Defy the Fates by Claudia Gray (Constellations book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Defy the Stars and Defy the Worlds, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Hunted and desperate.

Abel only has one mission left that matters: save the life of Noemi Vidal. To do that, he not only has to escape the Genesis authorities, he also must face the one person in the galaxy who still has the means to destroy him. Burton Mansfield's consciousness lives on, desperate for a home, and Abel's own body is his last bargaining chip. 

Alone in the universe.

Brought back from the brink of death, Noemi Vidal finds Abel has not only saved her life, but he's made her into something else, something more. Not quite mech, yet not quite human any longer, Noemi must find her place in a universe where she is utterly unique, all while trying to create a world where anyone--even a mech--can be free.

The final battle between Earth and the colony planets is here, and there's no lengths to which Earth won't go to preserve its domination over all humanity. But together, the universe's most advanced mech and its first human-mech hybrid might have the power to change the galaxy for good.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book is how a series should end. The action picks up immediately where book two ended and never stops. Fast paced, thrilling, and intriguing, Abel and Noemi take fans for a wild ride across the universe. With everyone out to get them, these two never give up on their beliefs and not only fight for their friends but for their enemies as well. After finishing this series, I cannot wait to pick up another one of Ms. Gray’s books 

Visit Claudia Gray’s website.

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (A Lunar Chronicles Collection)

A collection of short stories set in the Lunar Chronicles. Five of these stories have never appeared in print before.

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.

Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….

The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.

Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.

The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.

After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.

The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess

The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.

Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century… taken from Goodreads.com

A worthwhile read for fans of the series.

Visit Marissa Meyer’s website.

Winter by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles book 4)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first four books in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Fairest, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on any of the previous books in this series.

I don’t want to go into too much detail and ruin the story for anyone. Here is where Meyer left off all of our favorite characters. Earth and Luna are at war since Linh Cinder, aka Princess Selene, has escaped from prison. Emperor Kai was kidnapped just before his wedding ceremony to Levana thus foiling her attempts to be crowded Empress of the Eastern Commonwealth. Scarlet Benoit is being held prisoner as one of the displays in Levana’s zoo where Princess Winter has taken a liking to her. Everyone else is aboard the Rampion plotting their next move. When it is decided that the marriage ceremony will take place on Luna, the action heats up as Cinder is determined to take her rightful place on Luna’s throne.

Who will come to Cinder’s aid in her attempts to overthrow Levana? Can Earth be saved from Levana’s determination to rule?  Will our beloved heroines find their happily ever afters?

At over 800 pages to wrap up the storylines of eight different characters, readers are in for a treat to see how this fractured fairytale finally ends.

Stars Above: A Lunar Chronicles Collection, Meyer’s printed collection of short stories, is due out February 2, 2016.

Visit Marissa Meyer’s website
Visit the Lunar Chronicles website.

Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first two books in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Scarlet, Stop! I don't want to read a fantastic twist on some of the best loved fairy tales written.

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

For more than seven years, Cress has been trapped in a nightmare. She is imprisoned in a satellite that makes one orbit around Earth every sixteen hours. She loved to gaze at Earth and pretend she was on a mission to land on the planet. Cress avoided any views of Luna. As she passes by Luna today, Cress cannot tear her gaze away from her invisi-screens and the mass murders that gave occurred on Earth at the bidding of the Lunar Queen. Emperor Kaito of the Eastern Commonwealth has agreed to marry Queen Levana to stop the attacks. Cress is sick to her stomach that she has done Mistress Sybil's bidding; she cloaked the ships carrying the attackers from Earth's detection. Only after the damage has been done has she realized what Queen Levana planned to do.

Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf and Iko have just over fifteen days to stop the royal wedding between Kai and Levana. Their rough plan is to cause a distraction that will allow them to get into the palace. Once there, Cinder will announce to the world that she is really the loss Lunar Princess, Selene. From there, she really isn't sure if a cyborg can be accepted as Queen. Wolf has been training her but it seems she has a long way to go if she plans on fighting.

Queen Levana has asked that Cress locate Cinder's ship. Cress tells Sybil that she is looking but hasn't found it yet but she is lying. She is an expert hacker since is forced to live a solitary life with only her computers for company. Cress located the ship fairly quickly but has cloaked it from both Earth and Luna. She has a crush on Thorne and is waiting for Cinder to contact her again. When a D-COMM request link comes from Mechanic, Cress eagerly accepts knowing it is from Cinder. She is completely unnerved when Thorne shows up on the screen. Their first meeting doesn't go as Cress planned. Speaking with Cinder, Cress fills in them in on how she has cloaked their ship from both Luna and Earth. Cinder and her friends are shocked to learn that Cress resides on a satellite. They make plans to retrieve Cress from her satellite even though it may be a Lunar trap.

