At a glance
Cinder
Young Adult Science Fiction
Cinder
Book 1 of the The Lunar Chronicles series
448 pages · First published 2020
In the bustling streets of futuristic New Beijing, sixteen-year-old Cinder is a gifted mechanic whose cybernetic enhancements make her a second-class citizen. Despised by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness, she dreams of escaping the life she never chose. When Prince Kai brings an android to her repair booth, Cinder becomes entangled in palace intrigue, a deadly plague, and rising tensions with the powerful Lunar kingdom. As unexpected discoveries about her past threaten everything she believes about herself, she must navigate dangerous secrets, divided loyalties, and feelings for a prince who cannot know the truth about her. Fast and inventive, this science-fiction Cinderella retelling suits readers who enjoy capable heroines, slow-burn romance, unlikely allies, and fairy-tale elements reimagined with androids, spaceships, and political danger.
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Jump to the pours ↓Ashfall Mocha + Smoked Old Fashioned
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No surprises at chapter twelve
Content notes
Deadly epidemic and illness; deaths of loved ones, including a young person; emotional abuse and discrimination against cyborgs; involuntary medical testing; violence, weapons, and peril; coercion and mind control, including forced self-harm; mild romantic content, including kissing and brief sexual innuendo.
Alcohol-Free Pour
Ashfall Mocha
Rich cocoa and a hint of smoke offer comfort amid Cinder's dangerous, high-tech world.
What you'll need
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.How to mix it
- Whisk cocoa and vanilla into hot coffee. Add steamed milk and finish with a tiny pinch of smoked salt if desired.
- Garnish: Tiny pinch smoked salt, optional.
- Glassware: Mug.
Cocktail Pour · 21+
Smoked Old Fashioned
For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
A smoky, bittersweet pour echoes New Beijing's gritty atmosphere and the secrets beneath its polished palace.
What you'll need
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1/4 oz demerara syrup ↗
- 2–3 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Food-safe oak or cherry wood chips for smoking ↗
Alcohol-shopping links are not shown on children's or young-adult book pages.
How to mix it
- Stir bourbon, demerara syrup, and bitters with ice and strain over one large cube. Express an orange peel over the drink. Use a cocktail smoker with food-safe oak or cherry chips to fill the covered glass with smoke for 20–30 seconds, then uncover and serve.
- Garnish: Orange peel.
- Glassware: Rocks glass.
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