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Series Guide
The Lunar Chronicles Books in Order
By Marissa Meyer · 4 main books · Complete
The Lunar Chronicles is Marissa Meyer’s completed YA futuristic fairy-tale series, blending space-opera conflict, classic retellings, and multiple romantic arcs.
Start with: Cinder
About this series
The Lunar Chronicles combines futuristic fairy-tale retellings, rebellion, political conflict, survival, and meaningful romance across an ensemble cast.
Start with Cinder for the four-book main story. Add Fairest, the Wires and Nerve graphic novels, and Stars Above for the author-recommended expanded experience.
4-book main story · Complete
Quick answer: read Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, then Winter for the core arc. The expanded order places Fairest before Winter, then Wires and Nerve, Gone Rogue, and Stars Above.
Read more about this series
Start with Cinder for the four-book main story. Add Fairest, the Wires and Nerve graphic novels, and Stars Above for the author-recommended expanded experience.
4-book main story · Complete
Quick answer: read Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, then Winter for the core arc. The expanded order places Fairest before Winter, then Wires and Nerve, Gone Rogue, and Stars Above.
Reading order
The Lunar Chronicles Main Series in Order
If you only want the central storyline, read these four main novels. Winter completes the core story.
- 1
Cinder
2012
Book 1. Begins the futuristic Cinderella retelling and the central ensemble story.
- 2
Scarlet
2013
Book 2. Expands the retelling ensemble with a new heroine and a wider political conflict.
- 3
Cress
2014
Book 3. Adds the Rapunzel-inspired thread as the resistance story grows.
- 5
Winter
2015
Book 4 and finale of the core four-book story.
The Lunar Chronicles Expanded Reading Order
Marissa Meyer recommends this expanded order: Fairest follows Cress and comes before Winter, the Wires and Nerve graphic novels follow Winter, and Stars Above comes last. The companion works are optional.
- 1
Cinder
2012
Book 1. Begins the futuristic Cinderella retelling and the central ensemble story.
- 2
Scarlet
2013
Book 2. Expands the retelling ensemble with a new heroine and a wider political conflict.
- 3
Cress
2014
Book 3. Adds the Rapunzel-inspired thread as the resistance story grows.
- 4
Fairest
Standalone prequel centered on Queen Levana; not core Book 4.
PrequelOptional2015
Standalone prequel about Queen Levana; read after Cress and before Winter in the expanded order.
- 5
Winter
2015
Book 4 and finale of the core four-book story.
- 6
Wires and Nerve
Graphic Novel Vol. 1; continuation material, not Lunar Chronicles Book 5.
Bridge bookOptional2017
Graphic Novel Vol. 1 continuing the Lunar Chronicles universe after Winter.
- 7
Wires and Nerve, Volume 2: Gone Rogue
Graphic Novel Vol. 2; continuation material, not Lunar Chronicles Book 6.
Bridge bookOptional2018
Graphic Novel Vol. 2 and conclusion of the Wires and Nerve continuation.
- 8
Stars Above: A Lunar Chronicles Collection
Short-story collection of nine Lunar Chronicles stories; companion material, not a numbered core novel.
CompanionOptional2016
Nine-story companion collection placed last in the author-recommended expanded order.
Where Do the Companion Works Fit?
Fairest is a standalone Queen Levana prequel, not core Book 4. Stars Above collects nine stories from the universe. Wires and Nerve and Gone Rogue are a separate graphic-novel continuation with Iko at the center, not Lunar Chronicles Books 5 and 6.
Reading Order Notes
These Lunar Chronicles reading-order notes separate the complete main story from its optional prequel, short-story collection, and graphic-novel continuation.
For most first-time readers, the main books are the core reading path. This guide also includes companion and novella entries for readers who want the fuller world-level order.
Why publication order works
The main publication path preserves the series’ expanding ensemble, rebellion plot, futuristic worldbuilding, and relationship arcs without treating companion works as numbered core novels.
Is The Lunar Chronicles complete?
Yes. The four-book main story is complete. Fairest, Stars Above, and the Wires and Nerve graphic novels add optional context and continuation material.
Is this romance-first romantasy?
No. Romance is meaningful across several central pairings, but the overall reading experience is more plot-forward: rebellion, survival, political conflict, space-opera stakes, and futuristic retellings carry greater weight.
New to this series? Start here
The Lunar Chronicles
Best first entry point for The Lunar Chronicles. Read this before the rest of the series.
Series at a glance
4
Main books
🌶️🌶️
Spice
Complete
Status
3
Tropes
Best for: YA readers who want plot-forward fairy-tale retellings, multiple couples, and low spice
Start with: Cinder
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Lunar Chronicles main series order?
Read Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, then Winter. Winter is the finale of the four-book main story.
Where does Fairest fit in The Lunar Chronicles?
Fairest is a standalone prequel centered on Queen Levana. Marissa Meyer recommends reading it after Cress and before Winter; it is not core Book 4.
Where do Stars Above and Wires and Nerve fit?
Stars Above is a nine-story companion collection. Wires and Nerve and Wires and Nerve, Volume 2: Gone Rogue are a separate graphic-novel continuation after Winter.
Is The Lunar Chronicles complete?
The four-book main story is complete. The wider universe also includes a prequel, short-story collection, and Wires and Nerve graphic-novel continuation.