This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 I am continually amazed by how Marissa Meyer can add new layers and stories to the Lunar Chronicle series and still produce easy to read, fun, and above all brilliant books. 
 Cress is the third installment in this series. Cinder gave us a retelling of Cinderella, Scarlet tackled Little Red Riding Hood and Cress brings Rapunzel into the mix. Now Rapunzel is kind of a weird fairy tale (most of them are) and though I have seen good re-tellings of it before (Tangled!) I'm always a little wary. But I should have known better. Meyer adapts the story of Rapunzel in a way that pays homage to the original but is also fresh and unique. There were a lot of little details that I really enjoyed but can't get into because of spoilers. I think it's safe to say however, that if you're familiar with the original story you're going to enjoy all the ways Meyer plays with it here. 
 The newest character to join our rag tag group of outlaws is Cress. I adore Cress. Partially because she is nothing like Cinder and Scarlet. Don't get me wrong I love them too but Cress is special. I love how confident the other two are - even when they're scared. But it's nice to have Cress's nerves and anxiety to balance them out a little. I see more of myself in Cress - a socially anxious dreamer. I think her personality quirks will resonate with a lot of readers and I'm willing to bet her fan club will be just as big (if not bigger) than the other characters in this series. 
 After Cress though Thorne steals the show. In Scarlet he is charming but is mostly comedic relief. Cress provides some real character development. He becomes more than just someone flirty and funny. He became someone I could root for, a hero rather than a rogue. On the other hand, I still want more Kai. I feel like all three books have barely scratched the surface of who he is. There was a little bit more in this instalment but I still didn't think it was enough. I want to love him like Cinder loves him. 
 Cress is easily the best book of the Lunar Chronicles (so far). It's complex, action-packed and tugs at all the right heart-strings. But that being said I can't wait for Winter. I can't wait to see more of Luna. I can't wait to see what happens to my favourite characters (i.e. all of them). Once again Marissa Meyer proves she is a mega-talented author and that she's going to continue to get better with every book.