Fairest by Marissa Meyer

*All reviews I write are spoiler free*

Another bonus review for this week!

I started and finished this on Friday – well, technically I finished it on Saturday morning because I unintentionally stayed up until 1:30am reading it. Which means I can actually read Winter next month! *happy dance*

So let’s talk about Fairest!

Title: Fairest

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Square Fish – Imprint of Macmillan)

Series Status: Book 3.5 of The Lunar Chronicles (novella between the 3rd and 4th book)

Number of Pages: 220

My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

(Review from back cover and Goodreads)

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.

I know it wasn’t entirely necessary for me to read this book before continuing on to Winter, but when I found out there was extra information I didn’t yet know…I NEEDED TO KNOW.

So I found out.

I didn’t quite know what to expect with this book. Some people love it, some found it pointless. Either way I thought the idea of Levana’s backstory was quite intriguing.

And for the most part it was. I really enjoyed seeing more of my most hated villain. Seeing how she was in the past, before The Lunar Chronicles timeline even began. Gradually coming to realize how the events of the series link together. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m the sort of person who really appreciates little details that link a story together, and that’s the sort of novella this is. This book shows you how Levana set the story into motion…how she caused so many problems.

There’s a very split reaction to this book regarding Levana’s backstory – some people feel sorry for her, others just hate her even more. I’m on the latter side of the argument. I felt only the tiniest smidgen of sympathy for her, but really this book just fueled my hatred.There wasn’t really a legitimate reason to why she is the way she is. Really this book just gives me more of a reason to hate her. She’s always been a vile person, even if she didn’t realize it herself.

I found it quite interesting to see how she slowly deteriorated into the villain we know though. I’m definitely glad I read it. Though it’s slow paced, and not much happens in the way of action, the story manages to lure you in by telling you a distorted tale. The way Levana would brush off brutality without even a second thought made this the sort of story you would read with widened eyes…and yet carry on anyway.

It did get slightly repetitive. Basically the entire book revolves around Levana complaining, being vain, and wanting more. But it does build up her personality, after all.

If you’re a fan of The Lunar Chronicles and want to know the extra backstory, then I say go for it. Read this book. But you can definitely tell that it’s a break in the story – a step back from the series. Which I suppose is a good thing, since that’s exactly what it’s meant to be.

Rated 3.5/5 stars!

Order from Amazon!

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Share your thoughts!

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Do you feel sympathy for Levana, or just hatred?

If you haven’t read this book, do you plan to?

Are you a fan of The Lunar Chronicles? Favourite character?

Let me know in the comments!

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