Fairest

Por Marissa Meyer

Espejito, espejito, ¿quién es la más hermosa? Acércate más y te contaré una historia: los oscuros secretos de la reina, que he anhelado develar.
Si en Cinder, Scarlet y Cress odiaste a Levana, no te puedes perder la oportunidad de conocer su historia. Una historia que nadie contó… hasta ahora.
En esta fascinante precuela de Crónicas Lunares, Marissa Meyer nos vuelve a sorprender con un relato sobre el amor y la guerra, la codicia y la muerte.
El final está cada vez más cerca…

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: VRYA
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 14 dic 2015
• ISBN: 9789877471250

Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, as well as Heartless and Renegades. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband, twin daughters and three demanding cats. She's a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, any occasion that requires a costume), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was a child.

Vista previa del libro

Este libro es para los lectores. Los lunárticos. Los fans.

Gracias por emprender esta travesía conmigo.

"Espejito, espejito,

¿quién es la más hermosa?

Acércate más y te contaré una historia:

los oscuros secretos de la reina, que he anhelado develar.

Su codicia puede haberla llevado

a robar y matar,

mientras que su maldad la condujo a quebrar la voluntad de un hombre.

Pero la peor tragedia que aún he de exponer es que todo eso lo hizo por amor…

Eso cuenta nuestra historia.

Y si alguna vez quisieras mi retrato de la reina impugnar, debes saber que no soy sino un espejo.

No puedo mentir".

Yacía sobre una pira ardiente, con la espalda sobre carbones encendidos. Chispas blancas pasaban volando ante sus ojos, pero el alivio de la inconsciencia no llegaba. Su garganta estaba ronca de tanto gritar. El olor de su propia carne quemada entraba por su nariz. El humo escocía sus ojos. Ampollas iban brotando en su piel, y jirones enteros de esta se iban desprendiendo, dejando el tejido vivo debajo.

El dolor era implacable, la agonía interminable. Rogó que llegara la muerte, pero esta jamás acudió.

Estiró su única mano en un intento de apartar su cuerpo del fuego, pero el lecho de carbones crujió y se colapsó bajo su peso, sepultándola, hundiéndola más hondo entre las brasas y el humo.

A través de la confusión alcanzó a vislumbrar unos ojos amables. Una sonrisa cálida. Un dedo que le hacía señas. Ven aquí, hermanita…

Levana se atragantó y se incorporó sobresaltada, sus piernas enredadas en las pesadas mantas. Sus sábanas estaban húmedas y frías por el sudor, pero su piel seguía ardiendo a causa del sueño. Sentía la garganta irritada. Se esforzó por tragar, pero su saliva tenía gusto a humo y se estremeció. Luego, se sentó bajo la tenue luz matutina, temblando, tratando de alejar la pesadilla. La misma pesadilla que la había perseguido a lo largo de demasiados años, aquella de la que parecía que jamás podría escapar.

Se frotó repetidamente los brazos y los costados con las manos hasta que tuvo la certeza de que el fuego no había sido real. No estaba ardiendo viva. Estaba a salvo y sola en su recámara.

Con la respiración entrecortada, se deslizó al otro lado del colchón, lejos de las sábanas empapadas de sudor, y se recostó de nuevo. Temerosa de cerrar los ojos, se quedó contemplando el dosel y practicando una respiración lenta hasta que su pulso se estabilizó.

Trató de distraerse planeando quién sería aquel día.

Miles de posibilidades surgieron ante ella. Sería hermosa, pero había muchos tipos de belleza. Tono de piel, textura del cabello, forma de los ojos, largo del cuello, un lunar bien ubicado, cierta gracia en la manera de caminar.

Levana sabía mucho de belleza, del mismo modo que también sabía bastante sobre fealdad.

Y entonces recordó que el funeral sería hoy.

El pensamiento la hizo gemir. Qué agotador sería mantener el encanto todo el día, enfrente de tantos. No quería ir, pero no tenía alternativa.

Era un día inconveniente para estar agitada por pesadillas. Quizá lo mejor sería elegir algo familiar.

Mientras el sueño se perdía en su subconsciente, Levana acarició la idea de ser su madre aquel día. No como había sido la reina Jannali cuando murió, sino quizás una versión quinceañera. Sería una especie de homenaje asistir al funeral usando los pómulos de su madre y sus ojos, de un violeta intenso. Todo el mundo sabía que habían sido producto del encanto, pero nadie se había atrevido a decirlo en voz alta.

