Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

by Marissa Meyer

[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.