Fairest (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Gail Carson Levine |
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| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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2006 |
| Pages | 326 |
| ISBN | 0-06-073408-6 |
| OCLC | 63178754 |
| LC Class | PZ8.L4793 Fa 2006 |
| Preceded by | Ella Enchanted |
Fairest is a fantasy novel written by Gail Carson Levine in 2006. It's a fun retelling of the classic fairy tale Snow White, but with a unique twist! The story takes place in the magical kingdom of Ayortha, which is right next to Kyrria, where Levine's other famous book, Ella Enchanted, is set. You'll even find some hints and connections to Ella Enchanted in this book.
Contents
The Story of Aza
Aza grew up in Ayortha, adopted by kind innkeepers. She always felt different because of her looks. Her skin was very white, her lips were a strange color, and her hair was super dark. These features were not considered beautiful in Ayortha, so people often stared or made rude comments.
A Special Voice
Even though Aza worried about her appearance, her voice was amazing! Ayortha is a land where singing is very important, and Aza was an incredible singer. She could also perfectly mimic other people's voices. Plus, she could make her voice seem to come from anywhere without moving her mouth. She called this special skill "illusing," which is like ventriloquism.
A gnome named Zhamm often visited the inn where Aza lived. He told her that her hair was beautiful, even though it looked black to humans. To gnomes, it was a lovely purplish color called htun. Zhamm also hinted that they would meet again someday.
Life at the Royal Palace
When Aza's sister, Areida, went away to school, a grumpy guest at the inn, the Duchess of Olixo, asked Aza to come with her to the royal wedding. The Duchess's usual helper was sick.
At the wedding, the new queen, Ivi, found out about Aza's amazing voice. Queen Ivi couldn't sing well herself. She offered Aza land, money, and a job as a lady-in-waiting if Aza would "illuse" a wonderful singing voice for her. When Aza tried to say no, Ivi threatened to put her in prison and close her family's inn. Aza sadly agreed.
Danger and Deception
Soon after, King Oscaro was badly hurt during a game with centaurs. He jumped in front of Ivi to save her. Aza found herself caught up in Queen Ivi's plans to gain more power. Aza also started to like the king's nephew, Crown Prince Ijori. The choirmaster, Sir Uellu, became suspicious of Aza.
Aza still desperately wanted to be beautiful. She tried a beauty spell, but it turned her into stone for a short time! She recovered, but her pinky toe turned to marble. This didn't stop her. She then drank a beauty potion from Skulni, a mysterious, evil creature living in a magic mirror. The fairy Lucinda had given this mirror to Ivi as a wedding gift. Aza became beautiful, but she still felt unsure about herself.
Discovery and Escape
When the country seemed close to a rebellion, Aza and Ivi's secret was accidentally revealed to everyone. Aza was wrongly called a dangerous relative of an ogre because of her strong voice and figure. She was put in prison, but she escaped with Ivi's guard, Uju. Uju later told her that Ivi had ordered him to kill Aza, but he couldn't do it once she was beautiful. Uju took Aza to the Gnome Caverns to keep her safe, just as Zhamm had predicted.
Life with the Gnomes
In exile, the gnomes welcomed Aza. Zhamm gave her food, shelter, and helped her feel like she belonged. He was surprised by her new look and told her that her special htun hair color was almost gone. He explained that she wasn't part ogre, but probably had a gnome ancestor. This explained her unique appearance and her htun hair. He also showed her that she could see htun if she held his hand. Aza learned that gnomes could also illuse, but they couldn't mimic different voices.
The Poisoned Apple
After Aza had been with the gnomes for a while, Ivi appeared, disguised as a gnome. She tricked Aza into eating a poisoned apple. Aza's spirit was taken back to the enchanted mirror. There, she found out that Skulni had been controlling Ivi's actions. Skulni wanted Ivi to die so that Ivi's spirit would take his place in the mirror, allowing him to take a vacation.
Aza managed to destroy the mirror and warn Ivi about Skulni's evil plans through it. When the mirror was destroyed, both Aza and Ivi lost their magically gained beauty. Aza woke up back in the Gnome Caverns, feeling much better about herself. To her surprise, Ijori was there too. He apologized for not defending her earlier.
A Happy Ending
Aza married Ijori. King Oscaro finally got better. Queen Ivi changed her ways and became less selfish. The King decided to let his nephew, Ijori, become king because he still loved Ivi but didn't trust her with power. He retired with Ivi to a southern castle.