Pasó unos cuantos minutos imaginando cómo se habría visto su madre a su edad, y dejó que el encanto la envolviera. Cabello rubio plateado impecablemente peinado en un moño bajo. Piel tan blanca como el hielo. Un poco más baja de lo que llegaría a ser de adulta. Labios rosa pálido, como para no distraer el atractivo de aquellos ojos.

Hundirse en el encanto la tranquilizó. Pero apenas comprobó su aspecto se dio cuenta de que estaba mal.

Ella no quería ir al funeral de sus padres con el atuendo de una chica muerta.

Un toquecito discreto en la puerta interrumpió sus pensamientos.

Levana suspiró y rápidamente improvisó otro disfraz que había soñado unos días antes. Piel aceitunada, nariz respingada con gracia y cabello negro como el ala de un cuervo, con un corte adorablemente corto. Probó varios colores de ojos antes de dar con un impactante gris azulado, enmarcado por unas intensas pestañas negras.

Antes de concederse un cambio de opinión, se incrustó una joya de plata en la piel debajo de su ojo derecho. Una lágrima. Para probar que estaba de luto.

–Entre –dijo, abriendo los ojos.

Entró una doncella llevando una bandeja con el desayuno. La chica hizo una reverencia, sin alzar la vista del suelo –lo cual dejó sin utilidad el encanto de Levana– antes de aproximarse a la cama.

–Buenos días, Su Alteza.

Incorporándose, Levana permitió que la doncella acomodara la bandeja en su regazo y le colocara una servilleta de tela. La muchacha le sirvió té de jazmín en una taza de porcelana pintada a mano que había sido importada de la Tierra varias generaciones atrás, y lo aderezó con dos hojitas de menta y un chorrito de miel. Levana no dijo nada mientras la doncella destapaba una fuente de diminutos pastelillos rellenos de crema para que pudiera ver cómo lucía el conjunto antes de emplear un cuchillo de plata para cortarlos en bocados aún más pequeños.

Mientras la doncella se afanaba, Levana se fijó en el plato de frutas de brillantes colores: un durazno suavemente aterciopelado colocado en medio de un halo de moras negras y rojas, todas ellas espolvoreadas con azúcar impalpable.

–¿Alguna otra cosa que pueda traerle, Su Alteza?

–No, eso es todo. Pero envía a la otra en veinte minutos para que prepare mi vestido de luto.

–Por supuesto, Su Alteza –respondió, aunque ambas sabían que no había otra. Cada uno de los sirvientes del palacio eran el otro. A Levana no le importaba a quién enviara la doncella, siempre y cuando esa otra la enfundara adecuadamente en el impecable vestido largo gris que la modista había enviado la noche anterior. Levana no quería molestarse encantando su vestido además de su rostro, no con tantos pensamientos en la cabeza.

Con otra reverencia, la doncella abandonó la recámara, dejando a Levana con la vista clavada en la bandeja del desayuno. Apenas ahora caía en la cuenta de lo inapetente que se sentía. Le dolía el estómago, quizá como resabio del horrible sueño. O, supuso, podía ser tristeza, aunque era improbable.

No sintió demasiado la pérdida de sus padres, que ahora llevaban ausentes la mitad de un largo día. Ocho noches artificiales. Su muerte había sido terriblemente sangrienta, asesinados por un vacío que empleó su inmunidad al encanto lunar para infiltrarse en el palacio. El hombre le había disparado a dos guardias reales en la cabeza antes de alcanzar la recámara de sus padres, en el tercer piso, donde después de matar a otros tres guardias le había cortado la garganta a su madre, hundiendo el cuchillo tan hondo que le había seccionado parcialmente las vértebras. Luego había avanzado por el pasillo hasta donde su padre dormía con una de sus amantes, y lo había apuñalado dieciséis veces en el pecho.

La amante, que tenía salpicaduras de sangre por todo el rostro, seguía gritando cuando acudieron dos guardias reales.

El asesino vacío continuaba apuñalándolo.

Levana no había visto los cadáveres, pero sí las habitaciones a la mañana siguiente, y su primer pensamiento había sido que la sangre podría haberle dado un lindo tono a sus labios.

Sabía que no era un pensamiento adecuado, pero tampoco creía que a sus padres se les hubiera ocurrido algo mucho mejor si la asesinada hubiera sido ella.

Levana se las había arreglado para comer tres cuartas partes de un pastelillo y cinco moras pequeñas cuando la puerta de su habitación se abrió de nuevo. Su primera reacción fue de enojo por la intrusión: la doncella se había adelantado. Su segunda idea fue verificar que su encanto siguiera en su sitio. Sabía que el orden de las preocupaciones debía haber estado invertido.

