Lunar Chronicles Books in Order
The Lunar Chronicles is the fairy-tale retelling that became a science-fiction war: Cinder (2012) opens with Cinderella as a cyborg mechanic in New Beijing, accused by her stepmother, wanted by a prince - and also, it turns out, the lost heir of the lunar empire that threatens Earth. Marissa Meyer's four main novels (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter) each add a retold heroine (Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White) to one escalating plot against Queen Levana, and the series has sold millions across thirty-odd languages. Around the quartet sit Fairest (Levana's own book), the Stars Above story collection, and two Wires and Nerve graphic novels starring the android Iko. The order question is mostly one placement decision - Fairest - and this page settles it (2012–2018).
Where to start
Cinder (2012), book one - no other door; the quartet is one war told in four POVs. Readers who finish and want Levana explained: Fairest (2015) next.
The complete list
Tick the boxes off as you read, or for the bookshelf.
| Year | Title | Series / type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Cinder | #1 — cyborg Cinderella; start here | |
| 2013 | Scarlet | #2 — Red Riding Hood joins | |
| 2014 | Cress | #3 — Rapunzel in a satellite | |
| 2015 | Fairest | #3.5 — Levana's story; read after Cress, before Winter | |
| 2015 | Winter | #4 — the finale | |
| 2016 | Stars Above | 9 stories — incl. the post-finale epilogue | |
| 2017 | Wires and Nerve, Vol. 1 | Graphic novel — Iko takes the lead | |
| 2018 | Wires and Nerve, Vol. 2 | Graphic novel — the extras close |
Does the reading order matter?
The quartet, strict: Cinder (2012), Scarlet (2013), Cress (2014), Winter (2015). Fairest (2015), Levana's backstory, is the one placement decision: written to be read after Cress and before Winter - it reframes the villain on the eve of her finale, and reading it earlier flattens Winter's reveals. Stars Above (2016), nine stories including a post-Winter epilogue, reads after the quartet. The Wires and Nerve graphic novels (2017-2018), two volumes, follow Iko between and after Winter and read last. Chronology note: Fairest is a prequel set decades earlier, but publication order is the fan-standard route; this page recommends exactly that. Heartless (2016), the Queen of Hearts novel, is Meyer standalone - a different queen, not Levana, and not this series despite shelving confusion
Which one is the best?
Cinder (2012), the hook that launched it; Winter (2015), the 800-page landing; Fairest (2015), the villain book that shouldn't work and does.
Related guides
Readers finishing this shelf usually want the map next door: Marissa Meyer books in order, The Hunger Games books in order, Twilight books in order. Every guide follows the same format — the shelf, the entry point, the honest answer about order.
Make it a project
Pick a session size and let the days accumulate — at the pace our reading speed test measures, most shelves above clear in a few weeks of half-hours. Every guide on the books in order shelf follows this same format, and when a book lands, its 8-question quiz is waiting on the original book quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What order should you read Lunar Chronicles books in?
Cinder → Scarlet → Cress → Fairest → Winter → Stars Above → Wires and Nerve 1-2.
Where should I start with Lunar Chronicles?
Cinder (2012), #1 of 4, then the extras.
How many Lunar Chronicles books are there?
Four main novels, the Fairest prequel, the Stars Above collection, and two Wires and Nerve graphic novels - complete, with the quartet spending years on the New York Times bestseller list and a Cinder anniversary edition the recent reprint activity. As of October 2026 this list is current.
What was Lunar Chronicles's first book?
Cinder (2012) — the first row of the list above.