Meyer, Marissa. Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles Levana’s Story. New York: Rampion, 2015. 978-1-250-06055-6. p. 222 $17.99 Gr 9+.

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles get a rare glimpse into the life of the tyrannical and power-hungry Queen Levana of Luna before she became queen.  Why does this Queen hate mirrors so much?  Who held the key to her heart before she set her sights on Emperor Kai?  Exactly what happened to her to make her so afraid to show anyone her true appearance?  Answers to all of these questions are found in Fairest as well as insight into what actually happened to Princess Selena all those years ago and Queen Levana’s stepdaughter, Winter.  This is definitely a good book to tide readers over until the final book in the series, Winter, debuts later this year (there’s even a bonus excerpt of Winter!).

Fantasy (fairytale)   Laura Ward, Fox Chapel Area High School