Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

by Marissa Meyer

A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.

• ISBN10: 1250007208
• ISBN13: 9781250007209
• Publish Date: 8 January 2013 (first published 3 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 2 July 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[paperbackjedi]

Cinder is a damn good android mechanic. In fact, she’s the best. So when Prince Kai stops by her booth asking her to repair his bot, she’s a little surprised. It’s dark times in New Beijing, the Emperor has taken ill and the city is falling deeper into plague times with more people dying every day and no cure in sight. In a time of political unrest and disease, what difference can one barely human mechanic make? As Cinder works with Kai and the palace doctors, she uncovers things about herself that could change everything if only no one kills her first.

Alright guys, I’mma level with you: I didn’t love this book. I liked it, but it had such a cool premise that I was disappointed I didn’t end up loving it. Mayer cites Sailor Moon as an influence for this series and it’s loosely based on different Disney princess characters so it had the making to be truly epic in my opinion and for some reason, I just wasn’t that into it. Now, it could be that I was distracted while reading this novel and that happens sometimes. But I found my attention wandering while reading it and I often stopped and started reading during the few days it took me to get through the book and I think it’s because I wasn’t really engaged. The world was definitely interesting. I loved the whole New Beijing setting and the post apocalyptic feel to it with hints of science fiction woven in. It was unique and intriguing and the world in this series is absolutely one of the best parts of the book for me. The landscape, both political and physical, is described with such clarity that I could picture myself walking through the market stalls and junkyards easily and overall, the detail and the imagery was very, very cool.

Where this novel really failed me was with the characters. I didn’t really care about Cinder. She was brash, self-deprecating, hard-working, and resilient, but I didn’t actually connect emotionally with her. I don’t know if that’s part of her story since she’s part machine, but her character never really moved me. The closest I came to really feeling anything for her was seeing her relationship with her sister, which I found honestly touching and I wish we would have seen more of it. Prince Kai is also flat to me. He’s clever, a little flirtatious, and has the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he’s mainly surface material. We don’t get much else from his character and I would have liked to see him explored in a little more depth. I did like the way Mayer sets him up almost as two different characters– the runaway prince and the burdened leader, but again, there was little in the way of emotional connection for me with regard to his character. My favorite character was probably Dr. Erland, the palace doctor who’s trying so desperately to find a cure. His backstory was interesting and surprising and I enjoyed his character simply because he was so darn likable and had a genuine interest in Cinder’s safety and well-being.

I didn’t really see too much of the relationship between Cinder and Kai and it has little time to really develop as it takes a backseat to the story and I loved that it wasn’t really the central focus of the novel. Kai is intrigued by Cinder, but he doesn’t spend all his time thinking about her and pining for her which is good because he has a country to run. Likewise, she thinks he’s cute and wants him to like her, but she’s not desperate for his attention or willing to sacrifice things about herself and her values in order to get it. I think this relationship will develop nicely over the next few novels, but aside from smiling a little at their interactions, I had no real investment in them during this book. I don’t consider this a failing on the novel’s part at all and I rather enjoyed their slower start. I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

Overall, this book has a really cool premise with a lot of potential. The world will keep you interested and the action, when it gets going, very much keeps going and you’re moving through the novel at a steady, consistent place. There was enough tension and conflict to sustain my interest, but the characters don’t resonate with me for some reason. I’ll continue reading because I really do enjoy the story and I want to see what happens next and I think Cinder and Kai will definitely be explored more in the following books, although they’ll share the story with new main characters, and really, I’m just curious about where this is all going. The idea of space princesses and evil queens and fairytale references really appeals to me. I just wish I cared a little more about the characters. I think this is a book you’ll have to read for yourself to decide, as most of my friends enjoyed the series and I seem to be in the minority. But if you like fairytale science fiction, definitely give this a shot.

[Linda]

Cinder was up for a slow start, but after a while, things were happening more quickly, and while I was able to guess pretty early on who exactly Cinder was, I was still amazed at the way the story unfolded.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Joséphine]

Book rating: 4.5 stars
Audiobook rating: 4 stars

Initial thoughts: Cinder lived up every bit to its hype for me. It is not a book I would have picked out on my own. I've seen it a lot around the book blogosphere over the past year but didn't take all that much notice. But even I'm not immune to excessive gushing, so when it was a Kindle daily deal, I bought the ebook. Then this week I noticed I could get the audiobook on Audible for $1.99 as well, so I got it. My main regret with this book is that I hadn't read it sooner. I loved it, even though it was pretty predictable because the originality of this sci-fi retelling made up for it. The other gripe I had was with the audiobook because the pronunciations weren't always fitting for the setting: China, even if set in the distant future.

[laughingrachel]

A fun sci-fi take on Cinderella. I liked it, I almost read it in one day.

