Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Initial thoughts: This book will make you question all your morals because you will find yourself feeling sorry for Queen Levana. I don't think I've ever felt this degree of sympathy towards such a cruel villain before but then at the end my world was restored again because
hey, covert biological warfare against Earth (
Cress) and breeding of beasts (in
Scarlet) and killing her own niece just to conquer the throne (in
Cinder) were all terrible things.
Fairest offered a worthwhile glimpse into the twisted mind of Queen Levana. I felt that in some ways I understood her better as a person, while in other ways I could see why she acted the way she did (from avoiding mirrors to her insecurities). Needless to say, I didn't like her. Yet I read and enjoyed the whole book, which for me showed a great deal of craftsmanship on the part of Marissa Meyer as the author.