The Lunar Chronicles Reading Order: Marissa Meyer's Sci-Fi Fairy Tales
June 7, 2026
Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles is one of the most inventive YA series of the last decade — classic fairy tales (Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White) reimagined in a futuristic world of cyborgs, androids, and a war with the Moon. Here’s the complete reading order.
The main series
- Cinder (2012) — Cinderella, as a cyborg mechanic
- Scarlet (2013) — Little Red Riding Hood
- Cress (2014) — Rapunzel
- Winter (2015) — Snow White
Each book introduces a new fairy-tale heroine while continuing the overarching story, so the cast grows into a wonderful ensemble. Always read in order.
Where the extras fit
- Fairest (2015) — the villain Levana’s backstory. Best read between Cress and Winter for maximum impact (though it works any time after Cress).
- Stars Above (2016) — a short-story collection of side tales and an epilogue. Read after Winter.
- Wires and Nerve (graphic novels) — a sequel told in comic form, following the android Iko. For fans who want more after the saga ends.
What it’s about
In a plague-ravaged future, Cinder — a gifted cyborg mechanic and second-class citizen — becomes entangled with Prince Kai, a deadly disease, and the tyrannical Lunar queen Levana. What begins as a Cinderella retelling expands into a full-blown sci-fi saga of rebellion, identity, and four heroines joining forces.
Where to start
Cinder. It’s a fast, fresh hook, and the series only gets better as the ensemble assembles. Fans of fairy-tale retellings should also explore Meyer’s gothic Gilded duology next.