Stars Above

The Lunar Chronicles is a fantastic series with an amazing storyline, characters, and writing, but you have to admit that there was a lot going on in all of the books. Not to mention the multiple unanswered questions piling up. So to officially wrap up the series once and for all, Marissa Meyer released an engaging, captivating, heartbreaking collection of short stories that tied up any and all loose ends. Thank god, because after Winter ended, I still needed more of these beloved characters! There are a total of nine stories included in this collection, one of them a completely separate story set in the same world, and one of them an epilogue describing the aftermath of the entire series. I'm going to review each of these stories separately, going in the order they were written.The Keeper: 3.5 stars. An interesting look into how Michelle Benoit cared for Cinder before she became a cyborg, and how Cinder's and Scarlet's stories are intertwined. This one was okay, considering it was about a minor character who was less involved throughout the series, and it was fun to read and pick up on Scarlet's little cameos. However, I kind of wish we got to learn more about Logan Tanner and how he came in contact with Princess Selene. But overall, it was a great story.Glitches: 4.5 stars. This one picks up immediately after The Keeper, and tells us how Cinder made her way to New Beijing, met Adri, Pearl, and Peony, and rebuilt Iko, simultaneously finding a knack in her crazy new world. It also tells us what happened to the mysterious Linh Garan, the inventor of the bioelectricity device, and Cinder's stepfather. It was really interesting to find out how Cinder ended up in New Beijing, and her reactions to meeting her new family for the first time. It was definitely strange reading about a Cinder who didn't exactly stand up for herself, and was weak, scared, and lonely. I was glad when Cinder first realized her talent for fixing objects, and to see a sign of the familiar Cinder. Peony was super kind from the beginning, and that makes her storyline even more sad. This was a really good story, with great, descriptive writing, and an intriguing backstory.The Queen's Army: 4.5 stars. This short story was about Wolf (or Ze'ev), and the challenges he had to face when becoming a part of Levana's mutated wolf-soldier army. This was an especially intense story, and gives us the background I was searching for with Wolf. Since he isn't a very outgoing character, I feel like this is a very important addition to his story, and I can relate to him more now that I know more about him.Carswell's Guide To Being Lucky: 5 stars. Thorne is one of my favorite characters in this series, mainly because he reminds me so much of Han Solo. And I also think that Han Solo would have a similar backstory. Of course Thorne's jokes and quips were awesome, but seeing and understanding his past and how it influenced his later personality was fun to read about. It was great making connections between his 13-year-old self and the man he was going to become, such as his type of girl. Those similarities were really what sold this for me, and I felt like I was reading about the same Thorne having adventures on the Rampion.After Sunshine Passes By: 4 stars. Even the title makes me tear up a little bit. Cress's imprisonment on the satellite is heartbreaking, but knowing that she gets her happy ending in the end somehow made the whole ordeal worthwhile.The Princess and the Guard: 4.5 stars. Now THIS is what I was hoping for in Stars Above. Winter and Jacin are probably the two main characters we know the least about, especially since Jacin is so internalized, and their backstory was desperately needed. This one was mostly based on the cruelty of Levana, and the relationship between Winter and Jacin. Non-hallucinating Winter is just as awesome as crazy Winter, and sort of reminded me of Cinder and Cress in certain ways. We also get to see a tremendous show of strength on Winter's part, when Levana forces her to carve up her own face, and she refuses to let even a tear fall during the event. And although it was horrifying, this somehow makes her craziness even more endearing.The Little Android: 5 stars. This one got me the most. Even though it has no relation to the rest of the Lunar Chronicles, aside from a small cameo by Cinder, this is a very heartbreaking, tearjerking story that will definitely tug on your heartstrings. It's a retelling of the original Little Mermaid tale, and just like the original, this story has a very bittersweet ending. It chronicles the events that follow after an android falls in love with a human engineer, and rejects her original programming. This android reminded a lot of Iko, just a little quieter. It made me wonder if there a lot of independent androids in the Lunar Chronicles universe, but it mostly just made me tear up a lot.The Mechanic: 4.5 stars. Not an extremely important story, but a pretty good one. This is the first meeting between Kai and Cinder told from Kai's perspective, and it is very lightweight. I know some readers aren't huge fans of reverse POV's stories, but it is a really interesting and insightful addition that sheds some light on Kai's early motivations and personality, and of course, why he fell for Cinder.Something Old, Something New: 5 stars. An amazing, fun, detailed epilogue of the entire Lunar Chronicles. It tells the story of Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew reuniting on Scarlet's farm for an unforgettable event. (cough, WEDDING, cough.) This is once again told from Cinder's POV, and is a really neat way to wrap everything up, although it did serve as a reminder that this fantastic, wonderful series is finally over. However, it was the best conclusion an author could have written, given the circumstances.Overall, this was a truly great, astounding short story collection that ties up all loose ends, and answers any questions a reader may have about the Lunar Chronicles. Each story was completely filled with action, adventure, emotional conflict, and descriptive, enticing writing. No one else could have done it better. Farewell, Lunar Chronicles.

Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles became one of my favorite series of the past few years. I loved the sci-fi twist on classic fairy tales, how the author showcased her four heroines, and the way that the complicated plot was slowly revealed. I finished Winter with happiness, but also wanted to keep hanging out with these great characters. So I was ecstatic to read Stars Above, which encompasses nine different short stories in this world, and it was as wonderful as I was hoping it would be.Here is my ranking of the stories (with my notes):1. Something Old, Something NewAn epilogue for the entire series which focuses on one of the couple's upcoming nuptials. I loved that Cinder was once again the narrator and that it showcased friendship as much as romance. A great way to tie everything together.2. The MechanicWhat Kai was thinking when he met Cinder for the first time. I'm not usually into reverse POV's stories, but I adore Kai and thought this was very well-done. I liked the insight into his desire to help his country, no matter what he had to deal with personally.3. The Little AndroidThe most loosely connected story that is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Very interesting information about androids and cyborgs. This one had me tearing up the most.4. After Sunshine Passes ByCress is my favorite of all the heroines and I thought the story of how she was placed on the satellite was heartbreaking. It just made me so mad to see how the Lunars treated the shells.5. GlitchesCinder arrives in New Beijing and meets the Linh family including Iko! This one was sad due to how alone Cinder felt and what happens when the plague hits the household.6. The Queen's ArmyMore about Ze'ev's family on Luna and how he was turned into one of Queen Levana's supersoldiers. What I liked most about this story was the determination Ze'ev showed throughout his ordeal and how that foreshadowed his storyline.7. The KeeperA quick look at how Scarlet's grandmother became involved in the whole situation when her former lover arrives on Earth with the severely injured Princess Selene. The sacrifices Michelle made was difficult to fathom though I enjoyed the little tidbits we got about Scarlet's childhood.8. The Princess and the GuardWinter and Jacin's early years as friends. This is one of the longer stories and it was an enjoyable look into characters that I felt like I knew the least. These two just don't interest me as much as the others.9. Carswell's Guide to Being LuckyThis was funny and surprisingly poignant especially considering it was about a young Thorne. I liked seeing what his family was like and how they helped shape his seemingly carefree attitude towards life. It was also interesting to see that his type of girl was the same even back then.These novellas provide tons of fun to readers who already fans of the series. I definitely wouldn't suggest reading these before the other Lunar Chronicles books even though, chronologically, most of them happen before the full-length novels. They are full of insight into characters and secrets that I think would be spoiled if read beforehand. But, if you love these characters, this is definitely a book you will enjoy and is a great addition to an already fabulous series.

