Showing posts with label fairy tales. Show all posts
5/5
The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...
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.
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Another great book from Marissa Meyer.
The book starts with an introduction of our new character Scarlet, who is looking for her grandmother and meets this mysterious guy Wolf. I was little bit more conserned about Cinder and Kai, but pretty quickly I started to wonder how Scarlet fits into story, and how she and Cinder would meet etc.
And stroy is pure genious. There are so complex and deep story and flawless backstory. Everything fits together perfectly and we meet to new characters along Scarlet; Thorne and Wolf.
And just as in Cinder, here too Meyer has takes classic Little Red Riding Hood story and makes it completely her own. The base is there and then she has really shaken things up and the final product is perfect. And again, there are some funny details like Scarlets red hoodie.
I really must confess that this was one of those books that I just couln't stop reading. I was reading like a madwoman and I just needed to finish it. And it was great. It was amazing. And the ending... GO, CINDER, GO! Yes! It's unbelievable that she's just sixteen. She is a teenager who has been through a lot and she has managed to grow such a great and strong character and I can't wait to see how she's going to beat Levana.
Please, please, please.. I need to get Cress like NOW. Like yesterday. I would to anything to get ARC. Do you hear me? Anything!
Ps. Kai, I love you. No matter what happens. I L-O-V-E YOU!
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5/5
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This is actually my second time reading this book. First time was in august and now I wanted to read these fisrt books of this series as I'm waiting for next book to be published (I can't wait). I didn't review this book after first time and maybe it's good, cos after second reading, the book opened to me in whole new way and I liked this book even more than.
I can't believe it that I haven't read this book before. I mean, it took over year for me to find this book. But maybe it isn't such a surprise after all, I usually don' really like cyborgs and androids etc, they're too much scifi for me. But that wasn't the case with this book, cos when I sew the cover and started reading, I couln't help, but to love this book.
Meyer has taken the traditional Cinderella story and using it as a base, she made the whole new world and story. These are many familiar elements, like evil stepmother, two stepsisters, tha grand ball and the glass shoe (except in this story its actually Cinders fallen cyborg foot). There are also many funny little details and stuff that you can remember from the original Cinderella. Like Cinders "getaway car". “It looks more like a rotting pumpkin.” There are our heroines magic pumpkin carriege.
There are also clever mentions about upcoming books. They mention quenn Levanas stepdaughter Winter (Snow White) and Cress (Rapunzel) who lives and a satellite. I think that they are things that tells, that Meyer has really thought this story and upcoming books a lot. Considering that this is only first book in this series. She doesn't mention a lot, I think that she doensn't even mention Cresses name and Winter is just queen Levanas stepdaughter.
But what should I tell about this book without telling too much... Its really well written, and the story is smooth. Cinder is lovely, smart and strong femalelead, who has been through a lot. I loved Iko and her personality, it really was something. x) Prince Kai is wonderful. He is so fair and righteous and... I just love him. He will be great emperor who has to do some really tough choises. Queen Levana is really The Evil Queen, so cruel and wicked and ruthless.
This is absolutely one of my favourite series all time and I absolute recommend it to everyone. Even if you really donät like scifi. This book has mystery, action, romance and everything you can want. And it's scifi without being too scifi.
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In finnish:
Luen tätä kirjaa itseasiassa jo toistamiseen tämän vuoden aikana. Ensimmäisen kerran luin kirjan elokuussa, ja nyt ajattelin lukea sarjan ensimmäiset osat uudestaan odotellessani seuraavan osan julkaisua (jota en malta odottaa). Ensimmäisen lukukerran jälkeen en kirjaa arvioinut ja ehkä hyvä niin, koska toisen lukukirjan jälkeen kirja avautui täysin uudella tavalla ja pidin kirjasta jopa vielä enemmän kuin ensimmäisen lukukerran jälkeen.
Uskomatonta, että tämä kirja oli jäänyt minulta lukematta niin pitkään. Toisaalta se ei ole ihme, koska yleensä kyborgit, androidit yms. on hieman liian scifiä minulle. Perun puheeni kuitenkin täysin tämän kirjan kohdalla, koska kun näin kirjan kannen ja aloitin lukemisen ja todella ymmärsin mistä tarinassa on kyse, en voinut kuin rakastua kirjaan.
Meyer on ottanut perinteisen Tuhkimo-tarinan käsittelyynsä ja sitä runkona käyttäen muotoillut täysin uudenlaisen maailman ja täysin uudenlaisen tarinan. Monet tutut elementit tarinasta löytyvät, kuten kamala äitipuoli, kaksi sisarpuolta ja pudonnut lasikenkä (tässä tapauksessa kuitenkin kyse on tietenkin kyborgin jalasta). Tarkka lukija huomaa myös pieniä yksityiskohtia, jotka eivät ole niin selkeitä, mutta kuitenkin tuttuja perinteisestä Tuhkimosta. Itseä huvitti esimerkiksi Cinderin "pakoauto", jonka ulkonäkö oli kuin pilaantuva kurpitsa. Tässä siis tarinamme Tuhkimon kurpitsavaunut.
Kirjassa pohjustetaan myös nokkelasti jo tulevia kirjoja, kun mainitaan kuningatar Levanan tytärpuoli Winter (Lumikki), sekä satelliitissa asuva Cress (Tähkäpää). Tämä kertoo siitä, että kirjailija on hyvin suunnittellut sarjaa jo paljon eteenpäinkin, vaikka kyseessä on vasta sarjan avausosa. Kovin paljoa näistä hahmoista ei kerrota, Cressin nimeä ei muistaakseni edes mainita, vaikka hän muuten tarinassa vilahtaakin ja Winteristä taas kerrotaan vain, että tämä on Levanan tytärpuoli.
Mutta mitä kertoisiinkaan itse kirjasta ja sen tapahtumista paljastamassa kuitenkaan liikaa... Tarina etenee hyvää tahtia ja asioita on selvästi mietitty tarkkaan, koska itselleni ei ainakaan tullut mieleen mitään epäloogisuuksia. Cinder on hurmaava, nokkela ja vahva naishahmo, joka on kokenut kovia elämässään siltikään lannistumatta. Sivuhahmoista mieleeni jäi kaikkein parhaiten androidi Iko, jonka persoonallisuus todella on aivan omaa luokkaansa. Prinssi Kai on oikeudenmukainen ja reilu tuore keisari, joka joutuu tekemään paljon vaikeita päätöksiä pelastaakseen maansa ja kenties koko planeettamme. Kuningatar Levana on juuri sellainen kuin ilkeä kuningatar kuvitelmissani voisi olla, armoton ja julma.
Tämä on ehdottomasti yksi sarjoista, jotka olisivat todella upeita elokuvana. Suosittelisin sarjaa ehdottomasti kaikille toiminnan, mysteerin ja romantiikan ystäville. Ja vaikkei scifi ja kyborgit eivät olisikaan suosikkityyliesi listalla, älä tuomitse kirjaa pelkän aiheen perusteella. Kirja on scifiä olematta kuitenkaan liian scifiä.
435 words.
