Fairest
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Narrated by:
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Soneela Nankani
About this listen
Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to be pretty....
Aza's singing is the fairest in all the land - and the most unusual. She can "throw" her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light - especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.
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Blessed (or cursed) with an ability to understand animals, the Lass has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants.
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Fairytale
- By Hawaii Tesla Detailing on 05-30-12
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Mademoiselle Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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When her father is assigned the task of spying on the French Court, the charming and sweetly innocent Anne Boleyn is delighted by the thought of a new adventure. And she is not to be disappointed, for her beautiful sister, Mary, has been handed a mission: to let herself be seduced by the King of France in order to uncover his secrets. Mesmerized by the thrilling passion, intrigue, and betrayal that unfolds, Anne discovers the power of being a woman who catches the eye of a powerful king.
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Intriguing
- By Anonymous User on 11-10-18
By: Robin Maxwell
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Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book
- By: Jennifer Donnelly
- Narrated by: Jenna Augen
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Hidden in the Beast's library is a very mysterious book. Belle is about to discover it and visit a glittering new world. But is everything in that world what it seems? And will Belle be able to find her way home? Or will the story take hold of her - and never let her go?
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Naive Belle
- By De-Anna on 08-02-18
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Tess of the Road
- By: Rachel Hartman
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess is none of these things. Tess is...different. She speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can't seem to keep out of trouble. Then Tess goes too far. Tess's family decide the only path for her is a nunnery. But on the day she is to join the nuns, Tess chooses a different path for herself. She cuts her hair, pulls on her boots, and sets out on a journey. She's not running away, she's running towards something.
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Beautiful and Boring, Both.
- By Ryan on 04-05-19
By: Rachel Hartman
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The Fairy Godmother
- Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
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Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella - until an accident of fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! Determined not to remain with her stepfamily, Elena set out to get a new job - and ended up becoming the Fairy Godmother for the land. But "Breaking with Tradition" was no easy matter. True, she didn't have to sleep in the chimney, but she had to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who kept trying to rise above their place in the tale.
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An excellent start to a new series
- By Captain Skurvy on 01-16-13
By: Mercedes Lackey
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Push Not the River
- By: James Conroyd Martin
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
- Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins
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Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700's - a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, that Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.
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Save your time; buy something else.
- By AMS on 10-22-15
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Cinderella
- By: Disney Press
- Narrated by: Cassandra Morris
- Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins
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Ella's childhood is a happy one: she has loving parents, plenty of fields and meadows to explore, and lots of kind animal friends to play with. A sweet child, Ella warms the hearts of all who meet her. And her home is a wonderful place, the perfect little kingdom for a joyful family. But when tragedy strikes, Ella's happy home turns into one filled with sadness and cruelty. Will Ella be able to hold onto her kindness and courage through it all?
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Cinderella
- By Doha on 04-30-15
By: Disney Press
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Swordspoint
- A Melodrama of Manners
- By: Ellen Kushner
- Narrated by: Ellen Kushner, Dion Graham, Katherine Kellgren, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.
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Ellen Kushner Owes me 30$
- By Daryl on 12-04-11
By: Ellen Kushner
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The Will of the Empress
- By: Tamora Pierce
- Narrated by: Tamora Pierce
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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For years, the Empress of Namorn has pressed her young cousin, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, to visit her vast lands within the Empire's borders. Sandry has avoided the invitation for as long as it was possible. Now, Sandry has agreed to pay that overdue visit. Sandry's uncle promises guards to accompany her. But they're hardly a group of warriors! They're her old friends from Winding Circle: Daja, Tris, and Briar. Sandry hardly knows them now. They've grown up and grown apart.
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from a writer's perspective
- By daniel orzechowski on 05-24-08
By: Tamora Pierce
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The Bells
- A Novel
- By: Richard Harvell
- Narrated by: Richard Powers
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Moses Froben was born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps, the bastard son of a deaf-mute woman, banished to the church tower to ring the loudest and most beautiful bells ever each day. His life is simple but content, until the day his father recognizes Moses' singular sense of hearing and its power to expose his sins. Cast into the world with only his ears to protect and guide him, Moses finds refuge in the choir of the historic Abbey of St. Gall and becomes its star singer, only to endure the horrifying act of castration....
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Excellent!!! Highly recommend!
- By Coni R on 07-31-17
By: Richard Harvell
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The Sisters of Versailles
- Mistresses of Versailles Series # 1
- By: Sally Christie
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
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Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters - Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne - four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail.Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife.
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Best book I've listened to in ages
- By Dr. A. on 01-09-16
By: Sally Christie
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Do you want to write stories that catch your readers and never let go? Have you ever wondered how to create a book as magical as Ella Enchanted, as touching as Dave at Night, as captivating as Fairest? Well, now you can find out! In Writing Magic, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine shares her secrets of great writing. She shows how you, too, can get terrific ideas for stories, invent great beginnings and endings, write sparkling dialogue, develop memorable characters - and much, much more.
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In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone's only half-elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he'll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild. But just as it seems the boys' dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn...and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild.
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Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz
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Sir Hereward: the only male child of an ancient society of witches. Knight, artillerist, swordsman. Mercenary for hire. Ill-starred lover. Mister Fitz: puppet, sorcerer, loremaster. Practitioner of arcane arts and wielder of sorcerous needles. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: godslayers. Agents of the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World, charged with the location and removal of listed extra-dimensional entities, more commonly known as gods. Together, they are relentless travelers in a treacherous world of magic, gunpowder, and adventure.
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Enjoyed my time with this fascinating duo
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The Goose Girl
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Princess Anidori-Kiladra of Kildenree was born with a word on her tongue, and a secret magic. Though she is raised in luxury, she is never quite comfortable with who she is, or what she is to become. Then she is sent on a journey to marry an unknown prince. The trip is difficult, and before it is finished all her expectations are overturned. Alone, friendless, stripped of her crown and her title, Ani must learn to make her own path in the world. Along the way, she just might learn to be a princess.
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Surprisingly Good!
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Entranced
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Clara is an Obligate—a human servant at the Court of Dawn. She doesn’t know why. She knows only that she broke the Pledge and must therefore spend her days obliging the every whim of a capricious fae princess. If she can keep her head down and follow the rules, she might survive to the end of her Obligation, spending her days working in the vast palace library.
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I better not die before this series ends
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What listeners say about Fairest
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- DeNae Miller
- 12-17-22
Beautiful Story
beautiful story and I just imagined the whole time how fantastic a musical it would make. crossing my fingers someone picks it up for Broadway or Hollywood soon
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- Marilyn Denny
- 05-14-24
Enchanting and poignant
I’ve read this book before, and now I’ve listened to it. I fell in love all over again! Gail Carson Levine crafts her characters with love, with flaws, with spirit and personality. This book reminds me of the saying, “Beauty is only skin deep.” Aza is a wonderful character who grows in mind, and learns to accept her own form of beauty.
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- Santita
- 03-06-19
Finally!
I read this book when I was in junior high which was about 8 years ago, I could never remember the title but had thought about it often when looking for a book to read. I finally found it and read it again through audible. Just as good if not better than I remember!
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- Anonymous User
- 09-11-24
Being stuck on you Beauty can get you in A LOT of trouble.
This book was good I liked how she learned beauty is what you think of it.
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- E.F.B.
- 08-02-18
Very cute and uplifting
Having only ever listened to this on audio, please forgive me if I make any egregious misspellings of character or place names. I'm actually going to skim some reviews to see if I can find how to spell these names...
