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    Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story
    Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story
    Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story
    Audiobook6 hours

    Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story

    Written by Marissa Meyer

    Narrated by Rebecca Soler

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series!

    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.

    Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateJan 27, 2015
    ISBN9781427258861
    Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story
    Author

    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.

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    Reviews for Fairest

    4/5

    781 ratings71 reviews

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    • 5/5
      The narration was wonderful! I loved the music and I feel that this book was great as well. Really though, reading this book is more so about getting to know what happened to Levana before everything went down. It’s not much along the lines of why the character is evil. Really, the information they gave us about that we could’ve guessed. But just knowing what happened before everything in the series was refreshing. It was like behind the scenes!
      I enjoyed the book and the narration.
    • 3/5
      In this prequel to the Cinder series we follow Levana from the age of fifteen for a number of years, learning her backstory. Some of it we know from other books, but in case you are new to the Cinder series, there’s not really much I can tell you without spoiling those books, especially the first one. Suffice to say that it starts with the death of her parents and her older sister’s ascent to the throne of Luna.Although I took out both the book and the audiobook from the library, I ended up listening to the entire thing. The audiobook performer does a great job of capturing Levana, but there is nothing likable about this twisted woman (that is not really a spoiler, since the is the chief antagonist throughout the Cinder series), despite the feelings and trepidations she may have. I liked this, but didn’t love it. It’s not required reading for the series, and I strongly recommend that you wait and read it after you read Cinder and Scarlet at the very least. I’m glad I read it after I read Winter, but given that there is a preview of Winter in it, you can read it either before or after; either way you’re going to know at least something about the last book you read.
    • 4/5
      This was a quick read. I don't know that I would have enjoyed it as much if I'd read it before reading the last book in the chronicles, [Winter], but after having finished the series, it was nice to look back. I do enjoy seeing these kinds of stories that show how the 'evil' character turns out the way they do. it gives perspective and the idea that monsters are created not born, an idea popular in today's writing. A good addition to the chronicles if you are a fan.
    • 5/5
      Not as action filled as the others in the series, but still interesting to see how Levana became the Lunar Queen. I'm counting the days until Winter comes out.
    • 3/5
      i do like the background info on Levana BUT still mad it was the thr sequel and end to the story which was supposed to be a trilogy...
    • 4/5
      This was the best Lunar Chronicles book I've read, and here's why.

      This book really gets into Levana's mind, and I adore it for that. It's a character driven novel(la?) and it really does well at it. This book is a perfect example of negative character development, and I enjoyed it much more than any other LC book I've read. Meyer doesn't hesitate to write completely in Levana's perspective, meaning that there has to be active reading on the part of the reader to understand that all of the ideas here are wrong. This book was telling a story that was messed up, and Meyer clearly recognized that and meant for the reader to do so as well.

      Because of this, and other reasons below, this book should be read by readers mature enough to recognize that this shouldn't be their ideal. My reasons are below, and while they are spoilery, there are disturbing elements in the story that shouldn't be overlooked by potential readers who need to know.



      1. Levana raped Evret Hayle. It was nonconsensual and she manipulated him severely in multiple ways to the point where you can't call it anything else.

      2. Channary basically abused Levana, especially when they were younger.

      3. The reader is given plenty of clues that Levana's mindset is not ethical or something that should be presented as an ideal, but younger readers may not realize that.



      In the end, I enjoyed this book for what it was. I typed that as "what i was." Anyway. I honestly think Meyer was great in this book. While Cinder presented many issues with Asia's history, (I use Asia loosely, but the histories of many countries were overlooked in Cinder and Meyer didn't seem to realize this was problematic of her) Fairest's worldbuilding isn't as present? It isn't as much needed as the rest of LC, so it didn't present as much of an issue. The pair the spares romances in LC also wasn't as present because the relationships were not healthy, and that was acknowledged. In the end, I feel like the ending was rushed. It seemed like Meyer felt the need for an ending to the other characters in the story but couldn't stop it earlier, where an ending would have seemed more natural to me. But I did really enjoy this book, and I couldn't put it down. It was much more solid than other LC books, and this series has had a pretty big impact on me and the turns my life has taken (introducing me to Sailor Moon). But it's been a year since I read Cress, and this book has successfully rekindled my interest in LC. I will probably reread it again and again, because I did really like how Meyer was able to write Levana. If you liked the Lunar Chronicles as of far, I'd definitely suggest reading this (as long as you are able to actively read, which, if you're on here, is likely).