[jeannamichel]

Set in New Beijing, everything that Cinder, a cyborg, once knew starts to crumble when Prince Kai smiles at her at the market one day. From then on, she discovers who she really is but all she can think about is escaping from that evil stepmother at home. When the balance of the country is placed in Cinder’s hands, she must choose.

Let’s get a few things straightened out: for some reason, I’m not much of a science fiction lover, nor do I like books with robots. Dystopian backdrops catch my eye but many fall flat after the first few pages. However, that was not the case with this novel. I LOVED this book. Seriously, I have no excuse as to why I waited this long to read it. Cinder should be on the top of your to-read list.

Retellings have always caught my eye and I wasn’t sure what I was getting into except that Cinder is most obviously a retelling of Cinderella. It was so much more than that. With retellings, though, readers must be aware that the story, at most times, will be predictable. There have been several retellings of Cinderella but Cinder brings something new to the mix. In retellings, readers want to know how the author will twist the tale to make it their own but still keep the magic of the original. Marissa Meyer did just that.

Meyer’s world places us in New Beijing, after World War IV. Readers get swept into her story, her world that you forget you are even reading. It was a unique experience which quickly claimed a spot on my favorite-books shelf.

Not only does Meyer bring you in with the setting but her characters, even minor ones stay with you. Even after one read, I feel like I’ve known these characters all my life, like we are best friends or neighbors. Iko is one of my favorite characters. She was hilarious and sassy. But… Prince Kai was every girl’s Prince Charming. I mean, it is a retelling of Cinderella, everyone is bound to be attracted to the prince.

If you think you know how Cinderella ends, think again. The ending will leave you shocked. Cliffhanger galore!

Marissa Meyer wrote a great debut and continues Cinder’s story in the sequel, Scarlet (which is out now). She knows how to keep readers on their toes, being swept into a fairytale filled with cyborgs, creatures from the moon, and don’t forget about the prince.

[boghunden]

So ehm.. Yeah. I pretty much loved this book!

[angelarenea9]

This review is full of spoilers.
This review is posted on my blog

I started reading this book a long time ago not I sort of lost interest very early on and put it on long term hold for a while. But I made a goal this year to cut down on my currently reading shelf, so I decided to give it another try.

It must have been book ADD be cause I really loved it this time around! I thought that this dystopian science fiction fairytale retelling was so creative and took on such a beautiful life of it's own outside of the well-known Cinderella tale. The futuristic setting was incredibly well thought out and realistic seeming.

I was a bit wary about the relationship between Kai and Cinder because I expected it to seem fake or forced, but I thought that Marissa Meyer did a really great job keeping it believable while still maintaining that fairytale feel to it. I also really liked that she brought a political feel to it with an incredibly rich background.

I would recommend this great book to anyone who loves dystopian books and fairytale retellings.

[leahrosereads]

A Cinderella retelling where she’s a cyborg. A freaking cyborg! Yea, that’s all I really needed to know to want to read this novel. And for the most part, after hearing that, I pretty much assumed I was going to at least get a mild enjoyment out of this novel. However, there was nothing mild about how much I enjoyed and loved Cinder.

This review will be pretty much me fangirling, because I really did find this novel to be just fanfreakingtastic. There was nothing that I truly disliked about this story.


Cinder revolves around, shockingly, Cinder, a cyborg mechanic living in a society where cyborgs are below second-class citizens. She lives with her stepmother, Adri, and two stepsisters - Pearl and Peony. Like in the original Cinderella story, Cinder meets a prince. A dashing, kind, wonderful prince - Prince Kai. She and he forge a friendship and a mutual attraction towards each other, but...of course, nothing is simple and a happily ever after just doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the two of them.


I absolutely loved Cinder as a main character. I thought she was strong-willed and pretty independent, and although normally I don’t care for insta-love or instant attraction, because this is a retelling where in the original that did occur, it didn’t bug me all that much. That, or I just really liked this story, so my issues with insta-love were overridden.

I thought that Prince Kai was a great character. Although, I think some of his decisions were naive, I understood the sacrifices he was/is going to have to make in Cinder and in future novels for his country.

And then there’s Queen Levana...I just wanted to pulverize her, and I really hope that Cinder gets a chance to do just that in the later books...well, most likely in the final novel, Winter. But I can wish for a quick demise of the Lunar Queen, hopefully in Scarlet.

All of the minor characters of the story were well written. From the bitch stepmother, to the adorably sweet Peony, just great. And then there was Iko, the fantastically outspoken android. Her friendship with Cinder was truly well written and enjoyable to read.


As is the case in a lot of first novels, Cinder has world building that helped me understand the background (or some anyway) of what was going on in Cinder’s world. Because I thoroughly enjoy most world building, I didn’t find anything wrong with learning about this futuristic world, and I definitely didn’t think it was over done.


