In this stand-alone novel, Marissa Meyer reveals the history of the villainous queen of Luna, and lays some groundwork for the relationships central to her outstanding Lunar Chronicles.
The author depicts Levana as a child born into a family where cruelty reigned. When one of the royal guards, Sir Evret Hayle, shows kindness to Levana at her parents' funeral, he sets in motion a series of events that lead to tragic consequences. A recurring nightmare and haunting refrain ("Come here, baby sister. I want to show you something") reveal a horrifying incident when Levana was six, at the hands of her older sister, Channary, who inherited the throne upon the death of their parents. While Queen Channary takes more interest in her trysts than in the workings of the planet she rules, Levana proves a quick study in more strategic matters. Readers learn of plans hatched by her parents for a half-human, half-beast army and the laboratory invention of a pandemic (letumosis, which figures prominently in Cinder) that could sweep the earth but have no effect on Lunars, plus an antidote that could be used to resume trade with the Earthens.
Meyer builds layers on the Snow White story, as Levana becomes obsessed with appearing to be "the fairest queen that Luna had ever known." Her envy and greed drive her to take drastic measures to win Evret Hayle's love and the love of her subjects. The more she gets, the more she wants. Meyer's meticulous construction reconfirms her as a master architect. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness