Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2)

by Marissa Meyer

[leahrosereads]

I finally picked up the second book in the Lunar Chronicles from my library, and holy hell, I wish I had read it right away, because Scarlet continued the Cinder’s story, flawlessly, in my opinion.


Scarlet is sectioned in a way that it continues to follow Cinder and her imprisonment from the first book, while introducing the readers to a new female heroine, the title’s namesake, Scarlet.

This story has a slight bastardized retelling of Red Riding Hood, and our wolf character is a street fighter named...Wolf. He’s the quiet, handsome, clearly keeping secrets type of man that Scarlet just can’t help falling for. Scarlet and Cinder’s stories intertwine because they have someone in common, Scarlet’s grandmother.

However, although Scarlet and Wolf are introduced, and though they’re definitely main characters, the story itself, still revolves around Cinder, who also gets help from Captain (Cadet) Carswell Thorne. I’m actually not sure who his character is based off of yet, in a fairytale setting, and I know I can look it up, but I’m hoping it’ll be explained in Cress.

If I had to guess, I think he’ll be Rapunzel’s (Cress’) love interest. Just an assumption.

Anyway, he’s a huge help to Cinder when she needs a friend, and Iko also makes it back, though she’s had a bit of a difficult change (for her). I loved seeing Cinder and Thorne’s interactions. He definitely seemed like the annoying best friend (I almost said brother, but since he’s a flirt, I’m sticking with best friend). I’m happy that it definitely doesn’t seem to be any type of weird love triangle-ish going on with Cinder, Thorne and Kai.

Kai is also back in Scarlet, although he doesn’t have as huge of a role. And, I’m still loving him. He’s still this overall good emperor to his people and good, moral man through and through. At the end of Scarlet, it’s looking a little scary for his happiness since he’s proposed a marriage with Queen Levana, but I’m hoping that Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf and Co. will be able to help him in Cress...or Winter. Dude deserves happiness.


So, overall I really loved Scarlet. I think that everything that happened in it, was necessary, and I don’t think this was just a fluff book to get us to Cress. My biggest issue with Scarlet was Scarlet and Wolf’s “relationship”. I get that everything about Wolf wasn’t his fault. He was mindfucked by Lunars, and ultimately he did good. But, they’re relationship just seemed kind of forced. If I was Scarlet, I would have made him work a little harder in the trust department. Just my thoughts.


Other than that though, loved this, and I would definitely recommend the series to anyone who’d like to try out a fantasy meets sci-fi world. Really good.