Cinder is the first novel in a series, and because I knew that going in, I assumed this novel wouldn’t wrap up in a tidy bow, and I was right. I’m looking forward to getting Scarlet from my local library and continuing this story as soon as possible.

I would absolutely recommend this novel to any of my friends. It was a quick, interesting novel, and I just loved every minute I spent reading Cinder. Seriously, give it a shot.

[Berls]

My Initial Reaction...

I haven't really gotten on the fairytale retellings bandwagon. Not because I don't like fairytales, but I just haven't been super excited to read a story that I feel I already know the main narrative - adapted or not. But when Jessica @ Rabid Reads listed The Lunar Chronicles as one of her top five favorite young adult series, I knew it was time to read Cinder. And I'm so glad I did! The world is incredible, the characters so vivid and real, and I do NOT know the main narrative. Cinderella has been entirely reinvented to the point that I almost don't recognize it!

The Narration...

Rebecca Soler is a new to me narrator, but after listening to Cinder I know that she will be one of my go-to narrators from here on out. She brings characters to life with the incredible ability to not only make them distinct from one another, but with personality that seeps out from her way of reading them. It was easy for me to forget that I was listening to one person reading several parts - or that I was listening to a book at all. I particularly loved the way she did the different robot voices - they had a robotic quality and yet were distinct from each other too. I wonder if she used some sort of voice altering technology or if she's just that good. Either way, I definitely recommend listening to this series.

The Characters...

In a way you already know the characters if you're at all familiar with Cinderella. And yet, you REALLY REALLY DON'T. You've got Cinder, who's living with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Except that one of them, Peony, really isn't wicked at all. In fact, I seriously fell in love with this character, who despite being taught to hate Cinder, has too big of a heart to hate her. Even though Cinder is a cyborg. Yep, you read that right. Cinder suffered a serious pod (read: car of the future) accident when she was a young child that should have killed her. But science saved her by fusing her biology with machines. So she has metal hands, and central nervous system run by a computer, and metal feet - including one that's a bit too small to support her weight. Cinder is a mechanic - made the best in New Beijing due to her Cyborg abilities. She doesn't advertise that, though, because Cyborg's are hated by most. Considered sub-human. And with the plague (not the Black Death of the 14th century, but a new plague of this future world) killing thousands, cyborgs are being drafted through a lottery system for medical testing. So no - cool as it seems - being a cyborg is most definitely not a good thing.

And Cinder's step-mother, Adri, reminds Cinder of her inferior status on a regular basis. Unlike the fairytale, where the stepmother married Cinderella's father and brought her own two children to the marriage, Cinder is really truly not part of the family. Adri's husband traveled to Europe and brought Cinder back, without really explaining to Adri why - and then died from the plague almost immediately after. Adri blames Cinder for her husband's death and, while I never grew to like Adri, I did at least feel a bit sorry for her.

Then you've got Prince Charming - in this case, he's Prince Kai of New Beijing - and he shows up at Cinder's booth needing an android repaired. He's been told she's the best mechanic in New Beijing and he's surprised to find such a young girl. I loved Prince Kai - who thankfully is much more complete than in the Cinderella story. He's a complex young man, struggling to deal with his father's (the Emperor) illness (he has the plague) and complex relationship with the Lunar Queen (as in the Queen of the moon people...yep, I said moon people). He has a kind heart, strong values, and a real sense of responsibility for his people - to the extent of taking great personal sacrifices for them. He's a prince you want to love and to get the girl.

My favorite character in all of Cinder, I think, is Iko (not sure if that's how it's spelled...audiobook disadvantage). She's Cinder's android with a "personality flaw" and I ADORED everything that came out of her mouth. She's quirky, not quite aware of things like sarcasm and yet seems so HUMAN. She's really Cinder's best friend and would do anything for Cinder.

The Story...

Okay - I seriously couldn't shut up about the characters, so I'll try to be a bit more concise about the story. What makes this story brilliant is the world. It's inventive and complex and so incredibly well established in this book - all while remarkably avoiding info dumps and keeping the plot moving. We're in our own future and some BIG changes have occurred. Not only do we now have cyborgs and androids and pods (instead of cars) but a whole colony was established on the moon. These people changed and became Lunars - a whole entire civilization ruled currently be a pretty fantastically horrible woman, the Lunar Queen. Lunars have a kind of magic - or, more accurately, the ability to manipulate bioelectric energy. This makes them a particular threat to humans - as they can not just shift perception of reality, but control behaviors. And the Lunar Queen wants to marry Prince Kai - as the ONLY way she is willing to establish peace with Earth.

