice but it's still there *and* with romantic subplots, this is not the best in the series, but it's still there.
I continue to love the series, and despite my initial misgivings about Cress, I found myself caring about her along with the motley crew that's being assembled here. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!
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LibraryThing member lauraodom
Oh, WHY do I continue to do this to myself? Why do I start series when the final books have yet to be written? Sigh. That's my only complaint about Cress - that I have to wait an entire year to finish the rest of the story. As with Cinder and Scarlet, the first two books in the Lunar Chronicles, I
We once again meet the lovable characters from the first two books, while adding some additional ones. There are some new kinks and new revelations. The book has adventure, romance, suspense, and an evil queen... what more can you ask for? Oh yes -- MORE! I was not ready for the story to end. There is one more book left to finish the series. I eagerly anticipate its arrival. This is just great YA fiction.
Would I recommend this book to my BFF? Absolutely!
Would I recommend this book to my 13 year old daughter? Yes! Already have. I keep telling her how much she would love this series.
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thoroughly enjoyed reading Cress. Cress's fairy-tale alter ego is Rapunzel, as Cress has been locked away in a satellite for years, and her hair has grown long. Once it got cut though, I must admit, all I could picture was cute little Disney-version Rapunzel from "Tangled."We once again meet the lovable characters from the first two books, while adding some additional ones. There are some new kinks and new revelations. The book has adventure, romance, suspense, and an evil queen... what more can you ask for? Oh yes -- MORE! I was not ready for the story to end. There is one more book left to finish the series. I eagerly anticipate its arrival. This is just great YA fiction.
Would I recommend this book to my BFF? Absolutely!
Would I recommend this book to my 13 year old daughter? Yes! Already have. I keep telling her how much she would love this series.
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LibraryThing member WickedWoWestwood
Hooray! The third book did not disappoint! I was leery, because Scarlet didn't quite live up to how much I enjoyed Cinder, but I LOVED Cress! Cress and Thorne are adorable, and the action and suspense was great. We're well into the war against the Lunars now! Can't wait for the next book!
LibraryThing member TheMadHatters
In this new book of The Lunar Chronicles, Cinder, Scarlet, Thorne and Wolf are joined by Cress, the lonely Lunar shell that has been living in a satellite for seven years. The group must try to stop the royal wedding and bring down the evil Lunar queen, all while being hunted by the Queen's
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minions. "Cress" was AMAZING. This novel manages to be suspenseful, funny, scary and heartwarming all at the same time. Meyer's futuristic take on classic fairytales is endlessly compelling and I wish the next book were available NOW. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaneLiterati
Fantastic read! This third installment of the series is just as great as the others. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member ethel55
The third novel in this series introduces us to Crescent Moon (Cress), a Lunar shell placed in a satellite about earth for the purpose of spying and hacking for the Queen. I haven’t run across a lot of re-tellings of the fairy tale about Rapunzel. Meyer does a fantastic job using some of the core
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details from the tale to add a great bridge in this third story about Cinder’s battle to save the Earthen Commonwealth from a possible Lunar invasion. Cinder and her band of unlikely cohorts move forward with their plan of how to intercede and stop the wedding between the Queen Levana and Emperor Kai. Show Less
LibraryThing member willowsmom
Although I have very much enjoyed this series, I had a small quibble with book two that has turned into a larger aggravation with book three: there are too many voices and not enough main speaker (think the too many cooks analogy...). I loved Cress as a character, and I wanted more of -her- story
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in -her- voice...but Scarlet and Cinder kept getting in the way. And they ALSO had interesting stories...and I wanted to hear them...but not in the middle of Cress's adventure, dangnabbit! So there you go: I enjoyed the story SO MUCH that I was irritated by the interruption of other, equally fascinating, protagonists. Such a 'problem' to have :) Show Less
LibraryThing member blurvey
This third book in 'The Lunar Chronicles' really steps up the game. It had more action and romance then the previous two books. If you didn't like Cinder or Scarlet, try Cress and you will change your mind. The main female characters are so incredibly different, yet Ms. Meyer is able to connect
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them beautifully. Great book! Show Less
LibraryThing member Stormydawnc
But. . . but. . . what am I supposed to DO with my life now that I've finished?
