Twisted Tales is a young adult Disney anthology series that poses a “What If?” question and provides a reasonable alternative in each book. It focuses on classic animated Disney movies such as Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, and Frozen. Every book is stand-alone and can be read on its own. There are currently 12 books in the series, with four more scheduled for release in 2022-2024/2025.
The first Twisted Tale, A Whole New World, uncovers a story in which Aladdin never discovered the lamp and, in his place, Jafar did. How would that affect the plot? How will this affect our beloved heroes? Every one of the Disney Twisted Tales has equal plot twists and darker subplots. The latest available book of the series is called What Once Was Mine. It follows Rapunzel and what would have happened if her mother ate the wrong flower and gave her the power to harm people instead of healing them.
These retellings have the magic of the Disney films but with dark and creepy twists. Three popular YA authors wrote them- Liz Braswell, Jen Calonita, and Elizabeth Lim – who all love fantasy and fairy tales. Such thought-provoking fictional tales are not just for Disney fans. Anyone who appreciates drama, mythical creatures, and fiction will enjoy the dark and dreamy stories within these.
A Twisted Tale Series in order
- A Whole New World (2015)
- Once Upon a Dream (2016)
- As Old As Time (2016)
- Reflection (2018)
- Part of Your World (2018)
- Conceal, Don’t Feel (2019)
- Mirror, Mirror (2019)
- Straight On Till Morning (2019)
- So This is Love (2020)
- Unbirthday (2020)
- Go the Distance (2021)
- What Once Was Mine (2021)
Similar authors
- Serena Valentino’s Villains series follows a similar approach to the Twisted Tale. Here, the Odd Sisters meddle in the lives of the Wicked Queen, The Beast, Ursula, Maleficent, and Mother Gothel, changing the course of their fate. See Serena Valentino Books in Order.
- Jennifer Donnelly’s story ‘Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book’ follows a beloved Disney character, Belle. This retelling is sweeter, and perfect for any fantasy and romance lover.
- Melissa de la Cruz’s ‘Descendants’, is a series of books based on the Descendants franchise. It follows the adventures of the kids of some of the greatest Disney villains.
Most recommended books of the series
- So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim (4.12 Goodreads score)
- Go the Distance by Jen Calonita (4.08 Goodreads score)
- What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell (4.02 Goodreads score)
- Reflection by Elizabeth Lim (4.01 Goodreads score)
- As Old as Time by Liz Braswell (3.89 Goodreads score)
Upcoming releases in the series
The 13th Twisted Tale in the ‘A Twisted Tale’ book series will be titled Almost There, authored by Farrah Rochon. It’s scheduled for release on September 6, 2022. The plot will revolve around The Princess and the Frog, a 2009 Disney animated film.
A graphic Twisted Tale novel is also in the works. It will follow the Story of ‘Part of your world’, a dark Ariel retelling, scheduled for publication in 2022/2023.
Book summaries
A Whole New World (2015)
What if Aladdin had never found the lamp? This first book in the A Twisted Tale line will explore a dark and daring version of Disney’s Aladdin. When Jafar steals Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish. To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war. What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.
Once Upon a Dream (2016)
What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. It should be simple–a dragon defeated, a slumbering princess in a castle, a prince poised to wake her. But when the prince falls asleep as his lips touch the fair maiden’s, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over. With a desperate fairy’s last curse controlling her mind, Princess Aurora must escape from a different castle of thorns and navigate a dangerously magical landscape–created from her very own dreams. Aurora isn’t alone–a charming prince is eager to join her quest, and old friends offer their help. But as Maleficent’s agents follow her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are and, moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?
As Old As Time (2016)
What if Belle’s mother cursed the Beast? As Old as Time is the third book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. When Belle touches the Beast’s enchanted rose, memories flood through Belle’s mind—memories of a mother she thought she would never see again. And, stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful enchantress who cursed the castle and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast will have to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is 21 years in the making.
Reflection (2018)
What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang’s great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang’s spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise–or become King Yama’s prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it’s too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him–and be lost in the Underworld–forever?
Part of Your World (2018)
What if Ariel had never defeated Ursula? It’s been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid… and took King Triton’s life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric’s kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world–and a prince–she never imagined she would see again.
