Each comment hurts Aza deeply, to the point where she believes everyone thinks ugly thoughts about her, even if they don’t voice them. Growing up, Aza constantly hears people insult her for her looks, whether to her face or when they think she can’t hear. Not only does she have these unusual and unsightly features, she’s also big-boned and thick-waisted. Her skin is literally as white as snow, her lips literally as red as blood, and her hair is a deep, dull, black.

Aza herself is an exceptionally gifted singer, something which is very valuable in Ayortha, but the downside is that she is far from beautiful, something which is also valued. Everyone sings, and people even hold Sings instead of balls, where communities will gather and sing for fun, for health, or for prosperity. Despite that, it’s nice to get to learn more about Ayortha, which is only mentioned in the first book.Īyortha’s culture is central to the plot of Fairest, mostly because in Ayortha, music is one of the most important things. It takes place within the same universe, but we get only a passing mention of Ella and discover that Aza’s sister, Areida, is the same girl that Ella will later befriend at finishing school. As sequels go, it’s actually only slightly related to Ella Enchanted. Fairest is the story of Aza, a young girl living in Ayortha, the neighboring kingdom to Kyrria, where Ella Enchanted took place. To start out the very much delayed Sequel Month, I’ll be reviewing Fairest by Gail Carson Levine, the sequel to Ella Enchanted, the very first book I reviewed as the FairyTaleCritic! Pretty exciting, no?

Fairest by gail carson levine