    • 5/5
      Vielleicht hätte aus Levana ein netter Mensch werden können, wenn die Umstände anders gewesen wären, doch dann hätte dieses Prequel zu den Lunar Chronicles nichts zu erzählen und wäre nie entstanden. Fairest liefert uns also nun die ganze Hintergrundgeschichte der fiesesten Königin, die der Mond je gesehen hat. Ausgehend von dem Märchen Schneewittchen, erfahren wir was hinter Levanas Schönheit lauert und wie es dahin gekommen ist.Fairest ist etwas kürzer als die übrigen Bände dieser Buchreihe und ist in vielen Teilen ernster und bisweilen sogar etwas bitter. Der Roman beginnt zu einer Zeit da Levana gerade ein Teenager von fünfzehn Jahren ist, der schon seit frühester Kindheit an von der älteren Schwester schikaniert und gequält wird. Als Zweitgeborene muss sie daher ein insgesamt duckmäuserisches Leben führen, in der Hoffnung so den Schikanen ihrer älteren Schwester zu entgehen. Es wird kaum besser als Channery zur Königin gekrönt wird. Man muss an dieser Stelle feststellen, dass Levanas gesamte Familiengeschichte eine sehr lieblose ist und niemand wirklich etwas für die eigene Familie übrig hat. Auch die Eltern waren grausame Herrscher und es berührt eigentlich niemanden, auch nicht die beiden Töchter, dass sie ermordet werden. Das allein sagt vermutlich schon genug darüber aus, was für ein Umfeld das Königshaus bietet.Kein Wunder also, dass Levana nicht netter geraten ist. Trotzdem möchte man anfangs glatt Mitleid mit der späteren Königin haben, was zu beinahe schizophrenen Gefühlen bei der Leserschaft sorgen kann. Denn kennt man die eigentlichen Romane um Cinder, Scarlet und Cress bereits, dann ist man darauf eingestellt Levana mit Herz und Seele zu verteufeln. In Fairest erlebt man aber plötzlich eine zerbrechliche Seite von ihr und in dem Wissen, was später aus ihr wird, ist man hin und her gerissen in den eigenen Gefühlen für sie.Doch die Autorin erweist sich als gnädig und erinnert ihre LeserInnen bald daran wer Levana ist und wohl auch schon immer war. Levanas anfänglich gute Absichten in Bezug auf das Volk von Luna beispielsweise, werden nach und nach zu einer krankhaften Obsession die sich ins Gegenteil verkehrt. Ähnlich verhält es sich mit dem Palastwächter Everett in den Levana sich früh verliebt, der ihre Liebe aber nicht erwidert und um seine frisch verstorbene Frau trauert. Levana dagegen sieht den Tod der Frau als Willen des Schicksals und zwingt Everett mit Hilfe ihrer Gabe in eine manipulative Beziehung bis hin zu einer erzwungenen Ehe. Die Art wie sie mit Everett umgeht ist es, die Fans der Buchreihe die spätere Levana erkennen lässt. Sie steigert sich in ihre kompromisslosen Phantasien hinein und ist regelrecht besessen von ihm – ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste.Fairest erzählt aber nicht nur Levanas Geschichte, es liefert auch viele Verknüpfungen die bisher nur angedeutet waren. Nebenfiguren aus den Hauptromanen tauchen auf und es gibt viele Einzelheiten zu dem was mit Cinder geschehen ist und vor allem wieso. Es wird auch klar was hinter Königin Levanas Ansinnen, die Erde zu beherrschen, steckt. Man erfährt wie die Gesellschaft von Luna aufgebaut ist und wo sie ihren Ursprung hat. Kurz gesagt, es werden viele Verbindungen deutlich, die aus kleinen Nebeninfos lebendige Details machen.Dieses Prequel spielt zeitlich lange vor Cinder, dem ersten Roman der Reihe. Entsprechend kann man Fairest natürlich auch als Einstieg wählen ohne sich dabei für die späteren Bände zu spoilern. Wer eine Empfehlung will dem rate ich dennoch diese Geschichte erst nach Cress einzuschieben (aber definitiv vor Winter), da es das Leseerlebnis von Fairest durch die zahlreichen Aha!-Erlebnisse einfach spannender macht.Weniger humorvoll als die Hauptbücher mag Fairest zwar sein, aber eine spannende und charakterstarke Ergänzung ist es dafür allemal. Daher gibt es auch hier wieder eine unbedingte Leseempfehlung für Fans der Buchreihe und solche die es noch werden wollen.
    • 3/5
      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.)
    • 4/5
      An interesting look at the making of a villain. A short novella that continues to show off Meyer's ability to translate fairy tales into the YA sci-fi genre.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.)
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Fairest, Queen Levana’s story, is a loose retelling of the Wicked Queen and stepmother of Snow White. When we first meet Levana she’s a relatively normal fifteen year old girl. She’s spent her whole life being treated badly by her cruel older sister, Channary, and neglected by cold, unloving parents,

      When I started the story I felt some pity for Levana. She has a huge crush on Hayle, one of the royal guards. She mistakes his kindness for affection and uses glamour to convince him to marry her after his wife's death and the birth of his daughter, Winter.

      My sympathy disappeared when Channary dies from lung disease and Levana plans to kill Princess Selene so that she can be the true queen.

      Fairest falls between Cress and Winter in the series. Levana's story is the backstory readers need to understand her. Chronologically, Fairest is actually first, but I don’t think it’s very interesting without the prior knowledge that you get from Cinder, Scarlet and Cress. I highly recommend you read Fairest before starting the final book in the series, Winter.
    • 3/5
      **edit** 4/13/17 - I'm lowering my rating to 3-stars because there are some things in there that can be considered harmful or problematic.

      Oh, no. I knew what the point of this book was when I was getting into it, but I wasn’t expecting to feel this much. I actually needed a break for the first time in this series. I can’t say I love Levana, but I pity her more than I’ve ever pitied anyone before. She’s lonely, depressed, naive, impressionable, damaged, abandoned, and delusional. Yes, delusional. I feel for her and I think if she just got a real, meaningful, loving hug, everything would’ve turned out okay. But then again, I think hugs make EVERYTHING better…

      The whole time, I questioned who was to blame for how she turned out, because she’s not responsible for her actions up until a certain age. Sure, her parents didn’t show affection for her or Channary; being ignored or ridiculed was normal for her. When did her actions become her responsibility?

      I decided to read this in it’s proper place, between Cress and Winter, because I think it will give me better insight on the conclusion of this epic series (yeah, epic). I thought it was important to know where Levana came from, what she went through and what was going through her head before she turned completely evil. I didn’t believe she could kill anyone, I hoped it was a rumor we didn’t know the truth about until this book, but alas…

      Meyer’s writing is beautiful in this novel. I felt I could burst into tears at any minute because the feelings hit hard and fast. Being abused by her older sister and shunned by her only friend and lover, it’s totally understandable why she goes to extreme lengths to get what she thinks she deserves.

      One thing I really picked up on, is how much she and Selene (for spoiler’s sake) have in common. Both are neglected/abandoned by their families, both are physically damaged as well as emotionally. The difference is Levana turned to manipulation and fear–alone, where Selene worked for what she thinks is right with people she trusts. Two similar people, with similar situations, who took completely different paths to achieve their goals.

      Okay, I’m done. I loved this. The tone and backstory were great and the cover is beautiful.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Confirmation Levana had always been a psycho B! Man this one is a crazy read.
    • 4/5
      Dammit! Don't make me FEEL for Levana!!! This was probably the deepest of the Lunar Chronicle books. I could have done without the meta-awareness (when Everett was reading to Winter and she was describing all the characters we'd eventually meet to rescue her and Selene) but other than that. Amazing addition to the series.
    • 4/5
      Fairest is a novella of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. This is Levana's story and explains how she became the ruler we love to hate.This was an uncomfortable read. Levana's history is tragic. She has some serious mental illness and being inside her head is stressful. She suffered trauma as a small child that she never got over and things spiraled out of control from there. Combine this with the amoral Lunar society, absentee parents and sibling bullying and it's no wonder Levana is a sociopath. Her seriously messed up thinking explains her actions very well and there is a weird, twisted logic to it. I'm really glad we got to read her background as it adds depth to the character and sheds new light on her actions. No, I don't feel any more sympathetic to the character though I do pity her. It also answers a lot of questions I was curious about the character. I would highly recommend this book for fans of the series.
    • 3/5
      This wasn't my favorite of the series. It was good but it could be that I just don't like Levana at all. Maybe that is a sign of a well written story about the villain. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
    • 3/5
      Good book. It really helped you see another side of Levana. Although she made bad choices you could see where she was coming from.
    • 5/5
      The only Lunar Chronicles book I really like. The others are just so...meh.
    • 4/5
      I've waited a long time to read this one because I was never very interested in reading Levana's back story but I decided to just finish out the series. I was pleasantly surprised to be honest. I really enjoyed seeing what Levana was like when she was younger.
    • 5/5
      well, that sure changes things - how could Levana turn out any other way than she is? it's hard not to hate her, but now . . .

      and on to Winter!
    • 4/5
      I wanted to read something that I knew I could finish in one sitting. This was the last book in the Lunar Chronicles I needed to read, so I thought it was the perfect timing for this one. I normally will skip novellas, but I loved this series so I am glad I gave it a try.I do have a better understanding of Levana, but I still do not feel bad for her. I actually do not get why anyone felt bad for her. I was expecting a very sad backstory around her, but it really just showed how evil she was since she was a teen. This started with her not even being sad about the murder of her parents (there is no explanation on why she was not sad.) I really enjoyed hearing more about Cinder and Winter as children and their stories more than anything.Overall, this was a great addition to the story and I am glad I finally picked it up.