Cress is cleaning up to prepare herself for Cinder’s arrival. Just as she has finished her bath, she receives an incoming message that Mistress Sybil is about to dock. Cress realizes that Cinder's ship is about an hour away. Sybil has brought Cress some work. Levana wants her to program a new bug for Emperor Kai's office. Before she can get her off of the satellite, Sybil notices where Cress has the D-COMM with Cinder established. She immediately knows that Cress has been secretly helping Cinder. Sybil devises a plan to capture her.

Throne pilots the pod ship to Cress' satellite. He docks and is immediately captured along with Cress. Cinder has no idea what is happening aboard the satellite. When the pod ship comes back to the Rampion, Cinder is able to detect two life forms but Scarlet and Wolf are worried that it may be a trap. Cinder decides that she is the only one capable of even standing up to a Lunar and greets the ship alone. Unfortunately, it is a trick. Sybil has glamoured herself and her guard. In the insuring battle, Wolf comes to help Cinder but is shot. Sybil tries to escape with her guard while Cinder attempts to drag Wolf and Scarlet to safety. Cinder tells Iko to open the hatch to hopefully suck Sybil out of the airlock. Before she can, she sees that the guard's glamour is fading and that he is really Scarlet. She looks at her Scarlett and realizes that she has the guard. Sybil escapes with Scarlett.

Wolf is seriously wounded and Cinder is torn between helping him and rescuing Throne and Scarlet. The guard tells her that Sybil has an army close by and she will come after her. He helps her get Wolf stabilized. He can pilot the ship for her. Cinder must find a place to hide. They need to get help for Wolf. He tells her that she can do nothing for Scarlet. She is as good as dead. Sybil also changed the trajectory of the satellite to burn up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere. Cinder asks him how she can trust him when he serves the Queen. The guard answers, "I serve my princess. No one else." Cinder is shocked that he knows who she is and realizes that he is telling the truth.

Who is Cress? Why was she banished to the satellite? Will she and Thorne make it to Earth? What happens to Scarlet? Who does Cinder find to help Wolf? Can his life be saved? Will the royal wedding take place? How did the guard know who Cinder was? Who help her in her mission to claim the Lunar throne?

The Lunar Chronicles will conclude in 2015 with the publication of Winter, a Snow White retelling. If the ending of Cress is any indication Winter is going to be a fantastic ending to the series.

Visit Marissa Meyer's website.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first book in the series, Cinder, Stop! I don't want to ruin the story for you.

“The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth …”

Scarlet Benoit is stunned when she receives word from the police department about her missing grandmother. Her case has been closed due to a lack of evidence of either violence or foul play. The police believe she either left of her own free will or committed suicide. Scarlet is furious. Deep down she knows something horrible has befallen her grandmother. In an effort to relieve her anger, she begins to hurl tomatoes from her delivery at the back wall of the Rieux Tavern. Gilles, the tavern owner, stops her and she unloads the delivery in the back storeroom. Emilie, a waitress, comes to Scarlet and gushes how acute street fighter has come in every day that week to sit at one of her tables. Emilie sees Scarlet’s face She sheepishly asks about her grandmother.

Waiting to have her delivery slip signed, Gilles has Scarlet take out an order while he completes the paperwork. The order goes to the street fighter’s table. Scarlet sees why Emilie is so taken with him. The two begin to partake in idle chit chat and Scarlet is surprised to see that he has a soft almost vulnerable demeanor. Suddenly, a bar patron draws their attention to the netscreen. The top story is about the Eastern Commonwealth ball hosted by the newly crowned Emperor Kai. A Lunar cyborg infiltrated the ball and it is believed that she was there to assassinate either the Emperor or the visiting Lunar queen. (Sound familiar Cinder fans?) The video shows the teenage cyborg falling down the stairs and losing her foot. The tavern customers are calling for her head when Scarlet blows a gasket. Leaping on the bar top to defend the cyborg,Scarlet quickly draws the ire of everyone but the street fighter. When someone calls her as crazy as her grandmother, Scarlet begins a brawl with the patrons.The street fighter quickly comes to her rescue and Gilles ends up throwing the both of them out.

