Review - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

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.


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I really enjoyed Cinder, but I loved Scarlet even more! Meyer has a gift for spinning a gripping story, and with three storylines interlocking it made for a fast-paced read. Cinder’s story picks up where it left off, with her escaping from prison along with another fugitive, Thorne, and going on the run to avoid being recaptured by Queen Levana. The ruthless Queen retains a vice grip on the newly crowned emperor Kai, and is still determined to become Empress through marriage and declare war on Earth.

Meanwhile, Scarlet Benoit is determined to find her missing grandmother, and when she meets a street fighter named Wolf who seems to have information, she reluctantly allies herself with him in order to find out the truth. It soon emerges that her grandmother kept many secrets from her, but the last thing she expects is for her fate to be tied with a missing princess, who may be the only one who can stop Queen Levana.

The book is a page turner from beginning to end, with the mysteries surrounding Scarlet’s family gradually unravelling and linking her story to Cinder’s. There’s a lot more action than there is in Cinder, and the dual POV keeps things moving at a swift pace. Scarlet is feisty and independent, determined to find out what happened to her grandmother, and I enjoyed reading her side of the story and trying to piece the details together. Without a doubt, Meyer has created a complex and ingenious storyline, and the characters are equally complex and many-sided, especially Wolf. The idea of the Pack adds a new dimension to the story and ties in nicely to the main storyline. Cinder’s new abilities cause her something of an identity crisis as she does not want to become like Queen Levana, but is forced to use her powers to save herself and her friends.

As before, Marissa Meyer has succeeded in re-inventing the fairy tales in a unique way, and I thoroughly enjoyed this second instalment. All I can say is, bring on the next instalment!

Rating: ****