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Quick answer: If you loved Lunar Chronicles, read Marissa Meyer's Cinder, then Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars, then Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen, and Kiera Cass's The Selection and Veronica Roth's Divergent. All are sci-fi fairy-tale retellings.
Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles retell fairy tales in a science-fiction world, beginning with Cinder. These picks share its fun.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinder | Marissa Meyer | 12+ | fairy-tale and sci-fi fans |
| The Looking Glass Wars | Frank Beddor | Teen | Wonderland reimagined |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | 14+ | readers who like court intrigue |
| The Selection | Kiera Cass | 13+ | readers who want romance |
| Divergent | Veronica Roth | 13+ | YA dystopia fans |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | 12+ | readers who want intense action |
| Graceling | Kristin Cashore | 13+ | readers who like independent heroines |
| Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas | 14+ | older teens who like fantasy romance |
| Matched | Ally Condie | 12+ | readers who like quiet dystopia |
| Delirium | Lauren Oliver | 13+ | readers who like romance |
| Uglies | Scott Westerfeld | 12+ | readers who like social critique |
| Legend | Marie Lu | 13+ | readers who like cat-and-mouse |
| The Wrath and the Dawn | Renée Ahdieh | 14+ | readers who like romantic retellings |
| Truthwitch | Susan Dennard | Teen | friend-focused fantasy |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | 13+ | fans of a girl chosen for a destiny |
1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, is drawn into a royal plot in a futuristic Cinderella story. Quick and inventive, with sequels.
Best for: fairy-tale and sci-fi fans.
2. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Princess Alyss of Wonderland is exiled and must return. Fast and inventive.
Best for: Wonderland reimagined.
3. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Mare, a Red girl with a Silver power, is forced into a deadly court. Fast and twisty.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
4. The Selection by Kiera Cass
America Singer enters a competition to marry a prince. Romantic, with a hint of dystopia.
Best for: readers who want romance.
5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Tris chooses a faction in a divided Chicago and discovers she does not fit. Fast and popular.
Best for: YA dystopia fans.
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place in a televised fight to the death. It is not magic, but its high stakes and quick pace appeal to the same readers.
Best for: readers who want intense action.
7. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Katsa is born with a Grace that makes her a deadly fighter, and she works for her king until she meets a prince who changes her view. Strong heroine, quiet romance.
Best for: readers who like independent heroines.
8. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Celaena Sardothien, an assassin, is offered freedom if she wins a competition to be the king's champion. Romance, mystery and magic.
Best for: older teens who like fantasy romance.
9. Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia questions the system that chooses her mate. Gentle and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like quiet dystopia.
10. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Lena lives in a world where love is a disease and falls for a boy. Lyrical and tense.
Best for: readers who like romance.
11. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally lives in a world where everyone is made pretty at 16. Fast and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like social critique.
12. Legend by Marie Lu
June, a prodigy soldier, hunts Day, the country's most wanted criminal. Fast, with dual narrators.
Best for: readers who like cat-and-mouse.
13. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
A One Thousand and One Nights retelling, in which Shahrzad volunteers to marry a killer-king. Romantic and rich.
Best for: readers who like romantic retellings.
14. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Two friends with magical gifts flee a political plot. Fast, with banter and a strong friendship.
Best for: friend-focused fantasy.
15. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Alina Starkov discovers a power that could free her war-torn land from the Fold, a belt of darkness. The Russian-inspired setting and the Grisha magic system give it a fresh feel.
Best for: fans of a girl chosen for a destiny.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Lunar Chronicles: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Lunar Chronicles. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For retellings, read Cinder's cousins like The Looking Glass Wars. For action, try Red Queen. For romance, pick The Selection.
Related: Cinder by Marissa Meyer: Summary and Key Takeaways · Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Lunar Chronicles?
Marissa Meyer.
How many books?
Four main books, plus Fairest.
What age is it for?
Teens 12 and up.
Which book here is best for fans of a girl chosen for a destiny?
Try Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, which suits readers looking for fans of a girl chosen for a destiny.
Which book here is best for friend-focused fantasy?
Try Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, which suits readers looking for friend-focused fantasy.
Which book here is best for readers who like romantic retellings?
Try The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh, which suits readers looking for readers who like romantic retellings.