My review of Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer, the first volume in the graphic follow up to The Lunar Cycle
Stats:
Edition – Hardback
Format – Graphic novel
Genre – YA Fantasy/Sci-fi
Series – The Lunar Chronicles
Author – Marissa Meyer
Artist – Doug Holgate
Book Number – Wires and Nerve Volume #1, Lunar Chronicles #5
Number of Pages – 240
Date of Publication – January 31st, 2017
WARNING – possible spoilers for the original Lunar Chronicles series, especially Winter.
Following on from the events of Winter, Iko – an android and fellow hero – is on the hunt for rogue wolf-hybrid soldiers, preventing them from running wild and harming the peace that Cinder has fought hard to create since becoming queen. As an android, Iko has capabilities beyond convention but she is more vulnerable than she thinks, feeling conflicted by who she is and who others believe her to be. Working side by side with one of the royal guards doesn’t help, and it forces her to confront everything she knows about love, loyalty and her own humanity.
The story:
As a secondary character and although well-loved, Iko was never someone who received much attention. Through this new spin-off/continuation of the original series, it is fantastic that we are able to recognise her perception of events and life after the overthrowing of Queen Levana, whilst seeing her develop and grow as a relatable character. Knowing how much I liked her in the main series was enough to satisfy my expectations for this particular story, however, it helped that the main supporting cast of Cinder, Cress and Thorne were on hand to create the team dynamic that made them successful in the first place.
Although it is Iko’s story, revisiting Cinder and her plans for Lunar after the Revolution make for a nice contrast, slowing down the plot just a little so that we can take a breather and remember that the world is in a state of progressive change. Though not its original intention, I think it mirrors the current affairs of politics and how it is difficult to appease everyone even though they share the common aims of peace, harmony, and togetherness. Understanding Cinder’s intentions as well as those of the wolves, we know the story is far from over and that this time there is more at stake than overthrowing an unlikeable ruler. In that respect, the story has changed, moving from an almost dystopia to a realistic interpretation of current US/UK affairs whilst remaining hundreds of years in the future.
However, what hasn’t changed is the “outsider” theme that Marissa Meyer plays on for quite a few of her characters. I saw it with Cinder, Winter and now Iko. Whilst it fits, I don’t want it to become so familiar with the series that it is almost overused.
Regardless, I still loved everything about this and I am patiently waiting another year for the second volume.
5/5
Format:
Graphic novels are not my preferred format. Nonetheless, in terms of this particular story, I cannot imagine Iko’s journey explored in any other way. By not having to go into too much detail and description over the setting, Marissa Meyer allows us to use all our concentration on the plot and the characters, which in turn helps the plot to remain at a steady and continuous pace throughout.
The varying shades of blue used for the artwork also work rather well. It is striking and yet subtle enough that it doesn’t take anything away from the story.
The characters might look a little different to how I imagined but that is to be expected. I’m also not used to the art of graphic novels so I can’t really compare it to anything else I’ve seen.
4/5
Cover:
The design of the dust jacket is incredible, showcasing the wolf hybrids, Iko, Earth, Lunar, and the orange mechanics that help to make up the title. There is a great contrast between the orange and the varying shades of blue, the orange helping Iko to stand out and show us that she is the focus of this story.
5/5
All in all, this is a fantastic continuation of the Lunar Chronicles world, and an easy 5 out of 5 stars!
Have you read it yet?
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for reading and have a good day!
xx
Turn Another Page 
One thought on “Review | Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer”