Blurb
A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth’s fate hinges on one girl . . .
CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.
Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.
This is not the fairytale you remember. But it’s one you won’t forget.
I love the idea of a fairy-tale retelling and the stories original take on the story was intreiging. I thought it was fantastic that Cinder and one of the sisters had a geniune bond. this added depth the complexety of the families situations.
Review
I award this novel 3.5/5 stars
From the first chapter we’re introduced to the concept of the deadly virus, the prince’s determination to find a solution, Cinder’s difficulties as a cyborg and the prejudices she faces. I was instantly hooked.
I loved the clever twist on the shoe that only fits her and how that played a part in the final scenes.
This is going to sound ridiculous, but I was shocked to discover the existence of a lunar race and how they impacted the story. Yes, the set is called The Lunar Chronicles so I should have anticipated it. It seemed to come out of nowhere, but played a huge role in the story. Perhaps I missed a vital bit of foreshadowing in the first chapter, there was already a lot going on.
The city of New Beijing was incredibly detailed; it was full, vibrant, noisy, chaotic, and hot. It would be a nightmare destination for someone like me. Give me an empty beach in the middle of winter and I’m happy. That being said, the palace with its cherry blossom trees and lanterns was beautifully detailed.
Cinder’s and Kai’s blooming relationship was believable and engaging. I was eager to read their story and how they’d eventually get together.
Queen Lavana was a flat character, hell bent on world domination. She’s already overthrown her own predecessor and now wants planet earth. But why? Being evil and desiring power was all I got from her.
I’d already read and reviewed Heartless by Marissa Meyer. I had great expectations for this novel. Unfortunately, the story’s ending was a huge let down. Romance novels have a certain expectation, but Cinder and the prince did not get together. I understand it’s a hook for the rest of the series, but not fulfilling a stories plot is one of my pet peeves. Romantic involvement or romantic sacrifice is a must. It annoyed me so much that I’m considering boycotting the rest of the series. Hence the low rating.
As always, thanks for reading.
Have you read the rest of the series? Is it worthwhile continuing?
I love your comments, so please tell me what you thought of the book.
Lorraine Ambers 
Not having read the book I couldn’t comment except to say that I understand the desire to string out a plot point throughout the series. I have at least two plot points that I intend to leave unanswered in book one and two and finally answer in book three.
Neither of them involves the relationship of the FMC, but they are major plot points. My hope is to use that to keep the readers hungry for the next book in the series. I imagine that’s what Ms. Meyer is attempting to do in her series as well, keep you reading to finally get what you want.
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And it’s a technique that many readers love. To be fair, I didn’t mind the main conflict being split between novels.
I think Six of Crows get around this by answering all the plot points but change the stakes in the final scene. That was far more intriguing to me.
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Omg, you have to continue!! I loved the Lunar Chronicles so much. There’s a different romantic storyline in each book so you do have to be patient if you want to get closure on each relationship, but I think it’s worth it. I hope you keep going!
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Ooh, I like the idea of that. It keeps each novel fresh and exciting. Thanks 😊
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No problem, hope you enjoy!
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I was disappointed with the ending and so never got round to reading the rest though they are on my list I did like Cinders character
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It was a real let down. But because I loved Cinder I’ll consider trying the next novel.
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Thanks for sharing 😊
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Yowzers, what a story! Thanks for your review. Will add it to my list of books to look for.
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Let me know what you think of it. 😊
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