Today's review will be about:
THE SUMMARY
Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon A Time....
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 next move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl...
Sixteen-year-old Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past and is reviled by her stepmother. 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 the world's future. Because there is something unusual about Cinder, something that others would kill for.
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 next move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl...
Sixteen-year-old Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past and is reviled by her stepmother. 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 the world's future. Because there is something unusual about Cinder, something that others would kill for.
MY REVIEW
If you don't already know, I am obsessed with fairy tales and very interested in steam punk. So, as you can imagine, I was very happy to see that this book was a blending of both!
The story takes Cinderella and puts her in futuristic China with robots and all of the futuristic technology that comes with that, along with ID chips (yikes!) and bionic limbs. Cyborgs are looked down upon in the society, but it's never really stated why. Maybe it's because they're somehow less human with iron limbs, but don't ask me.
The other thing that really reeled (get it? like a hook? hahaha.... well I thought it was funny...) me into the plot was the disease that is a very important part of the story. Letumosis is this terminal disease that you only get the symptoms of when you're in the second stage, and by then, there's nothing anyone can do but quarantine you until you die painfully. It starts out as bruise-like spots that spread all over your body, and then you get a fever and sweat, and after that, death.
Wow! That last paragraph was really depressing, wasn't it? Let's get on with this then.
The Lunar people in this book are interesting as well. They come from (you guessed it) the moon, and have a very evil Queen named Levana. Queen Levana is the perfect example how something that is too perfect in looks can just look, well, wrong. Her face is perfectly symmetrical, her lips, face, and eyes perfectly shaped with no wrinkles, spots, or blemishes of any kind. However, all of it is an illusion which is seen through with a mirror. So, as you can imagine, the Queen hates mirrors. All other Lunars can do what the Queen can do, it's just that she has more power and can actually kill people if they have a mirror with them.
The main characters were really cool as well. I really connected with the awkward tomboy mechanic that was Cinder. Just like Cinderella, Cinder has two stepsisters, but like the Ever After movie with Drew Barrymore, Cinder has a stepsister that is nice to her, but the other one is as mean as her stepmother, Adri. Cinder has another friend in Iko, who is probably one of the funniest droids that I have ever read about. During one part, she actually puts on Adri's pearls and makeup, and then walks around like she's going to the ball. Many lols were had over this little character. :)
And of course, like all fairy tales, we have our Prince Charming, Kaito. I was expecting him to be like any other fairy tale prince (you know, blonde hair, blue eyes, really dumb at anything but the sword), but he was a lot more like Charming from Once Upon A Time. He does everything he can to rule the kingdom like a just prince, but he isn't just a ruler. He has so many layers to him that really take away from the 2D princes we're so used to seeing. I'm not going to tell you everything about him because then what's the fun in reading the book?
When I was finished with the book, I started reading the Q&A that was in the back, and that was when I realized: I may have a new favorite author.
No seriously, when they asked her questions about the book and stuff, she kept answering in ways that made me laugh! For example:
Q: Who's more attractive, a prince or a mechanic?
A: A mechanic. I like men with useful skills. Running a country? Psh. Fixing that weird sound in the engine? Yes, please!
Q: If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
A: An aspiring writer.
There's nothing more awesome than an author who likes to have fun. All of my favorite authors tend to have silly senses of humor (example: Rick Riordan), and from this Q&A, I could tell that I would like her if I happened to meet her.
All in all, if you like steam punk, romance, fairy tales, and funny moments, you are going to love this book. However, I would say that you should keep the second book Scarlet pretty close because you're going to need it. ;)
The story takes Cinderella and puts her in futuristic China with robots and all of the futuristic technology that comes with that, along with ID chips (yikes!) and bionic limbs. Cyborgs are looked down upon in the society, but it's never really stated why. Maybe it's because they're somehow less human with iron limbs, but don't ask me.
The other thing that really reeled (get it? like a hook? hahaha.... well I thought it was funny...) me into the plot was the disease that is a very important part of the story. Letumosis is this terminal disease that you only get the symptoms of when you're in the second stage, and by then, there's nothing anyone can do but quarantine you until you die painfully. It starts out as bruise-like spots that spread all over your body, and then you get a fever and sweat, and after that, death.
Wow! That last paragraph was really depressing, wasn't it? Let's get on with this then.
 |
| This is lostie815 (on deviantart)'s depiction of Cinder, our main gal in this book |
The Lunar people in this book are interesting as well. They come from (you guessed it) the moon, and have a very evil Queen named Levana. Queen Levana is the perfect example how something that is too perfect in looks can just look, well, wrong. Her face is perfectly symmetrical, her lips, face, and eyes perfectly shaped with no wrinkles, spots, or blemishes of any kind. However, all of it is an illusion which is seen through with a mirror. So, as you can imagine, the Queen hates mirrors. All other Lunars can do what the Queen can do, it's just that she has more power and can actually kill people if they have a mirror with them.
