"Rebecca Soler once again lends her considerable talents to the series...Series fans will be delighted to have expanded backstories, and they will be trilled to hear about happy endings in store for their favorite characters."—School Library Journal

06/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—Fans of "The Lunar Chronicles" are treated here to nine short stories, seven of which flesh out seminal moments in the characters' young lives, including how Cinder came under the protection of Michelle Benoit, the traumatic incident that causes a young Winter to vow never to use her lunar gift; Cress's initial imprisonment in the satellite; and Wolf's conscription into the Queen's Army. The collection is rounded out with Cinder and Kai's first meeting from the prince's point of view and, finally, a story set two years after the events of Winter with the major characters reuniting for a wedding. Rebecca Soler once again lends her considerable talents to the series. As always, her pacing is excellent. VERDICT Series fans will be delighted to have expanded backstories, and they will be thrilled to hear about the happy endings in store for their favorite characters. ["This companion title will not disappoint fans and will make a worthy addition to libraries where the "Lunar Chronicles" are popular": SLJ 4/16 review of the Feiwel & Friends book.]—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

04/01/2016
Gr 8 Up—In this short story collection, recommended to those who have already read the author's Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter, readers will be delighted to learn more about the history of their favorite "Lunar Chronicles" characters. Each of the nine entries provides further context, characterization, and world-building to the popular, best-selling series. The introductory stories show how baby Princess Selene ends up in the care of Scarlet's grandmother and describe her early life with the Linh family. From there, readers witness Z taken from his Lunar home as a child to fight in Queen Levana's wolf army, and then peek into Carswell's childhood as he uses his charm to persuade his classmate to tutor him in math. Readers will sympathize with Cress and the shells who are forced to donate blood for Lunar research, and then cheer Princess Winter on in her battle to keep her sanity while refusing to use her gift. The final tale takes place two years after Winter and begins with the group reuniting in France for Scarlet and Wolf's wedding. With the monarchy abolished on Luna and peace between Luna and Earth on its way, this collection ends with a happily ever after for everyone. VERDICT This companion title will not disappoint fans and will make a worthy addition to libraries where the "Lunar Chronicles" are popular.—Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

Listeners will recognize Rebecca Soler, the narrator of Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series. This collection includes nine stories, five of which are new, and, together, they provide listeners with the backstories of beloved characters from CINDER, WINTER, CRESS, and others. Soler’s narration fits the tone of each story and provides unique voices for each character, including a breathy, high-pitched voice for Winter and a harder, cruel voice for Mistress Sybil. A snippet from HEARTLESS, Meyer’s forthcoming audiobook, is a bonus. The narration is well done overall but marred by a few poor edits. Nonetheless, it’s perfect for listeners who can’t get enough of the Lunar Chronicles. E.N. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine