Fairest

Bibliography
Meyer, Marissa. Fairest. Feiwel and Friends, 2015.

image from: marissameyer.com

Summary (from marissameyer.com)

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

My Thoughts
If you haven't read the Lunar Chronicles yet, do NOT read this post! I protect some things, but there are some spoilers to the Chronicles as a whole. 

This novella is Queen Levana's back story. Some sources say read this before Winter. However, I think since I read it right after finishing Winter, events were still fresh in my mind.

I liked seeing that Levana wasn't as evil as her sister (who I think is portrayed as beautiful in the previous books, but not much else--at least not to my memory). It's Levana's story, but it's also her sister's and her husband's and even her parents' tale. It sets some things up for all four other books. Princess Selene (Cinder) has her back story (a bit) in here, too. Make no mistake, though. Levana is evil. She's made decisions and justified them in her own mind. This book offers some understanding as to how and why and what helped shape her personality.

"Come here, baby sister. I want to show you something" is repeated in the book. It's Channary luring (and controlling) her sister. I'm glad Levana's glamour is explained and her love to her husband Evret. All very interesting. I was surprised (although  maybe I shouldn't have been) to find out about Winter's parents. I also learned about the strained relationship between Earth and Luna.

So, could you read the 4 major books and not this one and still have a story? Sure. But...reading this one gives more spice to the fairy tales. I've now started reading Stars Above, a collection of stories from the Lunar Chronicles world. I've enjoyed my time on Luna and Earth with these characters and look forward to reading the story collection to complete the world of the Lunar Chronicles.