This week I bring you another wonderful book. Marissa Meyer’s Cinder is the first novel in the greater Lunar Chronicles, this series is five books long. Each novel will leave you wanting more. Every novel in the Lunar Chronicles are similar to fairytale told to most children. Cinder obviously being a version of the story of Cinderella and Scarlet being from the story of Little Red Riding Hood.  All of the novels take place on a futuristic earth where all the countries have formed a united union to defend against the alien invaders. These invaders do not come from a foreign or unknown planet, instead they come from our very own moon. Prior to the start of the series the aliens, Lunars, came from the moon and attacked the earth. After years of fighting, the Lunars and the people of Earth created peace. Now, something threatens that peace.

Cinder revolves around the main character of the Lunar Chronicles, Lihn Cinder, or Cinder. Cinder is a mechanic in China. She has two stepsisters and one cruel stepmother. The story Cinder suffers at home is extremely similar to the story of Cinderella, with one minor difference: Cinder is part cyborg. In this world cyborgs are frowned upon and viewed extremely negatively. Cyborgs are often looked down upon by humans and because of this they often try to avoid contact with cyborgs whenever possible. Despite this, one strange turn of events starts the plot of the story. One day at work a man comes to Cinder’s stand at the market because he needed something fixed and she is known as the best mechanic around. Cinder agrees to help this strange man and then addresses him as Your Majesty. Kai is then surprised than she was able to recognize him because he thought his disguise was good enough so that no one could recognize him.

Similar to the story of Cinderella, Cinder goes to the ball that is being held by the prince, and there they fall in love with each other. However, this poses a massive problem for Cinder because Levana, Queen of Luna, wants to marry the Kai, the prince of China. While Cinder is leaving the party she loses more than just a glass slipper, she losing her entire foot. On top of that, for some unknown reason Levana hates Cinder and wants her dead.

Cinder must find a way to be with Kai and escape from Queen Levana. Her wanting to be with Kai is only made harder when the world finds out that Queen Levana wishes to marry Kai and Queen Levana is willing to wage a war unlike any the Earth has ever seen in order to obtain Kai’s hand in marriage. Cinder goes on a journey to attempt to try and stop the marriage from happening and along the way she discovers some shocking facts about herself and about the entire Lunar race. Brace yourself for an interstellar novel full of shocking surprises that will leave you wanting more.