Fairest
| Fairest | |
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| Author(s) | Gail Carson Levine |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Publication date | 2006 |
| Pages | 326 |
| ISBN | 0060734086 |
| OCLC Number | 63178754 |
| LC Classification | PZ8.L4793 Fa 2006 |
| Preceded by | Ella Enchanted |
Fairest is a 2006 novel by Gail Carson Levine. It is based on the story of Snow White and set in the same world as Ella Enchanted. The kingdom of Ayortha, the setting of the story, is the neighbouring kingdom of Kyrria, where Ella Enchanted was set; as such, several allusions in the story are made to Ella Enchanted.
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[edit] Synopsis
Aza, the adopted daughter of innkeepers in Ayortha, has always hated her appearance. Her prodigious size and her odd coloring – milk-white skin, blood-red lips, and hair that seems to be sooty black – often make her the target of stares and rude comments. Be that as it may, Aza's voice garners as much attention as her looks, for Ayortha is a land of song, and Aza is an amazing singer. But besides being skilled at singing, Aza can also flawlessly mimic people and throw her voice without moving her mouth, a form of ventriloquism she calls "illusing".
When Aza's sister, Areida, goes to finishing school, the Duchess of Olixo, an irritable guest at the Featherbed Inn, requests that Aza accompany her to the royal wedding, the new queen, Ivi, discovers Aza's gift and manipulates her. As Ivi cannot sing well, she offers to reward Aza with land and riches for her family as well as elevation to the rank of lady-in-waiting in exchange for Aza illusing a voice for her when she needs to sing; when Aza tries to refuse, Ivi threatens to imprison her and close her family's inn.
Soon after Aza reluctantly accepts Ivi's offer, the castle is thrown into turmoil when the King is terribly wounded during a sporting event. Aza is caught in the midst of Ivi's power-hungry plotting, the affection of the king's nephew Crown Prince Ijori, the suspicions of the choirmaster Sir Uellu, and her own increasing desperation to become beautiful, a desire which grows so strong that she ultimately drinks a beauty potion created by Skulni, the mysterious, evil creature living in Ivi's magic mirror. With the country on the verge of revolt, the inevitable discovery of Aza and Ivi's singing deception leaves Aza fleeing for her life when a jealous Ivi leads to Aza being branded as a dangerous ogre.
Exiled, Aza is welcomed by the gnomes; zhamM, a frequent guest at her family's inn, provides her with food, shelter, and a sense of heritage. After she has spent some time with the gnomes, a sinister scheme forces Aza to fight for her life, discover her true source of strength, and ultimately, learn to accept herself.
[edit] Characters
- Aza – A 15-year-old girl from Ayortha, who was adopted by an innkeeper when she was left in the lark chamber of his inn as an infant. Aza's adoptive sister, Areida, appears in Ella Enchanted as Ella's best friend and Ella's father, Sir Peter, is mentioned as a guest at the Featherbed Inn where Aza lives. When Aza was found, she was covered in a velvet blanket with gold trim, leading her family to suspect she is of royal origins. She is insecure about her appearance and is convinced she is ugly, but has a beautiful voice to compensate. She was suspected to be part ogre but is actually part gnome. She can illuse, or throw her voice without moving her lips, and is also an extremely talented mimic. She ultimately marries Ijori, becomes Queen of Ayortha and has three children.
- Ivi – (Pronounced like "Ivy") A 19-year-old commoner from the Kyrrian town of Bast who becomes Queen of Ayortha after marrying King Oscaro. She blackmails Aza into becoming her singing voice in order to preserve her own reputation. She is self-absorbed, as well as simple-minded, insecure, and concerned with beauty. When her new husband is injured, she uses Aza's voice in order to gain dictatorial control of Ayortha. Although typically selfish, Ivi occasionally demonstrates concern for others, staying with her injured husband every night, and helping Aza find fashions which better suit her. She is sent to the southern castle at the end of the book for being too power hungry.
- Ayortha and Kyrria, the setting of Ella Enchanted, are neighboring kingdoms.
- Ijori – The Crown Prince of Ayortha, the king's nephew and heir to the throne. Ijori is two years older than Aza. He first meets Aza in the receiving line at the royal wedding, and is later partnered with her in a song composing game, which they win. Throughout the course of the story, he becomes friends with Aza, and eventually kisses her, but he doubts her when she is accused of being part-ogre and plotting against the kingdom. He soon regains his faith in her, and when she lays dying in Gnome Caverns after eating the poisoned apple from Ivi, and the apple getting stuck in her throat. He revives her by hitting her on the back, Ijori ultimately proposes to Aza and Aza happily accepts thus becoming King and Queen of Ayortha.
- zhamM – A gnome who frequents in the Featherbed Inn. He becomes friends with Aza and welcomes her into his home at Gnome Caverns when she is in hiding. He is a judge and can read into the future to a certain extent, predicting the danger that Aza will find herself in. He teaches Aza about Gnome culture and helps her uncover her heritage; it is suspected that he could be her distant cousin.
- Skulni – The main antagonist of the book. He lives in a mirror given to Ivi by Lucinda, the same fairy who granted Ella of Frell's "gift" of obedience. Those who use the potions of the mirror can become beautiful or take on disguises, but the price they pay is that, at their death, they become trapped in the mirror until Lucinda gives the mirror again, while Skulni takes a holiday. When not in the mirror, Skulni travels under the name "Master Ikulni." He even stayed at Aza's family's inn prior to the story's timeline; he apparently paid well, but when he left the money he paid vanished in thin air. In an effort to obtain his vacation sooner, Skulni expedites the deaths of the mirror's owners by preying on their weaknesses, giving them ill advice, and manipulating them; he has negatively influenced much of Ayorthaian history throughout the years. He is ultimately defeated by Aza; after she smashes the mirror, he is never heard of again.
- King Oscaro - He is the king of Ayortha and Ijori's uncle.During a centaur show,the king was badly injured.For a while he was partially paralyzed and stayed in the doctor's quarters. During that time whenever Ivi visited him, he would become more relaxed. In his delusion Oscaro saw a dark forest and pictured Ivi as a cat whom he followed and led him back home.
[edit] Awards
- School Library Journal Best Book List
- New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age List
- Publishers Weekly Best Book List
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources
- Levine, Gail Carson. Fairest. New York : HarperCollins, 2006.
- Fairest at Harper Collins
- The Plain Truth New York Times Review by Naomi Wolf
- A Little Too Harsh Perhaps Author Gail Gauthier's Response to Naomi Wolf's Review
- "Fairest" Review by KidsReads.com
- Review Analysis by AllReaders.com