"Fairest", a Snow White retelling, was the first book by Gail Carson Levine I've ever read. I'm familiar with her work because of the Ella Enchanted movie, but only now got around to picking up her books. (Seeing the movie did at least allow me to notice and appreciate the references this book made to Ella Enchanted.) Now that I have read one of her books, I see what all the fuss is about. The world she has created is charming with its many fantastical creatures and Ayortha's music-based culture, and I know Ayortha is only one small part of the world.
I enjoyed many of the characters too, Prince Ijori probably being my favorite. He loved Aza for who she was despite her "ugly" appearance, and even when she turned herself beautiful, he liked her better the way she was before because that was the real her. (A much better message to children than having her only love her, or love her more, once she was beautiful.)
Aza herself was a good character too, though I probably would have related to her more when I was much younger and still struggling with self-image issues. I admit that I didn't initially find her all that interesting, and for some reason, at the beginning of the story especially, I had trouble believing she truly was as horribly ugly as she and certain others seemed to think she was. But much like the story, she grew on me as things went along, and I was happy to see her overcome her problems in the end. I'll give some points to Aza's adopted family too. While not perfect, they did seem to love her and treat her well.
The "evil" queen (Ivi) was interesting (though not necessarily likable) because she wasn't actually that evil -- more like misguided and infuriatingly self-centered--but I did think it was an interesting and refreshing twist on the character.
That Lucinda, though. *shakes head* Need I say more?
As for some of those fantastical creatures, I adored the gnomes the most. Their whole culture and living situation fascinated me, and I'd say I finally really started enjoying the story around the time they became more prominent in the story.
The reason I've taken off a star is because the pacing in the beginning of the story could have used some improvement. It was enjoyable and all, but the story didn't truly suck me in until around the time they were headed for the gnome cavern, and that was a good 3/4ths of the way through the book. Truthfully, I probably would have enjoyed it more when I was the target age for the book, rather than in my twenties like I am now. I was also a little disappointed that we don't find out who Aza's birth parents were. She gets dropped off at the inn as a baby and is all wrapped up in these fine velvet fabrics with fancy gold embroidery, hinting that she was the daughter of someone important, and then we get to the end and are told that they just never found out who her parents were. Um...okay. Not the worst way to be disappointed, I guess, but after all those hints I really thought it would be revealed. *shrug*
Otherwise, this was a fun, charming little book and the ending left me with a smile and warm fuzzies. The narrator was very good, too, though I sort of wish she had sung the songs instead of reciting them like poetry. (I am still very disappointed that the full-cast, musical audiobook I’ve heard friends rave about does not seem to be available anywhere that I can find.)
Content Advisory for those who want to know: There are a few non-descriptive kisses. Various characters are in peril from time to time, but none of it was intense or upsetting. There is some fantasy magic. Overall, it was a very clean book, great for children and adults, but definitely aimed at pre-teens who suffer from self-esteem issues and need a good example of self-acceptance.
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- Elisabeth Tonks
- 03-02-19
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS STORY!
I love the message behind this story and all the love that is encapsulated within it's pages!
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- Kristin Baker
- 03-11-18
Lovely story!
I loved the story, everything about it. It captures your attention at the first page. I love that it all revolves around singing.
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- kate mcweeney
- 10-27-20
sweet, deep fairytale-like children's book
I remeber listening to this as a child on a CD player, and now, with the memory of the charming narrator, and the memorable, relatable and charismatic storytelling of beautiful character growth, an enviable love interest and an entertaining and new tale for children and teens, this is a story I would recommend again and again and even listen to as an adult myself.
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- Dusti Banazzio
- 04-24-23
LOTS of negative self-talk
It is a really good story but..
she talk a lot about how she's overwait, ugly and too "big" I don't recommend this for small children, just fr self convenience. there a lot of comparing to be done and self hate. just know that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!
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- Amy
- 05-06-24
love this so much
There are not enough feel good books !!! This is a great one!! I'm 60 and I liked the Ella Enchanted movie then went for the books Gail is a light in the dark literature put out by publishing today.
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