Dragons Are People, Too by Sarah Nicolas

Published: April 28th, 2015

Publisher: Entangled 

Pages: 255

Copy: Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

Never judge a dragon
by her human cover...

Sixteen-year-old Kitty Lung has everyone convinced she’s a normal teen—not a secret government operative, not the one charged with protecting the president’s son, and certainly not a were-dragon. The only one she trusts with the truth is her best friend—and secret crush—the über-hot Bulisani Mathe.

Then a junior operative breaks Rule Number One by changing into his dragon form in public—on Kitty’s watch—and suddenly, the world knows. About dragons. About the Draconic Intelligence Command (DIC) Kitty works for. About Kitty herself.

Now the government is hunting down and incarcerating dragons to stop a public panic, and a new shape-shifting enemy has kidnapped the president’s son. Kitty and Bulisani are the last free dragons, wanted by both their allies and their enemies. If they can’t rescue the president’s son and liberate their fellow dragons before getting caught themselves, dragons might never live free again.


Oh my goodness, how much I loved this wonderful book.  Of course, we have a major dragon lover here, but I defy anyone not to love Kitty and Sani.  Kitty is funny and  although occasionally my older brain went !!, I'm certain today's teens will just love her snarky asides.  Anyone who gets up in the middle of the night for a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup when she can't sleep has to be ok in my book.  Sani is a much more complex character and I really look forward to digging deeper into his past in subsequent books, but he is such a nice person.  The glimpse we get into his past would lead us to expect a very bitter teen, but he is not at all and I really enjoyed his character.  It is so obvious what he wants, but he struggles with a promise he once made and is really very honourable.  Ahhh!

There is a lot going on in 'Dragons are People, Too' and the pacing was fast and compelling.  There are some red herrings thrown in that threw me completely off track and I was surprised on a couple of occasions, which I really enjoy. 

But let's talk dragons here.  Dragons from different continents are different from each other - English dragons can breathe fire, African dragons are smaller, but smarter and faster, Chinese dragons don't have wings - yup, that threw me for a loop too, but they can fly, and the mechanics of it make a lot of sense.  Does anyone here remember seeing the movie version of 'The Neverending Story'?  Do you remember what the dragon in it looked like?  Long and white and furry?  Well that is exactly how I picture Kitty, only slightly more feminine.  I kept wanting to get close to her and give her a cuddle.

Cuddly dragons aside, 'Dragons are People, Too' was exciting, mysterious and romantic and I loved every minute of it.  I really can't wait to find out what happens next.  Even if you're not a huge dragon fan, you'll probably enjoy this one just for the mystery.

Waiting on Wednesday - Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

I am a big fan of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series.  I am eagerly awaiting Book #4 but it doesn't come out until the fall.  Are any of your also waiting for it? Why not satisfy your author craving with her new series?

- Christinabean

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received

This week I got: 

I visited my local library this weekend and I picked out the Beautiful Creatures series.  I feel badly for saying this but I only finished books #1-3 so I REALLY need to finish it up.....I hope I haven't forgotten so much that I need to re-read the first 3....

Have you ever stopped reading a series and then had to re-read it to catch up again?  I would love to hear your comments...

- Christinabean

Shout Out to Indies - My Soul Immortal Book One: Fated Eternals by Jen Printy

We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting.

This week's selection is:

Jack’s immortality is exposed when he prevents a liquor store heist, forcing him to flee to protect his secret—a secret not even he understands. But when he meets Leah Winters—a mirror image of his decades-lost love, Lydia—his very soul is laid bare. He begins to question his sanity. Is she real, and if so, what does that mean for Jack and his secret?

Jack’s not the only mystery man in town. A stranger named Artagan hints at knowledge Jack is desperate to possess. But can he trust Artagan, or does the dark newcomer harbor deadly secrets of his own?

As Jack’s bond with Leah grows, so does the danger to her life. Jack must discover just how much he is willing to risk in order to save the woman he already lost once. 

An endless love, for an endless price.

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We asked Jen why she likes to write:

 

Why I write...