Pero fue su hermana y no uno de los sirvientes sin rostro quien se deslizó en su habitación.

–¡Channary! –ladró Levana, apartando la bandeja. El té se derramó por los bordes de la taza, anegando el platito que la sostenía–. No te he dado permiso para entrar.

–Entonces quizá deberías echar llave a tu puerta –dijo Channary, avanzando por la alfombra como una anguila–. Hay asesinos por aquí, ¿sabes?

Lo dijo con una sonrisa totalmente despreocupada. ¿Y por qué habría de ser de otra manera? El asesino había sido ejecutado rápidamente en cuanto los guardias lo hallaron, con el cuchillo ensangrentado aún en la mano.

Levana no creía que allá afuera pudiera haber más vacíos tan enojados y desquiciados como para intentar otro ataque. Channary era simplemente una tonta si pensaba lo contrario.

Una tonta muy bella, claro, que son las peores. Su hermana tenía una encantadora piel bronceada, cabello castaño oscuro y unos ojos que se rasgaban hacia arriba justo en las comisuras, de manera que siempre se veía como si estuviera sonriendo, incluso cuando no sonriera. Levana estaba convencida de que la belleza de su hermana era producto del encanto, segura de que nadie que fuera tan horrible por dentro podía ser tan encantador en el exterior, pero Channary jamás confesaría una cosa o la otra. Si había algún resquicio en su ilusión de belleza, Levana aún estaba por descubrirlo. A la muy estúpida ni siquiera le molestaban los espejos.

Channary ya estaba vestida para el funeral, aunque el apagado tono gris de la tela era el único indicio de que había sido confeccionado para el duelo. La falda de red se extendía casi perpendicular a sus muslos, como el traje de una bailarina, y el top ceñido al cuerpo tenía incrustados miles de brillos plateados. Sus brazos estaban pintados con amplias franjas grises que subían en espiral por cada extremidad y luego se reunían en el pecho para formar un corazón. Dentro del corazón, alguien había escrito Se los extrañará.

En conjunto, su aspecto le produjo a Levana ganas de vomitar.

–¿Qué quieres? –preguntó, y se quitó las mantas.

–Verificar que no me avergonzarás con tu aspecto el día de hoy –Channary acercó la mano al párpado inferior de Levana con la intención de corroborar si la gema incrustada se sostenía. Dando un respingo, Levana le apartó la mano de un manotazo.

–Un detalle muy bien pensado –comentó Channary, sonriendo

–Menos fraudulento que asegurar que los vas a extrañar –dijo Levana clavando la mirada en el corazón pintado.

–¿Fraudulento? Al contrario: los voy a extrañar muchísimo. Especialmente las fiestas que Padre solía ofrecer durante la Tierra llena. Y tomar prestados los vestidos de Madre cuando iba de compras a AR-4 –vaciló–. Aunque supongo que ahora simplemente puedo quedarme con su modista, así que quizá no sea una gran pérdida después de todo –con una risita, se sentó en el borde de la cama, pescó una mora de la bandeja del desayuno y se la metió en la boca–. Deberías prepararte para decir algunas palabras en el funeral.

–¿Yo?

Era una idea pésima. Todo el mundo la estaría mirando, juzgando qué tan triste estaba. No creía que pudiera fingir tan bien.

–Tú también eres su hija. Y –con la voz repentina e inexplicablemente quebrada, Channary se dio unos toquecitos en el rabillo del ojo– no creo ser lo bastante fuerte para hacerlo todo yo sola. Me sentiré abrumada por la pena. Quizá me desmaye y necesite que un guardia me lleve en brazos a algún sitio oscuro y tranquilo para recuperarme –soltó un bufido y todos los indicios de tristeza se desvanecieron tan rápidamente como habían aparecido–. Es una idea atractiva. Quizá pueda ponerla en práctica cerca de aquel joven nuevo, el del pelo rizado. Parece bastante... servicial.

Levana hizo una mueca.

–¿Me vas a dejar sola para que yo guíe al reino entero de duelo y tú puedas retozar con uno de los guardias?

–Oh, basta –dijo Channary tapándose las orejas–. ¡Eres tan fastidiosa cuando lloriqueas!

–Tú vas a ser reina, Channary. Tú vas a tener que pronunciar discursos y tomar decisiones importantes que afectarán a todo el mundo en Luna. ¿No crees que es hora de que te lo tomes en serio?

Riendo, Channary se lamió los granos de azúcar que le quedaron en la punta de los dedos.

–¿Así como nuestros padres se lo tomaban con seriedad?

–Nuestros padres están muertos. Asesinados por un ciudadano que debe de haber creído que no estaban haciendo un buen trabajo.

