Mini Reviews & Ranking All Of Marissa Meyer’s Books // Best of the Best Space Opera, Super Battles, & Swoony Romance

Hello everyone my name is Kay and my favorite author is Marissa Meyer.

If you know me, this is no surprise. My obsession with Marissa Meyer is very high. It’s some next level obsession. I literally own 5 of her books…which is a lot for me considering I only own like 12 YA books.

The past two years of my life have been defined by waiting for Archenemies and then Supernova to come out. Now I’m obsessively waiting for Instant Karma. I’m obsessed, people. In the meantime, as I waited, I’ve reread many of her books. In fact, I’ve read Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter, 3 times each, Renegades, and Heartless 2 times each, and Stars Above, Fairest, Archenemies, and Supernova once.

I even forced my mom and brother, who aren’t into YA, to read the entire Lunar Chronicles series!

And don’t even get me started on how excited I am for Instant Karma!

The bottom line is that Marissa Meyer can do no wrong in my eyes. She is amazing.

Anyways, I was super obsessed with Renegades and just finished the trilogy in December! So then I was craving more Marissa Meyer and reread Heartless! And I’ve still been craving more so just last week I reread the entire Lunar Chronicles. And hence I’ve been inspired to rank and mini review them all.

(also I didn’t give star ratings because… tbh they’re like all 5 stars)

10. Archenemies

I’m sad that this is in last place, but something has to be, and that surely doesn’t mean it’s bad! I loved the conflict between the Renegades and the Anarchists, the increased stakes, the love/hate between Nightmare and the Sentinel! The ending was shocking and incredible! Unfortunately, it just dragged in parts and felt unnecessarily long, and there wasn’t as much character development as I would have liked.

Best Parts: The ending of course seeing Nightmare be so badass was amazing!

Click for my full review of Archenemies

9. Stars Above

It’s low on the list, but it’s an anthology of stories so I’m sorry! It’s maybe unfair to rank it with all these amazing novels? It was still wonderful! There were many stories I loved, particularly the extra epilogue, and, even though it didn’t directly involve our character, The Little Android! It didn’t rip out my heart and soul as it would be hard for short stories to do, but I still loved them a remarkable amount!

Best Parts: the first chapter of Cinder from Kai’s pov, the wedding!!

8. Supernova

I wish I could have given this a perfect five stars! There were so many things I loved–the tension! The stakes! The battles! So. Many. Intense. Battles! The ramifications of things, the shocking twists and discoveries! I loved all those things, but there were some things I didn’t like as much, particularly the ending… it wasn’t the best ending in my opinion unfortunately, but still great!

Best Part: “everyone has a nightmare… I guess I’m yours” AHHHHHHH

Click for my spoiler and spoiler free review of Supernova

7. Fairest

It‘s only a novella, but wow is it powerful and absolutely amazing! It gets so dark and twisted, as is totally fitting for a villain as cruel and evil as Levana! It was entrancing to read about all her evilness! It didn’t absolutely destroy me since it was just a novella and I wasn’t that invested in Levana’s story, but still amazing!

Best parts: any bit where I got to see baby Winter and Jacin!!

6. Scarlet

Scarlet is my least favorite of the Lunar Chronicles, but as you can see, that just means it’s the least perfect of perfection. I loved the Little Red Riding hood story, I loved how the universe was just starting to expand from just Cinder! Scarlet is a badass fighter, and yeah I’m so happy Thorne showed up! I liked Scarlet and Wolf, but I did think their relationship moved a bit too fast and was too instalovey for my taste unfortunately…

Best parts: tbh anything with Thorne. breaking out of prison with Thorne was hilarious. Also Iko’s new body

5. Heartless

Heartless completely destroyed me and ripped out my heart so I was… heartless ahaha I’m not funny. I loved the whimsical craziness of Wonderland, and the ending was so twisted and intense and tragic and I was bewitched, hooked on Cath’s descent from sweet girl into insane queen! It could get a bit slow, but overall still amazing!

Best Parts: Jest being Jest! The not quite mad tea party! And, well, while I didn’t like how the ending destroyed me… it was pretty powerful

Click for my full review of Heartless

4. Renegades

I love Renegades!! I love Meyer’s take on superhero! I love how everything is so morally grey, with the story being told from the perspectives of Nova, the super villain, and Adrian, the superhero, and both believe that they’re right! I loved the squad banter, and I loved loved seeing Nova and Adrian falling for each other while their alter egos were trying to kill each other!

Best Parts: The ending battle! (might be a reoccurring theme that I like Marissa Meyer’s endings lol), also the opening battle (another reoccurring theme?)

Click for my full review of Renegades

3. Cinder

I know some people think Cinder is the weakest of Meyer’s book, but I absolutely adored it! There’s something so magical and nostalgic about the simple Cinderella story that started it all! It’s a bit predictable and not as grand scale epic as the later installments, but wow did I love seeing Cinder work her way from rags to not quite riches but more awesome badass fighter, loved seeing her go from complacent to determined! And I loved the beginning of the world, falling into it all for the first time and seeing that amazing and unique blend of science fiction and technology with fantasy and fairytales!

Best Parts: At the ball, also pretty much any time Cinder and Kai interact (like at her market stall!)

2. Cress

Cress is such a fantastic story and I was so swept away with it! The stakes are significantly higher in this one, with Levana waging war on the Earth, and so much more action and character growth, with Cinder learning to really use her powers! Cress is cute and I loved seeing the juxtaposition between dreamy scared little girl on Earth for the first time with amazing skilled hacker! And the ending is just incredible as it sets up the finale! Which, speaking of…

Best Parts: Thorne, Thorne, Thorne!!! Thorne and Cress keeping each other alive in the dessert. Also Cinder finally getting the hang of her gift! aLSO the wedding!!!!!

Click for my full review of Cress

1. Winter

Winter is definitely the best of Marissa Meyer’s books, and one of the best books that I’ve ever read! It’s a bit of a beast at over 800 pages, but it really never feels slow, and there’s so much action and adventure with such high stakes that I was hooked and entranced on every page! There are so many perspectives in this one, but I truly loved them all, loved all of the characters, their friendships, their romances, and their squad! The ending battle between was so intense and what the whole series was leading up to and I was beyond satisfied with it!

Best Parts: ahhh the whole book!!! The wedding reception dinner aftermath was insane!!! The ending battle and the way Levana was unraveled! Literally Winter because she’s underrated Winter and Jacin together!! But tbh all of the couples, literally any scene with a couple. This whole book.

Click for my full review of Winter

Let’s Chat

Have you read all of Marissa Meyer’s books? Which is your favorite? Are you as obsessed with her as I am? I’d love to chat in the comments below ❤