Oh My God!! This book is great!!! Well...I've heard of this book long time ago, and I read the summary in Chinese version for the first time. When I was reading, I was like...umm...it sounded boring and blablabla. I guess I just wasn't so fond of fairytale retelling then. (Or perhaps I was mistaken by the horrible summary.) And then few months ago, (or maybe many months...) my friend told me that this was a great book and worth to read. (By the way, she is the writer of Starry Stories--Melody!!! Yeah!!!) So I took a look at the English summary, and since I was already fascinated by fairytale retelling...I think it might worth a try. And now...I'm completely in love with it!!!! I can't wait to get the entire series once I receive the red envelops!!! (Haha! I love New Year!!!) 
 Seriously, this book is awesome!!! I've watched numerous YouTube reviewers about this book, and I simply thought it was a sci-fi YA novel...and then, BOOM! My whole world was changed by Cinder! It was utterly different from those romance fairytale series I've read before! Most of them based on love and mystery, and without doubt, perfect characters. Take some of them for example, Azealia and Bradford from Entwined, Rose and Galen form Princess of the Midnight Ball, Valten and Gisela from The Captive Maiden, and so on. They're perfectly matched and you'll absolutely adore them. They are contained all the advantages: beauty, wealth, bravely... But then Cinder appeared, she is not beautiful nor is she wealthy, worst of all, she is a cyborg, which is disgust by all humanity. But despite that, she is an extremely talented mechanic, perhaps the best in New Beijing. Yeah, you heard me right, New Beijing. Then what happened to the old one? The old culture city? Well...according to the book, there was a WWIV. Human never learned, huh? So the entire world was destroyed by the war and now rebuild. The new world is high technology, imagine living in a world that intelligent robots exist to fulfill your desire one you program them! How convenient! And how did Cinder and Kai meet? At the market. (The same as The Captive Maiden!!! Where Valten and Gisela met!!!) Prince Kai asked Cinder to fix his robot...for "sentimental reason." Of course I'm kidding...but for what reason? That I can't tell you! It contains the highest security of the nation!!! Nevermind, then Cinder was forced to volunteer because of her stepmother...it's a Cinderella retelling...there must be evil stepmother. Wait! It hits on me that I didn't tell you that before! A hundred apologies...but you must have guess when you heard "Cinder"? Don't you? Back to evil woman...we also get two stepsisters, fortunately, one evil and one kind. But...here comes the unfortunately part...the nice one, Peony, was infected by the disease. The terrible plague that weaken the entire world, decrease the economics of New Beijing. And due to the infection...Cinder was sent away by her stepmother who happened to hate her and wanted to get rid of her. And then the miracle happened, then Prince came to the rescue...as all the fairytale retelling goes... Umm...sorry guys...that's not how it works... I've told you this isn't the ordinary retelling. 
 But it might involve spoiler if I continue...we don't want it to happen...right? (Although I'm glad to tell you everything, and how clever I'm to find out all the clues before the mystery solve...no bragging, Vivian.) So, as usual, let's talk about the characters! Cinder, our leading role. As you're well informed, she is a cyborg...and other I've mentioned above. Kai, the desirable prince. In fact...he is the last person that I'll swoon for. Not that he wasn't good...on the contrary, he was great...just not as attractive as other guys I've read recently. But I totally ship Cinder and Kai, although I was quite disappointed with his reaction when he found out that Cinder is a cyborg. (I think I'll forgive him...after all at that kind of situation...with so much shocking information...) Well, I hope that we can know him more in the next book--Scarlet! (Red Riding Hood retelling! Which will become the first red riding hood retelling I read...but I'm sure that I'll read sister red...someday...when I have enough money...) Next, the evil queen! Wait, didn't I tell you that this is a Cinderella retelling? How come evil queen appeared? She should have appeared in Snow White! Apparently, the author thought we need more evil people besides the stepmother. Queen Levana, the evil queen! She was really important, and I believe she will appear in the entire series. She was the queen of moon, the most evil person in the universe. Yeah, there are other species in moon, the lunar. And even though the scene was set in New Beijing...I'm sure that the series will be about the moon...it was called "the lunar chronicle"...well...maybe I'm wrong...but who knows? I haven't read Scarlet, Cress (Rapunzel's Retelling), and Winter (Snow White's Retelli yet. Back to the queen, she threaten the safety of the earth...and the only way to dismiss the threat...is that Kai must marry Levana. NOOOO!!!! I wish I can tell you it was just a rumor... and then...Dr. Erland! He is a very interesting character. I don't know how to describe him except for "interesting." He was the leading scientist of the letumosis research, that is, the plague. He has an interesting background...and let's all I can say. Interesting, interesting, interesting. Oh! And there is a girl that appeared in the back of the book, a spy, a hacker...and why I'm mentioning her? Because I guess she might be the leading role of Cress! (Or if she's not...you can tell me below...) 
 To sum up, it's not the typical fairytale romance you'll read, but it's still great. Reading this book was like solving puzzle, the more you read, the more you'll find out. Really fun to read. There isn't a moment that I fell boring...perhaps the first few pages...but which book doesn't? And the ending...well...it's a "to continue," but I think it's great! You don't have to worry about the cliffhanger but you'll still thirst for the second book! So go and grab the book! You won't regard it! (Especially when the cover was so beautiful! And I really like the style of the words, it reminds me robot at lot.) 
 This is post originally in my blog 
 Vivian's Book Pavilion 
 http://viviansbookpavilion.blogspot.com/