Channary sacudió una mano en el aire.

–Ser reina es un derecho, hermanita. Un derecho que viene con un interminable suministro de hombres y sirvientes y hermosos vestidos. Deja que la corte y los taumaturgos se encarguen de todos los detalles aburridos. En lo que a mí se refiere, voy a pasar a la historia como la reina que jamás dejó de reír –echándose el cabello tras el hombro, recorrió la habitación con la mirada, observando el papel tapiz dorado y los cortinajes bordados a mano–. ¿Por qué no hay ningún espejo aquí? Quiero ver qué tan bonita me veo para mi actuación lacrimosa.

Levana salió de la cama y tomó una bata que descansaba sobre una silla.

–Sabes muy bien por qué no hay espejos.

Al escucharla, la sonrisa de Channary se ensanchó. Ella también saltó de la cama.

–Ah, sí, es verdad. Tus encantos son tan favorecedores en estos días que casi lo olvido.

Luego, rápida como una serpiente, Channary le cruzó el rostro con el dorso de la mano, con tal fuerza que la lanzó contra uno de los postes del dosel. Levana soltó un grito, y el shock hizo que perdiera el control sobre su encanto.

–Ah, ahí está mi patito feo –canturreó Channary. Aproximándose, tomó la barbilla de Levana y la sujetó firmemente antes de que esta pudiera alzar la mano para frotarse la mejilla ardiente–. Te sugiero que la próxima vez que pienses en contradecir una de mis órdenes te acuerdes de esto. Tal como amablemente me lo recordaste, voy a ser reina, y no toleraré que mis órdenes se cuestionen,

Comentarios para Fairest

[wanderlustlover_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I was blown away by this book, honestly. I love how much we got into Levana's childhood. Her sister, and her parents by absence. The way she loved, and the slow reveal of what happened to change her. Her only views of love. The way her insanity and evil isn't white-washed, not is it black washed. It's just who she is and how she thinks.

(And definitely since I'm reading Winter as of yesterday, I'm definitely seeing the references to the prior in the later quite a bit now.)

[dandelionroots · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

This installment made me hesitate before requesting the short story compilation Stars Above, but I eventually determined that Levana just isn't a strong character, which is especially disappointing as villains have so much potential. To be fair -- her egocentricity, expansive cruelty, and self-righteousness are, unfortunately, quite realistic for the descendent of an established royal line. However, their viewpoints are too shallow to be compelling.

[Jesùs Saromè · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Me gusto saber el trasfondo de levana y entender porque hizo ciertas cosas. Me encanto el momento de channary con su hija selene (nuestra querida cinder de confianza),ver que por lo menos la madre el tenia cariño maternal me hizo empatizar con ella. Me gusto ver como era la vida de selene antes de la gran catástrofe que causo levana. No le puse mas estrellas porque no pienso que este mejor que los otros libros anteriores,no pienso que este ni cerca de sobrepasarlos o estar a su nivel. tambien le pongo cuatro porque sentí que no logre empatizar con Levana,pero si diré que fue bastante interesante y satisfactorio leer este libro,me hizo entender varias cosas.

[mirandalg14 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

While not an absolute necessity to read with the others of the series, this one does give a lot of insight into Levana and her personality. It is easy to see how she became the person she is with everything that has happened to her - not that this excuses the behavior, but it does show how things have affected her in her life.

[readingbeader · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Levana is one messed up girl. Now I want to go back and reread everything to see what nuances I missed. Don't miss this installment in the Lunar Chronicles if you've read the rest. Levana's story needs to be told. I still don't like her, but now i get her, sorta.

[jennybeast · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Good backstory for Levana, in a way that increases both my compassion for her as a character (whoa! Holy psychopathic sisters batman!) and my revulsion for her, as an amoral and crazy person. Kind of an awful story to read, but useful in its way. I'm glad that it's marketed as being less of a story than the other books, because in truth, books that retell other books from a different perspective are annoying to me. However, as far as that goes, it was well done and can almost stand on its own.

[completely_melanie · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

It was really interesting hear Queen Levana's backstory. Usually in stories like this you hear about how the villian used to be a good person and then something turned them evil, but Levana was a bad messed up girl from a bad messed up family. She definitely had the know how to be a great Queen from early on in life, but none of the heart or compassion. I did enjoy learning a little more about Cinder's back story as well as learning a little more about Winter and where she came from.