     Like most authors, I’ve been writing stories since I was a child. I loved driving into my own imagination and see where it took me. I dreamt of someone being a published author. But as most of us as I grew I had 101 excuses that got in the way of chasing that dream.  “I don’t have time.” “You haven’t seen my schedule. Children. Job. School. Dirty dishes.” “My writing isn’t good enough.” “I don’t have a story to tell.” And the list rolls on. Besides, I had a job I loved. Life already felt like a juggling act, did I have the time to chase one old, forgot dream? What I realized was when I’m one hundred and three, rocking in a rocking chair, knitting a pair of socks, I’m not going to remember the dirty dishes, the unfolded laundry, or even the forgotten dust bunnies under the bed. I’m going to remember the big things—those forgotten adventures on my bucket lists waiting for me. The ones accomplished and the ones I never found time to chase.

     Luckily, I had a great teacher. Besides teaching me how to enjoy the little things along with the big, my dad showed me you’re never to old to chase your dreams. His dream was to travel the world, not to just see it, but to help where he was needed. You see, he always had a heart for people. Years past and because of finances and obligations, my father had to put his dream on hold. It wasn't until he was older when his dreams were realized. Many told him it was a dream for a younger man, but my dad didn’t let his 70+ years stop him. He followed his heart, traveling to Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and as far as Cambodia. He knew he’d regret it others wise. “Life is short,” he said.

     So at 41 years old, I walked into the living room, looked at my husband, and said, “I’ve decided I’m going to write a book.” And so the adventure began. Like most journeys worth taking, there have been peaks and valleys, and moment where I doubted myself and this path. But I’m glad I decided to take the bull by the horns and emulate my father. Chasing down my forgotten childhood dream has been one of my best decisions to date.

Author Bio: (I've attached my author photo also)

Since childhood, Jen Printy has been writing. Whether working on stories about a fantasy world or everyday life in Maine, Jen loved losing herself in the worlds she created on paper. The arts in all forms have always been an important part of Jen’s life, a love instilled in her by her father. When Jen isn’t writing, she’s sculpting as a freelance doll artist.

Jen lives with her husband, two daughters, and diva dog Cookie in southern Maine, where she loves spending time friends and family, finding treasures along the seashore, or enjoying a Guinness at her favorite local pub.

Social Media Links:

http://www.jenprinty.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JenPrintyAuthor

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

How did you come up with your blog title and address? Does it have a special meaning for you? – Suggested by The Paperback Princesses.

YES!!  WE ARE IN THE BIG LEAGUES!!  WE MADE IT ONTO A FEATURE FOLLOW QUESTION!!

In all seriousness, Curlypow and I were working together at a local library and wanted to start up a blog because we LOVE YA titles and felt that many readers tend to fall off the reading wagon as they get older. There is lots of emphasis on encouraging children to read and plenty of adults read but then only the lovers of reading come back in their teens.  I get it. Teens get busy with friends, texting, school, texting, sports, dating, more texting, social media...etc....But you know what? YOU'RE MISSING OUT!! There are so many FANTASTIC reads perfect for this age range...and ahem...adults too.  So we created The Paperback Princesses to review and recommend YA titles originally geared at librarians and educators but basically for anyone looking to start a good read.  The title is a play on words from a popular children's book by Robert Munsch - The Paperbag Princess (btw, the princess totally kicks butt).  And of course we wanted our web address to make sense, convey what we are about and be memorable - - www.allaboutyabooks.com,

So do you think you'll remember us?  Hope so!

- Christinabean 

p.s. Curlypow is taking a bit of a break to spend with her new GRANDDAUGHTER!  Congrats Curlypow!!

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Undertow by Michael Buckley

Published: May 5th, 2015

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 384

Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

Action, suspense, and romance whirlpool dangerously in this cinematic saga, a blend of District 9 and The Outsiders.
Curlypow's thoughts:

When I first started reading Undertow  I felt it was just a wee bit slow to get started, and I was surprised by that since I had only seen really good reviews at that point. However, I must admit that the story did actually pick up almost immediately after I was having those thoughts and in the end I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Kudos to Mr Buckley for his amazing descriptions of the Alpha.  Picture the pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean when they are at they're nastiest with all the seaweed and shells and etc, and then add some more nastiness - razor sharp shells that protrude from an arm, anyone?  I had no problems at all in visualizing these characters and this added to my reading fun.

