REVIEW: Lunar Chronicles Novellas by Marissa Meyer

Glitches (Lunar Chronicles #0.5)
by Marissa Meyer
Tor.com, 2011
[Goodreads]

Read HERE for free

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. In “Glitches,” a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch…

I was actually completely unaware that this novella existed, until I finished reading my paperback copy of Cinder and saw that it was included at the end. I’d like to thank the publisher for doing so, because otherwise I would have missed it!

If you’re wanting some background about Cinder’s introduction into the Linh’s lives, then this novella is a must-read. I loved Cinder’s uncertainty and fear, and the fact that – even without Adri’s vehemence against her – Cinder was already acutely aware of how different she was from Peony and Pearl, and how she didn’t really fit in. I did love that Peony was so accepting of her, wanting to play with her, spend time with her, and just talk and laugh with her. It makes the circumstances in Cinder all the more poignant and heart-wrenching. I also adored the early look at Iko, and that it was Cinder that brought her back to “life”. I can only hope she reappears soon in Scarlet because I desperately missed her humor and good cheer! I can’t help but wonder, though, if Adri’s opinion of cyborgs – and Cinder specifically – would have changed if Garan hadn’t contracted Letumosis? Alas, that is one question that shall never be answered.

While I didn’t find Glitches to be completely and utterly amazing, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Cinder, just for the little bits of added information, and some background on the world. It doesn’t really answer any burning questions, but is a nice, short, worthwhile read nonetheless.

 

The Queen’s Army (Lunar Chronicles #1.5)
by Marissa Meyer
Tor.com, 2012
[Goodreads] [Amazon]

Previous Book: Cinder

It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen’s army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen — and to himself — that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack.

As opposed to Glitches, which I didn’t really feel was amazing (see above) and honestly didn’t answer any of my questions, The Queen’s Army is the complete opposite. Not only do we get some background into the Lunar Army that Kai and the other diplomats become aware of in Cinder, but I believe we might also have just been introduced to a character who’s going to play a role in the remainder of the series.

I couldn’t help but be struck by the irony of this story. Z, our main character, has been taken from his home, forced to undergo some physical transformations, and has come out of them perhaps more wolf than human. He spends all of his training years being neither the best or the worst, never wanting to fully embrace his animalistic tendencies, but also desperately wanting to avoid becoming the “mindless soldier” threatened by his pack’s leader. I have to say that my heart hurt quite a bit for him and the others we see in this brief story, simply because of the circumstances they find themselves in all because of Levana’s determination to conquer the Earth. It’s scary to know she really has no limits to her thirst for power.

I found the last line to be the most thought-provoking, particularly since Z’s actions at the end make you wonder precisely if he’s avoided becoming what he feared after all. I’m curious to see what comes next!

 

Next up for me is Scarlet! So excited!