Cress

By: Marissa Meyer

Narrated by: Rebecca Soler

Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

In this third audiobook in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from invading Earth. Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she's just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she'd ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

©2014 Marissa Meyer (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"Meyer continues to show off her storytelling prowess, keeping readers engaged in a wide cast of characters while unfolding a layered plot.... The momentum Meyer built in the first two books continues to accelerate.... The next installment cannot come fast enough." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Once again, Meyer offers up a science fiction fantasy page-turner that salutes women’s intelligence and empowerment.... Old and new romances, unfinished story lines, and the prognostication of wartime horrors all pave the way for Meyer’s much anticipated next installment, Winter, expected in 2015." ( Booklist)

An Electrifying Continuation

After reading Cinder, I'd been a bit disappointed by Scarlet, so with some hesitation I started Cress.

Overall: What a brilliant surprise. Not only was the book itself an excellent continuation, it made Scarlet make more sense. The author actually bothers to tie up details that felt "too convenient" from Scarlet giving them believable reasons for occurring rather than just ignoring them and hoping the reader will suspend believability. This is rare and highly enjoyable in a YA book.

Character: Cress herself as commented in a different review is a refreshing change in perspective. She is not the usual "tough"girl (Scarlet) or the "smart" tomboy (Cinder), but rather a gentle rather shy heroine who screams when she's afraid gets excited over pretty dresses but still has the courage to do what's right. Her relationship with Thorn is awkward and hilarious and full of true feelings rather than sappy. The author even makes a gentle, but distinct point that helped compensate for the Scarlet (love at first sight) that generally romance is simply an opportunity not a destiny. Cress is an excellent compliment to the other two characters, and gives the story heart.

Plot: The genius in managing to stick to the outline of the original fairytale while weaving the story into a huge multi-layered, fast-paced plot put these books neatly above the cliched YA. I must take my hat off to the author. I consumed the book neatly in two days flat and was left eagerly awaiting Winter. However, never fear readers! She actually bothers to tie up plot-lines instead of dragging them on to the final page of the book. Rather she hooks you with new twists instead of relying on only one dramatic question.

OK, Now what?

What did you love best about Cress?

Great story, great characters, easy read. The beginning is a little slow. I'm not sure if it was because I wanted to jump into the Cinder storyline, or if it was because Cress's character was being set up. Once we knew exactly who she was, the book took off. And we were off and running with Cinder!

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Soler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, she does a good job. Her portrayal of Queen Levana is a little weird, but all in all she does it well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

All I can say is watch for Captain Thorne running down a hall. That is all I can say. Lets just say the crowd of people around me were looking around to see what was funny.

Any additional comments?

Yes, how long do we have to wait for book 4?

Very clever story (and series)

STORY (YA fantasy scifi) - Cress is the third book in The Lunar Chronicles series. Like the first two, it is a futuristic twist to a classic fairy tale. Cinder(ella) is a cyborg mechanic with a mean step-family who dreams of attending a ball and meeting Prince Kai. Scarlet (similar to Red Riding Hood) has a boyfriend named Wolf and has been searching for her lost grandmother. Now we add Cress, who is a long-haired computer hacker trapped in a lunar satellite (like Rapunzel in her tower). The characters are all working together to foil an attempt by the evil Lunar Queen Levana to extend her reign to Earth, and the author has done a masterful job of combining the characters and stories together into one clever plot.

This is a fun, easy listen which works well as a break between "heavier" books. It is fast-paced, with lots of action and touches of romance. You should listen to the books in order, as each one introduces a new fairy tale character to the overall plot. Cress comes to a nice stopping point, but the adventure will continue into future book(s) as the plan to thwart the conquer of Earth by Queen Levana continues...

NARRATOR - Good job, but nothing special.

OVERALL - Recommended for listeners of all ages -- a great story for family listening.

This series is amazing!

I cannot express enough how good these books are. The characters, setting, plot, everything is fantastic! If you like scifi and fantasy and adventure, and amazing multidimensional characters, this is the book series for you and this is the best one yet!!!

