In addition to Iko, we get a nice look at some characters who weren’t as prominent in the Lunar Chronicles. It’s not as emotionally heavy as the books, which I think is fitting, especially when considering the lighthearted nature of the principal character. Her sturdy android body makes her extremely effective at hunting, though any and all fights with the rogue wolves are punctuated with Meyers’ unceasing wit. Iko is still gloriously vain, fabulously fascinated by her unusually expressive android personality, and utterly hilarious as she works through social conventions like how to show romantic affection. That being said, Wires and Nerve is so so fun, and if you’re looking for more of the Lunar Chronicles universe, this will definitely fill that void. The one exception to this is Iko, whom we see more of than ever before as the leading lady. They’re graphic novels, and as such do not have the same depth in either plot or characterization as her traditional books. I think it’s important to note that Wires and Nerve is merely the first installment in what is set to be a duology. But since Cinder is on Luna, and they’re stuck on Earth, they start by striking at anyone close to Cinder.

A cunning Lunar operative has filled the leadership vacuum left by Levana’s thaumaturges and is gathering other soldiers to launch a (misguided) assault on Cinder. The rogue wolf packs aren’t just hiding, they’re organizing. In the aftermath of her most recent raid, Iko uncovers a disturbing truth. Her job would be so much better if they’d just hide in a five-star hotel. That’s where the title comes from – wires and nerve are all Iko has to rely on as she hunts the fearsome mutants that tend to be tucked away in dank, disgusting places as opposed to five-star hotels. The too-often forgotten android member of the Lunar revolution yearns for a purpose, so she takes it upon herself to hunt down the rogue Lunar soldiers that have refused to leave Earth and are eating their way through the population. Cinder is busy being queen of Luna, Cress and Thorne are distributing letumosis antidote, Scarlet and Wolf have retreated to her farm in France, Kai is emperoring, Winter is Earth/Luna ambassadoring, and…Iko.

Wires and Nerve picks up shortly after the ending of Winter, but before the short story “Something Old, Something New” from the Stars Above collection. Brand new stories, brand new medium, brand new awesome. In a departure from the norm, Wires and Nerve is not merely a graphicalized* version of an existing book (which we’ve seen for series like Marie Lu’s Legend) but a continuation of her wildly popular Lunar Chronicles. We already knew she was a rock star novelist, but graphic novels are a bit of a different beast. Let’s get this out of the way – Marissa Meyer is killing it.

Wires and nerve by marissa meyer