Mind Control

Lore & Background

Levana utilizes this power extensively throughout the series, most notably on Prince Kai. During their first meeting, she uses her glamour on Kai specifically to make him distrust Cinder and to see Levana as beautiful and trustworthy. The influence extends beyond individuals; entire populations are kept in a state of fear or subservience through subtle mental conditioning and the threat of exposure to her gaze. However, the magic is not absolute and has clear vulnerabilities. Characters with strong emotional bonds or specific heritage can break the hold. Winter's resistance to Levana's powers is not due to being a Lunar descendant, but because she refuses to use her own glamour, which causes her to see through others' glamour as a side effect. This resistance highlights the biological connection between the users of this power and those capable of withstanding it.

In Their Own Story

The golden light of Levana's eyes burned into Kai’s vision, a heavy weight pressing against his temples. He stood in the throne room, his hand hovering over the hilt of a sword he was meant to draw against Cinder. But then, a memory surfaced—not one she planted, but one buried beneath her lies. His mother’s face, not the Queen’s. The command to strike faltered. He blinked, and the golden haze shattered like glass.

Reader's Guide

This supernatural ability functions primarily through direct eye contact or close proximity, allowing Lunars to implant suggestions or erase memories at will. While Levana is the most proficient user, other Lunars possess varying degrees of this talent within their society. The magic relies on the target's vulnerability; those with fractured minds or existing trauma are easier targets than those with strong convictions. However, it has significant limitations that the protagonists eventually exploit. A subject’s own willpower can act as a shield, particularly if they have deep emotional anchors to reality. Winter’s resistance highlights that Lunar bloodlines may carry natural defenses against this specific type of magic, creating a paradox where only those related to the enemy can truly fight them. Additionally, the power seems tied to Levana's physical vitality; when her form is weakened or destroyed, the control over others dissolves instantly. Historically, this ability allowed the Lunars to maintain dominance without constant warfare, creating a society built on fear and obedience.

Did You Know?

• The source states that Lunars have 'special abilities' and that Queen Levana uses 'glamour' (an illusion to cause the user to look more beautiful).
• Winter decided to never use her Lunar 'glamour' since she was twelve, and a side effect of not using glamour contributes to her loss of sanity, though this is not a universal rule for all Lunars.
• The source describes 'shells' as Lunars born without the ability to use glamour, not as Lunars without special abilities or Lunars that cannot be affected by mind manipulation.
• Queen Levana's glamour is described as having turned her into a heartless tyrant, as seen by her stepdaughter Winter.
• The source mentions that Levana's use of glamour is tied to her appearance, but does not explicitly describe mind control as a separate power beyond the 'special abilities' of Lunars.

Series Origins and Narrative Structure

Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles reimagines classic fairy tales within a futuristic science fiction setting, blending genres to create a unique young adult saga. Published by Feiwel & Friends, the collection comprises four novels, a novella, and short stories that explore tensions between Earth and its lunar colony, Luna. Each installment adapts a specific tale: Cinder draws from "Cinderella," Scarlet from "Little Red Riding Hood," Cress from "Rapunzel," and Winter from "Snow White." The narrative timeline is non-linear; while the books were released sequentially starting with Cinder in 2012, the story chronologically begins with the novella Fairest. This prequel establishes the backstory of Queen Levana, detailing her transformation into a tyrant following family tragedy. A recurring pandemic known as Letumosis adds urgency to the plot, threatening both human and Lunar populations as political strife escalates between the two worlds.

The Cyborg Mechanic's Journey

Linh Cinder serves as the series' central protagonist in its first novel, published in January 2012. Living in New Beijing as a cyborg mechanic, she navigates life with an unsupportive stepmother and stepsisters while working at a marketplace booth. Her destiny shifts when Crown Prince Kaito seeks her expertise to repair his tutor android. Simultaneously, the Letumosis plague infects her younger sister, Peony, forcing Cinder into dangerous medical trials that reveal secrets about her true origins. As Earth-Luna relations deteriorate, Cinder becomes entangled in a political struggle involving the villainous Queen Levana and Prince Kaito's divided loyalties. Her journey evolves from fixing machines to saving civilizations, eventually leading her to ally with convict Carswell Thorne and other key figures to dismantle Lunar tyranny.

The Warrior and the Satellite Prisoner

The saga expands its scope through Scarlet Benoit and Cress Darnel, characters based on "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Rapunzel." Scarlet, orphaned by her grandmother's mysterious disappearance, teams up with Wolf, a genetically altered Lunar street fighter. Their alliance tests loyalties as Wolf's pack reveals malicious intentions, eventually drawing Scarlet into Cinder's rebellion against Queen Levana. Meanwhile, Cress lives in isolation on a satellite, imprisoned and forced to aid Lunar ships while harboring feelings for Carswell Thorne. As a "shell"—a Lunar immune to mind manipulation—she secretly sabotages the regime. When her crew is separated during critical moments, she joins forces with Cinder to prevent a royal wedding that would cement Levana's control over Earth. The mutating plague eventually threatens even the previously immune Lunars, raising the stakes for their survival.

The Tyrant and the Reluctant Princess

Queen Levana's rise to power is chronicled in the prequel Fairest, which depicts her descent into cruelty after surviving abuse from an older sister and witnessing parental murder. Her reign of terror relies on "glamour," a magical illusion used to enhance beauty and manipulate others. Winter, based on Snow White, stands as Levana's stepdaughter and a key figure in the final book, published in November 2015. Refusing to use glamour since age twelve to avoid becoming heartless, Winter suffers from sanity-eroding hallucinations of blood but remains a symbol of grace and kindness. Despite her mental deterioration, she secretly undermines her stepmother's wishes for years. Supported by her childhood friend Jacin and allies like Scarlet and Cinder, Winter emerges as a potential revolutionary leader capable of ending the long-raging war between Earth and Luna.