Aza became queen of Ayortha, ruling alongside her husband, King Ijori. They had three children. All of them looked like their father but had htun hair and could illuse, just like their mother. Aza never learned who her birth parents were, but Zhamm discovered they were distant relatives through a shared great-great-great grandmother. Aza lived happily ever after with the family who raised her and truly loved her.
Main Characters
This story has many interesting characters:
- Aza – She is the main character of the story. Aza is a sixteen-year-old girl from Ayortha. When she was a baby, she was left at an inn and adopted by the innkeeper. She always felt ugly and insecure about how she looked. However, she had a beautiful speaking and singing voice. Aza can "illuse," which means she can make her voice seem to come from anywhere without moving her lips. She is also very good at mimicking other voices. People thought she might be part ogre, but she is actually part gnome. Aza falls in love with and marries Prince Ijori. She becomes the Queen of Ayortha and has three children who inherit her gnome traits.
- Queen Ivi – (Pronounced like "Ivy") She is a 19-year-old commoner who becomes Queen of Ayortha by marrying King Oscaro. Ivi blackmails Aza into singing for her to protect her own reputation. She cares a lot about beauty and herself. When her husband is hurt, she uses Aza's voice to try and take control of Ayortha. Even though she is often selfish, Ivi sometimes shows care for others, like staying with her injured husband. At the end of the book, she is sent away for being too power-hungry.
- Prince Ijori – He is the Crown Prince of Ayortha and the king's nephew. This means he is next in line for the throne. Ijori is two years older than Aza. They first meet at the royal wedding and become good friends. He eventually kisses Aza, but he doubts her when she is accused of plotting against the kingdom. Later, he believes in her again. When Aza is dying after eating the poisoned apple, Ijori saves her by dislodging the apple. He proposes to Aza, and she happily accepts. They become King and Queen of Ayortha.
- Zhamm – He is a gnome who often visits the Featherbed Inn. He becomes Aza's friend and welcomes her into his home in the Gnome Caverns when she is hiding. Zhamm is a judge and can see a little bit into the future. He predicts the danger Aza will face. He teaches Aza about gnome culture and helps her discover her family history. At the end, he finds out he is Aza's distant cousin.
- Skulni – He is the main bad guy in the book. Skulni lives inside a magic mirror that the fairy Lucinda gave to Ivi. People who use the mirror's potions can become beautiful or disguise themselves. But the terrible price is that when they die, their spirit gets trapped in the mirror until Lucinda gives the mirror away again. This allows Skulni to take a vacation. Skulni tries to make the mirror's owners die faster by giving them bad advice and tricking them. He has caused many problems in Ayortha's history. Aza finally defeats him by smashing the mirror, and he is never heard from again.
- King Oscaro – He is the respected king of Ayortha and Ijori's uncle. During a centaur show, the king was badly hurt and became bedridden. He slowly gets better with Ivi's visits. Eventually, he decides to give the kingdom to his nephew, Ijori, and retires to live with Ivi.
- Areida – She is Aza's adoptive younger sister. She becomes good friends with Ella of Frell, which connects to the book Ella Enchanted.
- Fairy Lucinda – She is a fairy who gives gifts. She gave Queen Ivi gifts and is also a character in Ella Enchanted.
How Fairest Connects to Snow White
The name "Fairest" comes from the classic fairy tale Snow White. Many parts of the story are similar, especially in the second half of the book:
- A queen who has a magic talking mirror and cares a lot about her beauty.
- The queen becomes very jealous of a younger woman and tries to kill her.
- The younger woman survives and finds safety with dwarves or gnomes.
- The queen disguises herself and poisons the girl.
- A prince finally saves the girl and marries her.
However, there are also big differences. In the original Snow White, Snow White was a princess and the old queen's stepdaughter. Aza, in Fairest, is a commoner, an innkeeper's daughter. She only gets her position in the royal court because the queen favors her.
The first half of Fairest, which tells about Aza's childhood and how she gets involved in royal problems, is completely new and not in Snow White. Also, Levine adds a clever twist: Aza, like Snow White, has white skin, red lips, and black hair. But in Ayortha, these features don't make her beautiful. Instead, she thinks she's ugly, and most people agree (except for Prince Ijori). Aza's strong feelings about her looks and her journey to accept herself are not in Snow White. They are more like the story of "The Ugly Duckling".
