What makes a villain villainous? And what happens to them after the heroes get their happily ever after?
That is exactly the questions that the following books try to answer in each their own way. They all feature well know villains such as the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid, Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland or Captain Hook from Peter Pan. Each of these stories offer a unique, inventive insight into the lives of our favourite villains!
Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
James Hook is a boy who can't wait to grow up - at least until he meets Peter Pan, who intends to stay a boy forever. James joins Peter on what he thinks will be just a holiday in Neverland, but he soon realizes, that no one leaves this harsh, mysterious place... Ever.
If you, like myself, have watched Once Upon a Time you might be skeptic about the premise of this book. But I promise you, you do not want to miss this! Here, the familiar tale is twisted around, revealing Peter to be a callous, self-centered young boy and Hook to be a victim of his treachery and selfishness.
Read it if you like: Once Upon a Time, tales of woe, pirates
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Catherine is a talented baker, one of the most desirable girls in Wonderland and the favourite of the unmarried King of Hearts. However, being his wife is not in the cards for Catherine - she wants to make her own path and when the mysterious Jester comes into her life, she feels the pull of attraction for the first time in her life.
The Queen of Hearts is probably one of the most ruthless characters to ever be created - so diving into the origin of that ruthlessness takes a skilled writer. Luckily, Meyer is up to the task! Maintaining the feeling of madness and wonderment from the original book, Meyer manages to flesh out this otherwise very singular character.
Read it if you like: Whimsy and madness, whirlwind love stories, determined female characters
The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
What if Snow White's stepmother was also Rapunzel? Rapunzel has lived secluded in a tower for all her life, seeing no one else but Mathena and the women, who come to Mathena for magic help. One day a prince is lurred to her tower by her song and they share a night of passion even though he is set to be married - still, neither can forget the other and soon fate throws them together once more.
The masterful and seamless blending of two different fairy tales is what makes this book so special! I loved learning how the heroine of one story could suddenly become the villain of another.
Read it if you like: Grey areas, witches and magic, blind love
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
It started with three friends; a witch, a prince and a dead girl. Since Evie's friend Anna tragically drowned, Evie has been an outcast. Rumour has it she's a witch - and the rumour is right. No one can know or Evie's life will be over. The only two people who stand by her are Prince Nik and his cousin Ike - and soon also the mysterious Annemette, who has secrets of her own.
Why does the sea witch use her magic to help mermaids? That is the central question that this book seeks to answer - and it does so quite well. After reading this, you might actually view Ursula in a very different light. Just maybe.
Read it if you like: Scandinavian inspired stories, star crossed lovers, sea creatures
Stepsisters by Jennifer Donnelly
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Isabelle is the ugly stepsister of the new queen, Ella. That is no easy thing to be, especially when the whole world is aware of how badly Isabelle and her family treated the new queen. However, it is not in Isabelle's nature to lay down and give up. She wants to fight for what she believes will be her happily ever after - beauty.
Several books have attempted to tell the story of the ugly stepsisters' fate after the ending of Cinderella, but none have done it with Donnelly's mastery. Isabelle is a surprisingly likable character and the book is full of symbolism, morality and wisdom - my favorite mix!
Read it if you like: Clever lessons on life, headstrong female characters, stories of fate vs. chance
Dark Shimmer by Donna Jo Napoli
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After the death of her mother, the only person who ever loved her, Dolce flees the island of her birth and finds a new family. A husband. A stepdaughter. At first she is an outcast in Venizia, her new home. But Dolce has a secret weapon. She knows how to make the most beautiful, sought after mirrors... using mercury.
Dark Shimmer is a captivating and realistic take on the origin of Snow White's evil stepmother. Dolce is actually sweet and caring, but her work with mercury is toxic and it is through this mercury poisoning that the Evil Stepmother comes into being. This novel approach really fascinated me and kept my attention.
Read it if you like: Historical fiction, good intentions with severe consequences, fairy tale easter eggs
Circe by Madeline Miller
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After displaying a dangerous power, Zeus, threatened by this power, banishes Circe, the daughter of the Son God Helios, to the human realm. Here she must learn to survive on her own - no small feat when you're a woman who seems to draw the wrath of both men and gods.
Circe is probably most famous for her role in The Odyssey, where she not only turned all of Odysseus' men into pigs, she also kept Odysseus on her island for her own pleasure. I really enjoyed that this book explored her origin and her life after Odysseus - who, actually, plays a very small part in this book though you would perhaps expect otherwise.
Read it if you like: Greek mythology, Homer's epics, wronged women who fight back
Gerard's Beauty by Marie Hall
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Gerard has been burned by the one woman he ever loved, Belle, who would rather run off with the wealthy beast than return Gerard's love. Since then he has been very liberal with his... affections. Though not with his heart. Now, however, he has tangled with the wrong woman and only his true mate, Betty, can save his life. If he lets her love him, that is.
This is the second in a series of villain redemption paranormal romance. This one focuses on the Gaston-character from Beauty and the Beast, who is not as uncultured as you would expect him to be. If you're looking for a steamy, erotic villain redemption story, then this series is just the thing for you.
Read it if you like: Paranormal romance, lust at first sight, wicked fairy godmothers
All the Ever Afters by Danielle Teller
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the 14th century 9-year old Agnes is sent to work at a manor. Her parents have nothing to give her, she must make her own way in the world. She walks a long, winding road through hardship and happiness - and somehow, this laundry girl ends up the stepmother of Princess Ella.
This book spoke to me because it was so different from other fairy tale retellings, as it was not a classical redemption story. This realistic historical novel seeks to explain the origins of the myth, not to explain the wickedness of Cinderella's stepmother. How did the myth of Cinderella, her wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters come to be?
Read it if you like: Historical fiction, tales of hardship, No-love stories
Flunked by Jen Calonita
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Gilly isn't exactly a villain - but she is a thief. When she gets caught, it is off to Fairy Tale Reform School with her. Here, all the teachers are former villains , like The Big Bad Wolf, The Evil Queen and Cinderella's Wicked Stepmother - now they all work to prevent others from becoming villains. But Gilly has to wonder - who are the real bad guys?
This is a very different take on villain stories - it's more 'kid friendly' and includes more than one villain. If you're not into the darker books, this series might be just the thing for you.
Read it if you like: Mashup-ups and crossovers, magical boarding schools
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Amy lives in a trailer in Kansas with an addict mother and an angry rat. She longs to get out of there - and one day she gets her wish. Well. Sort of. A tornado swoops her, the rat and her trailer off to a far away place that she's only ever seen in movies - Oz. But there's something wrong with Oz. And that something is Dorothy.
This book isn't actually about a villain - it is about how a hero became an villain. Dorothy has been corrupted by power and now want more and more, not caring that she is corrupting all of Oz in the process. For a different take on the good vs. evil trope, this is the book for you.
Read it if you like: Who's good and who's bad, upside-down stories,