Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles are among the most riveting, colourful, intense, creative, hilarious and heart-wrenching books I have ever read, and have inspired my writing in many various ways. Her talent as an author is astounding- not only for beautiful writing, but for vivid world-building and creating the most incredibly diverse cast of characters!
Essentially fairy-tales with a Star Wars twist, The Lunar Chronicles contain one of the most dynamic casts I have ever encountered in a book. A sarcastic cyborg. A fiery farm girl. A tortured street-fighter. A roguish spaceship thief. Not to mention the timid hacker, cynical guard, friendly prince, or effervescent android- all with subtle ties to the quaint fairy-tales we all know and love so well. I plan to review the books in future posts, but for now, the spotlight rests on a personal favourite of mine.
The crazy princess. Winter.
Upon checking Marissa Meyer's website, I found that Winter's birthday had already come and passed on January 3. Sigh. Sorry, Winter, but happy belated! I wanted to take this post to break down all the elements of this character that I love, love, love the most, and how she has inspired my own character-building.
1. She's crazy. Based on the beloved character of Snow White, Winter has been living under the oppression of an evil queen for- well, pretty much forever. No spoilers, but for reasons I can't divulge, she's slowly losing her mind to delusions. I love this. Not only does it make her interesting, but it makes her vulnerable, and in a series filled with epic, strong heroes and heroines, there's something refreshing in a character who's not in control of her own mind, let alone her world.
2. Strong in her own way. Like I mentioned, TLC is full of awesomely strong characters, and the first time I read them, upon reaching Winter's introduction, I thought she was a little... well, weak. But reading them again (and again, and again), my perspective has changed a lot. Winter may not be mighty in the traditional sense, but she's incredibly strong in her own unique, critical way. For more on that, you'll just have to read the books. ;)
3. She's super endearing. Really. Not only is she adorable and quirky with all of her little eccentricities, but she's compassionate and tender-hearted and so very kind, despite all the terrible things she's endured.
4. She's wise. One of my favourite elements of Winter's character is that she can be totally wacky one minute, and then say something completely profound and enlightened the next. It adds to her value; people write her off as crazy, but she has a lot of wisdom to contribute.
Winter is easily one of the most unique and strongest characters in this series, for her kindness, eccentricity, courage, loyalty, and the strength to do the right thing no matter the personal price. As a writer, I'm inspired by this creation of Marissa Meyer's to branch out with female characters. Winter is proof that they don't necessarily need to be whip-smart, caustic ninja warrior queens to be lovable, epic, or inspiring. Sometimes, the strength hidden beneath fragility is a thousand times more potent, after all.
So happy belated birthday, Winter! And to quote your own words back at you:
"One should never save cake for later when it can be eaten now." (Winter, Marissa Meyer)
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