A cyborg mechanic. A futuristic world. A charming prince. And one enormous twist of a fairytale. Welcome to the world of Cinder.

Marissa Meyer’s enthralling novel, Cinder, is the debut novel in her bestselling series The Lunar Chronicles. Set in the heart of the futuristic New Beijing, Cinder tells the story of a 16-year-old cyborg mechanic named Cinder. Cinder’s life can be a little harsh at times, what with a stern guardian and two-faced sister, but her life is, for the most part, quite ordinary… until she meets the handsome Prince Kai. Before she knows it, she’s caught in the middle of an intergalactic struggle between the Earthen people and the Lunars, an evolved Earthen colony on the moon.

Cinder embodies a unique blend of science fiction with a hint of fairy tale, particularly fascinating to the reader who enjoys studying science and reading fantasy-genre books. Even in the first few pages of the novel, androids, cyborgs, hovers, and netscreens can be seen to have an enormous impact in this futuristic, tech-savvy world. In fact, Cinder’s best friend, Iko, is an android herself. With the common use of artificial intelligence and ability to turn human into cyborg found in this fascinating future world, the novel also explores the inevitable: moral issues, particularly concerning rights for those who are human, cyborg, and Lunar. As the series progresses, this commonly-seen theme develops into a greater, more intriguing issue, so you might want to pick up Meyer’s current sequels, Scarlet and Cress, to find out more.

Of course, like most currently popular young adult novels, Cinder features a strong female protagonist, who, while caught in a whirlwind of adventure, also flirts with bits and pieces of romance. As Cinder is eased into the world of the sinister Lunars and the corrupt Queen Levana, Prince Kai of the Commonwealth begins to play a role in Cinder’s quickly-changing life.

And his charms and prominence in Cinder’s world add a fairytale-like flavor to this otherwise sci-fi novel.

So, for those who enjoy that out-of-this-world feel intertwined with bits of romance and adventure, I highly recommend Cinder as the perfect novel to pick up next time you are in the mood for a fresh, fast-paced novel. If you still can’t get enough of Cinder and her quests after you devour the first book, Marissa Meyer has written three more sequel books and one prequel book: Scarlet, Cress, Winter, and Fairest with Winter and Fairest both set to be released in 2015.

For more things Cinder, visit this link to Marissa Meyer’s website for The Lunar Chronicles series: http://www.marissameyer.com/books/