The Best Yet of the Series!

The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer is at the top of my “Favorite Series” list, and has been since I read Cinder two summers ago. And while I was disappointed with the ending of Cinder, Scarlet more than made up for it. (Read my review of Scarlet here.)

Cress is the third installment in the series, and in my opinion, the best yet. I just loved Cress (and little Cress). Though she is a definite remake of Rapunzel, Cress is a totally unique character. Meyer has woven a backstory for Cress that is heartbreaking, yet the girl, while terribly naive, is brave beyond measure, though it is in her own small way.

I loved getting to know Captain Thorne a bit better as well. He isn’t quite as he seems. While he may not be the dashing, hardhearted rogue he wants everyone to believe, neither is he the knight in shining armor that Cress imagines. The truth is more of a strange mixture of the two. There were moments when I really thought he was beyond hope, but maybe he’s not.

I’m on pins and needles to see what is next for the whole crew in the upcoming “Winter”. I’m hoping that Scarlet and Wolf will be reunited and, in addition to learning Princess Winter’s story, we will finally get some closure on the budding romances between Cinder & Kai, Scarlett & Wolf, and Cress & Thorne.

Everything I want in a book!

What did you love best about Cress?

It's impossible to narrow it down to one thing...
I love the premise, it's like a mash up of Disney princesses and Star Wars or Firefly--3 of my favorite things, no big deal. Just kidding, this series makes me giddy. AND Marissa Meyer does not disappoint.

The plot is clever. Meyer puts her own spin on classic fairytales, intricately weaving together multiple stories while managing to remain true to the most beloved parts of the original.

The Characters. I love them. All of them. Meyer does such a great job with the group dynamic. I love how she brings the different princesses to life with all of their idiosyncrasies. I love each of them, it's hard to pick a favorite, which means there's never a dull chapter. Each POV keeps my attention, I never wanted to skip ahead to a different plot line. I love that the 'princes' have personalities, woo hoo! (thankfully Disney and Pixar are jumping on that bandwagon, too). Captain Thorne is my absolute favorite.
Oh, and we can't forget about our favorite sidekick, Iko, she is simply fabulous.

The narration. Rebecca Soler is the best narrator I've ever listened to (and I have a few dozen audiobooks). She really brings the characters alive, giving each one a perfect voice. She truly is an actor. Every emotion the character's are feeling come through in her tone and delivery, she has great comedic timing, great accents, and a pretty awesome robot voice. Not gonna lie, I'm jealous. She brings something to the story that I never would've gotten simply from reading it. There are times where her acting is so good I feel like I'm listening to a movie. Soler is the best. I wish she narrated more books.

What did you like best about this story?

The plot, characters, settings, adventure, the romance, and the world of The Lunar Chronicles. That's everything, right?

Which scene was your favorite?

Don't ask that of me, it's impossible to choose.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely.

Any additional comments?

We need to get a petition going for Joss Whedon to turn this series into a movie.

A clever retelling that does not revise

The series transports us to a technologically advanced medieval society, with an injection of unexplained fairy moon magic. Suspend your filters. Ignore what you might know about Asia and just enjoy the clever tweaks, such as a prince searching for the leg that matches prosthetic foot.

Love!

Love, love, love! I think each book in this series is better than the one before! I am hooked and can't wait to see what comes next. I never like sci-fi/fantasy before but I am now itching to find out more about cyborgs, Luna, and new Beijing. I did not particularly care for the first book in the series as I felt it was slow even though the writing was extremely creative. Now I realize the first book was introducing us to everyone and the second and third have been incredible. I highly recommend this series for an escape into a new world with fresh characters and ideas. This will not be the same mundane predictable book you are used to. Yes, some things are predictable, but the story has great turns, interesting characters, and will keep your mind ablaze.

A Great Continuation

Cress is an amazing continuation of The Lunar Chronicles. This has been my favorite series that remade fairy tales.

Still going strong

Third in the series and no letdown yet. The merging of three princess stories into one is very interesting. Kind of reminds me of Sailor Moon.