Mirror, mirror, on the wall -- FAIREST by Marissa Meyer

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.

"I Have Magic Hair That Glows When I Sing" - CRESS by Marissa Meyer

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, Book Three)

by Marissa Meyer

So, I read Cress when it was published and wasn't impressed – I quickly gave up, probably due to book series exhaustion.  Given the opportunity to review Fairest, a kind of interlude between books three and four of The Lunar Chronicles, I came back and re-read Cress, and I’m so glad I did.  My second reading entranced me, and I began to realize what a master Meyer is at entwining all of the characters without losing plot-lines or world-building.

Cress is ensconced, against her will, in a satellite around Earth doing the bidding of Sybil, a power player in Queen Levana’s entourage.  She spends seven lonely years essentially spying on Earth and all its wonders, including the royal family and Kai.  Like the fairy tale, Cress has floor-length tresses and a sonorous singing voice.  As she sits at her screens and watches videos of the goings-on down below her, Cress begins to sympathize with the plight of Earthens; when presented with the opportunity to defect to their side, she takes it without hesitation.  

What follows is a fast-paced, well-written, and sometimes romantic journey through the Earth’s atmosphere, the Sahara, Europe, and back to the Moon.  Meyer is a master at committing to her details without losing the effect of the storytelling.  Scarlet is my least favorite character, probably because she is the only one of whom I cannot form a clear picture, and thankfully she was not featured that much in this particular book.  The ending of this novel leaves me wanting more, more, more Meyer.  And, if you haven’t read Fairest yet, you must!