Book's Crumbs

Winter is loved by the people for her kindness and natural beauty; she despise her stepmother, and knows that Levana won't approved of her feeling for her childhood friend/royal guard, Jacin. We already got a good shot of him in the previous book at which end he sold out Cinder and her friends to the Commonwealth, quite a controversial character, definitely different from everyone else.

This is the real prestige that Meyer's books have, every character is unique and equipped with a complex personality. Jacin is fundamentally, from my point of view, selfish in comparison with the other characters he cares only about his princess and it's like that from the beginning to the end. I didn't feel his involvement in the squad as much as for the others, he felt like a temporary addiction, in it just for personal advantage. His crazy princess surely, makes the fun in the couple.

Winter stopped using her Lunar ability to defy her stepmother and have, in a contorted way, more control over her life, but by not using her Gift she is slowly going crazy. Her exchanges with Scarlet were one of the most funny of the book after Thorne's, their friendship was quirky and smart, really really fun to read. In this grand finale we are reminded that romance isn't everything and friendships is as important.

"Did you see any rice in there? Maybe we could fill Cinder's Head with it"

Everyone stared at him.

"You know, to ... absorb the moisture, or something. Isn't that a thing?"

"We're not putting rice in my head."

Marissa Meyer was amazing in orchestrating all the different plot and subplot, making them inter-wine and then finally converge with grace and effectiveness in this last book. The characters were has always right on spot, the true lead of the series. In fact if we consider that settings and background have little space in the book, what left are just the characters, speeches and actions that are able to keep the reader glued to the pages without time to spare.

I'm always surprised at how the author was able to pick up this traditional stories and build around and inside of them, so that you are still able to recognize the plot line but at the same time living a totally different feeling and story.

We all know that usually a fairy tales end with a Happily Ever After, but what really mattered in this book was not the ending but the road that took us there.

"And they lived happily to the end of their days"

-fin-

I couldn't wait to finally read about Levana background story and I have to say that I was quite disappointed with this spin-off.

I'm loving the Lunar Chronicles series so far and I always enjoy reading about the villain's story, why they became the way they are, what made them so despicable. I'm intrigued by the evil figures in a story, they come out usually more complex and interesting than any other heros (see Vicious by V.E Schwab). But Levana's personality doesn't really evolve, she goes from crazy bitch to major crazy bitch.

I couldn't sympathize with her. I think that what didn't appeal to me was how the writer tried to make you pity her for having such unloving parents and sister. But what I saw was only a spoiled and ambitious brat who doesn't care about using others for her own gain, without considering their feelings. I was not able to justify her stalkerish and dissilluded behavior just on what she is been thought. I would have enjoyed her character far more without the whole pity party.

Not everything was bad about this book, in fact I loved the representation of Levana's sister, Channery, also Cinder's mum. She is fuc***g evil, when her sister is in a borderline between evilish and crazy, Channery has it all. She is pure madness, cruel and uncaring to anyone beyond herself. She reminded my of  a modern Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland.
She is evil and she was like this from the start, It's a shame we don't get to see a lot about her, I would have much prefer to read about her.

Beyond the story the writing is always flawless and engaging. The book will be a fast read (only 200 pages) and will give you a better look on the whole story, giving you bits of all the princess start-points.

Now I'm left with Winter the last chapter of this amazing series.

2.75/5 STARS

Here you can find my other review on the Lunar Chronicles series:

Cinder #1
Scarlet #2
Cress #3

ITALIANO:

Non vedevo l'ora di leggere la storia dietro a Levana, purtroppo devo dire che sono rimasta alcuanto delusa da questo spin-off.

