Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted nothing more than to be pretty…
The new novel set in the World of Ella Enchanted
PUBISHED 2006
I was born singing. Most babies cry. I sang an aria. Or so I believe. I have no one to tell me the truth of it. I was abandoned when I was a month old, left at the Featherbed Inn in the Ayorthaian villiage of Amonta. It was January 12th of the year of Thunder Songs.
The Fairy Lucinda has once again given a dreadful gift. THis time it's a mysterious magical mirror. The gift is disastrous when it falls into the hands of Aza, who never looks in a mirror if she can help it. In the Kingdom of Ayortha, Aza is most definitely not the fairest of them all. Many spurn her. Many scoff at her. She keeps out of sight.
But in the land of singers, Aza has her own gift, one she's come by without fairy intervention: a voice that can do almost anything, a voice that captivates all who hear it. In Ontio Castle, merry Prince Ijori is drawn to it, and vain Queen Ivi wants to use it for her own ends. Queen Ivi would do anything to remain the fairest in the land.
In this spellbinding tale filled with humor, adventure, romance, and song, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine invites you to join Aza as she discovers how exquisite she truly is.
(INTO THE OLD WORLD READING CHALLENGE)
(WISH I'D READ THAT CHALLENGE)
The world that Gail Carson Levine has created is wonderful. Here we enter a world were gnomes can see into the future, ogres could makes you cook yourself with their persuasive tongues and the fairy Lucinda is constantly causing trouble with her ‘gifts’. And ‘Fairest’ is no exception.
How do you measure beauty? What would you do to become beautiful? What would you do to stay beautiful? Would you kill?
I would say that this is highly influenced by Snow White, we have magic mirrors, apples, poisons and an evil (and slightly schizophrenic) queen. And of course a maid with black hair, red lips, and pale skin.
I enjoyed this book, although it had me getting very agitated and angered on Aza’s behalf when the people around her treated her terribly because of her looks. I don’t think I have ever wanted to hit so many people from one book before.
I even wanted to give the prince a good wallop for being an insensitive idiot. (SPOILER) But only at the point where everyone assumes that Aza has ogre blood running in her veins.
“I kissed you!”
You swine! You were meant to love her! And now you are letting a little thing like DNA get in the way! DUDE!!
Other than that point I do like the prince, before that bit he is a sweetheart to her. And he finds her beautiful despite what everyone else says.
Needless to say everything turns out well. One poisoned apple and near death experience later of course.
And does Aza have ogre blood in her? Or is she something else?
I sort of mean to read Fairest once but then sort of forgot about it. I'm glad you say you liked it. And I had no idea it was Snow White-like, Interesting!
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