Review: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

A short story collection from The Lunar Chronicles.

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@shereadsbooks.sometimes

Dates Read: 24/09/24 to 29/09/24

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Word to describe: Nostalgic

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Marissa Meyer's Cinder books had me in a choke hold a few years back and I thoroughly devoured every single book - including the prequel Fairest (highly recommended). Stars Above is a collection of short stories giving readers another taste of the world of Lunars and Earthens.

Fans get backstories on their favourite characters including Wolf and his days as a trainee, Kai's version of events when he first met Cinder, and a in depth view of Cinder's life after she first arrived on Earth. The original series ended perfectly, with each plot line tied up in a neat bow but this collection offers more for the readers. More of the past, more of alternate stories, more understanding of the characters, and of course - more adoration for the romances we read within the series. (Winter and Jason will always have my heart).

The narrator for the audiobook is brilliant at personifying the characters and bringing them to life. Listeners can be fully immersed in the story in a way that other audiobooks are not able to. As I sat listening I could find myself inside the book. I could see the landscapes, sense the tension in scenes, and feel everything the characters were feeling. Each moment is beautifully captured and I could almost touch the characters with how vividly I had envisioned them whilst listening. Of course, this is also to praise Marissa Meyers writing skills, which I feel were even better in this collection than the original books.

As most romance lovers, the final story was one I adored. But, my favourite (and possibly because of a bias towards Winter, as she is my favourite character in the books), was the storyline of Winter's childhood. The death of her father, the playful flirting with Jason as they aged, and the brutality she faced by the mind of Levana when she refused to use her Lunar Gift. Every character in this series has faced adversity but Winter's unending positivity is something I cannot help but adore.

Reading this collection made me feel nostalgic for the series. I was late to the party - reading this series well after my teen years. But, it is a series I hold close to my heart. Maybe reading these short stories will have me re-reading the series once more. Time will tell!