As much as I enjoyed the teen characters - Lyric and Fathom - their story was an inevitable romance - my favourite characters were actually the adults.  Doyle, the principal at the high school was a great adult character, tough, smart and  fair.  Bachman, the governor, is the true antithesis of Doyle and she is so  blinded by prejudice that she instigates violence and problems at every turn and dares to call it justice. There is a wonderful speech from one of the teachers about tolerance and the perils of doing nothing that completely resonated with me in regard to today's society and the unfortunate tendency to just stand by and watch instead of fighting against bullying, particularly online.

Undertow was honestly just a little predictable for me and I don't think there were many surprises, (one nice one, but I won't spoil it) but the characters and the action did keep my interest after the initial hiccup and I am looking forward to seeing how Lyric and Fathom cope with the inevitable changes in the next book.  Oh, and that book cover - perfect.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Replaced by Kimberly Derting

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

 

 

Summary (by Goodreads):

 

Romantic and action-packed, The Replaced is the gripping second installment in the Taking trilogy.

Kyra hasn't been the same since she returned from her mysterious five-year disappearance. Now, on the run from the NSA, Kyra is forced to hide out with others who, like her, have been Returned. Yet she is determined to find Tyler, the boy she loves who was also abducted—all because of her. When her group intercepts a message that Tyler might still be alive but is in the hands of a shadowy government organization that experiments on the Returned, Kyra knows it's a risk to go after him. What if it's a trap? And worse, what if the returned Tyler isn't the same boy she lost?

Perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and the Body Finder series, The Replaced is both chilling and explosive, with creepy, otherworldly elements and twisty, psychological thrills that will have you questioning what exactly it means to be human.   

An apology and an introduction

Hi All,

I really should have put up a couple of posts over the weekend, but I have been rather busy at home and with my daughter.  So I would like to apologize for the omission and introduce you to the reason why:



Meet Ivy Grace, my new granddaughter.  She arrived with very little fuss and bother on Friday and is of course taking over everyone's lives, including my own. So if my posts are a little sparse for the next week or so, I hope you'll understand.  I'm off now to give my grandson a hug so that he doesn't feel left out.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received

This week I got: 

A HUGE Thank You to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me these ARC's.  Looks like I'm going to be busy reading this spring...and I can say that it is now spring (even though I am still expecting snow) because my allergies have started....

- Christinabean

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Here is €/£/$100,000. Buy something. Anything at all! What would be the first thing you choose, and why?

I think I would put the money down on a second home on a lake or somewhere warm. My husband and I are HGTV fans ... especially the programs about vacation property rentals.  We would eventually like to own several properties, rent them all out and live off the income....retire early and stop working.   

Imagine how many books I could read if I wasn't working?? 

- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Published: October 2014

Publisher: G.P. Putnum's Son's Books for Young Readers

Pages: 355

Copy Provided by: Borrowed

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt. 

Review:

It is so hard to come up with a review for this title.  I loved it but in some ways I hated that I loved it because the villian of the story is actually the main character.  Perhaps maybe that is what made this title so intriguing and captivating to read.  We often want the main character to be the hero but Adelina is so broken and confused.  She is like Luke turning to the dark side....but with scarier powers.  Where do I even begin?

So the story starts with Adelina's childhood.  She is the survivor of the blood fever which left her scarred and identified as an outcast in society.  Her mother has died and her father favors her over her sister.  It is hard to read about her childhood memories and the things that tore at her soul because of the way her father treated her...for something that was never her fault.

The Young Elites are a type of x-men group of underdog superheroes with extraordinary powers brought on by the survival of a disease that has plagued a nation.  They do have royal ties though and they struggle to regain the throne after a Duke seized power discovering his brother in law was a malfetto.  The idea of society shunning people because of these strange markings, and fear of the unknown starts to intensify as the royal family begins to crack down on malfettos, accusing them of wrong-doings.  Society has to start deciding who to side with.  

Adelina is caught between the two side as she desperately tries to become one of The Elite.  She has the skills and the abilities but can she stay in control?  This was not a novel I was able to predict and I was shocked by certain events but yet I had to continue reading to find out what was going to happen next.  It is not your ordinary superhero story...but well worth a read.  I liked it.  And I'm so bummed that The Rose Society doesn't come out until October!!

- Christinabean

Waiting on Wednesday - An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself. 

You had me at epic fantasy. 