[priscila vazquez · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Encantada con este libro, fascinada con la historia de Levana. Aquí nos muestra que no todos los villanos son siempre malos desde pequeños. No odio a Levana, simplemente pienso que la vida no la ha tratado muy bien, por eso fue desarrollando esa actitud; no veo a Levana como un gran villano, me parece que es solo una persona incomprendida, y si muy egoísta, pero también ese egoísmo viene de parte de querer controlarlo todo y darle lo mejor a las personas de su pueblo. Me gustó mucho haberme adentrado en la vida de este gran personaje.

[melrailey-412132 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Absolutely loved this book. For a while, Meyer had me feeling complete sympathy for Levana and where she came from which is an excellent talent for an author to possess (the ability to make you feel for her villians). I loved seeing the other characters that we've already met in previous books show up here as younger versions of themselves and seeing Meyer tie everybody's lives together. I can't wait to see how things come together in Winter.

[doyoudogear · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Warning! Potential spoilers for this book and other books in this series.

After reading the other books in The Lunar Chronicles, it was obvious Levana was unhinged. Fairest shows us what she's like as a child, and what likely caused her break from reality. I feel bad for the little girl Levana used to be, and I hate that her parents were so neglectful. If they had been more involved in their daughter's lives, they might have noticed Channery's cruelty and done something about it. However, it's hard to feel sympathy for the person Levana is today, because she likes to kill people for seemingly no reason (a perceived threat or just someone voicing a concern). It's obvious now that she just wanted someone to love her, which did fracture my heart a little. When her parents failed at showing compassion and understanding, she focused on Evret, and eventually the people of Luna.

Levana's obsession with Evret Hale was disturbing on many levels. She was a child chasing after a much older man, a man that clearly loved his very pregnant wife, and actually felt hatred towards a woman that had done nothing wrong . Evret offered friendship on his wife's behalf, because Solstice thought Levana was lonely and needed a friend, and that backfired in a big way. Levana took every smile and kind gesture, and warped them into something that fit the story in her head. No on stepped in to save Evret, or even to tell Levana that she was doing something wrong. She was a princess, and essentially left to her own devices. Even her sister hadn't been able to stop Levana's plan once she'd put everything in motion. Levana tortured Evret in the worst possible way, by using what he loved against him. She broke him from the inside, and made him do unthinkable things that he never would have agreed to on his own. She raped his mind and his body, because she thought their love was real. It didn't occur to her that forcing him made it something ugly and damaged.

Channery is definitely the cause of Levana's mental issues (at least at the beginning), but Levana's downward spiral continues even when Channery is no longer there to give her nightmares. When she takes over the responsibilities of the Queen, she makes a lot of bad decisions, although I truly believe she thought they were for the right reasons (except when she was killing people on Earth for the benefit of Luna). She seemed to really care about her country and its well-being, but she also wanted her people to love her unconditionally, which isn't something you can force people to do. Levana wanted perfection, and nothing is perfect.

Also, Levana criticized Channery for being unconcerned with the politics of Luna, but Levana's active involvement resulted in a lot of pain and death. Her paranoia and hatred, mixed with her skewed perception of reality, were a toxic combination.

I think Marissa Meyer wrote another excellent book, and she was able to make me understand a character that I love to hate. I believe this story is a wonderful addition the series, and wish I had read it before reading Winter. We get to see what makes Levana tick, and all of the ugliness that surrounds her life. Also, Rebecca Soler narrates this book as well, and she's amazing.

[composingcomposer · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I can't deny that I feel bad for Levana in this book, but even from the first page of the book I could tell that there was something not quite right with this girl, and it wasn't just because I knew she would turn into one of the scariest villains I've read about. Even knowing that I was surprised by just how uncomfortable it was to be in her head. I guess I went into the book expecting to be able to sympathize with her, at least at first, but I couldn't. I pitied her, yes, and I felt bad for her, but her emotions just felt a little bit off, which prevented me from truly being able to care about her. And while all of that could almost have been because I knew how evil she was going to end up, I really wanted to be able to care about her so I could mourn the person she used to be while hating who she became.

The only time when Levana felt normal was in the flashback to when she and Channary were children. When we saw the moment that Levana was nearly destroyed. I think it was that moment that led to her emotional and mental instability. The indifference of her parents probably didn't help, and the fact that she was living in such a debaucherous household, with indifferent parents, but there are some people who could have lived in those kinds of conditions and still end up a good person.

