Cress, Marissa Meyer’s third instalment in the Lunar Chronicles, is where the conflicts really heat up. Everything about this book carries high-stakes, making the interactions incredible, the action intense, and the characters raw and complex beyond the immediate issues at hand. It is exhilarating, immersive, and an absolute must-read.

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 her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned 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 just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

The plot is riveting; with its sci-fi framework and fairytale details and sci-fi, Cress is a whirlwind of a novel. The clock is ticking and Cinder, Scarlett, Wolf, Cress, and Captain Thorne (and sweet Iko, can’t forget her!) must wrangle together a plan before all hell breaks loose. Meanwhile, Emperor Kai is confronted with the wedding plans, Levana’s many mysteries, and the increase in her Lunar croonies inhabiting the palace. You would think knowing the fairytales at hand would make predicting the emotions and reactions to the events easier, but I continue to be shocked by the rich emotion and writing in this series. The character alone are phenomenal

Our characters are evolving and deepening their relationships with each other and themselves, making interactions positively entertaining and internal conflicts even more pressing in this race to finding a cure, an answer, and a way to Luna. Wolf really has a character shift in Cress, not to mention Cress herself going from an isolated genius up in a satellite to walking the earth for the first time and dealing with all the realities of such a wondrous thing. It is so fun to see them change as they discover more about themselves, each other, and the whole big conflict going on.

As for romantic subplots, Cress does not disappoint. Many long-awaited moments occur and promises of many more (and the drama that comes with them) are on the horizon. This is a sci-fi series, but it is also a culmination of fairytale retellings and we all know that there is a little bit of romance in the stories. The romance doesn’t deter from the overarching plot or plans, if anything it solidifies the character relationships and dynamics further. All interactions are believable, well timed, and give to the story rather than sidetrack it, which makes the inclusions of these moments all the more enjoyable.

Cress is a fantastic book in a great series and I highly encourage everyone to give the Lunar Chronicles a read. It has a little bit of everything – incredible world building, sharp detail, palpable tension, and all the excitement you could want! I know I cannot wait to reread Winter and see this all come together in one epic finale.