The main characters were really cool as well. I really connected with the awkward tomboy mechanic that was Cinder. Just like Cinderella, Cinder has two stepsisters, but like the Ever After movie with Drew Barrymore, Cinder has a stepsister that is nice to her, but the other one is as mean as her stepmother, Adri. Cinder has another friend in Iko, who is probably one of the funniest droids that I have ever read about. During one part, she actually puts on Adri's pearls and makeup, and then walks around like she's going to the ball. Many lols were had over this little character. :)
 |
| lostie815's depiction of Prince Kai, our knight in shining hoodie. :) |
And of course, like all fairy tales, we have our Prince Charming, Kaito. I was expecting him to be like any other fairy tale prince (you know, blonde hair, blue eyes, really dumb at anything but the sword), but he was a lot more like Charming from Once Upon A Time. He does everything he can to rule the kingdom like a just prince, but he isn't just a ruler. He has so many layers to him that really take away from the 2D princes we're so used to seeing. I'm not going to tell you everything about him because then what's the fun in reading the book?
When I was finished with the book, I started reading the Q&A that was in the back, and that was when I realized: I may have a new favorite author.
No seriously, when they asked her questions about the book and stuff, she kept answering in ways that made me laugh! For example:
Q: Who's more attractive, a prince or a mechanic?
A: A mechanic. I like men with useful skills. Running a country? Psh. Fixing that weird sound in the engine? Yes, please!
Q: If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
A: An aspiring writer.
There's nothing more awesome than an author who likes to have fun. All of my favorite authors tend to have silly senses of humor (example: Rick Riordan), and from this Q&A, I could tell that I would like her if I happened to meet her.
All in all, if you like steam punk, romance, fairy tales, and funny moments, you are going to love this book. However, I would say that you should keep the second book Scarlet pretty close because you're going to need it. ;)
A LITTLE EXCERPT
"THUD.
Cinder jerked, her head smacking the underside of the table. She shoved back from the desk, her scowl landing first on a lifeless android that sat squat on her worktable and then on the man behind it. She was met with startled copper-brown eyes and black hair that hung past his ears and lips that every girl in the country had admired a thousand times.
Her scowl vanished.
His own surprise was short-lived, melting into an apology. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize anyone was back there."
Cinder barely heard him above the blankness in her mind. With her heartbeat gathering speed, her retina display scanned his features, so familiar from years spent watching him on the netscreens. He seemed taller in real life and a gray hooded sweatshirt was like none of the fine clothes he usually made appearances in, but still, it took only 2.6 seconds for Cinder's scanner to measure the points of his face and link his image to the net database. Another second and the display informed her of what she already knew; details scribbled across the bottom of her vision in a stream of green text.
PRINCE KAITO, CROWN PRINCE OF THE
EASTERN COMMONWEALTH
ID #0082719057
BORN 7 APR 108 T.E.
FF 88,987 MEDIA HITS, REVERSE CHRON
POSTED 14 AUG 126 T.E.: A PRESS
MEETING IS TO BE HOSTED BY CROWN PRINCE
KAI ON 15 AUG TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING
LETUMOSIS RESEARCH AND POSSIBLE LEADS
FOR AN ANTIDOTE-
Cinder launched up from her chair, nearly toppling over when she forgot about her missing limb. Steadying herself with both hands on the table, she managed an awkward bow. The retina display sank out of sight.
"Your Highness," she stammered, head lowered, glad that he couldn't see her empty ankle behind the tablecloth.
The prince flinched and cast a glance over his shoulder before hunching toward her. "Maybe, um..." - he pulled his fingers across his lips - "on the Highness stuff?""
Cinder jerked, her head smacking the underside of the table. She shoved back from the desk, her scowl landing first on a lifeless android that sat squat on her worktable and then on the man behind it. She was met with startled copper-brown eyes and black hair that hung past his ears and lips that every girl in the country had admired a thousand times.
Her scowl vanished.
His own surprise was short-lived, melting into an apology. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize anyone was back there."
Cinder barely heard him above the blankness in her mind. With her heartbeat gathering speed, her retina display scanned his features, so familiar from years spent watching him on the netscreens. He seemed taller in real life and a gray hooded sweatshirt was like none of the fine clothes he usually made appearances in, but still, it took only 2.6 seconds for Cinder's scanner to measure the points of his face and link his image to the net database. Another second and the display informed her of what she already knew; details scribbled across the bottom of her vision in a stream of green text.
PRINCE KAITO, CROWN PRINCE OF THE
EASTERN COMMONWEALTH
ID #0082719057
BORN 7 APR 108 T.E.
FF 88,987 MEDIA HITS, REVERSE CHRON
POSTED 14 AUG 126 T.E.: A PRESS
MEETING IS TO BE HOSTED BY CROWN PRINCE
KAI ON 15 AUG TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING
LETUMOSIS RESEARCH AND POSSIBLE LEADS
FOR AN ANTIDOTE-
Cinder launched up from her chair, nearly toppling over when she forgot about her missing limb. Steadying herself with both hands on the table, she managed an awkward bow. The retina display sank out of sight.
"Your Highness," she stammered, head lowered, glad that he couldn't see her empty ankle behind the tablecloth.
The prince flinched and cast a glance over his shoulder before hunching toward her. "Maybe, um..." - he pulled his fingers across his lips - "on the Highness stuff?""
Well, that's all for now!
See you next time!
~Sea-Solo
EXTRA! EXTRA!
To find out more about the author and books, visit this website here:
http://www.marissameyer.com/books/
No comments:
Post a Comment