Crimson Reign by Amélie Wen Zhao

Crimson Reign (Blood Heir Trilogy #3) by Amélie Wen Zhao, 496 p.
 

"The Red Tigress, Ana Mikhailov, has returned to Cyrilia, but the country she once called home has fallen under a dark rule. Across the land, the Empress Morganya is tightening her grip on Affinites and non-Affinites alike. Ana dealt a blow to the Empress when she and her allies turned back Morganya's troops in Bregon, but she couldn't stop Morganya from gaining possession of the last remaining Bregonian siphon: a dangerous new weapon with the power to steal Affinities.

Ana's forces are scattered, and her tenuous alliance with the Cyrilian rebel group, the Red Cloaks, is becoming more frayed by the day. What's worse, she's lost her Affinity to blood and without it, Ana barely knows who she is anymore--or if she has the strength to defeat Morganya.

Morganya's reign of terror is close to crushing the nation Ana was born to rule. And now Ana will finally face the sinister empress, but will she survive? Will anyone? And will her Empire welcome her back to the throne, or turn her out to survive on her own. The Affinites and Non-Affinites of Cyrilia will determine Ana's future, if Morganya doesn't kill her first." --Goodreads blurb

This third book in the trilogy was a good wrap-up to the series. Ana, with the help of Ransom and friends, put their world to rights again through much toil and bloodshed. This re-imagining of the Anastasia tale was a good series. 

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer - 477 pages

Fall in love, break the curse. 

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom. 

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer -- 400 pages

This a collection of short stories from the Lunar Chronicles universe.

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: The young Cinder tries to love her new family until her step-father is taken away by the plague. From this story comes the line referenced in "Cinder," "Don't leave me with this thing."
The Queen’s Army: Since they successfully crossed the genes of a wolf with a twelve-year-old boy, Queen Levana is forming an army of hybrid soldiers, but one is determined not to become the monster they have made of him.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: The story of Michelle Benoit, Scarlet, and the young Princess Selene.
After Sunshine Passes By: The story of how Cress became the Queen's spy and ended up alone on a satellite.
The Princess and the Guard: It was the game that Winter and Jacin played as children before it became a reality. This is the story of Winter, her best friend, and her choice not to use her Lunar gift.
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century... 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - 390 pages

There's a prince, there's a ball, two steps sisters and a step mom, but all resemblance to the fairytale "Cinderella" stops there. Cinder is a cyborg, and a gifted mechanic because of it. But her world changes when Prince Kai himself steps into her booth to bring an android. It seems very important to him, even though the android is out of date, an old model. Even though she used to laugh at girls who tripped over Prince Kai, she finds herself liking him, all the while desperate to make sure he doesn't find out what she is.

But more than that will happen to Cinder. The plague is killing thousands of people, and via a cyborg draft, cyborgs are being tested in order to find an antibody. None of them survive.

This was my third time listening to Cinder, and I still love it.
This is book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer - 824 pages

Yes! The finale to the Lunar Chronicles! Marissa Meyer did not disappoint in wrapping up the series. Most of this story happens on Luna, including the outer sectors where rebellion and revolution are stirring.

While some say Winter is too weak and soft to be a main character--I remember that she chose to be that way, and that itself is stronger than any of them.

I was thrilled.