I was surprised and delighted to see that even in all of her other evil pursuits, Channary still loved Selene (aka Cinder.) Levana worried that Selene would grow up to be as awful as Channary was. That was one of the things she used to justify her murder of the three-year-old, yet Selene had Winter and Evret Hayle as good influences, so I don't think she could ever have been as awful as Channary, especially, though I hate to say it, because Channary died, removing the most prominent bad influence from Selene's life. Yet, though I don't think Cinder would have been nearly the evil person her mother was had she grown up in the palace, I still think that her upbringing as a poor, overworked, hated cyborg on earth and without her powers of manipulation probably helped her to be a much better person then she would have been had she grown up on Luna. I guess we'll never know.

I enjoyed seeing the way that Jacin Clay, Winter and Selene as children, and the way they already seemed to fit together as a family. I enjoyed this book and don't mind it as a novella but I didn't love it, and I don't think that it was necessary (granted I have yet to read Winter, but still.)

[Alessia · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Siento que le faltó solo un poco más de profundidad al Levana. Que logres conectar completamente con su historia.

[jonez-6 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

4.0

Stuck between a 3.75 a d 4.0 fir this. It is by far my favorite in the series, and it is a novella. I loved reading about Levanas dark beginnings, even if it was very one note. I would have like to seen her a bit more well rounded as a character, but it was still an incredibly interesting (and dark) slice of backstory. It surprised me that the same author that drafted this villain in 220 pages, took almost twice that real estate to write a red queen origin story that was far more bland and less cohesive.

[cillyart4u · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Get the behind-the-scenes details on the evil queen portrayed in the Lunar Chronicles in this book ! Loved the way the author makes this book appealing to middle-grade, young adult and adult readers! If you love fairy tales, fantasy with a futuristic flair, this book and the others in the Lunar Chronicles series is for you!

[senbei_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

So tempted to throw my Fairest poster into the wood stove. I've never felt this much sorrow for a protagonist who lived at the end of her book before. Self-hatred is truly the greatest enemy of all.

[maggie1944 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story by Marissa MeyerI loved the first three books of the Lunar Chronicles. Lively, likable characters confronted with believable fairy tale challenges. But this one, not so much. No one expects any one to "like" Levana, the wicked witch in the other books; writing a book trying to depict her as a likable young woman, greatly wronged, and explain why she became so evil, while maintaining that she was at least once likable, is an impossible task, IMHO.

[krau0098 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This book is a prelude to the Lunar Chronicles about how Levana came to be the Queen of Luna. It was a decent read, not as good as the rest of the series but okay. The 4th (and final) book in the series Winter is scheduled for a November 2015 release.Levana is the second daughter of in line for the throne of Luna. When her parents die her crazy eldest sister takes over, her sister has no desire to actually run the country of Luna. Poor disfigured Levana is left in her sister’s shadow, helping to run Luna from the sidelines when she can. Levana forms an unhealthy attachment to one of her parents’ guards and is convinced she is in love with him. The story follows Levana as she takes more and more desperate actions for love and for country.This story explains a lot about Levana. She is horribly disfigured (you find out how as the story progresses) and hates mirrors; she pretty much lives underneath glamor and no one actually ever sees the real Levana. This is a character with some serious mental issues. We get to follow Levana as she develops from a needy and unloved child to a domineering villain. What is scary is how she continuously justifies her actions as being for good. That is the scariest type of villain you can have; the one the believes that they are doing good.There were a couple problems with this story for me. First of all it's hard to actually engage with any of these characters; they are all very selfish and shortsighted. Everyone in this book makes one poor decision after another until they build to disaster. The second problem was that the story was so focused on Levana and her craziness. The book doesn’t give very good insight into Lunar culture and, while politics are mentioned some, they are often more in the background than forefront. So we do hear about how/why the virus was developed that ravaged Earth, but all this is overshadowed by Levana’s personal drama.Lastly I thought the whole thing was very predictable. You can guess how this story will end up from the moment you start reading it (I guess it doesn’t help that we already know what Levana does later in her life). I would recommend reading this in the publication order because there are some spoilers in this book if you haven’t read the previous 3 books.All the above being said, this is a short, well-written and it was interesting to read about Levana's background. However it definitely didn't help me understand her better or like her anymore as a character. This book also does introduce the character of Winter, so because of that it is a good prelude to the 4th book in this series.Overall an okay addition to the Lunar Chronicles. It was interesting to see more about Levana’s background and learn more about the origin of the virus. However, I was hoping for a bit more insight into Lunar culture. I also had a lot of trouble engaging with these characters...they just weren’t all that likable and were hard to sympathize with. I would recommend reading this if you are a fan of the series, but don’t be too upset if you miss reading it before Winter comes out.

