Fairest
by Marissa Meyer
She loves fiercely, and kills with little remorse; her
iron grip over Lunar people is equal parts impressive and terrifying. The Lunar Chronicle’s Queen Levana is more
than a beautiful villain—here, Marissa Meyer fills in the gaps between a
lonely, shy second daughter and the most feared and relentless woman in the
universe.
Levana grew up in the shadow of her distant mother, Queen
Jannali, and her vengeful older sister, Princess Channary. After the murder of their parents, Channary
takes the crown and produces an heir, Selene.
By now having permanently assumed a glamour, or altered physical
appearance that usually enhances one’s aesthetic beauty, after a childhood
“accident” caused by Channary results in a severe disfigurement, Levana coerces
a widowed palace guard to marry her, bringing his young daughter Winter to the
palace. Channary’s unexpected death catapults
Levana to the position of Queen Regent—but that isn’t enough for the ambitious,
entitled Levana. She malevolently stages
the deaths of both Selene and her palace guard husband, freeing her to rule
Luna and form a marriage alliance with Earth in one fell swoop. Meyer successfully sketches in some humanity
to Levana’s actions—is she truly doing these deeds for the betterment of her
people? Does the rise of one
civilization require the sacrifice of another?
At times, such as when Levana clings to a dented pendant given to her by
her husband, her raw loneliness invokes sympathy. But that is short-lived, as then a few pages
later Levana callously plots her niece’s painful demise.
Even if you despise her, it is worth reading this interim
background novel to gain insight into Levana’s complex character. Meyer’s Lunar world-building is more thorough
than in prior novels, and is fascinating unto itself.
Note: I reviewed Fairest for School Library Journal.
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