In the alleyway as Scarlet is repacking her ship, the street fighter reveals himself in the shadows. He offers to buy more of Scarlet’s produce and then asks for a job. She doesn’t need him right then and he tells her his name is Wolf. If she can find work for him, he is staying at the abandoned Morel house. Once back at the farm, Scarlet notices a light in in her grandmother’s bedroom. She quickly races in to find the room ransacked and her almost unrecognizable father. He claims to be looking for something of his mother’s, Scarlet’s grandmother. Not knowing what that might be; Scarlet is shocked to see that her father’s arm is burned, torture-like. Finally getting the story out of him, Scarlet learns he was forced to burn himself while his mother watched. She refused to tell them the information they were looking for. He was released when the kidnappers realized she cared nothing for her son. Scarlet asks her father what they looked like and all he can remember is a tattoo of letters and numbers near a man’s elbow. Recalling that Wolf had a similar tattoo, Scarlet tells her father to comm the police if she isn’t back in three hours from the Morel place.

Once there, Scarlet locates Wolf just before his fight. She confronts him about the kidnappers and torture but he truly has no idea what she is talking about. As he is entering the ring for the fight, Wolf tells her that he is not the only one with a tattoo like that. She is stunned by his answer and then by him winning the fight where he was the underdog. Suddenly, the police arrive and Scarlet and Wolf flee.

Cinder finds herself in the New Beijing prison the morning after the ball. Dr. Erland sneaked into her prison cell to give her a new foot and replace her cyborg hand with a state of the art one. He revealed her true origins and tells her to escape and meet him in Africa. Using her newfound abilities, Cinder persuades the guards to move her to a less secure cell. She is placed next to Carswell Thorne, an ex-Air Force cadet from America from the American Republic. Wanted by several republics, Cinder finds out Carswell still has the stolen hovercraft from America. She is able to talk him into escaping and flying her to Africa. After a close call in the warehouse when Thorne stored the hovercraft, the two are able to escape the Eastern Commonwealth.

The next morning, Wolf shows up at Scarlet’s farm and tells her about his tattoo and why he has it. Frantic about her grandmother, he agrees to help Scarlet find her. Along the way, Scarlet and Wolf run into Cinder and find out that their lives are connected. Who exactly is Wolf? Will he and Scarlet be able to rescue he rgrandmother in time? What secret does she hold? Can Cinder and Carswell stay one step ahead of the Lunar queen? And what happens when Scarlet meets Cinder?

Book three inthe Lunar Chronicles, Cress, aretelling of Rapunzel, is due out in 2014.

Visit Marissa Meyer's website. 

Book 1.5 - The Queen's Army

An ebook short story that provides a background into Wolf.

 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles book one)

In this futuristic retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale, Cinder is a gifted mechanic who is also a cyborg. Adopted be her stepfather while he was on a trip in Europe, he died from the plague before they could get back home to New Beijing. Cinder lives in an apartment with her stepmother/guardian Adri and her two stepsisters, Pearl and Peony. Cinder supports the family be working as a mechanic in the market. It is in her stall that Cinder encounters Prince Kai when he comes looking to find the best mechanic in the city to work on his personal android. Cinder does her best not to become flustered by his attentiveness and hides the fact that she is a cyborg. After the prince leaves, panic breaks out in the market when the baker realizes that she is infected by the plague. Cinder hides in her stall until the coast is clear before heading back towards the apartment.

When Cinder arrives home, she finds that Adri has hired a seamstress to make new ball gowns for Pearl and Peony. Adri tells Cinder that if she is able to repair the magbelt that she might see about getting a gown for Cinder. Cinder knows she is lying but doesn’t let on. Instead she heads to her basement workshop to deposit Prince Kai’s broken android. It is here that Peony finds her and offers to accompany her to the landfill to look for the necessary parts. The girls head off and find what they need. The evening turns to tragedy when Cinder notices that Peony has the telltale signs of the plague. The med droids arrive to take Peony to quarantine and Cinder eventually heads back to the apartment. When Cinder arrives home, she finds her stepmother and several droids waiting. Cinder tells them she has no sign if the disease but Adri informs her that she has signed the papers for her to become a cyborg volunteer for research to find a cure for the plague.

Cinder is taken against her will where she is injected with the plague antibodies instead of getting sick. The doctor is awestruck as he watches Cinder’s body fight off the antibodies before she is given the experimental drugs. In the meantime, Emperor Rikan lies dying from the plague at the palace. Prince Kai knows that within the week he will become emperor whether he wants to or not. New Beijing is dealing not only with the plague crisis, but with the continuing threats from Queen Levana of Lunar. When the emperor dies, Queen Levana announces she is coming to visit New Beijing and continue their negotiations in person.

Why is Cinder immune to the plague? Can a cure be found in time to save Peony? What exactly is the mystery behind Cinder’ origins? Will Prince Kai discover that Cinder is a cyborg? What are Queen Levana’s true intentions? And what happens when Queen Levana lays eyes on Cinder?