Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

The second instalment in The Lunar Chronicles quartet, Scarlet sees Marissa Meyer return in exceptional form to her re-imagined, futuristic fairytale world. The first book in the series, Cinder, concluded with the titular character interned in a New Beijing jail awaiting execution at the hands of the malevolent Queen Levana and Scarlet picks up the story with the unwilling fugitive hatching plans to free herself.

Lunar plans, however, are not limited to the execution of a deserter, and thousands of miles away in France, Scarlet, a young farmhand, is about to find herself embroiled in an adventure that reaches far beyond her quiet town of Rieux. It has been nearly two weeks since Scarlet’s grandmother went missing and the police have given up hope of finding her. When they dismiss the case as just another runaway, Scarlet is left to uncover the truth, setting off on a path that will see her story entwined with that of the mysterious fighter known only as Wolf. Together they uncover a tale so unbelievable it threatens to unravel all that Scarlet knows about her past, and will forever change her future.

With Cinder the author had already proven her ability to rework classic fairytales into engaging adventures for a modern audience, and she takes things a step further with Scarlet. Seamlessly, integrating the Cinderella and Red Riding Hood tales in her own unique style, Meyer offers a story that is both nostalgic and original. Scarlet offers a clever twist on the roles and relationships of classic characters, providing an engaging world that teases and encourages the reader to become involved with the story.

Ultimately it is the author’s ability to engage the reader that marks Scarlet and by extension The Lunar Chronicles series for significance. The book is a fairly easy, light read, sure to entertain both young adult and fantasy audiences; leaving them wanting more.

My Favourite Fantasy Series (Books)

Having recently began listening to a book club podcast (linkage), and talking with other listeners and the hosts, I've felt compelled to put together a list of my favourite Fantasy series. This is by no means a definitive 'best of' list, but rather a smattering of the fantasy that I myself have enjoyed reading. Perhaps I'll put together further 'favourites' lists in the future. So, in no particular order:

1. The Farseer Trilogy/Liveship Traders Trilogy/Tawny Man Trilogy 

    by Robin Hobb

 

I first read these books when I was about seventeen and really enjoyed them. In all, the nine books tell numerous wonderful tales, filled with great characters (and some emotional scenes), and are partly responsible for distracting me from my first semester at college. On the one hand, I really want to go back and re-read them, but on the other, I'm afraid that they won't live up to the memory I have of them.

2. The Dark Magician Trilogy

     by Trudi Canavan

 

At the time I read these books, I was reading a lost of fantasy that could be described as 'Cinderella story' and this was by far my favourite of the lot. So much stood out for me when I read these books, not least the fact that they were probably the first fantasy books I'd read with a female protagonist. The way the series deals with such topics as homosexuality and discrimination, intrigue and deception really appealed to me. Again, this is a series I'd like to revisit.

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy

    by Suzanne Collins

I doubt there is anything I can say about The Hunger Games that people don't already know. In truth, I originally read the series to see what all the fuss was about, and have since re-read it. For me, the series is such an easy and enjoyable read, and I've no doubt I'll return to it some time in the future.

4. The Belgariad

     by David Eddings

The five books of The Belgariad provided my gameway into fantasy reading, and for that they'll always have a special place in my heart. Numerous times over the years, people have recommended them to me and numerous times I've been happy to talk about my experiences reading them.

5. The Drenai Novels

     by David Gemmell

Unlike the previous entries on this list, Gemmell's Drenai novels aren't a set series, but rather a collection of novels set within the same universe. In spite of that, I enjoyed each novel immensely, with The King Beyond the Gate being a personal favourite.

6. The Temeraire Series

     by Naomi Novik

As coincidence would have it, I read a few books set around the Napoleonic War that had some fantasy element thrown in. Together the books enspired me to read more historical fiction and Napoleonic Non-Fiction. Among my favourite books that I read at this time were the Temeraire novels, though I am still a bit upset that the publisher changed the overall cover design midway through the series, so the first three books of my collection look different from those that follow.

Thoughts On ... Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

With the arrival of a multitude of alien ships over the major cities of the world mankind has finally discovered that he is not the only sentient being in the universe. At first their mysterious plans seem positive – the abolition of war, poverty, starvation – but so to has mankind lost its creative edge and a few have come to question whether their intentions truly are as benevolent as they appear?

With Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke has provided us with one of his most interesting tales. Easily as important a text for the genre as 2001: A Space Odyssey or Rendezvous With Rama Childhood's End is, at its heart, an apocalyptic story but one with an oddly pleasant feel. Infused with Clarke's usual blend of science and gripping prose Childhood's End is a superb read that will keep you turning pages right to the end.

Spanning nearly one hundred and fifty years Childhood's End tells the entire story of mankind's interactions with the Overlords from their earliest clandestine operations to the moment they leave the Earth behind forever. Throughout their time on Earth the Overlords are nothing but gracious to the native population but there is the always the feeling that they're hiding something, a secret that holds great importance to the future of mankind. In its revelation Clarke gives us a unique indication of what we have the potential to become.

Thoughts On ... Grass by Sherri S. Tepper

Tackling any one of the topics of religion, faith and politics is a risky business when writing any fictional work. Each of them offers something for people to stand by, to cling to when they feel challenged by others and ultimately to provide a solid base upon which to construct their own belief. In Grass Sherri S. Tepper bravely utilises these themes to weave an amazing story set years in the future when man has spread his reach out into the stars.

With unflinching honesty, Tepper creates a most amazing world, a world of Grass where medieval estates hold an assumed superiority over the 'common' inhabitants of the planet. However, there is something bigger happening on Grass, bigger than the “Little Beings” than inhabit it realise. It is only with the arrival of outsiders, sent to unearth a cure for a universe wide plague, that the realities of what is happening on the isolated planet come to light.

Using the beliefs of Christianity as a guide, Grass explores what it really means to be human – questioning why we follow our chosen beliefs and confronting our arrogant beliefs that we are the central race in the universe.

Superbly written and frighteningly real, Grass is one of the best novels I've read in a good while.