Fairest : : Levana's Story

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen Fiction / Meyer, Marissa	4-week checkout	Due 05-13-2024
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen Fiction / Meyer, Marissa	4-week checkout	Due 05-10-2024

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. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from "Winter," the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Extra backstory while waiting for #4 submitted by KathyD on June 14, 2015, 8:23pm This book was a nice surprise to find in the catalog as I was checking to see when the 4th Lunar Chronicle, Winter, would be coming out. The backstory about the evil Lunar Queen Levana that we learned about in the first three books is filled out and presented from the queen's point of view. Interesting to see some of the previously mentioned events from her point of view.

A Side View submitted by Fevvers - STAR473 on August 5, 2015, 12:46am Fairest is a side story to The Lunar Chronicles. It was published after the third book in that series (Cress), and is best read after reading the first three (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress) since it goes right up to events that include the plot of Cress and would be confusing, not to mention spoilery when it reaches that point.

This is, as the subtitle states, Levana's story: the tale of the fearsome and powerful queen of Luna and would-be empress of Earth. Readers get a look at her formative years and certain key events in her life.

It's a pretty satisfying look at Levana and life centered around the Lunar royal court. There are some nice glimpses at elements of the other books from a different perspective, even if most are not particularly surprising. Meyer still weaves in classic fairy tale imagery and phrasing here and there within her science fictional setting, and continues to do so deftly and sometimes with delightful wit or subversiveness.

The back of the book also includes a preview of Winter, the fourth book proper in the Lunar Chronicles, and it is very promising and interesting.

Excellent back story submitted by kelleyc on June 22, 2016, 11:08am This is another well-written book in the Lunar Chronicles series. It was interesting to learn Queen Levana's reasons for being the way she is, for why she is so desperate for beauty and power. A very well-written back story.

beautiful submitted by srahman on June 25, 2016, 7:25pm This book was very emotional and captivating showing why Levana became a villain and how her past isn't so easy as you might've thought...

Seeing from the Other Side of the Apple submitted by LibraryLiz on July 22, 2016, 7:25pm While I always find it interesting to see the alternative perspective in a story, I enjoy the alternative even more if it's backstory! This peek into Levana growing up, not just as a queen, but first as a princess - and even a small trip back to when she was only 8 - gives the reader a brand new look into how she became the deceitful, glamour-addicted queen who torments Luna and Earth. While her acts can never be excused, this narrative does a good job of explaining why Levana values glamour so much and why she has such a strong pull to conquer earth. Definitely worth a read if you want to see the story of Cinder from a new angle.

Sorrowful submitted by torikaebaya on February 4, 2017, 11:15am I've never felt this much sorrow for a protagonist who actually lived to see the end of her book before. Self-hatred is truly the greatest enemy of all.

An illuminating vignette submitted by nsvinicki on August 8, 2017, 11:58am This book was published between books Three and Four (Cress and Winter) and tells the story of Queen Levana before the events of Cinder.

I really liked the perspective from Levana in this book. It doesn't make me dislike her any less, but it does make her into a more sympathetic character - but not in a tawdry, pathetic way. This book really helped me see she's really a bad person, but she had her reasons. Super emotional, though, and did make me feel sorry for her, in a way.

It's kind of like a "Sad story, still murder" kind of thing. Definitely read if you're a fan of Meyer's series.

A boring repeat submitted by gabbietucker on October 30, 2018, 8:55pm Basically just is a boring repeat of everything you already know about levena from the rest of the books. Her personality is boring and her motivations barely exist.

Fairest submitted by treechild on June 21, 2019, 4:45pm A prequel to The Lunar Chronicles to better understand Levana, the antagonist, and the reasons behind her quest for world domination. What a story!

Alright submitted by c_zhang on June 28, 2019, 2:01pm I like the backstory it provides. It gave me more insight into Levana's character and her motivations.

Satisfying submitted by Princess Cimorene on June 17, 2022, 8:39am I love seeing how a villain becomes a villain. It makes the character mpre complex and the bigger picture more interesting!