First read: 5 stars
Second read: 3.5 stars. (I found it  too long and too much the second time around, to the point where the fun parts were overshadowed by the fact that I had so much book left. I liked it, but it didn't stand out.)

Well, I finally did it. I finished my reread of The Lunar Chronicles and boy, it was a wild ride. I forgot how long Winter was, but I wound up reading the last 400+ pages in one sitting because I was so hooked. That's how excellent Marissa Meyer's writing really is. Even though the books are on the chunky side, they're just so easy to read and understand. It doesn't feel like pointless information just to make the books longer - every chapter is filled with adventure!

The culmination of the series is so well-done with this book. It brings all of the characters together, shows us how evil is vanquished, and gives us hope for the future. However, there's a little bit of an opening ending, which I really like. Not everything is wrapped up in a nice, neat little bow. There's just enough to question what could come next for the characters. Maybe I'm bizarre for liking that - especially after four long books, but I really enjoy visualizing what could happen for all of these awesome characters we've come to appreciate and understand in a new way.

At a certain point, you might forget that you're reading fairytale retellings. I know that I did. In fact, it wasn't til Winter mentioned (for probably the eightieth time) that she was "a girl of snow and ice" that I thought, oh yeah, this is based on Snow White. Insert laughter here! They're just so well-written that I didn't even think about how similar they were to already-familiar stories. I loved every second of it.

Now that I own the box set, I'm really excited to read the two novellas that come with it. I remember picking through Fairest in the past, but I can't seem to conjure what it was about (aside from knowing that it has to do with Levana) and I never read Stars Above. I can't wait to dive in and enjoy even more of this world.

... good soup

Winter is a good finale to the series, and it's satisfying to see all the storylines wind together. It's definitely plot-focused, but the characters are entertaining and well-rounded. It's also fun to see how Meyer uses the original fairy tale to inspire her novel.