Fairest: A Book Review
Fairest
Marissa Meyer
There are some amazing series that were made even more complete with the addition of a prequel: The Lord of the Rings are made more complete with The Hobbit; The Chronicles of Narnia were enhanced with The Magician's Nephew; even The Wizard of Oz became popular again with the modern addition of Wicked.Recently, the concept of the prequel as flooded back into mainstream with the rise of ebook Novella (The Queen, The Prince & Life Before Legend, just to name a few). So when Fairest was released earlier this year, I was a little unsure how I felt. As an actual novel, I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth the read, as so many current authors were only putting out short novellas in digital format to keep the audiences interested. Part of my thought that this attempt would just drag on.
I could not have been more wrong.
Story Overview
Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles**
by Marissa Meyer, is the prequel for the Lunar Chronicles and follows the early life of Levana, the queen of Luna as we know from Cinder, Scarlet & Cress. Since many readers will have read the first three books of the collection first (I recommend you do read them in published order) there are many questions about Levana that are answered in this full length novel.
Levana and Channery were sisters who never got along. Channery was naturally gorgeous, perfectly beautiful while Levana was only pretty with her Glamour. We slowly learn just why Levana refuses to see her reflection and has all mirrors removed from the palace as well as special glass made.
The story of how Levana meets and falls in love with her future husband, Evret, is heartbreaking. While there are many aspects of the story that explain how Levana becomes just plain evil, the love story is the most heartbreaking.
Personal Likes
I loved how many questions surrounding Levana, Winter & Selene (Cinder's Lunar name... hope that isn't a spoiler...) are cleared up during this great addition to the series. It is so easy to despise Levana as the evil queen she is during the series, so this book allows us to really see how she became that evil.
Meyer was able to keep up the speed and complexity of characters in this book, which is why I love this series so much. It really did add so much to the series.
Personal Dislikes
This book is so very dark. Don't get me wrong, it probably needed to be, as Levana is a dark character. But there are some scenes that were disturbing, especially when it came to Levana's first encounter with physical love, and how she manipulated other's minds. (Granted, I don't think these scenes take the book out of the teen audience)
I also wish there had been a little more. It just ended quickly...
I also wish there had been a little more. It just ended quickly...
Reasons to Read
If you have read the rest of the series, you need to read this book. It adds so much. Like I said before, I would read this series in order of release: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Winter.
This series is the perfect fit for Science Fiction fans, Fantasy fans, and Fairy Tale fans. It is very original, while being true to the fairy tales that inspired Meyer (especially the Disney interpretations). Also, fans of well crafted stories with complex plot lines and developed characters, this might be a series you can really dig into.
This series is the perfect fit for Science Fiction fans, Fantasy fans, and Fairy Tale fans. It is very original, while being true to the fairy tales that inspired Meyer (especially the Disney interpretations). Also, fans of well crafted stories with complex plot lines and developed characters, this might be a series you can really dig into.
Reading List Rating
I have to give this book a five heart rating. The whole series is excellently written and kept me interested throughout. If I had all the time in the world to read, I would read this series again and again.
My Suggested Audience
This is a YA/Teen book, and I do agree that it is good for the traditional teen audience. There are some more mature scenes in this book, especially compared to the rest of the series, but they don't completely cross the line, just march right up to it. It is also the darkest book of the series, just to be forewarned.
Again, while the original audience is teens, there is no reason why adults couldn't get swept up in this series. It is fun, full of complex characters and many plot twists and advancements. For all fantasy, sci-fi & dystopian fans, this could be your next favorite series, no matter how many years have past since you left your teen years.
Again, while the original audience is teens, there is no reason why adults couldn't get swept up in this series. It is fun, full of complex characters and many plot twists and advancements. For all fantasy, sci-fi & dystopian fans, this could be your next favorite series, no matter how many years have past since you left your teen years.
"A good queen, was a well informed queen." #Fairest #LunarChronicles @Marissa_Meyer @Reading_List1
What are you thoughts on prequels? Do you enjoy getting the backstory on stories? Do you have a favorite prequel?
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