THE LUNAR CHRONICLES by Marissa Meyer

​SYNOPSIS

Once upon a time, in the future . . . .

The Lunar Chronicles are futuristic retellings of classic fairy tales. In Cinder, a teenage cyborg (half human, half machine) must deal with a wicked stepmother, start a rebellion against the evil Queen Levana, and decide how she feels about a handsome prince.

As the series continues, Cinder forges alliances with Scarlet, a spaceship pilot who is determined to solve the mystery of a missing loved one-with the help of a magnetic street fighter named Wolf; Cress, a computer hacker who is imprisoned by Queen Levana;

and Winter, a princess who's in love with a commoner, and who discovers that Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress may hold the key to saving her kingdom-and the world.

Follow Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles from the beginning with Cinder, Scarlet, Cress... and the epic conclusion, Winter.

Synopsis from Indigo

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PERSONAL REVIEW

I loved this series from the time I saw Cinder’s leg on the cover of her book. This series continues to find its way into the hearts (and bookshelves) of new readers because of its wonderful story. I remember picking up Cinder on a whim and found I couldn’t stop reading until I finished the whole series. Rereading it again for this review was so much fun! For the sake of not creating an incredibly long review for you to read, I’m sticking with the original four books from the series (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter) and not the novellas or Fairest (sorry!).

Fairytales Meets Sci-Fi
This series is such a wonderful mix of classic fairytales set in a very sci-fi world. It was so well out together, with each female protagonist having her own book and POV, but they are not standalone books. When I began reading, I mistakenly assumed that Cinder’s story would end at the end of her book; instead, Meyer weaves an intricate story while slowly bringing in each of the characters. It was wonderfully done. And the futuristic elements of this series really added a new element to these classic tales. Cinder’s prosthetic parts, Wolf’s surgeries, the Lunars abilities for mind control, and simply everything about Iko, all helped to create such a rich story and completely brought these fairytales into the contemporary world.

Really Developed Villain
My biggest complaint with many fairytales is how underdeveloped the villain of the story is; they are simply “bad” and we are expected to buy it. This is not the case in The Lunar Chronicles. Levana is cruel, vindictive, and selfish (all the classic “bad” characteristics) and we get to see this develop over the course of the series, including a final epic showdown between her and Cinder. None of the women in this series are passive bystanders, and Levana ultimately shows us the power that women can wield. Although she makes the wrong choices (honestly, read Fairest, it brings even more about her to light), she’s also the reason that Cinder finds her voice and is able to eventually gain equality for cyborgs and peace across the universe. Levana is a worthy adversary in this series and really helps moves the story.

Wonderful Characters
When I was rereading this series, it hit me again how amazing these characters are. Each of them have their own distinct personalities, flaws, and lovable features, and they are the main reason that people continue to love this series. Questions about who is your favorite female/male/couple/friendship are constantly debated because every reader will have a different connection to these characters. I honestly couldn’t chose a favourite, nor would I want to because it’s their teamwork and friendship that is the backbone of this series and I just love any opportunity when they are all together (read Stars Above!). Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, and Winter and Jacin all work so hard to find their own happy endings, and readers are given a wonderful adventure to watch them get there.

The Lunar Chronicles is a series I continue to recommend to my students because it’s genuinely a great series to read and fall in love with. I reread these four books last month for the first time in a while and couldn’t believe I had waited so long! I didn’t talk about Fairest or Stars Above (again, length) but I highly recommend that people read them after reading this original four books. Fall in love with Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter. You won’t regret it.

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FINAL RATING: 4.5/5