Stars Above

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer is a companion anthology featuring nine short stories set in The Lunar Chronicles universe. The collection includes character backstories, prequels exploring how Cinder arrived in New Beijing, Wolf's transformation into a soldier, and Cress's time on the satellite. It concludes with "Something Old, Something New," an epilogue centered on Scarlet and Wolf's wedding that reunites the entire crew.

Stars Above is essential for fans of The Lunar Chronicles series who want deeper character development and backstory. Readers seeking closure after Winter will appreciate the heartwarming wedding epilogue that brings the crew together. The collection appeals to those interested in exploring the origins of beloved characters like Cinder, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Winter, and Jacin before the main series events.

Stars Above is worth reading for Lunar Chronicles fans seeking a more satisfying conclusion to the series. The epilogue "Something Old, Something New" provides emotional closure that many readers found beautiful and bittersweet. Five previously unpublished stories offer fresh insights into character origins, making it valuable for understanding the broader universe Marissa Meyer created.

You should read The Lunar Chronicles series before Stars Above by Marissa Meyer to fully appreciate the anthology. While the stories are prequels and provide backstory, they contain references and emotional weight that resonate more deeply after completing the main four books. The epilogue "Something Old, Something New" specifically requires knowledge of Winter's events to understand character relationships and resolutions.

Stars Above contains nine stories: "The Keeper" (young Scarlet and Princess Selene), "Glitches" (Cinder and the plague), "The Queen's Army" (Wolf's military transformation), "Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky" (young Thorne), "After Sunshine Passes By" (nine-year-old Cress), "The Princess and the Guard" (Winter and Jacin), "The Little Android" (Little Mermaid retelling), "The Mechanic" (Kai and Cinder's first meeting), and "Something Old, Something New" (Scarlet and Wolf's wedding).

"Something Old, Something New" is the epilogue story in Stars Above featuring Scarlet and Wolf's wedding. Set after Winter's events, the story reunites the entire crew for a private celebration, showing Cinder after abdicating the throne and Kai as Emperor. Readers describe this conclusion as bittersweet and beautiful, providing the heartwarming closure the series needed with beloved character interactions.

Five stories in Stars Above by Marissa Meyer were never before published when the collection released in 2016. The anthology also includes an exclusive excerpt from Marissa Meyer's novel Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Previously published stories like "The Mechanic" and some others were available as e-book releases before the complete collection.

"The Keeper" is a prequel story in Stars Above showing how Princess Selene came into Michelle Benoit's care. The story features young Scarlet unexpectedly moving in with her grandmother after Michelle becomes the caretaker of Luna's Princess. It provides crucial backstory about Cinder's arrival and Michelle Benoit's protective role, with hints of preteen Scarlet's character.

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer provides backstory for nearly all main Lunar Chronicles characters. The collection explores Cinder's plague experience, Wolf's transformation into a soldier, nine-year-old Cress on the satellite, thirteen-year-old Thorne's escape plans, Winter and Jacin's childhood relationship, and Kai's perspective meeting Cinder. Each prequel deepens understanding of character motivations and origins before the main series events.

"The Little Android" is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" set within The Lunar Chronicles universe. This standalone story in Stars Above demonstrates Marissa Meyer's skill at reimagining classic fairy tales with science fiction elements, consistent with The Lunar Chronicles' approach to "Cinderella," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Rapunzel," and "Snow White."

Stars Above connects to The Lunar Chronicles by providing origin stories and context for the main series. The anthology begins with "The Keeper" at Benoit farms and ends with the wedding epilogue at the same location, creating a narrative circle from lost princess to found family. Stories explain crucial backstory like Cress's satellite imprisonment, Wolf's military conditioning, and the first meeting between Kai and Cinder from his perspective.

Read Stars Above after completing The Lunar Chronicles series for maximum emotional impact. While stories are arranged as prequels followed by the epilogue, they contain spoilers and references that assume knowledge of the main four books. The epilogue "Something Old, Something New" specifically requires finishing Winter to understand character developments, relationship resolutions, and the significance of Cinder abdicating Luna's throne.