- Christinabean

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Published: March 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 357

Copy Provided by: Borrowed

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

Review:

I love Lauren Oliver. She was one of the first YA novel writers that I got into for contemporary fiction.  Not only that but when I wrote to tell her how much I loved Before I Fall, she wrote me back.  She was still fairly new on the scene but the fact that she took the time to write me made me all the more awestruck.

Vanishing Girls is a little bit more edgy than Before I Fall.  I have to admit that I have not yet read the Delirium series even though it is on my bookshelf.  As I've said before...so many books, so little time. 

I found that a lot of the book is implied in Vanishing Girls.  Lauren spends a lot of time building things up and then it picks up steam 60% of the way through.  I had a lot of WTH moments but it all came together at the end.  

One of the things that I REALLY enjoyed in this novel was how she tied the fair into her locations.  Alice tells Nick about the magic of the fair, and I have to agree.  There is something about going to a fair that excites and compels the senses to trick your mind into feeling like you are somewhere magical and different where you can forget about your worries and just believe.  I feel the same way about DisneyWorld.  

Nick is caught in so many different paths in her life, it is hard to pick the one that is real.  Can she find her sister before her time runs out?  Fans of E. Lockhart's We Were Liars are going to love this one.

- Christinabean

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received

This week I got: 

Summary (by Goodreads)

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray. 

The review said Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare.  Who could argue with that? Plus, Kiersten White is the awesome author of the Paranormalcy series and Mind Games along with Chaos of Stars.  I picked this one up from the bookstore over the weekend. What's in your mailbox?

- Christinabean

Shout Out to Indies - Awoken by Sarah Noffke

We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting.

This weeks selection is:

Around the world humans are hallucinating after sleepless nights. 
In a sterile, underground institute the forecasters keep reporting the same events.
And in the backwoods of Texas, a sixteen-year-old girl is about to be caught up in a fierce, ethereal battle.
Meet Roya Stark. She drowns every night in her dreams, spends her hours reading classic literature to avoid her family’s ridicule, and is prone to premonitions—which are becoming more frequent. And now her dreams are filled with strangers offering to reveal what she has always wanted to know: Who is she? That’s the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. But will Roya live to regret learning the truth?

Bio

I'm the author of The Lucidites series which was released in November 2014. Although I've been everything from a corporate manager to a hippie, my heart has always belonged to the idea of being a YA author. While sitting in boring meetings I used to fantasize about the grand adventures the characters in my stories would have someday...when I had time to write them. Through the years, I tried to fit writing in on my lunch breaks and long weekends, but it was never enough. I finally made the decision in 2012 that I'd work every single night until I finished a novel. Six weeks later my first book, Awoken, was born.  

We asked Sarah why she likes to write YA:

To me, there is no better genre than YA. For young adults nothing is fixed. They don't know who they are completely, who they'll become, who'll they meet or who they'll marry. Everything is up for grabs. And they're resilient and adventuresome, which makes for interesting characters and lots of action. I actually teach writing to college freshman and I absolutely love their passion. I take a lot of inspiration from watching my students. I love that they have so much to learn and at the very same time, so much to offer. That's how I see my characters and it's why I love writing YA.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Published: January 2015

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 222

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: 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.

Review:

God I love this series....Fairest is a novella telling the story of Levana and how she became all wicked and twisted.  Because as a child, she never really seemed to be that way.  Do they ever??

She was brought up in a household all alone with a cruel sister.  We find out why she must always glamour herself and how she came to receive no love from anyone.  How she used her Lunar gifts for manipulation and how she really does love her country but does not save them in a good way because of the way she was raised.  She lacks compassion and understanding for her people because she herself did not grow up with it.  

We also learn the backstory of young Cinder and how her presence had threatened Levana.  Plus, we learn a little about Winter's story.  

How Marissa Meyer managed to combine the stories of Rapunzel, Snow White, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood all into one complicated sci-fi mashup is beyond me but BRAVO!!! It works and I love it!!  How can you make us wait until the fall to read WINTER though??  There was a 5 chapter teaser in Fairest but really, in the end, I think they should have named the book - Unfairest because we have to wait so long....

If you haven't already started reading the Lunar Chronicles, you are TOTALLY missing out.  I am going to have to say that it is going to be added to my top 10 series list.  I love it THAT much!!

- Christinabean