Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)

by Marissa Meyer

Hardcover, 452 pages

Published February 5th 2013

Rating:

Synopsis:

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.

Scarlet is the second novel in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series. Like it's predecessor, it is a fairy tale retelling, though not just of CInderella like Cinder. The novel is split between the perspectives of Cinder and Scarlet. This shift in PoV allows readers to be introduced to Scarlet, a character not in the first book, and also allows them to follow Cinder and glimpse into the head of Prince Kai. Meyer's shifts in narration are seamless and do not interrupt the flow of the story, or cause any confusion. This is such a relief because there have been a number of books I have read that have shifts such as these but the transitions are not smooth, and it's not always clear who is speaking: this was nit a problem in Scarlet.

Already being a fan of the characters introduced in the first novel, I fell in love with the new ones we meet. Scarlet is tough and bad-ass. She's a strong character, and one that is also easy to like and admire. Wolf is a difficult character at times. Being Lunar, it brings up the issue of trust: Lunars are the enemy, so how can he be trusted? Scarlet and Wolf made a good pair, I enjoyed their flirtatious dialogue and the romantic tension surrounding them. There were many plot twists involving these two that I did not see coming at all, which was a huge plus for me because I found parts of the first book predictable; Scarlet kept me on my feet. 

While I did enjoy Scarlet's tale, for some reason I found myself wishing the book was more about Cinder, like the first book. I slightly preferred her story to Scarlet's, but I am not complaining; both stories were essential components of this novel. The book would not be the same if it was just told from Cinder's perspective. 

Cinder is pretty kick-ass in this novel. She breaks out of prison, with some help. She's finally starting to accept who, and what, she is. She's learning how to use her Lunar powers, though she feels guilty when having to use them on people. 

I have read many reviews of this book, and the majority of people tend to say this book was better than the first. I disagree however, but if you were to ask me specifically why I feel this way, I cannot really give an answer. Scarlet had more action, more characters to love and loathe, was less predictable, yet I find myself leaning towards the first book as my current favorite. 

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings, aliens, action, adventure; it has a little of everything. If you have not read Cinder yet, check out my review for it and see if it sounds like something for you. This series is easily becoming one of my favorites. 

(Review for Cress, the third novel in the Lunar Chronicles series to be up shortly)