Did you ever wonder what Cinder's childhood was like as a cyborg? How Scarlett came to live with her grandmother, and what exactly was the connection between Scarlett, her grandmother, and Cinder? Meyer reveals these backstories and more in her latest Lunar Chronicles volume. More short stories than seamless story line, this collection answers those niggling questions readers inevitably asked themselves as they read each of Meyer's fairy tale riffs. Winter's scarred face and refusal to use her glamour? Cress' isolation on the Lunar satellite? Even Iko's transformation from discarded android to Cinder's best friend? All is revealed. Whether to read at least some of these as an introduction to each novel or wait to savor them after reading the series is debatable; reader satisfaction, however, is not. Meyer ties up the loose ends in a final happily-ever-after story that allows all the good ones rthens, Lunars, androids, and cyborgs alike chance at peace, love, and a well-deserved happy ending. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Just when the insanely popular Lunar Chronicles looked finished, this piecemeal, but still quite weighty, book will pull readers right back in.

Meyer complements her Lunar Chronicles series with Stars Above, a collection of nine short stories, including five new tales (as well as four stories previously released online). This variety of short pieces enriches the series, using several different approaches to add to Meyer's fantasy world and its fascinating characters. "The Mechanic," for example, toys with perspective by describing Cinder and Kai's first meeting from his point of view, while several prequels delve into character backstories and provide more detail to incidents alluded to in Meyer's other works. Many of the stories explore childhood experiences to develop characterization, and in a few instances, the tales consider some of the questions of selfhood and social responsibility that Meyer's full-length novels delve into more deeply.An especially unique inclusion is the previously released "The Little Android," which diverts from the Lunar Chronicles's cast of characters (except a brief interaction with Cinder) to offer an enchantingly unique Little Mermaid retelling. Most popular, however, is likely to be the title piece "Something Old, Something New (or Stars Above)," which provides an epilogue to Winter (Feiwel & Friends, 2015/VOYA 2015) by describing Scarlet and Wolf's wedding, an event that reunites the key characters of the series and is sure to delight fans. While most of these short stories cater toward audiences already familiar with the Lunar Chronicles, those who have enjoyed Meyer's sci-fi fairy tale retellings will relish the chance to dip their toes more deeply into this rich world.Meghann Meeusen.