Published: January 3, 2012 by: Feiwal and Friends
Pages: 390
Rating: 4/5 stars
As an incurable plague rages over New Beijing, mechanic and cyborg Cinder faces mistreatment by her stepmother and stepsisters, as well as keeping a secret from the charismatic Prince Kai, one of her clients, that she is part robot. When her sister falls ill, Cinder is immediately blamed for her exposure, but her life is spared when she finds out that she is immune from the disease. Suddenly Cinder is whisked into testing and prodding, as scientists try to figure out if she is the key to an antidote. But war from the Lunar People is on the horizon, and when their ruthless leader Queen Levana comes to Earth to pursue Kai, it's up to Cinder to try and save her beloved nation, and her heart.
I dnf'ed this book a few years ago. I thought it was weird and boring, and there were too many elements to it. So when this book reappeared in my life now, I was a little dubious. However I gave it a try again, and I was very surprised by my change in heart and I really appreciated it's uniqueness.
I loved how this book had a very diverse take on Cinderella. It had some of the elements to the original story, such as the evil stepmother, the ball, etc., but it was done in a way that was really cool and unique. Cinder is not your typical princess at all, and I loved how they didn't portray her as a damsel in distress or anything. She was a strong independent mechanic, which is not something you see everyday.
I don't usually go for science fiction as I can find myself getting lost in it sometimes, but this book was very engaging and I felt engrossed in it! Maybe I was just in a reading slump last time I read it, because I found that this time around, it was very interesting and cool to read about! It's something that I've never read before, that's for sure.
I think that the only thing I didn't like about this book, is that it has many elements to it. There's science fiction, robots, royalty, fairytale retelling, dystopia, that sometimes it's hard to grasp all the concepts. I feel like there's too many elements to this book that some things just get lost.
So overall, I'm happy I gave this book a go again and I'm happy with the result. However I do think that maybe there are just a bit too many things to this book, that it's hard to appreciate all of it.
Have you read Cinder? What did you think?
Emily @ Paperback Princess
So happy you gave this a second chance and ended up enjoying it! The series just continues to get better and better, in my opinion. I was in a similar position to you, unsure if I'd like it because I'm not a sci-fi fan, but I came to love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear that the series gets better! To be honest, I'm kind of unsure if I want to continue, but it's definitely something to keep on the radar :)
DeleteThis is a weird one for me because i was sure I wouldn't continue with this series after I read the first one. I read Scarlet, Cress, and Fairest in January, but I still don't think the series is as good as everyone has hyped it up to be.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'll just have to wait and see. The whole premise of this series is quite weird, but sometimes weird can be a good thing!
DeleteI'm kind of 50/50 on whether to try this.
ReplyDeleteBtw, try Ash by Melinda Lo - uber-interesting retelling of Cinderella with fairies (the kick-a** kind) and LGBTQ+ themes.
Ooh thanks for the recommendation! This book was good and a lot of people seem to love it so I would say give it a go :)
DeleteI have this books but I have been putting off reading it because it seems weird and I am unsure about it.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely weird, definitely to an acquired taste, but oddly intriguing!
DeleteI've heard so much about this one! I'm glad you enjoyed it but I keep putting it off because it does sound like it has a lot going on and I'm just not sure it's for me. But really, I probably should at least give it a go, right?
ReplyDeleteYes you should! It's a great unique and diverse read :)
DeleteI'm happy you gave it a second try! I absolutely loved this novel, and I also only got to it this year! I felt like I was the only one that had yet to read The Lunar Chronicles, so I'm glad to know I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have to admit the book has a lot of elements (fantasy, dystopian, sci-fi), I think the author managed to combine all of them in a way that you don't get confused by all things happening.
By the way, who was your favorite character? I had a hard time picking a fav, because Kai was SO ADORABLE, but I have to admit Cinder was my favorite to read about! She's so strong, yet, has a big, carrying heart. I loved her!
I'm happy you enjoyed this! My favourite character would have to be Kai, he was so adorable and a great leader. Cinder was not your typical hero which I loved as well!
DeleteOOOH YESSS- I'm so glad you decided to give this book another go, Emily! The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favorites :)) I do agree with you when you say that there are so many elements in this book that some just get lost, I still think the author did a great job overall! Can't wait see what you think of the rest of the series- do get to them soon!
ReplyDeleteRuzaika @ The Regal Critiques
I'm sure I will Ruzaika! Sometimes second chances are the best, it gave me a much better outlook. I think that the author has got something great going on here!
DeleteNice review. I dnfed the book as well last year for a similar reason. I have not had any motivation to pick it up again, but after this review I might just give it one more shot.
ReplyDeleteChioma @ Blue Books and Butterflies
You should! It definitely gets better as you go into it. Hope you enjoy it Chioma!
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