The threat of the Lunars - and particularly the Lunar Queen - is complicated by the threat of Plague. There is no cure or way to prevent a person from catching it - no vaccination. It strikes unexpectedly and the sick person is sent to a camp, where they are given care away from the populace, until they die - typically within a week. If they aren't near there family when the plague appears, they will never see their family again. Their family will receive updates as the person passes through the different stages, until finally they are notified that they are dead. The Plague is wiping out huge parts of the populace and Prince Kai - along with the other world leaders - is struggling to find a way to save his people. Cinder gets caught up in both of these plots - in ways that I don't want to tell you because it's part of the fun of reading the book - but it's exciting and kept me enthralled from beginning to end.

Concluding Sentiments...

The only reason I'm giving this 4 instead of 5 stars is a twist towards the end that I really didn't like. I may be one of the only ones, but IMHO, it hurt the story. Not enough to keep me from loving Cinder and excitedly requesting Scarlet from the library!

[girlinthepages]

The one thought that dominates my mind when I think of Cinder: “Why didn’t I read this book sooner?” I’d seen it heavily marketed and on many to-read lists, but I was honestly turned off by the sci-fi aspect, as it’s not a genre that I usually gravitate towards. But Cinder combines sci-fi seamlessly with traditional fairytale folklore (if you haven’t guess already, structurally it’s based on the fairytale of Cinderella) and the result is a wonderful, fun, and fast read that had me immediately purchasing the sequel, Scarlet, the next day.

Now, why some may call the plot predictable, I didn’t mind because it gave me a firm framework for the story to hold on to while I read despite not being very familiar with the sci-fi aspects (I admit, this is my first experience reading a book with cyborgs). Marissa Meyer does a decent job with world building, and more and more details about Cinder’s world are revealed throughout the course of the book: the time period is after World War IV, Earth has been re-distributed into new continents that provide and interesting hybridization of today’s cultures (the Eastern Commonwealth, the European Federation, etc), technology has led to colonization of the moon (Sailor Moon inspired-references!) and a plague (the “blue fever,” a parallel to the bubonic play) is ravaging the Earth.

Though many of the characters in Cinder were fairytale tropes from Cinderella, their nuances and the way that Meyer played on these stereotypes were really interesting to read. Cinder, who has no memory past age 11, is a cyborg, mechanic, witty, strong, determined, and has the resilience of her fairytale-inspiration: no matter how often she gets beat down by her stepmother and society, she does what she feels is right (note that she isn’t idealistically self sacrificing all the time) and develops close relationships with the few androids and humans who show her compassion. Cinder is definitely not a damsel-in-distress type, and her relationship and encounters with Prince Kai (whom is so endearing, I love reading about a good guy for a change) are humorous but also somewhat realistic, and she acknowledges the social and political barriers that divide them. Adri, Cinder’s stepmother, and her stepsister Pearl are deliciously awful, antagonists that readers will love to hate, but pale in comparison to the real villain, which is an element Meyer adds in that deviates from the Cinderella storyline a bit and makes the novel more original. Iko, Dr. Erland, and Peony are also peripheral characters worth mentioning, and all secondary characters serve to enhance and grow Cinder’s characters through her interactions with her.

Meyer also doesn’t focus on Cinder’s looks, but more on her capabilities and technologies, as both a person and a cyborg, a breath of fresh air in the YA (and fairytale) genre where the protagonists are stunningly-unassuming beauties that the male instantly falls for. Cinder may be influenced by a fairytale, but she shoes agency and capability far more than any males in the series, and her strength cannot be questioned.

Cinder was a fast read that sucked me in and had me flipping the pages, engaged by the hybrid of fairytale familiarity from my childhood and sci-fi world building from Meyer’s own imagination. As in fairytales, many of the situations in the book were moral dilemmas for the characters, and reading about their struggles and choices were interesting and thought-provoking, especially as they could be real problems our society faces in the future. Notable was the repulsion by the general human population toward cyborgs, humans who have a degree of prosthetic limbs and central wiring implanted in surgeries to humans who have suffered what would usually be fatal injuries. While I would be inclined to think these people are medical marvels (and often have cool abilities from their surgeries), society views cyborgs as “disgusting,” and the book thus provides an interesting view on discrimination that I hope is explored further through the next few books.

Yet the book was not the deepest nor the most intricate in world building that I’ve read in YA fantasy/fiction this year (Days of Blood and Starlight comes to mind), there’s such fun in reading a new twist of a classic story, even if I had guessed one of the major plot points early on (though there were some other curveballs I enjoyed that surprised me while reading). I literally went to my local, independent bookstore the next day and picked up Scarlet, the sequel, because I cannot wait to continue indulging in this alternative world, and I recently discovered that the entire series will be comprised of books with fairytale twists (Scarlet is based on Little Red Ridinghood)! The Lunar Chronicles are fun yet familiar reads due to their fairy tale roots that can appeal to many readers of many genres, due to its hybrid nature. Whether you’re a Grimms Brothers/Disney-buff, sci-fi fan, or general fantasy lover, Cinder is definitely worth your time.