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Third in the Lunar Chronicles. In this volume Cinder the lunar cyborg and her crew, now on the run from both earthen and lunar authorities, meet a lunar hacker named Cress. Together they try to prevent the lunar takeover of Earth.
LibraryThing member LaneLiterati
Adam's Review 5 Stars: Cinder and crew are back at it again in this third installment in the Lunar Chronicles. The pace is excellent, as usual, and the story always seems to gain more elements to it, while still not becoming overbearing.
While I love the "fairy tale" parallels that this series has
A great story though, and highly recommended! Winter is coming! (and it actually will since George isn't in charge of it... LOL)
While I love the "fairy tale" parallels that this series has
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(Cinder-Cinderella; Scarlet-Little Red Riding Hood; Cress-Rapunzel and upcoming Winter-Snow White) I felt like Cress's parallels were not as attached to her as Cinder's or Scarlet's. SPOILER............The hair gets cut short quite early in the tale, and the "tower" is also removed early on. Not being very familiar with the fairy tale of Rapunzel (other than Disney's Tangled) I'm not sure if there are any other elements to the classic tale that I am missing, but it seemed different than the parallels of the first two novels.A great story though, and highly recommended! Winter is coming! (and it actually will since George isn't in charge of it... LOL)
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LibraryThing member AnnRushing
Love it, love it, love it! I can't wait unit the 4th and final book, Winter,is released.
This series is a new take on the old fairy tales we've all grown up with. Cinder is a steampunk version of Cinderella. Scarlet is a sci/fi version of Little Red Riding Hood along with the wolf. Cress is futurist
This series is a new take on the old fairy tales we've all grown up with. Cinder is a steampunk version of Cinderella. Scarlet is a sci/fi version of Little Red Riding Hood along with the wolf. Cress is futurist
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version of Rapunzel. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
Note: There are necessarily a few spoilers for the first two volumes in this series, but none for this installment.
Cress is the third of four books in the planned fairy tale tetralogy known collectively as “The Lunar Chronicles.” Whereas many continuations of young adult sagas can be painful to
The first book, Cinder, focuses on a teenaged girl who is meant to evoke Cinderella. Her status as a hated cyborg is exposed when she loses her bionic foot at the ball marking the inauguration of Prince Kai. (Cyborgs are humans who are part metal, having received artificial parts to compensate for damaged flesh. There is a great deal of prejudice against cyborgs, who are considered second-class citizens.)
The second book, Scarlet, is a reworking of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Scarlet is a red-haired teen who will discover an unexpected connection to Cinder. Both of them are searching for Scarlet's missing grandmother. In the process, Scarlet meets and falls in love with Wolf, a former Lunar soldier whose genetic material had been spliced with that of a wolf to add to his deadliness. Cinder gets caught and thrown in jail, but escapes with the help of a fellow prisoner, Carswell Thorne. At the end of Book Two, the ragtag band of Cinder, Thorne, Scarlett, Wolf, and Cinder’s Artificial Intelligence BFF Iko, is circling the Earth in Thorne’s spaceship as they plot a way to overcome the evil Lunar Queen Levana.
This third book in the series introduces Cress (short for Crescent Moon), who is our Rapunzel. Cress has spent most of her life isolated on a satellite orbiting the earth, plying her computer hacking skills at the demand of her nasty Lunar mistress in order to help the Lunar government spy on Earth. Cress likes to daydream that she is actually in one of the many soap opera adventures she watches, instead of being trapped and lonely. In addition, she has gotten caught up in the real-life exploits of the dramatic escape of Cinder and her comrades; what if this handsome Carswell Thorne could help her escape as well? She reaches out to Cinder and her companions, but everything goes wrong, and suddenly, the specter of a war between Earth and Luna looms on the horizon.
Discussion: Meyer does an expert job of respecting the integrity of each fairy tale arc while at the same time meshing it with the other fairy tale plot lines, so that it seems as if they unquestionably belong together. The characters are eminently likable, and the books are quite clever, romantic, and entertaining.
Evaluation: This is an excellent series. The aspects of fairy tale retellings keep it from being too dark, and there is enough romance and suspense mixed into the dystopian landscape to please aficionados of a number of genres. I hate to say this is a “happy” series given that the Earth is in peril and large numbers of people die, and yet, the tone is - well, happy. These are feel-good books, with the promise of fairy tale endings.