[jlsimon7 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

This book gave us some insight into how the Levana became so hard hearted. She was the victim of extreme abuse by an older sister, and despised by the husband she adored. It even gives insight into her motives. Fear not, you wont like her any better once you understand her better. She's still turns into the cold, cruel, calculating bad guy we've all learned to hate.

[wagner5sarah35 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

So, if I haven't mentioned this previously, I really love the Lunar Chronicles as a series - in fact, I'm devastated that Winter will be the concluding volume of this series, why can't it just continue forever? Anyway, this book provides the back story for Levana, the evil queen, who was born into a scheming royal family and who wants nothing more than love. However, her ideas about what love is are somewhat twisted and Levana slowly destroys much of those who might have loved her in her own quest for power. Fun reading to the wait for the final book in the series!

[bell7_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

The prequel to the Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet, etc.) gives Levana's back story. The woman we know as the evil queen bent on taking over Earth started out as a teenager on Luna, the younger princess to Channary, who becomes queen when their parents die. Levana wants the attention of a handsome guard, Evret, who treats her kindly when few do, but there's one problem: he has a wife. And Levana, who has been unloved and manipulated all her life doesn't really know how to truly love. She can only take and twist as she tries to get what she wants.I had seen the mixed reviews this book received, and put it off for a bit, but finally decided to pick it up with the final book in the series, Winter, coming out soon - I didn't want to skip it and miss a reference. I really enjoy that these books, while definitely inspired by fairy tales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and more, stand on their own and tell a fascinating overarching story at the same time. I don't generally like unlikable characters, so I was putting Levana's story off. Actually, I liked it more than I thought it would. Levana is pretty twisted, but you do come to understand why, and I felt pity for her much like Evret did, though I'm not sure that even by sixteen I really could've been a friend, either. Still, worth reading and I look forward to the next one!

[lilibrarian · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

The story of Queen Levana of Luna, a prequel to the the Lunar Chronicles series.

[fyrefly98 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Summary: The rest of the Lunar Chronicles portray Queen Levanna as a manipulative, power-hungry, ruthlessly cold villain who will go to any lengths to secure what she wants. But how did she get to be that way? Fairest opens with Levanna as a young woman, shortly following the death of her parents, and the investiture of her vain, self-centered, and cruel elder sister Channary as queen. Levanna wants what's best for the Lunar people, but she's still young and powerless, and struggling to control her glamor that she uses to hide the horrible disfigurement inflicted on her as a child by her sister. She's also isolated - her royal blood means that she has grown up apart from other children, and Channary has no use for her other than as a pawn whose marriage might bring a beneficial alliance. So Levanna finds herself falling in love with the only person who's ever been nice to her - a palace guard named Evrett. Evrett is married, but Levanna is determined - and with the mental gifts conveyed upon her by her royal lineage, she is unaccustomed to not getting what she wants… but she doesn't always realize until too late that getting her own way comes at a sometimes terrible cost.Review: Like all of Meyer's books, this one is an imaginative blend of fairy tale elements and science fiction, fun and fast to read, and capable of holding my attention even when I am busy and stressed out and less able than normal to invest energy in reading for fun. While I'm eager to know how Cinder & Co.'s story is going to resolve, and anxious for the final book in the series to hurry up and be published already, this prequel was definitely a worthwhile diversion. Villains are always more interesting if they've got some layers to them, if they're not evil just for the sake of evil. If they're well done, I find villain's backstories very compelling, and this one was really well done. Even leaving aside what we know about Levanna from the rest of the series, I spent this book rocketing back and forth between feeling intensely sorry for her and complete repelled by her -- sometimes both simultaneously. It's an interesting feeling to totally understand why a character is doing something, all the while going "Oh no, no no no. This is going to be a disaster. Oh honey, no." It's definitely a new perspective on Levanna's character, and it will be interesting to see how this changes my perception of her when the fourth book comes out - and if/when I revisit the first three books. 4 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Although this is a prequel, and is relatively well self-contained, I don't think it would work as a stand-alone, or even a point of entry into the series - it's so focused on explaining "how things got to be this way" that you really need to know what "this way" is in order for the story to have any impact. But for those who have read the first three Lunar Chronicles books, Fairest is just as compelling as the others, and is a fascinating look at a particularly nasty bad guy.

