Marissa Meyer predominately writes young adult fantasy novels based on fairy tales. The Lunar Chronicles is a tetralogy in which each book introduces a new main character based on a traditional fairy tale.

The first installment is Cinder. I bet you’ll never guess which fairy tale that book is based on 😉

Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, has been pushed aside her entire life. But when the heart-throb Prince Kaito asks her help restoring an android, her world begins to change. Cinder soon finds herself in the center of ending a plague and stopping a war.

I recommend these books for anyone looking for a fun, fast-paced read filled with intrigue and romance.

Content:

Sexual content: While there is a lot of romance in these books, the sexual content is a conservative PG-13. There are a few kissing scenes, but nothing too steamy.

Violence: I would give a PG-13 rating to the earlier books in the series, but the last book in particular gets a bit more violent and graphic. Torture is mentioned, though not graphically described. It isn’t gratuitous, though. It serves a purpose within the story. Still, there is some violence there, and I would probably give Winter an R rating on violence.

Swearing: Only a few sporadic swear words, if I’m remembering correctly. I’d probably rate it PG-13, maybe even PG. (But I may be forgetting some swear words)

Series note: I will mention that the novella that is “book 3.5” in the series has more intense content than the other books in the series. The novella is generally darker than the other books in the series. Abuse, physical and mental, is heavily implied and briefly shown. There is also a fair bit of mental manipulation and other questionable behavior.