Begin the main story
Start with Cinder and continue through the four numbered novels, placing Fairest before Winter if desired.
Book Series · 6 Books
The Lunar Chronicles Books
In order from Cinder to Stars Above.
Four connected YA science-fiction fairy-tale retellings bring together a cyborg mechanic, a pilot, a hacker, and a princess against a deadly plague and lunar queen.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read The Lunar Chronicles
The main plot is Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter. Author Marissa Meyer recommends placing the darker Queen Levana prequel Fairest between Cress and Winter.
Wires and Nerve volumes 1–2 continue Iko's story after Winter; they are new graphic sequels, not adaptations. Stars Above is a story collection that works best after the main plot.
Sources: Marissa Meyer's reading-order FAQ, Macmillan's series inventory.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
The YA story includes a fatal plague, abandonment and abuse, mind control, body modification, war, executions, and character deaths alongside romance. Fairest is notably darker because it centers an abusive, murderous antagonist.
Where to start
Where Should a New Reader Start?
Continue after Winter
Read Wires and Nerve after the four main novels; it continues rather than retells the story.
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$2374
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 11–15 · 2012
Cinder
A cyborg mechanic must uncover her past to save Earth from a lunar threat.
390 pages· 87,661 words· Est. 8 hour read
$24.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Summary: In a plague-ridden New Beijing, cyborg mechanic Cinder is thrust into an intergalactic conflict. As she navigates her mysterious past and a forbidden attraction to Prince Kai, she must choose between loyalty and freedom. With Earth's fate hanging in the balance, can Cinder uncover the secrets that could save her world from a ruthless lunar threat?
In reading order
The Lunar Chronicles Series
6 books · Published 2012–2016
#1
Sale price
$2374
Cinder
Chapter Book · Ages 11–15 · 2012
A cyborg mechanic must uncover her past to save Earth from a lunar threat.
#2
Sale price
$2374
Scarlet
Chapter Book · Ages 12–18 · 2013
A cyborg fugitive and a determined girl race against a ruthless queen to uncover hidden truths.
#3
Sale price
$2374
Cress
Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2014
A hacker's freedom could save Earth from invasion, but at what cost?
#4
Sale price
$2754
Winter
Chapter Book · Ages 12–18 · 2015
A princess and her allies must overthrow an evil queen to end a war.
Sale price
$1899
Fairest
Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2015
Unmask the dark past of a queen who wields deceit and power.
Sale price
$2754
Stars Above
Chapter Book · Ages 12–18 · 2016
Uncover secrets of Cinder, Wolf, and Winter in the Lunar Chronicles universe.
A graphic continuation after Winter
Wires and Nerve
2 books · Published 2017–2018
Two full-color graphic novels starring Iko. These are sequels, not visual versions of the prose books.
#1
#1 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1797
Wires and Nerve
Chapter Book · Ages 12–18 · 2017
An android hunts rogue soldiers, questioning love and loyalty.
#2
#2 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1797
Gone Rogue
Chapter Book · Ages 12–18 · 2018
An android hunts rogue wolf-soldiers threatening Earth's peace, uncovering secrets about her own programming.
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Lunar Chronicles series?
There are 6 books in the Lunar Chronicles series. It began with Cinder in 2012, and the newest book, Stars Above, was published in 2016.
What order should you read the Lunar Chronicles books in?
Start with Cinder and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #6.
What ages are the Lunar Chronicles books best for?
The series is best for ages 11–18, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
The people
The Creative Behind the Books
The people who bring The Lunar Chronicles to life.
Keep exploring
Similar Series
The 5th Wave
Ages 12–18
Lorien Legacies
Ages 14–18
Ready Player One
Ages 12–18
Howl's Castle
Ages 10–13
The Inheritance Games
Ages 13–18
The Last Unicorn
Ages 14–18
Legend
Ages 12–18
Renegades
Ages 12–18