Estimated Reading Time: 6min

Steampunk and pandemics meet supernatural powers and classist systems in this series. Progressively got further away from the feel of the first book and into a different place…

Cinder

A wicked mash-up of fairy tale and Terminator–set in a Star Wars kind of world–Marissa Meyer’s Cinder is a fresh and fiercely ingenious futuristic retelling of Cinderella  Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal Illness, Pandemic
Moderate: Emotional Abuse, Death of a Parent, Child Death
Minor: War, Car Accident, Gun Violence

My Review

I actually really liked this twist on the Cinderella story. So many adaptations attempt to take it in fun and new places but end up feeling much the same as all the others, this was not like that.
There was enough of the original plot lines that you could see where the Cinderella story comes through, but also enough new plot lines and character quirks that it was basically it’s own story.
I thought the cyber punk type themes were a cool addition, and the political and romantic elements were great too.
Content warnings: confinement, torture and violence (all minor-moderate so nothing too insane).

Scarlet

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Blood
Moderate: Death of a Parent, Torture, Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit, Alcoholism, Sexual Assault

My Review

Strong “werewolf” vibes for this one. Not usually my thing, and I can only do it in certain circumstances, so some of those more intense moments were not my favourite.
I still enjoyed the book over the whole, we are still following Cinder and her journey, introduced to Scarlet and they are thinly linked. New characters from last book that I didn’t mind. We are still waiting for the story to conclude in the next book, and even though it’s a series, I find it frustrating we don’t have anything much in terms of resolution at the end of each book.

Content warning: gore, violence, torture

Cress

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Torture, Death of a Parent, Confinement
Minor: Blood, War, Gun Violence

My Review

Nice interpretation of the Rapunzel story that linked in with the previous Cinderella and Red Riding Hood.
Having the previous fairytale links still not concluded and continued on through this book, and another character thrown into the mix that added more things to keep track of was okay but not ideal personally.
The books do seem to get a bit more graphic as they go along, this one’s a pretty moderate pace, but less yuck like the last one, and more ick inside peoples minds.
Still, it was pretty interesting and well written so I’m still invested. One more left.

Winter

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Animal Death, Fire, Emotional Abuse
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Sexual Assault

My Review

Too creepy with the powers, too deeply unsettling with mental illness, it was all around creepy.

I enjoyed Cinder – the first book in this series – but once we kept going, things started to get creepier the further we got. I kept on as best I could, but we were really getting into some of the powers and a creepy mental health space, so I decided it was best for me to stop reading.

Would I Recommend This Book?

I would recommend Cinder, but as the books go on, they get a little more icky and complicated for me to recommend. They are read as a series, so as a series I wouldn’t recommend, but as a book – Cinder is a yes.

Similar Books You Might Like

If you are thinking what kind of books would have similar feel, themes or content, here is a list that you can consider:

• Heartless (Marissa Meyer)
• The Selection (Kiera Cass)
• The Enchantment of Ravens (Margaret Rogerson)

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See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace