I was a little nervous about reading this because I love to hate the villain, and I was worried I would start to sympathize with her. Luckily for me this back story only further shows Levana's cruelty and insanity. It was fascinating to see her interact with her family and watch her become the person that we love to hate from Cinder. Meyer does a great job of making Levana a compelling protagonist, giving her just enough flaws and power to pull the reader through her life.