Finding books like cinder is relatively easy in the age of google. Perhaps this is because Cinderella has endured as a fairy tale for centuries. in fact, hollywood is slated to release another version of cinderella as i write.
Far from the end of show business is cinder, the first book of the lunar chronicles. cinder is the story of a cyborg mechanic who lives in new beijing, in a land under constant threat from a deadly plague and the lunar empire from the moon.
You are reading: Books like lunar chronicles
Cinder lives with her evil stepmother, who blames her for her stepsister’s illnesses and problems. Of course, things change when Cinder is hired to repair the handsome Prince Kai’s android. you can guess where things go from here, but there’s enough of a difference to keep reading.
cinder is a brilliant mix of Japanese manga, classic fairy tale and old school adventures. If you’ve enjoyed books like Cinder, you might enjoy some of the titles below.
8 books like ashes
ugly, by scott westerfeld
Books like cinder enjoy mixing fairy tale elements together and sprinkling them with a nice dash of dystopian unease to hook the reader.
in uglies (what I’ve written about earlier), the story follows tally, a young girl who is about to turn 16, which means she’s going to undergo plastic surgery. to make it a ‘cute .’
everyone expects to be “pretty” as it launches you into the best career and life. Things take a turn for the worse when Tally’s friend Shay decides she doesn’t want to be ‘cute’ and runs away. Much like the Lunar Chronicles, uglies has drawn its fair share of criticism and celebrations alike.
Both series raise some interesting questions about what it means to be human and challenge societal perceptions of what beauty is. worth reading uglies.
caravan, by stephanie garber
some books like cinder relish the opportunity to sprinkle magic, romance, and adventure into a reader’s life. caraval follows scarlett dragna as she dreams of seeing caraval, a magical performance that resembles a circus once a year.
Fortunately, her sister Tella is on the case and, with the help of a mysterious sailor, she takes Scarlett to see the show. Unfortunately, by the time they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by the Legend, the mastermind behind the show.
Whoever finds Tella first will be declared the winner of this year’s submission, and Scarlett will soon find herself swept up in a spectacle of magic, love, and loss. this is a twisted story with lots of flirtatious romance mixed with magic and trauma.
Some of the plot gimmicks are old, but there’s enough here to please fans of the Lunar Chronicles.
Have you already read this novel? check out our list of books like caraval!
fangirl, by rainbow rowell
There are books like Ash set in the contemporary world but telling a similar story. fangirlgives us cath, a teenager who is a huge fan of simon snow (basically harry potter).
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Her sister, Wren, is also a Simon Snow fan, but with the girls about to head off to college and Wren telling Cath she doesn’t want to be a roommate when they get there, Cath feels lonely and nervous.
Can she outrun Simon Snow or will she become forever obsessed with a fictional character? cinder and fangirl are both coming of age stories. fangirlis just set in the contemporary world, but if you love cinder, you’ll probably enjoy fangirl.
Have you already read this novel? check out our list of books as a fangirl!
the night circus, by erin morgenstein
some books like the lunar chronicles are so well written and observed that you almost forget the romance at the center of the story. the night circus came to light in 2011 and is still going strong today.
celia and marco are two young magicians who have been manipulated by their respective mentors into a competition behind the scenes of the magical le cirque des rêves. Despite being told that only one of them can be left standing, Celia and Marco fall in love, putting the entire circus and its performers at risk.
Beautifully written and magically tempting, The Night Circus should be on your reading list if you love books like Cinder.
Have you already read this novel? check out our list of books like the night circus!
island of the lost, by melissa de la cruz
Books like cinder don’t just focus on the tragic aspects of fairy tales. Anyone who loves the humor and magic of ‘happily ever after’ will love Isle of the Lost.
Twenty years ago, all the villains in the world were banished and imprisoned behind a magical force field on an island. Now the children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella de Vill and Jafar are on a mission to steal the Dragon’s Eye and escape from the island once and for all.
Of course, things are never that easy, and kids soon discover that being evil isn’t always a family thing.
Island of the Lost is written with joy, humor, and love for the source material that inspired its story. If it doesn’t make you smile, I’m not sure what will.
armed, by ernest cline
This may seem like an unusual choice, but there are books like the Lunar Chronicles that hide the romance within the adventure. Zack Lightman dreams of the real world being more like the video games he plays every day, especially his current favorite, Armed.
so when you see a flying saucer that looks exactly like the alien navy ships, you think you’re imagining things. Zack quickly learns that Armada is real and that his skills, along with the skills of millions of other players, are needed more than ever.
what makes this novel work is the respect that cline shows towards its target audience. Yeah, there are similarities to books like Ender’s Game and a dozen others, but Armada manages to be different enough to enjoy.
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Embracing the joy and camaraderie that exists in the gaming community, armed is an exciting and fun tribute to pop culture, the ’80s, and video games.
are you a fan of ernest cline? Check out our list of more books like a ready player one!
red queen, from victoria aveyard
Books like cinder love to include politics, class and a healthy dose of rebellion in the story. red queen is a mix of the red riser series, the lunar chronicles, and a song of ice and fire.
mare is our protagonist, a 17-year-old ‘red’ girl in a society divided by classes of color. silver = divine super-elite. red = commoners.
Mare finds herself going to work at the Silver Palace where she discovers a deadly power of her own to rival the Silvers. she’s treated like a mare to the “lost silver princess”, she starts working with a resistance group and of course gets into a “will they, won’t they?” love triangle.
While there is nothing new in Red Queen, it is well paced and has enough interesting characters to make it a solid read for a young adult. It’s fun to read about the Mare-imbued and Silver’s X-Men-like powers, and the backstabbing, power plays, and love entanglements add to the drama.
If you enjoyed cinder, I’d recommend this.
Do you already know this novel? check out our list of books like the red queen!
anna and the french kiss, by stephanie perkins
Books like cinder don’t work unless there’s a love story or romantic element involved. Anna and the French Kiss may be a contemporary romance novel for older audiences, but it’s still about a girl coming of age and trying to find her own identity.
this is a romance and he wears his heart firmly on his sleeve. Yes, the plot is tried and tested, but it works for the millions of readers who love books like The Lunar Chronicles. Anna is our protagonist, a young woman sent to a boarding school in Paris.
here she meets a french boy named Étienne st. Of course, will you meet him or not? I’ll let you guess, but a romance novel is rarely about destiny. the journey is everything, and in anna and the french kiss, it’s a fun (occasionally irritating) journey, but always silly enough to enjoy.
Have you already read this romance? Check out our list of books like Anna and the French Kiss!
Books like the Lunar Chronicles delight in combining romance, adventure, and fairy tale tropes. If you love reading about women overcoming adversity and you love fairytale romances, there will be something for you in our selections.
Looking for more books like cinder? Do you have any recommendations that are not on the list? tell us in the comments!