[Review] Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 4 stars

Published: November 8th 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

"When please, I beat like a drum. When sad, I break like glass. Once stolen, I can never be taken back. What am I?"
She thought for a moment before venturing, "A heart?"
Hatta's eyes warmed. "Very acute, Lady Pinkerton."
"It's very good," she said, "although I wonder whether it wouldnt' be more accurate to say, 'Once given, I can never be taken back."
"That would imply we give our hearts away willingly, and I am not sure that is the case." 

Marissa Meyer is honestly really good at making me sympathize with villains. This introspection on the Queen of Hearts before she was the queen went from cutesy to dark so quickly. She did a fascinating job of making an authentic hearts - full of madness and the impossible, but also crafting into it the origin story of someone who appears to be heartless.

[Review] Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Series: Renegades #1

Rating: 3 stars

Format: ARC Paperback

Release Date: November 7th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.
Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Our Favorite Books of 2015... So Far

2015 is already officially halfway over, and we have rounded up a list of our top three favorite books that we've read in the first half of 2015. 

Yiling's Picks
  

1. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

2. Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond

3. Fairest by Marissa Meyer


Alice's Picks
So 2015 has been an amazing year in YA lit for me, and I've read so many amazing books! In fact, most of the books I've read this year have been rated over four stars! :) It was definitely hard narrowing down my list.



1. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (review to come!)

3. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir


What are your top 3 books of 2015 so far? Let us know in the comments!

[Review] Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 5 Stars

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Version: Hardcover

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Goodreads synopsis:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 


So maybe I'm a bit late reading this book... and after finish this, I really don't know why I put it off for so long. Maybe it was the sci-fi elements since I'm not really a fan of sci-fi; it actually took a few chapters for me to get used to the idea that Iko was a robot! And here I thought robots didn't have personalities. Anyway, Cinder borrows a few elements from Cinderella (like the name) but is most definitely not a retelling. Though there is a very handsome prince. It takes place quite a few years after World War IV, which united Earth into a few nations/kingdoms/etc(?). There is also Luna, which is basically on the moon and is ruled by an evil Queen. Cinder, a cyborg, lives in the Commonwealth and work as a mechanic and it follows her story as she becomes entwined with Prince Kai. 

This is the first ever YA book that I've read with a bunch of science fiction elements in it since I usually steer clear of science fiction, but the fantastic plot and the lovely characters was more than enough to overlook the prominence of sci-fi in this. Its also categorized as a dystopian, which is quite interesting because it does have many dystopian elements, yet I'd hardly compare the Commonwealth to Panem or anything. In fact, Kai is a rather cute just and fair ruler. I think Marissa does a wonderful job creating a futuristic world that we may see as realistic. 

Next up: the romance! There isn't a love triangle! Woohoo. How many YA books these days don't have a love triangle?! Cinder and Kai's relationship developed pretty fast, but they make such a cute couple. I definitely bought in to the romance and it was actually one of my favorite aspects of the novel. 

Overall, I'd definitely reccommend this to anyone that likes dystopia, sci-fi, fantasy, or are just looking for a nice read with wonderful characters! Bring on book 2.

Winter by Marissa Meyer Cover Reveal & Excerpt

So yesterday the cover for Winter , the fourth (and final!) book of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series was finally revealed!

(AHHH!!) I love the glowing apple and the swirls although I have to say that the covers of the series are not my favorite. But its still incredibly exciting to finally have an image for the last book of the series.

In addition to the cover being revealed, an except was also revealed which you can read here. (Scarlet! Winter! Why is November 10th so far away?)

I'm so incredibly excited for this book to come out! What do you guys think about the cover? The excerpt?

Waiting on Wednesday (15) - Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer 

(The Lunar Chronicles #0.1)

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: January 27th, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Why Fairest?

The Lunar Chronicles is my current favorite series and I can't wait to learn all about Queen Levana. I'm a huge fan of back stories- learning who they are, what made them that way. A full novel about one of my favorite villains and will full color art? Yes. Yes. YES. I can't wait for next week!

(Also we currently have a giveaway going on for the first book of the series, Cinder. You can enter here!)

[Giveaway] Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

For our Dreaming of Books Giveaway, enter the world of fairytales with an eBook of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, a book inspired by the classic tale of Cinderella.

Open internationally!

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