Note: These books are not really standalones, but should be read in order.
Cress is the third of four books in the planned fairy tale tetralogy known collectively as “The Lunar Chronicles.” Whereas many continuations of young adult sagas can be painful to
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experience in light of the promise of the first book in the series, I have not felt that disappointment at all with Marissa Meyer. Each of her books joins a separate fairytale retelling into a connected whole, which takes place in a dystopian future in which the people of Earth are struggling to maintain independence from the mind-controlling, genetically-enhanced people of Luna (i.e., the moon). The first book, Cinder, focuses on a teenaged girl who is meant to evoke Cinderella. Her status as a hated cyborg is exposed when she loses her bionic foot at the ball marking the inauguration of Prince Kai. (Cyborgs are humans who are part metal, having received artificial parts to compensate for damaged flesh. There is a great deal of prejudice against cyborgs, who are considered second-class citizens.)
The second book, Scarlet, is a reworking of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Scarlet is a red-haired teen who will discover an unexpected connection to Cinder. Both of them are searching for Scarlet's missing grandmother. In the process, Scarlet meets and falls in love with Wolf, a former Lunar soldier whose genetic material had been spliced with that of a wolf to add to his deadliness. Cinder gets caught and thrown in jail, but escapes with the help of a fellow prisoner, Carswell Thorne. At the end of Book Two, the ragtag band of Cinder, Thorne, Scarlett, Wolf, and Cinder’s Artificial Intelligence BFF Iko, is circling the Earth in Thorne’s spaceship as they plot a way to overcome the evil Lunar Queen Levana.
This third book in the series introduces Cress (short for Crescent Moon), who is our Rapunzel. Cress has spent most of her life isolated on a satellite orbiting the earth, plying her computer hacking skills at the demand of her nasty Lunar mistress in order to help the Lunar government spy on Earth. Cress likes to daydream that she is actually in one of the many soap opera adventures she watches, instead of being trapped and lonely. In addition, she has gotten caught up in the real-life exploits of the dramatic escape of Cinder and her comrades; what if this handsome Carswell Thorne could help her escape as well? She reaches out to Cinder and her companions, but everything goes wrong, and suddenly, the specter of a war between Earth and Luna looms on the horizon.
Discussion: Meyer does an expert job of respecting the integrity of each fairy tale arc while at the same time meshing it with the other fairy tale plot lines, so that it seems as if they unquestionably belong together. The characters are eminently likable, and the books are quite clever, romantic, and entertaining.
Evaluation: This is an excellent series. The aspects of fairy tale retellings keep it from being too dark, and there is enough romance and suspense mixed into the dystopian landscape to please aficionados of a number of genres. I hate to say this is a “happy” series given that the Earth is in peril and large numbers of people die, and yet, the tone is - well, happy. These are feel-good books, with the promise of fairy tale endings.
Note: These books are not really standalones, but should be read in order.
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LibraryThing member NeedMoreShelves
Ugh. THIS is why I don't want to get sucked into a series before it's actually complete. I really, really don't like cliffhangers.
I think this is a great series, and particularly enjoy the strong, resourceful, smart heroines Meyer creates with each of her novels. Because I thought the second book
I'm very excited to read the final chapter in this series - Winter seems like another unique and interesting heroine that I can't wait to discover.
I think this is a great series, and particularly enjoy the strong, resourceful, smart heroines Meyer creates with each of her novels. Because I thought the second book
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in the series was not as strong as the first, I was interested to see how I would react to this third installment - and I think it might be my favorite. Cress is a fascinating character, and it was great fun to watch her learn to embrace her strength. I appreciate that, while each character seems to have a romance, Meyer doesn't let it get in the way of the main action of the plot. Each character makes good and bad choices, and they seem realistic given the situation.I'm very excited to read the final chapter in this series - Winter seems like another unique and interesting heroine that I can't wait to discover.
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LibraryThing member Steph1203
I have no words to describe how amazing this book was. And that ending!! Do I really have to wait a whole year until Winter is released??
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Teens — 2015)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2015)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Teen — 2014)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2015)
Call number
YA B Mey