No Glitch in the System

We have seen Cinder's life, full of prejudice against a cyborg, an unloving stepmother, and a plague ravaging her world. But how did Cinder come to live with her stepmother and stepsisters? In Glitches, a short prequel story to Cinder, Marissa Meyer tells the tale of Cinder's arrival.

When Garan is entrusted with Cinder's welfare, he takes his job seriously, bringing her into his family as his daughter. She doesn't know how to feel about the man she can call dad, but she does feel grateful. When they arrive, however, not everyone is happy to see her. Peony welcomes Cinder, but Adri and Pearl are unimpressed by the cyborg they must now call "family". But as long as Garan is there, he will hold the family together...

These short stories publishers are pushing out in between the releases of series installments fall into three distinct categories: necessary for plot advancement and should be put in the next book, unnecessary for plot advancement but enjoyable and helps you appreciate the series, and completely useless and wasted your $.99. I will pay my measly buck for the first two, but the latter ticks me off. Luckily, this little short (which is available on TOR.com for free) falls into the second category. We already knew the dynamic between Cinder and her sisters and stepmother, but it was still interesting to watch it unfold in this short tale. It makes you love Garan more, and sympathize with Cinder, and love Peony and hate Adri, but then again, you already felt those emotions in Cinder. So, if you love the series, don't hesitate to check this freebie out. It will hold you over until the next book is over!