My First Book Review

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Ok, so technically I’m reviewing a series of books but I digress. I was drawn to this series due to its connection to Disney. I am a Disney fanatic, as I’m sure you have figured out by now. If you haven’t figured that out, just take a look at some of my previous posts and, I promise, it will become clear.

This series is entitled Villains. It is written by Serena Valentino and published by Disney Press. This series of books focuses on the villains in several iconic Disney stories, while intertwining them with each other. Each book focuses on how the villain became the villain; their backstory. In addition to well known characters, there are three other characters, known as the Odd Sisters, that make their way mischievously through each story. Their little sister, Circe, also makes several appearances in all the books. I really enjoyed the way Serena used known facts, deleted scenes, and the original stories to develop the details of the villains’ pasts. There were several surprises that took some thinking to make sense. Of course, the additional characters were engaging and really added a new depth to each story. I would definitely recommend this series, especially if you love Disney. Even if you don’t, it is a great take on how villains can be created by the simplest of choices.

Below, I will review each book individually. Caution: spoilers may occur.

 

Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen – The first book in the series focuses on the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is the story of how she became evil and wanted Snow White dead. Her past is horrible. I would hate to live with a father that despised me. Her father was a horrible man that tormented her in life and death. Then to experience the loss of her true love, no wonder she shut out the world, including her step-daughter. In her darkness, she became obsessed with a magic mirror that was gifted to her by the Odd Sisters. The face in the mirror was her father’s trapped soul! Her obsession with the mirror and isolation from her world lead to her repulsion of Snow White and all the events that transpired due to that hatred. In the end, the Queen throws herself off a cliff to end her horrible life and save her beloved Snow. However, the Odd Sisters send a wedding present to Snow to ensure that the Queen could watch over her from the dead. The ending had to be my favorite part because even though the Queen was evil, her last wish was that she could watch over her daughter forever.

 

The Beast Within: A Tale of Belle’s Prince – The second book in the series focuses on the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. So we all know how the Beast became a beast, but Serena takes the story deeper. She focuses on who the enchantress is, which turns out to be Circe, the little sister of the Odd Sisters. After her rejection and subsequent curse, the Odd Sisters mischievously create events that force the Beast farther into the curse to help avenge their sister’s pain. However, they never anticipate Belle to show up and see past his hideous features. In the end, the love that Circe sees between Belle and the Beast causes her to lift the curse, much to the disgust of her sisters. My favorite part of the book was the transformation. Circe gave the Beast a choice: choose love and you will not transform or choose vanity and you will turn into a beast. Unlike the movies, the transformation was gradual with each choice he made. It wasn’t an instant change. That was more realistic than an instantaneous transformation.

 

Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch – The third book in the series focuses on Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Her past is tortured, just like the Evil Queen. The story reveals that King Triton is her brother, who abandons her because of her appearance. The Odd Sisters seek Ursula out because their little sister, Circe, has disappeared. Her response: I’ll help you find her, if you help me destroy my brother. Little did the sisters know, Ursula had Circe the entire time. After they learned this fact, they helped Eric kill Ursula. This book was the closest version to the Disney movie than any other book. However, this story didn’t conclude entirely. It left the story open to be continued in the next book, Mistress of All Evil. That part was a little confusing but everything was cleared up when I finished, what I thought was, the last book.

 

Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy – The fourth book in the series focuses on Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Her backstory is full of hope and despair. We discover that she was raised in the Fairylands, and grew up with Merryweather, Fauna, and Flora, the three fairies who hid Aurora from her. Maleficent was actually harassed by the three fairies, which lead to their dislike of each other. Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother also makes an appearance several times in the book. While this book does tell the story of Maleficent, it also finishes the story from Poor Unfortunate Soul. Maleficent’s story unfolds as Circe discovers the sisters’ secrets in order to save their lives. I think this is my main issue with the book. Maleficent is not really the main character; Circe is. I enjoyed the book immensely but did wish that Maleficent was more present in it.

 

Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch – due to be released August 7, 2018. I’ve already pre-ordered it. I am very excited to read and review this book! I love Rapunzel’s story, so I can’t wait to see how Mother Gothel became the way she is.

Here’s the best way to read too! Now, I do love the feel of an actual book so I do purchase the books sometimes. However, Kindle Unlimited is amazing because I can take my books anywhere with me! I don’t have to remember to pack my books. I also don’t have to make space in my purse to carry them everywhere. It’s all stored on my phone or iPad; 100% portable, 100% of the time!