Fairest

The Lunar Chronicles - Levana's Story

By: Marissa Meyer

Narrated by: Rebecca Soler

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2015 Marissa Meyer (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Unsatisfied :(

I LOVE this story and this storyline but I was so disappointed that this entire book was about Levana fourteen years earlier than the first book. I was PUMPED to move the story along. I found myself annoyed more and more with Levana. I really wish her story was condensed.

I didn't want to feel sorry for Levana....

This was just as good as the other books, it was nice understanding how Levana came to be the way she is in current times which is the time the other books are set in....as well as giving me background on the mentioning of the other wedding ring Levana wears (mentioned in Cress).

Explains A Lot...

Where does Fairest rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The higher end of the mid-range.

What did you like best about this story?

It explains quite a lot about WHY Levana is the way she is. It was so heartbreaking, I actually found myself rooting for her; hoping against hope that she would find her way & make the right/good decisions. Sadly, in the end, she was always destined to be Queen Levana, of course. Only now we have a somewhat better understanding of what (or who) it was that made her the way she is.

What does Rebecca Soler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'd probably mispronounce half the names without Ms. Soler. She is also fabulous at assigning different voices to different characters so there's no mistaking who's speaking. She is obviously one of my favorite narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"You only know her as 'The Evil Lunar Queen'. Now, learn Levana's whole story..."

Any additional comments?

It was great & I LOVE this series! That being said, this was my least favorite of the series thus far. Nevertheless, it was still exceptional!

good background

it is good to find out why the moon queen does not show herself at all. it was also nice to find out about the ring that was hinted at in Cress. I expected a little bit more depth from the character, especially from her sister. The narrator was pretty good. used appropriate inflection and enough variation with character voices that you knew who is speaking even if it didn't specify. all in all a good read, but best if you get it on sale.

Just awesome!!!!

This book does a great job helping us understand more and does a great job leading into Winter!!! Great in between book!

I adore this series and the performer

beautifully done. I absolutely love the writer, this world she's created. the characters and story line are wonderful. pretty dark and twisted.

Wonderful!

This was a great addition to the series! I liked finding out what set Levana on her path to wanting power.

Five Stars!

If you could sum up Fairest in three words, what would they be?

Tragic, Moving, Understanding

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Soler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love Rebecca Soler's performances in this entire series. She stays consistent throughout all the novels.

Any additional comments?

I read a lot of mixed reviews on this book. A lot of reviewers warned readers this book was only for diehard series fans. I will say that this differs from the first three books in the Cinder series. Absolutely. It kind of has to, right? I mean, it's a book completely written from the villain's POV. I won't lie. There was a lot of sadness. Levana's life was pretty sucky. Her family life, the "accident" that left her disfigured, the tragic love of her life. All of it was horrifically sad. Unlike the other books in the series, there was no humor... no light, heart-warming banter. Nope. And on that count, those reviewers would be correct. This was not like her first three books in the series, but if it had been, Levana wouldn't have turned out to the be villain she'd come to be. As always, Meyer's writing is exquisite, and I found myself completely pulled back into this world. This series is in my top five all-time favorite YA series. If you like YA, if you like refashioned fairytales, or if you like even the slightest bit of science fiction, you should check out these books!

Great writing, unpleasant main character

Love marissa meyer's books, but the main character of this was so despicable and unsympathetic, it was hard to enjoy the book.

Insight into Levana's Wickedness

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well I am a fan of the Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles, and I find it difficult to have a favorite character is this novel. That being said, Levana is a very interesting character. She has a lot of strange ways of rationalizing her behavior. It gave a lot of insight into why she is the way that she is.

What about Rebecca Soler’s performance did you like?

I Love Rebecca Soler she gives each character a certain amount of color and attitude.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh I would if I could.