Book 1 of 4 in The Lunar Chronicles
Cinder
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .
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. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, but mostly a forbidden love, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.
- Spice
- 1/5
- Burn
- Slow
- Pages
- ~390
- Ending
- Cliffy
Cliffy means it ends on a cliffhanger, mid-story.
Cliffhanger, but Book 2 is already out.
How spicy is Cinder?
Cinder is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
- Steam: Glimpses and kisses
- Burn: Slow burn
- Pairing: One man, one woman
- POV: Multiple POVs
- Ending: Cliffhanger
Content warnings
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Show 3 content warnings
- Serious or terminal illness
- Death of a loved one
- Suicide / suicidal ideation
Our editorial notes, which may be incomplete. If something is a hard limit for you, check the author's own content notes too.
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Cinder: quick answers
How spicy is Cinder?
Cinder is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
Is Cinder a standalone?
No. Cinder is book 1 of 4 in The Lunar Chronicles. It is the place to start. The series is complete.
What tropes are in Cinder?
Cinder features retelling, royalty, secret identity, disability rep. It is a slow burn M/F romance that ends with a cliffhanger.
Does Cinder have content warnings?
Our notes for Cinder include: serious or terminal illness, death of a loved one, suicide / suicidal ideation. This list may not be complete; check the author's own content notes if anything is a hard limit for you.
What should I read after Cinder?
If you loved Cinder, try A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. They share its retelling and royalty energy at a similar spice level.