Short Story Reviews: Glitches & The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer

I'm trying out something new here. I'm of the general opinion that I'll read published works of authors, but won't spend time reading these "filler" short stories. Please do me a favor and keep working on the books you actually plan on publishing, okay? But I ended up reading (and quite enjoying) Cinder (my review) just as "The Queen's Army" was released, so I figured I'd give it a shot. So here are some short reviews for short stories.

And, yes, these short reviews do contain spoilers for Cinder.

"Glitches" by Marissa Meyer

Published: 2011, Tor

Series: Lunar Chronicles, #0.5

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Source: Available to read at tor.com

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In “Glitches,” a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch... 

- Goodreads

"Glitches" tells the story of how Cinder became a part of the Linh family, from her their first meeting until her stepfather Garan's diagnosis with letumosis. The Cinder of this short story is eleven years old and has only recently undergone the surgery which turns her into a cyborg. She's still adjusting to her new body parts and unable to remember absolutely any of the details of her life before the accident that supposedly killed her family.

On the one hand, it was interesting to see Cinder's adoption into this family and how from the beginning she has been treated as different, as someone not-quite-human. I felt so bad for her as she struggles to find some understanding within her life. I also really enjoyed some of her initial interactions with Peony (oh poor, sweet Peony), Pearl, Adri, and even Iko. Cinder's relationship with Iko is one of the better relationships in Cinder, and I liked how in "Glitches" Iko is the first person to really help Cinder see herself as normal, or as close to normal with only a few "glitches."

Unfortunately, I didn't feel like Cinder's relationship with Garan rang true at all. Perhaps since this story is told exclusively through Cinder's point of view, that can explain the distance and awkwardness of their interactions. But only to an extent. Why did Garan decide to adopt Cinder? And once they're home, why does he appear to not want even one one-on-one conversation with her? It was stilted, awkward, and didn't help my understanding at all. 

For me, "Glitches" read like a work of fanfiction, and I'm not criticizing when I say that; back in the days between Harry Potter books, I consumed all sorts of fanfiction. I even wrote some of my own. I love a well-written fanfiction. I just felt that this story was like fanfiction in that it felt more like wish-fulfillment. Nothing really happened that I couldn't already extrapolate from reading Cinder. I didn't form any stronger understandings of any of the characters. It was interesting to have this small bit more, I suppose, but I wonder if Marissa Meyer's time could have been better spent working on upcoming Lunar Chronicles books instead.

"The Queen's Army" by Marissa Meyer

Published: 2012, Tor

Series: Lunar Chronicles, #1.5

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Source: Available to read at tor.com

It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen’s army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen -- and to himself -- that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack. 

- Goodreads

Meyer introduces a new character for this short story set between Cinder and Scarlet, Ze'ev Kesley. Ze'ev is just a normal twelve-year-old Lunar boy, until the thuamaturge appear at his house one night, informing his family that Z has been chosen for the honor of serving in Queen Levana's army. While the summons are not a surprise for Z, everything else about his training to be a solider is an eye-opener.

I really enjoyed reading the story from Z's perspective, and gaining a perspective of the people of Luna. They're understandably quite shadowy in Cinder, but I have a feeling that more and more information will be revealed about them and their queen as the series continues. For now, it was nice to learn a little more specifics about the large army that Queen Levana is said to be amassing. Definitely disturbing, even by what I have started to expect from the Lunars.

Z is a great protagonist, and it is fascinating to watch his progression from an uncertain and reluctant solider-in-training to one who will do whatever it takes to ensure his selection as a lead special soldier. That being said, however, I found this story to be pretty dark. Learning how soldiers like Z lose their humanity – physically, mentally, and emotionally – is difficult to swallow. How they gain all these additional strengths and powers, but at such a high cost. Z resists being a pawn in some ways, but even he is not immune to the ferocity and rankings that become ingrained in his daily life. 

I must admit that if Z is not "the Wolf" from Scarlet or at least somehow connected to him I'll be pretty disappointed. I hope that this short story isn't some setup that either takes a few books to become relevant, or one that introduces characters that have no true relevance to the series. But I don't think that'll be the case. "The Queen's Army" definitely added to my perception of the Lunars and the apparent "enemy armies." I do enjoy seeing multiple sides to a conflict and determining for myself characters' shades of grey, so I'm eager to learn more about this in Scarlet!


Final Thoughts: 
While I enjoyed these brief forays back into the world of Cinder, I would not consider them to be essential parts of the Lunar Chronicles (although I am holding off judgment on "The Queen's Army" until I actually read Scarlet). It's always nice to get a better glimpse into the author's mind and perception of her works, of course. But as a reader I trust that the author will provide me with all the necessary worldbuilding and characterization I'll need in the books of her series. If you have some extra time to spend, then I don't necessarily think reading these stories is a waste of time. But I'm sure that Cinder, Scarlet, and the rest of the Lunar Chronicles will be able to stand on their own just fine.