Fairest of All (A Tale of the Wicked Queen)
By: Serena Valentino
Genre: Fairytale Retelling
Length: 250 pages
Synopsis From Goodreads:
The tale of the young princess and her evil stepmother, the Wicked Queen, is widely known. Despite a few variations from telling to telling, the story remains the same--the Queen was jealous of the girl's beauty, and this jealousy culminated in the Queen's attempt on the sweet, naive girl's life.
Another tale far less often spoken of is the one that explains what caused the Queen to become so contemptuously vile. Still, some have attempted to guess at the reason. Perhaps the Queen's true nature was that of a wicked hag and her beautiful, regal appearance a disguise used to fool the King. Others claim that the Queen might have hated the girl for her resemblance to the King's first wife. Mostly, the Queen is painted as a morally abhorrent woman who never loved another being during the course of her miserable life.
In fact, the theories about exactly what cause the Queen's obsessive vanity and jealous rage are too numerous to catalog. This book recounts a version of the story that has remained untold until now. It is a tragic tale of love and loss, and it contains a bit of magic. It is a tale of the Wicked Queen...
My Review:
Rating:
Okay so I have to start by saying I am a huge fan of all things Disney!! What girl isn't? My college roommates and I would have Disney movie marathons almost every weekend! :D A great way to wind down after a long week of classes and exams. Sure do miss those days!!
So when I saw this book in the store I couldn't past up the opportunity to purchase it. This isn't the first book I have read by Serena Valentino. The first book I read of hers was The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince! That was also an excellent read. Especially being that Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite Disney Princess Movie!! :)
Now Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was never one of my favorite movies as a kid, honestly the Evil Queen always gave me the creeps. She was one scary witch, but this book took the story of the Evil Queen we all once new and turned her into a person one could come to love.
I never thought I would come to like the Evil Queen, but this book really turned me around. This story provided a new outlook on the Evil Queen's background. She didn't marry the King out of greed or hate. She loved the King more than anything. It was great seeing the Queen as a loving mother and wife. She didn't resent Snow White, not until the very end.
The Queen was never truly evil until after she lost her true love. She became lost and broken-hearted after the loss of her dear husband. Shortly after his death she turned to the Magic Mirror for approval and comfort.
Now the Magic Mirror had a a remarkable origin. I never thought of the man in the mirror being the Queen's hateful father. That was an amazing twist to the story I did not see coming. Having a father who constantly told you that you were ugly, a hag and that no one would love you would be heart-breaking to anyone. I can see why the Queen hated her father. However, when she needed comfort instead of turning towards her friends and family within the castle she turned to the Magic Mirror. Only to hear that she was the "fairest of all" from the one man that told her was tedious for years.
Then those three sister, they certainly did not help with the Queen's madness. Only to provide her with the spells and potions to practice her new skills. The three sisters reminded me a lot of the Fates from Greek mythology. I really enjoyed having them thrown into the story. It was almost as if Serena Valentino took parts of Hercules and added it to a classic Disney story.
I liked seeing the Queen in a new light, she wasn't hateful at the start she became the Evil Queen only after giving into her envy. She was told so often she was not beautiful and without her husband there to remind her she came to believe it was true.
I loved the moral of this story that envy and hate can be the death of you. It's better to act graciously and not give into envious feelings. For someone, who loves Disney this was a remarkable read and I am really hoping for another book, shedding light on Disney villains pasts. If you are a fan of Disney this is definitely a must read.
Published by: K