Stars Above makes the perfect finisher for The Lunar Chronicles series. It isn’t yet another whole book in the series; rather it is a collection of short stories or novellas that fill in gaps in the universe of The Lunar Chronicles.Some of the stories are prequels to the various books in The Lunar Chronicles series. We see Michelle Benoit receiving the seriously damaged Princess Selene for the first time, and then taking in her granddaughter, Scarlet. We see Cinder meeting her stepmother and stepsisters for the first time.Other stories shine a light on the earlier lives of some of the less prominent characters in the series. We see Wolf’s transformation from human to artificial wolf-monster. We see Carswell Thorne back in school scheming to get the girl who is the best math student in the school to let him copy her homework.Yet other stories fill in small gaps in the larger story told in the books, or offer alternative views of scenes we have already seen. And there is one story – in some ways the best of the lot – that only barely touches on the Lunar Chronicles stories at all. This is the story of a malfunctioning mech droid who gives her all for the engineer she loves.But what may be the most satisfying story for people who have stuck with the entire series from the beginning is the last story of this collection. It is sort of an epilog that takes place at a reunion of all the remaining characters about three years after the end of Winter, during which they manage to finally get Wolf and Scarlet married.

I brought this book after reading the Lunar Chronicles just because I wanted to read The Little Android. I wasn't really interested in any of the other stories when I brought it because I usually think added extras like this are pointless after already reading the series... However, I take it all back.The Little Android actually turned out to be my least favourite story - it was also the only story that didn't star the main characters from the Lunar Chronicles, though Cinder makes a brief appearance. I loved the idea for this story, but just though that it was too short with not enough space to develop the story and the characters, I think the other short stories were so enjoyable because we already know the characters and they didn't need any development since the stories were just snap-shots from their younger years. Personally I felt let down by this particular story, especially after anticipating it so much and buying this book just to read it...The rest of the stories more than made up for that disappointment though! It turns out I loved seeing the main characters from the series as kids, especially Thorne, and although we already know the events which happen in these stories it was nice to see them in more depth and show how they changed the characters and set them on their future paths. I also loved seeing Kai and Cinder's first meeting through Kai's eyes and wanted more!Something Old, Something New, the end story was definitely my favourite because it seemed to give a definite close to the series, which I felt the end of Winter lacked - though I'm disappointed that it doesn't look like Iko will get a story, beside the graphic novel which I'm still debating whether or not to read since I seem to be in the minority who doesn't actually like the art work in it. It was also great fun to see all the characters back together again and what they're doing two years after the rebellion.All in all, despite my initial thoughts, I really enjoyed this book and it's made me want to go back and re-read the Lunar Chronicles again, even though I only read them a couple of months ago and I have a TBR list about 500 deep!

So happy to be back in the world of The Lunar Chronicles and to read the stories of how they all really began, stories we'd heard about but not in real detail, from their perspective.The whole gang had their own little short, it was like looking into their memories!My faves were:The Keeper - Scarlet's grandmother, Cinders beginnings and Scarlet!The Queens Army.....WOLF.....say no more!The Mechanic - when Kai met Cinder for the first time, from Kai's pov. It was CUTE!!!!!The last story was a wedding....and I revelled in it!'And she had every intention if being blissfully happy for ever, ever after.'

An amazing collection of short stories that really tie together the many parts of the series and add fluff to the ongoing main plot. I really enjoyed some of the backstories that came into it all. Scarletts in particular as it makes far more sense as to why she ended up become the way she did!

A collection of short stories that fill in some gaps that you might have wanted filling in. You need to read the main Lunar Chronicles book first, but these aren't needed to enjoy or understand the plot any clearer. Certainly something for big fans of the series.

This series is easier one of my favourites and just reading these short stories made me want to reread the entire thing all over again! These stories give you a further insight into the characters lives, for me i was just glad to be reading about them again. The short story 'The little android' was adorable and the way it was retold was well thought out and flowed nicely! I will be reading anything that Marrissa Meyer writes in the future, most definitely.