Meyer takes a short break between books in the Lunar Chronicles to explore the back story of evil Queen Levana.As the title suggests, here Meyer riffs on "Snow White," positioning Levana as the wicked queen. As the novel opens, Princess Levana and her older sister prepare for the funeral of their assassinated parents. Levana chafes at the knowledge that her sister will take the throne-Levana is intelligent and politically engaged, while her lovely sister seems interested only in sexual conquest. The 15-year-old princess also yearns for kind, handsome guard Evret Hayle, who is unaccountably in love with his beautiful, pregnant wife. Physical beauty is something the scarred princess can achieve only by casting a Lunar glamour; fortunately, she is very skilled in the art. She is so adept, in fact, that she uses it to lure Evret to her bed and to the altar when his wife dies in childbirth; the only blot on her happiness is baby Winter, her stepdaughter-and her sister, and the Moon's dwindling resources....With this book, Meyer sets herself a formidable challenge. Her overall story and the original fairy tale's structure both demand that Levana end the book thoroughly evil, creating a deterministic, negative character arc. Although she strives to make Levana initially sympathetic, she must also plant the seeds of her cruelty and megalomania; the result is that Levana goes from merely bratty to out-and-out repellent. The author also deprives herself of the opportunity to play to her strengths: quick, cinematic changes in scene and chemistry between her characters. With virtually no action and no sparks flying, the plot slogs along to an end readers know already, leaving them free to notice Meyer's malapropisms, grammatical errors and awkward metaphors. Fans should just wait for Winter, coming in fall 2015. (Science fiction/fairy tale. 13 & up) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-She loves fiercely and kills with little remorse; her iron grip over the Lunar people is equal parts impressive and terrifying. Queen Levana from "The Lunar Chronicles'" (Feiwel & Friends) is more than a beautiful villain. In this prequel, Meyer explains how she went from lonely, shy second daughter to the most feared and relentless woman in the universe. Levana grew up in the shadow of her distant mother, Queen Jannali, and her vengeful older sister, Princess Channary. After the murder of their parents, Channary takes the crown and produces an heir, Selene. Having permanently assumed a glamour, or altered physical appearance, after a childhood "accident" caused by Channary resulted in a severe disfigurement, Levana coerces a widowed palace guard to marry her, bringing his young daughter Winter to the palace. Her older sister's unexpected death catapults Levana to the position of Queen Regent-but that isn't enough for the ambitious, entitled protagonist. Meyer successfully sketches in some humanity to Levana's actions. At times, her raw loneliness invokes short-lived sympathy, such as when Levana clings to a dented pendant given to her by her husband. Even if readers despise her, it is worth reading this interim background novel to gain insight into Levana's complex character. VERDICT Thorough world-building and fascinating character development will thrill fans and entice new readers.-Amanda C. Buschmann, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, TX

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
With echoes of Snow White, this prequel to the other sci-fi fairy-tale retellings in the series explains how Levana came to be such a wicked queen and sets up Cinder's backstory for readers in the know. Though the ambitious and often-deluded royal never quite becomes likable, insights into her character awaken sympathy. A well-told, page-turning story with payoff for series followers.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)