Format: Hardcover, 220 pages
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Library
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.
Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.
*Main Character(s):
Princess Levana Blackburn, Queen Channery, Sir Evret Hayle, & Winter
Hayle-Blackburn
*Setting* Luna
Fairest, Lunar
Chronicles 3.5, is the story of Queen Levana who is the vilest villain of them
all regardless of what the mirror may say. Fairest answers a slew of questions about the
villain of The Lunar Chronicles series. Although I have already read and reviewed Winter, Lunar Chronicles # 4, other readers may want to read this short story first. Should readers feel anger or compassion
towards her? Should readers understand and forgive Levana for doing the evil things she did? Can you put blame for Levana's actions on someone else, or does evil need no outside influence to fundamentally change a person?
Fairest starts out with Levana and her older sister, Channery, ready to attend the state funeral of King Marrok and Queen Jannali who were brutally murdered. As this is readers first real experience with Channery, might I say that you really should pay attention closely to her own actions towards her younger sister? Channery is most devious and arrogant and definitely lax on who she lays with. Fairest answers the questions as to why Levana wears a veil, and what exactly she looks like under it, and why. It answers questions about Winter's father, and really, the depths of Levana's true madness which can either be blamed on her own actions, or being pushed to the brink by her sister.
The end result of this story for me, is that I truly have no compassion towards her, nor would I be sympathetic towards anyone else who chooses darkness over light. I really do think that evil is a choice, and we can all pull back from the abyss if we really try harder. For Levana, using a particular Glamour was made out of luring others to her call, and not because it was forced onto her by her sister, or anyone else. We can look at the other main characters of this story like Cinder, Scarlet, Winter, and even Cress and see how they didn't have the best lives, but choose to fight evil, rather than join it at the hip.
I felt ZERO sympathy for Levana too! I was expecting to, but despite the tragedy of her youth, she was horrid the rest of her life and her obsession with Winter's father was gross and disturbing. Despite that, I read this book in one afternoon - the writing was still on point, I loved the Luna setting and getting some long awaited answers was a must! Lovely review Shelley^^
ReplyDelete