Conceal, Don’t Feel (2019)
What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other? As the future Queen of Arendelle, Princess Elsa’s life is full of expectation and responsibility—not to mention, questions. What type of ruler will she be? When will she have to pick a suitor? And why has she always harbored the feeling that some critical piece of herself is missing? Following the unexpected death of her parents, Elsa is forced to answer those questions sooner than she’d hoped, becoming the sole ruler of her kingdom and growing lonelier than ever. But when mysterious powers begin to reveal themselves, Elsa starts to remember fragments of her childhood that seem to have been erased—pieces that include a very familiar-looking girl. Determined to fill the void she has always felt, Elsa must take a harrowing journey across her icy kingdom to undo a terrible curse . . . and find the missing Princess of Arendelle.
Mirror, Mirror (2019)
Mirror, Mirror: A Twisted Tale poses the question, what if the Evil Queen poisoned the prince? Following her beloved mother’s death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White’s stepmother, commonly referred to as “the Evil Queen” by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation. But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she’d never see again, and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power… including going after the ones Snow loves?
Straight On Till Morning (2019)
What if Wendy first traveled to Neverland…with Captain Hook? Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling’s life is not what she imagined it would be. The doldrums of an empty house after her brothers have gone to school, the dull parties where everyone thinks she talks too much, and the fact that her parents have decided to send her away to Ireland as a governess—all makes her wish things could be different. Wendy’s only real escape is in writing down tales of Never Land. After nearly meeting her hero, Peter Pan, four years earlier, she still holds on to the childhood hope that his magical home truly exists. She also holds on to his shadow. So when an opportunity to travel to Never Land via pirate ship presents itself, Wendy makes a deal with the devil. But Never Land isn’t quite the place she imagined it would be. Unexpected dangers and strange foes pop up at every turn, and a little pixie named Tinker Bell seems less than willing to help. But when Captain Hook reveals some rather permanent and evil plans for Never Land, it’s up to the two of them to save Peter Pan—and his world.
So This is Love (2020)
What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she’s the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king’s visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king—and the prince—out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella’s own Fairy Godmother. Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it’s too late.
Unbirthday (2020)
What if Wonderland was in peril and Alice was very, very late? Alice is different than other eighteen-year-old ladies in Kexford, which is perfectly fine with her. She’d rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian’s lively salon, ignoring her sister’s wishes that she stop all that “nonsense” and become a “respectable” member of society. Alice is happy to meander to Miss. Yao’s teashop or to visit the children playing in the Square. She’s also interested in learning more about the young lawyer she met there, but just because she’s curious, of course, not because he was sweet and charming. But when Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects-the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, and the Caterpillar. There’s something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. And as Alice develops a self-portrait, she finds the most disturbing image of all-a badly-injured dark-haired girl asking for Alice’s help. Mary Ann. Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts’ tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so . . . before the End of Time?
Go the Distance (2021)
What if Meg had to become a Greek god? After Hercules proves he’s a true hero and regains his godship, all seems right in the world. That is until Zeus tells Meg that she can’t be with Hercules because she’s, well, mortal. Luckily, Hera has a solution, offering Meg a chance to prove herself worthy of a spot on Mt. Olympus–as a god. All Meg has to do is complete a mysterious quest. The mission? Oh, just to rescue her ex’s current wife from the Underworld. The ex-boyfriend she saved by selling her soul to Hades. The ex-boyfriend immediately moved on to someone else while she was stuck in the Underworld. Can Meg put her past behind her and use her quick wit to defeat monsters and gods alike, including the nefarious Hades? Will she finally figure out her place and contribution to the world? Or will her fear of commitment have her running away from an eternity of godhood with Herc?
What Once Was Mine (2021)
Desperate to save the life of their queen and her unborn child, the good citizens of the kingdom comb the land for the all-healing Sundrop flower to cure her . . . but someone mistakenly picks the blossom of the Moondrop instead. This shimmering flower heals the queen and she delivers a healthy baby girl?with hair as silver and gray as the moon. But with her mysterious hair comes dangerous magical powers: the power to hurt, not heal. For the safety of the kingdom, Rapunzel is locked away in a tower and put under the care of the powerful goodwife, Mother Gothel.For eighteen years Rapunzel stays imprisoned in her tower, knowing she must protect everyone from her magical hair. When she finally decides to leave the only home she’s ever known—to see the floating lights that appear on her birthday—she gets caught up in an unexpected adventure with two thieves: a would-be outlaw named Gina, and Flynn Rider, a rogue on the run. Before she can reach her happy ending, Rapunzel learns that there is far more to her story, and her magical hair, and her future than she ever knew.
