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Re-reading because I have just enough time to fit in this craziness before Winter

Okay....bumped up 1/2 star because it is brilliant even if it is difficult to be in Levana's head for that long. She is BAT-SHIT-CRAZY and I understand how every step and decision she made from the time she was 15 led her to that last cruel step she took and rationalized to herself. She is so broken there is no chance of redemption anywhere.

*sobs for Evret*

First Read Jan 2015

3.5 Self Loathing Stars

The best villains are the ones that can rationalize and don’t believe they are the bad person, the ones that in a way you can sympathize with. After reading this I definitely understand the level of crazy Levana has going on in her head now. I can’t really say I sympathize with her BUT…I totally understand her better now and she is cray-cray.

Love is a conquest.
Love is a war.
Here is what I think of love

It is uncomfortable to be in Levana’s head as she mistakes common niceties for love and as she reads far too much into the actions of others. The first time she used her gift to get what she wanted from someone else was horrifying at the same time it might have been understandable given her age but I still felt so bad for the person involved. The way she forced Evret into marrying her and the way she hurt him every day without even realizing it made it abundantly clear she doesn’t understand emotions the way a normal person would.

Waiting would be agony. She would have to let him know that it was all right for him to mourn and love at the same time. She would not judge him, not when they were so clearly destined for each other

Even though I did have a chance to see how her sister Channary tormented Levana and made her childhood practically unbearable it was still so hard to feel any true sympathy for her when what she did to Evert was so horrendous and tantamount to rape under the illusion of love.

Levana’s madness grew over years from it being okay to poison an enemy with a plague, to forcing a person into an action against their will, to convincing yourself it is okay to murder a child, to stealing the throne, later glamouring more people and then later much much worse. She truly descended into madness.

I loved getting glimpses of Winter as she is younger with Princess Selene and Jacin in the palace playing together as children. I’m really excited for what this means for the next book because Winter remembers her childhood even if Cinder does not.

“Why is it always a prince?� asked Winter. “Why isn’t she ever saved by a top-secret spy? Or a soldier? Or a � a poor farm boy, even?�
“I don’t know. That’s just how the story was written.� Evret brushed back a curl of Winter’s hair. “If you don’t like it, we’ll make up a different story tomorrow night. You can have whoever you want rescue the princess.�
“Like a doctor?�
“A doctor? Well—sure. Why not?�
“Jacin said he wants to grow up to be a doctor.�
“Ah. Well, that’s a very good job, one that saves more than just princesses.�
“Maybe the princess can save herself.�

I’m really excited for Winter since one of my favorite books of all times involves a crazy princess. Maybe our Winter could save herself.

Is this necessary to the rest of the series? - Probably not. I did like getting some of Winters origins in this and seeing Levana’s PoV on the events of the past. Plus this story does clear up some of the speculation on how far Levana has gone to secure the Throne and which deaths she is responsible for.

But if you like origin stories and enjoy knowing the motivations for characters then this is a great accompaniment to The Lunar Chronicles. I do however suggest that you have read up through Cress so that nothing will be spoiled