Book Review- Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet

 Author: Marissa Meyer

Series:   Lunar Chronicles#2

Published:  7 February 2013 by Penguin

Length:452 pages

Source: Publisher

Other info: This is book 2 in the Lunar Chronicles series. Book one was Cinder and was reviewed here. Books three and four will be Cress and Winter.

Summary : Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other. Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana. As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

Review: The police have given up on finding Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother, but she hasn’t. She’s at the cagefights where she meets Wolf, a fighter who she wants to trust, but isn’t sure she should. The whole book leads straight on from the end of Cinder, so Cinder is in prison as a fugitive despite her being who she is. With Thorne, another prisoner, she escapes to find Michelle Benoit, who might have information to stay out of Queen Levana’s way. Various things happen and there’s many more mysteries to unravel.

I was so ready for this. I absolutely loved Cinder (review here) and Scarlet didn’t disappoint in mixing scifi and fairytale elements. Once again, you get major plot points of Red Riding Hood, but moved around to fit the plot and cyberpunk world.

 I love the fact that we get more Cinder! I’m looking forwards to the way this series is working-as well as bringing in a cool new girl, we get the cool ones from before back. Looking forwards to the fourth one where we get (hopefully) four kickass heroines.   

Scarlet is just as epic as Cinder. She’s very assertive, really determined and really believes in finding her grandmother. Wolf is someone I halfliked to start with, liked more as we got to know him, then less at various points. End feelings were mixed. The grandmother is so so awesome. Kai, I feel sorry for-he’s obviously being manipulated by Levana and  he goes against what he really wants to do.

There’s lots of plot twists. They’re a bit predictable, but I loved them all the same. So much happened and the action just kept coming.

We get lots of scene changes, which would normally be annoying but doesn’t mess with the flow too badly when done here. You know the trick of cutting off a chapter at a cliffhanger? Normally, this gets resolved in the next chapter. Not so here-you get a chapter of someone else doing important things, dragging out the waiting time. the rest of the writing is really good too.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to another perfectly blended science fiction fairy tale.  A  whole year to wait??? Damn.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |