Fairest

From Goodreads:

“In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

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.”


~~~~~ Marissa Meyer has a knack for writing compelling stories, and Fairest is definitely compelling, in the way that watching a trainwreck is compelling. The story itself is fantastically written and fits well into the universe that Ms. Meyer has created, but Levana is so very broken. And she deals with her brokenness in unhappy ways, leading to the dominating and fearful empress wannabe that Meyer's readers know and loathe. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but I just couldn't. On the other hand, I am really, REALLY looking forward to Winter!


Gentle Reader Alert: I found nothing of concern.