'Waiting On' Wednesday #23: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer turned some of the most beloved fairytales into epic steampunk-space war stories that chronicled the lives of Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter. Yes, the character names also moonlight as the titles of their stories and you can probably guess which character was whom in the original fairytale that inspired them. That said, the plotting was inspired. A massive weaving of four major characters into one huge undertaking that doesn’t always run concurrent but always overlaps; leads up to the battle for the galaxy. Seems wildly familiar, huh? Despite my description being very StarWars-esque; The Lunar Chronicles feel wholly unique and equally entertaining.

Also, seriously how do you not want something written by Marissa Meyer? How do you not want her book writing about Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts?! THE. BEST. MASHUP. EVER!

DETAILS:

• Title: Heartless
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Publishing date: November 8, 2016
• Author(s): Marissa Meyer
• Series: standalone

SUMMARY:

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen. 

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king’s marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

MORE AWESOME... want to read an excerpt?

Catherine fled out to the balcony, running as fast as her heeled boots and strangling corset would allow. The cool night air sent a chill racing across her enflamed skin, but every breath remained a struggle.

She lifted her skirts and slipped down the steps into the rose gardens. She heard a splinter of glass and startled cries behind her and wondered what chaos Cheshire must be causing now, but she dared not look back, not even as she reached the gardens.

The world tilted. She paused at a wrought-iron gate, gripping one of the decorative finials for support. Catching her breath, she stumbled on. Down the clover-filled path between rose arbors and trickling fountains, passing topiaries and statues and a pond of water lilies. She reached for the back of her dress, desperate to loosen the stays. To breathe. But she couldn’t reach. She was suffocating.

She was going to be sick.

She was going to faint.

~~~READ MORE HERE.~~~

As always thanks to Breaking the Spine for hosting.

A lot of this blog post can be found cross-posted to Fangirlish.