Did you ever wonder what Cinder’s transformation from lunar to cyborg was really like? Or how Wolf came to be chosen as one of the queen’s special operatives? And when it was that Winter and Jacin first became friends and fell in love? These questions and more are answered in this final installment.

The Keeper is Scarlet’s grandmother, Michelle Benoit. Michelle had a part to play in the rescue of Princess Selene in the aftermath of the fire that nearly claimed the young girl’s life.

In Glitches, a prequel to Cinder, Cinder has woken up from her eight years in a preservation tank, her cyborg transformation now complete.

How was Ze’ev Kesley, or Wolf as we know him, chosen to be in The Queen’s Army? This story shows his childhood taken from him as he is thrown into his new life in the pack.

Was Thorne’s childhood like Cress had believed it to be, or was he really a selfish flirt all along? In Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky, Thorne shows us his way of chasing after the things he wants in life and what it takes to get them.

Why was Cress chosen to become a hacker spy for Levana? After Sunshine Passes By shows how nine-year-old Cress became trapped in her satellite prison.

The Princess and the Guard tells the story of how Winter and Jacin became childhood friends, and eventually more.

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid.

Kai shows her perspective as he meets The Mechanic, Cinder, for the first time.

Something Old, Something New is the only story to pick up where we left off in The Lunar Chronicles. As its name implies, it features the wedding of one of our beloved couples from the series.

If you have read The Lunar Chronicles and have fallen in love with its characters, then Stars Above is a must read.

In Fairest, we see the untold story of Levana, the villain of the series. Levana has grown up in a loveless family. Channary, the first born and heir, certainly has no love for Levana. Cruel and vain, Channary abuses her lunar powers on her six-year-old sister, forcing her into a fire. Levana carries her burn scars for the rest of her life, but she becomes skilled at using her glamor to cover them up.

Desperate for love, Levana begins to pursue one of the palace guards, even though he is married. Levana believes they are truly meant to be together, especially after Evret’s beloved wife dies in childbirth. Her infatuation with him becomes obsessive – she begins using her mind powers to make him return her love, which he never did before.

Even when Levana uses her glamor to resemble his deceased wife, he does not return her love. He only cares about his child, Winter. In addition to her marriage problems, Levana must accept the fact that she will never be queen. Instead, her young niece, Selene, is next in line. Levana is convinced that Selene will be just as terrible a queen as Channary, and she begins to plot how she will get Selene out of the picture to find her own happy ending.

This book was disturbing, young adult level though it was. It shows sibling abuse, marital abuse, and child abuse. We see just how messed up Levana really is in Fairest, which helps us see why she does everything she does in the rest of the series. Thankfully, this is a quick read, so we don’t have to deal with Levana’s obsessive behavior for very long.

Mild spoilers. 

Winter isa Snow White retelling. Princess Winter is in danger because her stepmother, Levana, is jealous of her beauty and the love she receives from the people of Luna, and therefore wants her dead. Winter suffers from terrible visions and hallucinations Her one true friend is her guard, Jacin. Winter is in love with Jacin, but he feels unable to return her love because of their different statuses.

As Winter’s story is being told, we also continue to follow our main heroine, Cinder – the lost Princess Selene and rightful heir to the throne of Luna. Kai, the emperor of the Commonwealth, does everything he can to help her, while at the same time doing what he thinks is best for his own country. In addition to the support she receives from Kai, Cinder also has the help of her friends, Iko, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, and Thorne, all of whom wish to see her overthrow Levana. The relationships that began in the previous books continue to deepen, and be put to the test.

This series exceeded my expectations. If you can wrap your head around the idea of futuristic fairytale retellings that take place not only on earth but also in space, I think you may enjoy The Lunar Chronicles as much as I did.