[kmartin802_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I enjoyed getting into the evil Queen Levana's head. I could see how she went from a lonely and neglected child into the sociopath she became. As the younger child of a King and Queen who had no interest in being parents and the younger sister of a sneaky and cruel princess, Levana didn't have any experience of bonding, family, or love. She spent her whole time behind her glamour since her older sister's torture had caused deep burns on half of her face, her hand and arm, and neck and rib cage. She felt that she was ugly and her older sister reinforced her feelings all the time. She was ashamed of being the only ugly one among the beauties of the Court. She also felt that she would be a better Queen than her older sister.When her older sister dies of an infection, it leaves her daughter Selene as the future Queen and Levana as the Queen Regent. Meanwhile, Levana has coerced a guard to marry her. Evret treated her with kindness which Levana mistook as love. When his wife died in childbirth, Levana decided that he had to love her and, when he didn't, she used her powers of coercion to force him. They, along with his daughter Winter, stayed together for ten years. It takes that long for Levana to finally realize that Evret would never love her. Meanwhile, Levana is trying to be the fairest - the best queen for Luna. She encourages the research to create the plague that can decimate the humans on Earth. She encourages the development of the super soldier program. She forces her workers to keep increasing productivity. But the moon has finite resources and Levana sets her sights on Earth. She doesn't want a trading partner; she want to conquer Earth.It was fascinating watching her step by step progress from abused and neglected child to the evil, ruthless, amoral ruler we see in CINDER, SCARLET, and CRESS. The book also has a preview of WINTER but I didn't read it. I want the whole story before I begin this final book in the Lunar Chronicles.

[anyaejo · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

My heart hurts and my nose is now really stuffy.... I highly recommend reading Fairest between Cress and Winter because it reveals so many little connections. However be prepared to feel really sad.

[untitled841 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I enjoyed this addition to the Lunar Chronicals. Can't wait for Winter!

[fatimareadsbooks · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

It's 4 am and I just finished this... I may not sound very coherent. Pardon me.I absolutely loved this book, it just fed into my anticipation for the fourth book, Winter. It made me want to reread The Lunar Chronicles trilogy so badly - which I no doubt will be doing very soon. In this book, we get back stories. Lots and lots of back stories. Dr. Logan Tanner, *coughs* Princess Selene, Princes Winter... and of course our beloved(?¿) villain, Levana.I didn't realize that there was this much depth to Queen Levana's character. There was so much development to her character throughout the book. It wasn't development, exactly, but you can see how her character gradually shifts from the lonely Princess Levana at the beginning to the evil Queen Levana we know today.No doubt her character would've had more complexity if a bit of the character depth from this book had been woven into the other three books. It would've been more interesting, as she was a bit of a typical, bland, evil villain in the other books. This book is a great bridge to get you into the mood for the fourth and final conclusion to The Lunar Chronicles series, Winter. There are back stories, and we go into some depth with the characters. Love, love, loved it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to sleep.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Although I enjoyed the story and did have sympathy for Levana, ultimately how she becomes what she is still leaves me cold. Feeling like you are a good person who just wants someone to love and be loved by doesn't make you one. But there is a commentary to be made about the products of ultimate power and only sociopathic examples.

[aliceap-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I just figured out that Levana is the Evil Queen and Winter is Snow White. *mind blown* Now I have no idea if you guys have or have not already reached this conclusion and so I don't know if this is a spoiler...hold on I'm going to see if this is a well-known fact or not..okay it doesn't seem like it's totally a spoiler but it makes sense if you read the title of the book (Fairest just in case you've forgotten) and remember the saying that the Evil Queen would say when looking into her enchanted mirror. The real point I was trying to make is that I completely forgot that these were fairytales with a twist and then when it hit me I was truly shocked. Also, I'm obsessed with this series and so to discover that Winter isn't technically the last book (she's written a short story compilation called Stars Above full of secrets!) made me quite happy. I know there are some of you that aren't really into young adult lit and I totally get that. It's not for everyone and honestly I don't like all of the genres myself. However, when there's relatable characters with interesting storylines in a world that is fascinating you're bound to enjoy it. In this story, you find out just what Levana looks like without her glamour and why she's seemingly without feelings. There are moments of fleeting happiness in the previous books in this series and if you're looking for that here you're going to be disappointed. That shouldn't stop you from reading it though because there's a lot of backstory that I have a feeling will definitely play a part in Winter (why isn't it out yet?!).

[ellsbethb · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I was asked to read this by my YA book club even though I hadn't read the other books (I joined after they read the others). I wasn't very impressed. It felt like maybe the author was trying to hard to create empathy for the protagonists, and I'm not sure it worked very well. I was assured this was not typical in the other books in the series, so I'll still give those a shot.

[rosa.mill · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

This was a late addition to the Lunar Chronicles where we get Levana's history along with Winter and Cinder's beginnings and the story of Channery, Cinder's mother. While the background was interesting, Levana as a character just kind of gave me anxiety. I think this is why I stay away from morally ambiguous characters and unlikable protagonists.