Sro adorando la serie delle Cronache Lunari di Marissa Meyer e mi piace un sacco leggere riguardo agli antagonisti della storia, che cosa gli ha resi quello che sono, come sono diventati così spregevoli.
Sono sempre incuriosita dalle figure malvagie presenti in una storia, risultano molto spesso più complesse e interessanti di qualunque eroe buonista (vedi Vicious, Victoria schwab). Ma la personalità di Levana non ha un evoluzione particolare, va da str**za a grande str**za.
Non sono riuscita a simpatizzare con il suo personaggio in alcun modo. Ciò che non mi è piaciuto è stato il tentativo dell'autore di muoverti alla pietà, descrivendo come Levana non abbia mai ricevuto amore dai suoi genitori e sorella. Ma l'unica cosa che ne è emersa, è stata una bambina vizziata e ambiziosa che non si preoccupa di usare gli altri a proprio vantaggio, senza considerare i loro sentimenti.
Non sono riuscita a giustificare il suo amore disilluso nei confronti di Evret, pur comprendendo la sua sfrenata ricerca d'amore. Mi sarebbe piaciuto il personaggio molto di più senza la volontà dell'autore di giustificarne il comportamento.

Non tutto è da buttare di questo libro. Ho amato molto Channery, la sorella di Levana e mamma di Cinder. Lei si che è una vera regina de male!
Se sua sorella si trova i una linea i confine tra malvagia e folle, Channery ha entrambe. Lei è pura malvagità, è crudele, folle, indifferente a chiunque altro al di fuori di se. Mi ha ricordato una più moderna Regina Rossa, di Alice Nel Paese delle Meraviglie.
E' malvagia dall'inizio alla fine senza un motivo, non ha bisogno di spiegazioni, è semplicemente folle! Avrei preferito di gran lunga uno spin-off dedicato a lei, invece che a Levana.

Storia a parte, la scrittura è impeccabile e coinvolgente. Il libro è una lettura veloce, solo 200 pagine, e vi darà uno sguardo più approfondito sull'intera storia, con accenni a tutti gli start-point delle nostre amate principesse.

Ora non mi resta che Winter, l'ultimo capitolo di questa coinvolgente serie.

2.75/5 STELLE

Qui potete trovare le mie recensioni sugli altri capitoli della serie Cronache Lunari:

Cinder #1
Scarlet #2
Cress #3

This series is so much fun! It's not intellectual letterature, but is funny and enjoyable. It has it all: the romance, the actions and new discoveries about our characters' past. You can't really get bored with it.

 This is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series (1#, 2#), we left at the end of the second book with Cinder, Throne, Scarlet and Wolf aboard the Rampion, they all manage to escape from the Lunars attack in Paris and now they will need to figure out a plan to overturn Levania and stop a marriage, but to succeed they will need the help of an intergalactic hacker, Cress.

"When she was just a child, the witch locked her away in a tower that had neither doors nor stairs"

Cress has been locked up since childhood in a satellite orbiting earth, with only her netscreens as company. After doing all she could to warn Cinder of the Queen's evil Plan she received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her accomplice. After contacting Cinder they put out a plan for her rescue. But we all know that things don't tend to follow plans, in the attempt to free Cress they will get separated. Will this unlikely group of friends be able to save the world and the moon? 

In this book we are saving a damsel in distress, but as the level-headed Cinder and the fiery Scarlet , Cress has a unique character, she is not the usual fairytale princess waiting to be rescue, she is adorably naive and lovable, a bunch of cuteness and badass hacking skills. Her fangirling over Throne is just hilarious, they are so nice to read about.

Cinder is upgrading her skills and personality. She is coming to accept her position as the Lunar princess. With every book her character is getting more complex, forget about dress and jewelry this girl is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. 

"You can help me pick out a tiara when we're done saving the world"

This book is full of humor and jokes, making it a light enjoyable read, without forgetting to unleash some secrets,  crazy battle and escapes. 

We also get a pick about to new characters, the Queen's stepdaughter Winter and Jacin, that I'm sure we are going to see more in Winter. They are two interesting figure Jacin, who is insolent and seems to care only about saving his skin and his beloved princess; and Winter who clearly is up against Levania but is a little bit nuts. Can't wait to read more about them!

I'll need to pick up Fairest really soon, I can not believe Levania was always such a bitch, I really need to know what happened to her. 

4/5 STARS

Here is the book trailer: