A Twisted Tale Anthology: A Twisted Tale

by Elizabeth Lim, Livia Blackburne, Jen Calonita

Disney's New York Times best-selling series presents a rich anthology filled with all-new what-if twists, such as What if Snow White learned magic? What if Mulan became the emperor's advisor? And what if Remy the rat met Colette first?

Edited by New York Times best-selling author, Elizabeth Lim, this Twisted Tale anthology features sixteen twisted short stories with new takes on fan-favorite Disney films. Swoon as Ariel and Eric meet right after the Little Mermaid saves her prince; join Tiana and Naveen on a race to get back to Maldonia; take a ride on a pirate space ship with Jim Hawkins; and uncover just what power Tinker Bell's pixie dust holds.

Written by veteran Twisted Tale authors, Elizabeth Lim, Liz Braswell, Jen Calonita, and Farrah Rochon, and featuring captivating contributions from best-selling authors, Livia Blackburne, M.K. England, Micol Ostow, and Kristina Perez, this collection filled with magic, intrigue, and charm is a must-have for Disney and fairy tale fans alike.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Fairy Tales

576 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2023

About the author

Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since.

Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Reviews

[Anni Plenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightful! New twists on stories already told in the Twisted Tales series as well as some new stories that were wonderful.

Pre-reading: A Twisted Tale book with short stories? Ratatouille? More Princess and the Frog? TREASURE PLANET?!?!?!?!?! This is the best thing ever I literally can't wait for this to come out.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cast Out (Snow White) — 4 stars
The Twist: Snow White learns magic

It was nice to see Snow White have some autonomy in this story. She’s a fairly passive character in the original, and I liked seeing her take charge of her own situation.


A First Mission (Mulan) — 4 stars
The Twist: After the events of the movie, Mulan has become an advisor to the Emperor

Mulan is one of my all time favorite movies, and I think Elizabeth Lim NAILED the characters. They were perfectly in character and I could definitely see them all in my head as they appeared in the movie. The dialogue was perfect for each character as well. I really liked the story too.


Et Voila (Ratatouille) — 3.5 stars
The Twist: Remy helps Collette rather than Linguini

Not the story’s fault at all, but since I’ve never seen the movie, I had zero context for the story. I knew it was about a rat that liked to cook, but that’s it. The story seemed cute, and maybe now I’ll watch the movie!


The Envelope (Cinderella) — 4 stars
The Twist: we find out what happens to Anastasia after Cinderella gets her happy ending

This wasn’t a “twist” on the story of Cinderella so much as a continuation of what happened to the Tremaine women after the events of the movie. I liked seeing more dimension to Anastasia and some background about her as well. I like a nice villain redemption story and this delivered!


A New Dawn (The Lion King) — 3 stars
The Twist: Mufasa survives Scar’s attempted murder but is injured and has to step down so Simba is King

A Lion King twisted tale was a very cool idea, and it’s also the first twisted tale with an animal protagonist I believe. However, while I thought Scar and Simba were spot on, Mufasa seemed out of character. He’s one of my favorite Disney characters and his actions didn’t seem consistent.


Rattle the Stars (Treasure Planet) — 3 stars
The Twist: Jim Hawkins joins the pirates

I think I’ve seen Treasure Planet a grand total of one time and it was YEARS ago so I remember nothing about it other than John Rzeznik(!) wrote a couple of songs for it. I loved the Easter Egg for one of those songs (I’m Still Here!) but overall the story wasn’t my favorite.


A Royal Game of Chess (Robin Hood) — 3 stars
The Twist: Maid Marian is actually Robin Hood and the leader of the Merry Men

Ehh, maybe it’s because Robin Hood is one of my all time favorite Disney movies, but I didn’t like seeing my favorite red fox demoted to sidekick.


The Secret Exchange (The Little Mermaid) — 4 stars
The Twist: Eric and Ariel meet after she rescues him from the shipwreck

Awww, this was so cute! I loved seeing the relationship between Ariel and Eric grow through conversations and understanding. I also liked seeing Ariel be more mature.


Dust to Dust (Peter Pan) — 2 stars
The Twist: Tinker Bell and Captain Hook are allies

This has been my least favorite of the stories I have read so far. It was kind of boring and I didn’t like Tinker Bell as a character.


Gonna Take You There (The Princess and the Frog) — 3.5 stars
The Twist: Naveen needs to get back to his home country and is never turned into a frog

This was a cute little story retelling the movie but without the whole “turned into a frog” bit. I liked seeing Naveen and Tiana interact with each other. They were cute! However, the story was not as flushed out as it could have been.


Fates, Three (Brave) — 2 stars
The Twist: Merida’s triplet brothers, now 15, want to meet with the witch

Great first sentence: “Most mornings, Clan DunBroch awoke to the sound of someone screaming.” However, the story was a bit lackluster, and I didn’t like the ending.


A Dragon in the Snow (The Sword in the Stone) — 2 stars
The Twist: Merlin and Mim studied magic together as teenagers

This is more of a villain origin story, but I just didn’t find myself caring about Mim. I had trouble connecting to both her and Merlin.


The Journey Home (Beauty and the Beast) — 3.5 stars
The Twist: Belle takes Maurice’s invention to the fair

I liked that Belle was her usual take charge self, but I missed seeing the Beast in this reimagining. Seeing what happened to Gaston was great though. I always like seeing him put in his place.


Call it a Hunch (Hercules) — 4 stars
The Twist: Hercules, now a god, and Meg have their first day of work

This one was cute! I liked seeing Hercules and Meg as a couple, and this one had a slight mystery element to it which was a lot of fun.


The Reluctant Prince (Bambi) — 2 stars
The Twist: Bambi doesn’t want to be Prince of the Forest

Eh, there wasn’t much to the story with this one. It was nice seeing Flower and Thumper, but it was mostly Bambi feeling sorry for himself. Pretty forgettable.


The Rose and the Thorns (Sleeping Beauty) — 5 stars
The Twist: Aurora knows about her curse and was never sent into hiding in the forest

This one was my favorite in the collection by far! I liked that Philip and Aurora met as children and were best friends. They actually knew each other, which was a nice change from the movie. I also liked seeing Aurora take charge of her own destiny and have some backbone. I liked seeing the fairies as well, especially Merryweather!

[Sammie Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because it’s Disney, it’s short stories, it’s Disney, and the cover is beautiful. Lots of fluff, but it was a funnish read, at least from a nostalgia viewpoint.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Elizabeth Lim and the twisted tales series so I knew I'd enjoy this one!

'Cast Out' by Livia Blackburne
What if Snow White learned magic?
3.5 stars
Interesting premise but the payoff wasn't worth it. The ending felt rushed like they spent so much time setting up the magic, but forgot they only had a few pages to wrap up the story. Overall, I liked the idea more than the story, but it was written well.

'A First Mission' by Elizabeth Lim
What if Mulan became the Emperor's advisor?
4 stars
I always find Elizabeth Lim's writing enchanting and this was no different, even with the short length. I liked that Mulan and Shang's romance was merely hinted at and not the focus, since it was not the prompt of the story. I liked the conflict, resolution, and the small "twist" at the end. I say "twist" because we know what's going to happen since these mostly do end happily. Still, it was a great short story.

'Et Voila' by Liz Braswell
What if Remy had met Colette first?
4.5 stars
I thought this was a greatly fun twist on the original! Of course, with it being a short story, the end felt rushed but I really enjoyed this potential alternate world. The writing was excellent for a story based on the two main characters not being able to really communicate. Overall, I'd totally read a full novel based on this premise.

'The Envelope' by Jen Calonita
What if Anastasia had a change of heart?
5 stars
Following the "evil stepsister" Anastasia was nice! I liked that she LEARNED from her mistakes. I liked that she wanted to be better, mostly for her father, but also for Cinderella. I enjoyed her budding romance. I really liked the writing. Overall, my favorite of the bunch thus far!

'A New Dawn' by Farrah Rochon
What if Mufasa gave up his throne?
3 stars
I think where this one failed for me was that I wasn't sure at which point the reimagining was starting. We find out several pages in that Scar did throw Mufasa to the wildebeests but he survived and then stepped down. Then it clicked for me. But I had no idea where we were starting so it was confusing to say the least. It ended well and I did end up enjoying it a bit.

'Rattle the Stars' by M.K. England
What if Jim Hawkins joined the pirates?
5 stars
This is a perfect short, but complete twist on the original. I loved how this inserted us into the original story and then made the slight changes while remaining faithful to the source! I found it super fascinating to get a peek into Jim's head and see him struggle with his morality vs survival. And of course the insertion of the lyrics to one of the greatest songs ever was a neat little Easter egg. Fantastic and I would read a full novel on this twist in a heartbeat!

'A Royal Game of Chess' by Liz Braswell
What if history wasn't quite right about the legend of Robin Hood?
2 stars
While I found the premise delightful (Maid Marion is Robin Hood!) the execution fell short for me personally. I didn't like the parts where everyone doubts Robin Hood is a woman and while Marion wanted to stick up for herself, the others stopped her. She points out how misogynistic it is but doesn't correct it. I just wasn't a fan of how comically dumb Prince John is either although I know that to be fairly true to the Disney version.

'The Secret Exchange' by Elizabeth Lim
What if Eric met Ariel after she rescued him?
5 stars
I loved this one from concept to page. It was well written and I think a very plausible take on what could have happened. I liked how the ending was bringing Eric into their world as much as Ariel was in his rather than giving up Ariel to the human world. Just overall done really well.

'Dust to Dust' by Micol Ostow
What if Tinker Bell was working for Captain Hook?
2 stars
I would have liked this one much more if Tink had actually leaned into her 'evil' side all the way. She flips sides like twice? It was confusing to follow who she was working with or for and it all felt very selfishly motivated which was her true intentions in the movie... so was it really even a twist?

'Gonna Take You There' by Farrah Rochon
What if Naveen had to get home to Maldonia?
3 stars
Because its a short story and made even shorter by circumstance, it felt very insta-love. However, I liked the slight changes and even though they were never frogs (so sad) it was cute and fun. It wrapped up a little too neatly but overall, I enjoyed it.

'Fates, Three' by Jen Calonita
What if the triplets visited the Witch?
4 stars
I liked this! It wasn't so much a twist as a sequel but I liked seeing the boys have more depth to their personalities. I thought it wrapped up nicely even though I had hoped for more magical mayhem. They learned their lesson and grew stronger and I enjoyed that!

'A Dragon in the Snow' by Kristina Perez
What if Madam Mim and Merlin went to school together?
5 stars
I've never seen The Sword in the Stone but this made me want to watch it. I guess I just really love betrayal love stories. I LOVED it.

'The Journey Home' by Farrah Rochon
What if Belle had to take her father's place at the fair?
4 stars
Knocked a whole star off because if this twist happened, the Beast and everyone at the castle lowkey was doomed eternally. I couldn't stop thinking about that! However, I really liked how it ended up. Was it "too easy"? Yeah, but its a short story. Overall, fun but at what cost?

'Call It a Hunch' by Jen Calonita
What if Hercules's first day as a god didn't go as planned?
3.5 stars
Really kinda confused because the premise is about Hercules but I think this one centered more on Meg. They both had a spotlight, but I was much more interested in Meg's mystery. Again, not quite a twist and more just a sequel, but it was well done and I did like it.

'The Reluctant Prince' by Liz Braswell
What if Bambi didn't want to be the next Great Prince of the Forest?
2 stars
I was bored through it. Well written, definitely! But I've never been a fan of Bambi.

'The Rose and The Thorns' by Elizabeth Lim
What if Aurora knew about her curse from the beginning?
5 stars
I love Elizabeth Lim's writing. I really liked this twist and I wish we could have a whole novel of this story! Its a little rushed in the end, but it was super enjoyable from start to end.

Overall, this collection was really good! I gave it 60.5/80 stars! Which roughly equates to 75% so I gave it 4/5 stars in total.

Worth the read if you like twisted tales!

[✨ Helena ✨]

I'm adding this for the Hercules story 👀

[Olivia's Bookish Places & Spaces · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I have to say that this is one of the best, most well throughout, compiled anthologies I’ve ever read.

As a massive Disney fan, I absolutely knew that I had to read this – and I’m so glad I did! Each story is a reimagining of a classic Disney story. Now, writing (well in this case re-writing) stories with beloved Disney characters is no easy task, but each author excels at the reimaging. Each story in my view was incredibly creative, imaginative, well written and had a fantastic ending that really tied the story together. Additionally, each other really captured the “voice” of the Disney characters, which could easily fool the reader into thinking they are reading the original Disney story.
Now as an English major, I have taken more than my fair share of classes that centered on short stories and what constitutes a “good” short story. I found that each story met the criteria of a “successful” story. This was achieved through a strong plot, narration, character development and all while staying in the confines of a limited page count. Additionally, the writing here is very accessible, this can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. So many of the stories flowed incredibly well and the writing was so poetic that I reread multiple passages. I stayed up well past my bedtime (yes, I am 27 and have a self-imposed bedtime) to finish the stories.

I will be honest that this book takes a while to get through because it is over 500 pages, with 16 short stories. That said, it is worth it because you are exposed to various authors, Disney characters and writing styles.

I would primarily recommend this to Disney fans, but it’s still a 5/5 read!

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was SO FUN! I've enjoyed the Twisted Tales novels that I've read, so I knew I wanted to pick this up, and I was not disappointed! so many of them were giving the vibes of the old direct-to-DVD disney sequels I grew up on, and I enjoyed that very much. favorites for me were "the first mission" by elizabeth lim, "the envelope" by jen calonita, "gonna take you there" by farrah rachon, and "the rose and the thorns" by elizabeth lim. 4 stars overall from me!

[Brendan Grande · Rating 3 out of 5]

We love an anthology moment. I’m going to review them all separately:

• Snow White: let’s just say hopefully Rachel Zegler will save Snow White better than this…
• Mulan: so slay!
• Ratatouille: so feminist! I loved the descriptions of Paris! Chef’s kiss!
• Cinderella: I loved reading about Anastasia chasing her own happy ending, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t willing her to find the baker the whole time (like who tf is Benoit?)
• Lion King: eh, not enough was changed about this story.
• Treasure Planet - kinda slay but overly simplified in parts. This is an example of one that has a lot of potential to be stronger as a full length novel.
• Robin Hood: OMG! Liz is one of my fave authors, she understood the assignment. She writes so effortlessly. The fox feminism!! I think this one was my favorite, full of shocking twists and turns. I can’t believe she pulled it off. This is one that you’ll want to read again as soon as you finish. Sorry, I’m still processing.
• Ariel: another example of what might have worked better as a longer project. The scenes with Ursula felt very rushed, but the ending with Eric was so satisfying I don’t care. I love Ariel!
• Peter Pan - woah really strong writing, but it jumped around a little too much and that made it a bit confusing. Very ambitious for a shorty story. I definitely didn’t love the way Wendy was written either, but Tink was so cute I can’t really complain… also mermaids!
• Tiana - cute, but boring. I feel like nothing happened.
• Brave: Harris said gay rights! I absolutely loved this one despite no Merida. This was probably my second favorite. I felt so seen and heard by the teenage triplets and their story. However, I did not read them with Scottish accents… but idk maybe that’s just a me problem.
• Sword in the Stone: I could’ve gone my whole life without reading this Merlin x Madam Mim fanfic…
• Belle: so cute! Really interesting how it played with the idea of home and what it really means. (Warning for Beauty and the Beast fans: a lot of characters were cut from this… like a lot!)
• Hercules: might’ve been good but I didn’t finish…
• Bambi: I absolutely loved this one! Liz did such a great job incorporating every character / animal from the film, while also tackling a narrative about a neglectful father and the fear of escaping expectations. (Third fave!)
• Sleeping Beauty: I love Aurora and Phillip, but I didn’t love how they were written. This one had a lot of potential but moved a little too fast. If you’re a Sleeping Beauty fan, check out Liz Braswell’s novel.

These are just my opinions, all of them are good and I definitely recommend checking out a few, if not all.

[lia 🎀 · Rating 3 out of 5]

most of these stories were really fun and exciting for me, some of them fell flat or disappointed me/weren’t my cup of tea but overall pretty cute book my favorite story was definitely snow whites just seeing her learn magic and fight back was pretty cool

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. My favorites:
The Envelope (Anastasia post Cinderella)
The Secret Exchange (The little mermaid retold)
Dust to Dust (Tinker Bell pre, during and post Peter Pan and Wendy)
A Dragon in the Snow (Madam Mim orgin story)
Call it a Hunch (Megara and Hercules post movie events)
The Reluctant Prince (Bambi post movie events)
The Rose and the Thorns (Sleeping Beauty retold)

[Angela Auten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is an anthology I will review each story invidually!

Cast Out by Livia Blackburne
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I liked that they didn't portray Snow White as weak in this story. She was able to defend herself. She didn't need a man to come rescue her. This is what the real story needed. This story wet my appetite for the rest of the book. This one was really good, but I rated it a star lower because I think the ending could have been much longer than it was.

A First Mission by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I loved this story. Mulan is one my favorite Disney movie. Mulan decided to become an advisor in this story. She had to try to prove herself to the other councilors. She was supposed to go get the silk worms from Hongjing. She decided to save an unnamed village from a flood instead. She also rescued Chi Fu when he was about to drown. I love that at the end Chi Fu accepted her. This is my favorite story so far.

Et Voilà by Liz Braswell
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I only watched Ratatouille once in my life. This story made me want to rewatch it. I found this story really cute. I only gave it one less star because the beginning didn't pull me in. It got more interesting as it went on. Also I think Liz Braswell still over describes everything. She needs to pull that back a little. Other than those problems, the story was sweet especially the ending.

The Envelope by Jen Calonita
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I loved Anastasia's growth in this story. She wanted to learn from her mistakes. Her mother and sister just cared about their status. The story came out about them and people treated them horribly for what they did to Cinderella. Anastasia found a letter from her father. She wanted to get to know him. She made her choice to learn more about him. She became much more humble. I honestly wish their was a little more to this story, but I found it really well written!

A New Dawn by Farrah Rochon
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Short Review: This story was nicely written! I'm glad they had so that Mufasa actually survived being thrown off the ledge. Simba is trying to run Pride Rock smoothly. His father still sees him as a cub. Every decision that he makes his father disagrees with. Though Mufasa should have listened to Simba when he thought they were going to be attacked. Scar attacked Pride Rock. Then his father finally released he was ready to lead the pack!

Rattle the Stars by M.K. England
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I enjoyed the story although I don't remember watching Treasure Planet. Maybe I'll watch the movie sometime. I really don't have too many thoughts about this one. I will say I like Jim's character.

The Royal Game of Chess by Liz Braswell
Rating: ☆☆
Short Review: *sighs dramatically* I really didn't love this story. Probably because I never really watched Robin Hood. Also Liz Braswell again over descriped everything. This story could have been a lot shorter. Her last story was better than this. The only thing that saved it is that Maiden Marion was shown as a strong female lead. Other than that, I found this story lacking. I couldn't wait to finish it.

The Secret Exchange by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I really lover this story. It's my second favorite so far! I love that Ariel and Eric got to meet right after she rescued him. I love that they each started to learn stuff about each other's worlds. Ursula's schemes were interesting and so was her defeat. The end really brought everything together. Elizabeth Lim is definitely one of my favorite writers for this series.

Dust to Dust by Micol Ostow
Rating: ☆☆
Short Review: Unfortunately, what made this a bad read was the writing style. I really didn't enjoy it all that much. Plus, I'm really not a big fan of Tinker Bell. She is the main reason that I really didn't like this story. I also didn't like the mermaids in this book. They were even worse for following what Tinker Bell said to do to Wendy. I wonder if someone will ever make Tinker Bell likable.

Gonna Take You There by Farrah Rochon
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I'm not a fan of the original Princess and the Frog. This story was super cute and sweet. It didn't have any voodoo in it like the movie. I'm not a fan of voodoo. I haven't read the Twisted Tale book for Princess and the Frog yet. This story made me excited though. I loved the reactions between all the characters. Naveen being helped to learn what he wants to do in life was great too.

Fates, Three by Jen Calonita
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I never actually have seen Brave in full. I have only seen parts of the movie. However, I love that this story dealt with family relationships. Especially between the triplets. They really just needed that reassurance that they were always going to have a bond. That is what I enjoyed most about the story.

A Dragon in the Snow by Kristina Pèrez
Rating: ☆☆☆
Short Review: I didn't like the beginning of the story. I also didn't love the ending either. Mim made a stupid decision at the end. She was very stubborn. However, I loved the middle of it. So I rated it higher than 2 stars for that reason.

The Journey Home by Farrah Rochon
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Short Review: Really loved this story. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies as well as Mulan. I loved how the author wrote Belle. She's very smart and comes up with good ideas. I love that she wad able to get herself out of the situation she found herself in! I loved the ending of this one too. Only thing I didn't like was we didn't get to see Prince Adam aka the Beast.

Call It a Hunch by Jen Calonita
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Short Review: I thought this story was really good. I like Hercules' and Megara's relationship. I'm also glad that both of them were also able to help each other. Hercules figuring out how to help people was also important to this story. Meg also investigating was interesting.

The Reluctant Prince by Liz Braswell
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Short Review: Surprisingly this story was really good. I love that Bambi really thought about why he didn't want to be Prince. I also love that Faline helped him to realize that he could be a different Prince of the Forest. Surprisingly Liz Braswell didn't over describe everything this story. Only in the beginning she did.

The Rose and the Thorns by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Short Review: Aurora made some stupid decisions, but everything worked out in the end. I really enjoyed this story. I loved that Aurora and Phillip were the best of friends too. The last story for the book made me smile happily.

Overall rating: 4 stars for the whole book. Some of the stories really weren't amazing, but a lot of them were!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this variety of retellings of these stories, some that have been done with full stories in the series, and how they were different, they were all great!

[Mary the Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cast Out (Snow White) ****
A First Mission (Mulan) ***
Et Voila (Ratatouile) DNF
The Envelope (Cinderella) *****
A New Dawn (The Lion King) ***
Rattle the Stars (Treasure Planet) DNF (I can't even remember if I have seen this movie)
A Royal Game of Chess (Robin Hood) ****
The Secret Exchange (The Little Mermaid) ***
Dust to Dust (Tinkerbell) ****
Gonna Take You There (Tiana) ****
Fates, Three (Brave) ***
A Dragon in the Snow (Sword in the Stone) **
The Journey Home (Beauty and the Beast) **** (I wish they would have done more research about horses and carts though)
Call it a Hunch (Hercules) DNF (I just wasn't interested enough)
The Reluctant Prince (Bambi) ***** ( I love Bambi)
The Rose and the Thorns (Sleeping Beauty) *****

[Katarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this book had so many stories in it, I especially loved that they included Treasure Planet one of my many favourite Disney movies. I do think that this book could have go without the repeat princesses for example we already have a twisted tale story about Snow White and Hercules, they could have picked different movies to write about and I know they are by different authors but I just think they should have picked stories that haven't been done before. Now let's get into the individual stories themselves.

Snow White: I have always loved the 7 little dwarfs they are so funny and just the cutest. I know that Grumpy always reminds us of someone in our family. Again though we already have this book as a twisted tale and I just felt like they should have chose a different story to write about.

Mulan: I had never watched the movie Mulan before and I don't know why, this movie was so witty and funny and I loved Mushu's character he was the funniest out of all of them. I also loved the lucky little cricket, even though he might not be very lucky. I liked this Twisted tale overall it was decent and a good read.

Remy/Colette: I would love to see this Twisted tale as an actual movie, it would be so cool to watch and see how it plays out. Colette and Remy's friendship was the cutest and she did not use him she just wanted to see what he could cook and make with the ingredients that she got for him. I liked this Twisted tale a a lot, but I am excited to see what the others are about.

Cinderella: When her father called Anastasia "Her Strawberry" that was the cutest thing. I loved it. I wish this Twisted Tale had also continued. I wanted to read about Cinderella's wedding and to see what Anastasia had in the future. I wanted to see if her and Cinderella every rekindled there sisterhood together. OH! and also I wanted to read about how the stepmother and Drizella found out/ took the news about there sister/daughter leaving, and if they ever looked for her. I liked this Cinderella retelling a lot.

Lion King: I did not mind this tale. I am glad that Scar got what he deserved because he was a real piece of work in my opinion. Scar needed to learn a thing or two. I am also glad that Mufasa was alive in this retelling, and also am glad that he got to see his son be a leader of the pack. I do wish some Twisted tale stories were longer.

Treasure Planet: I wish this story had it's own book, I would have loved it. I am biased though because I love the Treasure Planet movie, it has always been one of my favourites. Jim Hawkins was a childhood crush, I am pretty sure every little girl had a little crush on him. If you had given me the option for a full book or short story on Treasure Planet I would have easily picked a full book. I was very excited to read this story.

Robinhood: Sir Hiss deserves so much appreciation for trying to protect his sire. Oh my god was maid. Marian Robinhood in this twisted tale. Sir Hiss seems like a genuine snake, it seems like he does want to help other people. I knew she was Robinhood. I knew it.

The Little Mermaid: " I've heard tuna make better music than that."
I did not know Ursala's eels had names, and to be honest that aren't that good of names either. Prince Eric ended up getting a tail which is so cool, cooler than what happened in the movie. I do like how in the move=ie they got married though, that my opinion though.

Tinkerbell: Honey Cakes sound so good Oh my goodness. In my opinion Tink trusted to easily... A lot of the princesses trust to easily. I remember watching the movie and really disliking Peter Pan a lot. I felt he was mean to Tink and Wendy and just very childish, I know he is a child but still there's a time and place.
"You - Yes You! Can Fly.
Search! Seek. Find the mission, the magic
It may be Powerful, Strong and Frightening.
But it need not be dark.
Indeed, it's out there. For those who believe."

Princess and the frog: I honestly kind of liked it more when they turned into frogs. I don't know why I think they maybe had a better connection. If this story was turned into a movie I don't know how well it would do, I did not find it that entertaining.

Merida: Okay but where is Merida throughout this entire story I would like to know.
" I hated being a bear! I don't want to do that again." "Neither do I," Hubert agreed. "A highland cow wouldn't be so bad, though. They have epic horns."
This story was not bad I do however wish Merida had been present in this book.

The sword in the stone: This was my first time watching The sword in the stone and it was good I enjoyed this movie a lot. This twisted tale however was a bit far fetched, I can not imagine Merlin ever kissing and falling in love with Mim, it just seems unrealistic. I know there's another twisted tale about the sword in the stone, I want to read that to see if I like it better than that this story. It was not my favourite story.

Beauty and the Beast: This tale had no beast, I though that it did I did read the title again and it was about her father's invention and I honestly really enjoyed this one. I liked how she opened up her own bookstore, despite what everyone said about her and her ideas. I really enjoyed how this Twisted tale played out I think every reader has a connection to Belle. Gaston is my least fave and the fact that Belle keeps turning him down is funny.

Hercules: It seemed like both Meg and Hercules were both having bad days on the first day of there jobs. I love how Meg and Hercules Mom get along so well together it's so cute. Hercules always been one of my favourites, I love the songs and just the whole movie itself it's such a good movie.

Bambi: I can see why Bambi does not want to be a prince, he wants to watch his children grow before they leave him. If it meant leaving your family all the time who would want to be a prince. I think I have watched Bambi once but I don't remember most of it or how the movie ended. I might have to watch it again one day soon.

Sleeping Beauty: This one was just okay, I watched Sleeping Beauty along time ago and don't remember what happened in the movie, but this Twisted tale was bad. I liked how her true love's kiss was along time best friend, that was the cute part.

[hadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

top 5 stories:
1. The Rose and the Thorns (Sleeping Beauty)
2. The Envelope (Cinderella)
3. The Secret Exchange (The Little Mermaid
4. Gonna Take You There (The Princess + The Frog)
5. A Dragon in the Snow (The Sword in the Stone)
💖💓💖💓💖

[✨Lauren✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a frequent reader of the full-length Twisted Tales books, I was unsure of whether the authors were able to recreate what makes them great in short stories. I’m glad to say that they managed to do it. Some of the stories in this book have already had the Twisted Tales treatment (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Brave and Mulan), but the authors managed to put a new and original twist on all of them that I personally loved. The remaining four stories (The Lion King, Ratatouille, Treasure Island and Bambi) were good as well, and I hope they get their own full-length books in the future. Each of the stories are the perfect length to keep you engaged and interested in them and if anyone is interested in the Twisted Tales series and has yet to read one of the books, I would definitely recommend that you read this anthology first, as it can act as a taster of sorts and gives you an idea of what to expect with the actual books. On the whole, I think that this is a great addition to the series and I hope that another anthology book gets released in the future.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book having 16 different and new retelling of beloved classics. If you are just starting the series and are trying to get the hang of it I recommend reading this one!

[amanda malko · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice fun little stories. it would be nice if some of those were longer standalone though. too add to the collection of the series

[Pumkin pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book simply chock-full of fun, engaging stories of different Disney tales, some prequels to a certain story, what happened after the original story finished, or an alternative twist in the story. These were especially fun to read out loud, with different voices for each of the characters.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

all of the stories are really well written, even the ones i didn't like so much.
i think the cinderella one was my fav along with the brave one.
the ones i didn't like so much were based on movies i didn't like so much, so it really isn't the writting.
i am gonna get more twisted tales after this.
if your not sure if you want to start reading the twisted tales this book is a good start.

[Alex M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’re gonna rattle the stars, you are.”

novel length Treasure Planet retelling WHEN

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Few things come close regarding heartwarming comfort and giggly clapping hands than the magic of classic Disney. Though also few things come close regarding deep frustration than the failed attempt of said magic.
This collection is a strikingly balanced mix of excellent tales and truly boring and unsuccessful twists.

Some tales completely missed the mark for me for the very personal reason that I hate the absence of the originally intended core. Especially when the direction and ending of the short story makes me question the reason for its existence in the first place.
Through the changes, those tales had no Disney in them, so what’s really the point? This lack most times happened due to the authors intending and successfully delivering the original work more real-world-realistic which I simply don’t like.

I need the good old kitsch. And some tales executed this perfectly while tastefully and excitingly expanding on the original content.

Truthfully, my rating and feelings of each short story are entirely and strongly dependent by my connection to the original work. Some stories I for sure would have liked either more or less if I didn’t have such a passion for the respective original.

Favorite tale: A dragon in the snow (5/5) *squeak*

The 5/5 tales: Cast out, A royal game of chess

Liked tales: A first mission (4/5), The envelope (4/5), The secret exchange (4/5), Dust to dust (4/5), The reluctant prince (4/5), The rose and the thorns (4/5).

Disliked tales: Et voilà (2/5), A new dawn (3/5), Gonna take you there (2/5), Fates three (2/5), The journey home (1/5), Call it a hunch (2/5)

Least favorite tale: Rattle the stars (1/5) *grumpy sigh*

[Siobhain McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Disney adult and book lover, I have loved all the series Disney have been putting out such as the Villains ones, the happily never after, the princes tales and of course the Twisted Tales. This anthology is perfect for seasoned lovers of the series, young and old, or for those just discovering the series and wanting to know what they can expect from the novels.

Each author captures the magic of Disney and brings the fan favourite characters to life in new ways. Normally with an anthology you might find a couple of works that are misses but this was not the case here. Even stories dealing with classics I haven’t watched in a while, Bambi and Treasure Planet, instantly brought back memories and made me want to go and rewatch them.


The writing is perfect is mature enough that an adult can enjoy it without feeling it’s dumbed down but accessible enough that younger readers can enjoy it too. While I loved each story in itself I have to say my favourites were A New Dawn, Rattle The Stars and A First Mission. That said all of them were brilliant.
A must for any fan. I’ve already preordered my physical copy and can’t wait to re-read in the near future.


Thank you so much to Igloo Books and Netgalley for my copy to review. My review is left voluntarily and is honest.

[Erica (storybookend) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some of the them, but most of them were…not that great. I’ll start with my favorite one: A First Mission. The one about Mulan. The romance in there was so sweet.

Ones I liked:
A First Mission (Mulan): 5 stars
The Secret Exchange (Little Mermaid): 4 stars
The Rose and the Thorns (Sleeping Beauty): 4 stars
Cast Out (Snow White): 4 stars

Ones that were okay:
Rattle the Stars (Treasure Planet): 3 stars
Dust to Dust (Tinker Bell): 3 stars
Gonna Take You There (Princess and Frog): 3 stars
Call it a Hunch (Hercules): 3 stars
The Reluctant Prince (Bambi): 3 stars

Ones that were more boring/meh:
A New Dawn (Lion King): 2.5 stars
Fates, Three (Brave): 2.5 stars
Et Voila (Ratatouille): 2.5 stars
The Envelope (Cinderella): 2.5 stars

Ones I didn’t like
The Journey Home (Beauty and the Beast) 2 stars

Read below for a spoiler for why the Beauty and the Beast one was my least favorite.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I didn’t like this one because the twist completely got rid of the love story. There was no beast, no romance. Pretty lame, if you ask me.

[Chelsea Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the whole aspect of what-if? that these stories/series follows. That being said, this anthology kind of missed the mark.

The individual stories and their respective what-ifs had potential. But the stories were so short so there wasn't a lot of time for development and it felt like the respective authors were trying for more than they had time for, so the stories built things up and then ignored them or didn't explain anything.

Cast Out--The what-if was about Snow White learning magic and using that to defeat the Queen. The story was far too rushed, the dwarves weren't really in the story beyond being mentioned as helping her and one wandering thought about making pie for Grumpy, Prince Florian doesn't even make an appearance. And really, how can you have a Snow White tale that doesn't include someone ending up in an enchanted sleep? I feel like the magic piece would have been better done if we found out that she'd like managed a spell and that's what kept made it so true love's kiss woke her up.

A First Mission--This was one of the better stories, IMO. It fit Mulan's character as well as the movie/tale it's inspired by.

Et Voila--I feel like the author may not have ever watched Ratatouille and just based Colette off vibes. Yes, she was a tough character but she wasn't really in a "this is a male dominated world" thing and she honestly would have moved Remy. Even if she bought a rat cooking, she would not have started doing so at the back of her restaurant. She wouldn't risk a health inspector/someone saying something.

The Envelope--Anastasia's character is definitely one who gets the redemption most. I did like the fact that she wanted to see where her father came from, but it felt like his character was a lot sunnier(?) than her mother and I just didn't see how that personality could have given rise to a great love that would turn her mother into a horrible human being when he died. This one needed to be longer so we could see the relationship between Lady Tremaine and her husband.

A New Dawn--Even if Mufasa had survived, like this story says, he wouldn't treat Simba that way. And honestly, he wouldn't so easily forgive Scar. He might be willing to still let him be around, but he wouldn't have outright forgiven him. And again, wouldn't treat Simba like a child.

Rattle the Stars--This one had potential to be one of my favorites because I love Treasure Planet and feel like it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. But the issue is it ended before we could really see the fallout from Jim's choice. Plus, Jim wouldn't have made that choice the way the story shows it; he wanted to make his mother proud, not just get her money to rebuild. He also wouldn't have known or just in general negotiated Scroop being left out. This story didn't meet Jim's character and even for a what-if, there wasn't enough development for me to buy him making the choice(s) he did.

A Royal Game of Chess--Another one that needed to be longer. The chess comment, I half get, because there were a few comments from Sir Hiss that indicated they were "playing" chess with Robin Hood/Marian, but the whole premise of this particular what-if didn't come across well, IMO.

The Secret Exchange--I feel like Ariel meeting Eric this way completely erases the point of The Little Mermaid, whatever version you follow. The whole point is that he tries to find his rescuer, but with them meeting and him knowing that she's a mermaid and then things happen and Triton just says "huh, maybe you're not so bad" and I just couldn't muster enthusiasm for it. If there had been more, I might have been able to get behind it, I'll admit it, but the story was just so rushed and it didn't fit.

Dust to Dust--Honestly, I didn't care for this all that much. Tinker Bell annoyed me and the twist of her dust/Peter's youth didn't fit with this type of story.

Gonna Take You There--This was decent. The Lawrence thing was definitely useless because the same thing could have happened with Naveen wandering off as we know he was wont to do.

Fates, Three--This one tried but it felt like it didn't have enough space. And Merida was barely a footnote.

A Dragon in the Snow--Eh. Madam Mim's villain origin story. It was okay but I didn't really care for Mim, especially when she started issuing ultimatum's. I get the fact that she was disappointed, but Merlin tried to give her options and it just felt more like she was throwing a tantrum because she wasn't getting exactly what she wanted.

The Journey Home--This was not even Beauty and the Beast adjacent. And Maurice never would have underestimated Belle; he would have encouraged her if anything. Yes, he might have protested her going alone but he wouldn't have thought she couldn't show things. Belle running the bookstore was fine, but again, this wasn't anything Beauty and the Beast.

Call it a Hunch--This was cute and I liked the "solve the mystery" aspect. Hercules felt whinier than he was in the movie though.

The Reluctant Prince--This was okay. I liked Faline talking about sticking with Bambi no matter what.

The Rose and the Thorns--This was also okay. Liked that Philip and Aurora had actually met and gotten to know each other. The aspect of Aurora knowing magic was a little iffy for me, but I did like that she sort of saved things.

[Nevaeya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even need to read it to know that it’s going to be a 5-star read. Why, you may ask? Because TREASURE PLANET!

Edit: After finishing the book, I was correct. This is a 5-star read.

[Jack Longstreet · Rating 5 out of 5]

here are all of my reviews for this anthology book, highly recommend to anyone who’s a Disney fan:
TWISTED TALES ANTHOLOGY REVIEWS:
- [ ] Cast Out 5/5: It was so cool to see Snow Whites story told so differently, seeing the incorporation of magic coming from Snow White instead of the Evil Queen. I loved this story a lot :D
- [ ] A First Mission 3.5/5: This one was good but i feel like there were things that could’ve been more important that were sorta passed over. Also the lack of Mushu didn’t help (I’m half kidding)
- [ ] Et Voila 5/5: while this is only the third of i believe 16 stories in this book, this might be my favorite one, I loved seeing the difference between how Colette handled Remy, where they were partners but in a different way than Remy and Linguini. Definitely a favorite of mine :D
- [ ] The Envelope 4/5: I didn’t hate this story, it was definitely interesting to see Anastasia feel remorseful for the abuse she caused Cinderella, and also definitely was interesting to hear about HER father/her family life before he passed and Lady Tremaine met Cinderellas father. However I do kinda feel like things got kinda passed over when she learned more about her fathers early life, and then she like got a new start, pacing felt a little off but I still enjoyed it overall.
- [ ] A New Dawn 4.5/5: this one was kinda dark for a “Disney” story but I did really love the feel of it all, the pacing was great, Simba and Nala working together as usual, seeing Simba and Mufasa’s dynamic was interesting, made me tear up at the end, it would’ve been perfect if there was any Timon or Pumba.
- [ ] Rattle The Stars 5/5: no notes, this was actually so cool, so much fun, it was perfect.
- [ ] A Royal Game of Chess 3/5: I don’t have much of a problem with this, I think it was fun and silly and enjoyable, but a little long, it was also frustrating for her not to be able to say that Robin Hood was a LADY, but I’m sure it was just as frustrating for her to hear that a MAN was taking all of her hard earned credit as Robin Hood.
- [ ] The Secret Exchange 5/5: this was so fun to read, I actually really love this version of it where he actually gets to hear her voice and they connect more with music. Also y’all know I love Ursula but they kinda ate my girl up a little bit with the action in this. Bitch got stabbed by a fork.
- [ ] Dust to Dust 5/5: I! LOVE! SEEING! TINKER BELL! ACT! LIKE! A! QUEEN! oh my god I loved this story, everything she did she did at the end was FOR HERSELF and it was amazing, also the end…did make me cry a lil bit.
- [ ] Gonna Take You There 4/5: nothing too crazy about this story, it was very cute and very feel good tho, missing a point because of a couple characters I would’ve loved to see but it was still adorable and so cute.
- [ ] Fates, Three 4/5: I audibly gasped at ~Harris & Alastair~, I love the triplets from brave a lot so seeing them grown up a little bit was interesting, definitely happy to see their own personalities shine rather than the three of them being a collective, they’re still triplets and brothers but they’re still their own people. Loved this story, just missing Merida (I sorry I just love her)
- [ ] A Dragon in the Snow 5/5: I love these twisted tales also being like “what if this was a prequel to the sword in the stone” and holy shit this was one of the most emotional stories in the whole book. I loved it so much.
- [ ] The Journey Home 4/5: this story was so interesting, very lovely to see belle be such a lil baddie on her own but also still being so sweet and doing anything her father needed, this one wasn’t as magical but, still amazing and really fun
- [ ] Call it a Hunch 5/5: this one was absolutely perfect, I loved seeing how Herc was guiding how to be a god on his first day, while Meg was being all crime solvey, it was amazing and I loved diving into this story
- [ ] The Reluctant Prince 5/5: this story was great, it really shows how much growing up Bambi did, but he still has that child inside him that still just needs a little bit of guidance and I think a lot of us could learn from Bambi! It’s okay to ask others for help when you need it!
- [ ] The Rose and the Thorn 5/5: this was an amazing finale to the twisted tale anthology book, it was everything you could’ve wanted from a twisted tales short story, I loved this story I can’t even talk about it without spoiling anything.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to any Disney fan or in general to anyone who loves easy to read feelgood stories! Here I will give a short, as spoiler free as possible, reasoning for my star rating! :)

Snow White - 4.5 stars
This was a very good opener! I liked the changes that were made and the impact they had on the outcome of the story. Also a big fan of Snow White being more in control.

Mulan - 5 stars
Loved the characters and how true they felt to the actual movie. The short story felt fleshed out with lots of excitement and little throwbacks to the original movie. This story might be my favourite of them all!

Ratatouille - 4 stars
An interesting twist to an already interesting story. I liked the way Colette was more involved as a leading character since I remember Linguini getting on my nerves sometimes. Though this version misses some of the action I liked from the original story.

Cinderella - 5 stars
I always thought the stepsisters were very underdeveloped characters in the first Cinderella movie, so following one of them during this heartwarming story and seeing them grow as a person was very nice! I wanted to keep reading more and was sad when it was over.

The Lion King - 3 stars
Didn't really connect with this story as much as with the others, mostly because I thought the characters didn't act in the way I expected them to. There were also some favourite characters missing. Still, I enjoyed reading it and liked seeing Simba and Nala interact.

Treasure Planet - 3.5 stars
I didn't fully remember the characters and original story of Treasure planet, so my rating is a bit lower as I didn't connect with the characters and found it a bit too short to fully flesh out the story and context. I would've liked to read this in a different format, a longer story would have captivated me more.

Robin Hood - 4 stars
Liked the twist! The characters were a bit more interesting than what I remember them being in the movie, especially Marian! They added a nice portion of suspense as well.

The Little Mermaid - 4 stars
Loved the way this story was written! The world was very immersive and the characters very relatable. The ending was a bit anticlimactic for my taste however, I would've liked to see the climax stretched out just a bit longer.

Peter Pan - 4.5 stars
Oh how I loved and hated this story at the same time! It gets a high rating because it feels like a very likely twisted version of the original Peter Pan story. One that would've made the original more emotional for me! Still thought Peter was a little shit in this one.

The princess and the Frog - 4.5 stars
This one was a lot of fun! Very different from the original, which made it an unexpected story! Loved seeing more of Lottie too, she made this story better in ny opinion!

Brave - 4.5 stars
Ah the familiar squabbling of siblings. This story was so sweet and heartwarming! As a sort of sequel to the original, it has some fun throwbacks which was nice! I also didn't mind the absence of some main characters, as they weren't necessary for this tale.

The sword in the Stone - 4 stars
Since I've never watched this movie, I decided to watch it before reading the short story. After reading this story it wasn't really necessary, but gave me a bit more background information to enjoy it! This one had a lot of different emotions and ended in a way I didn't expect!

Beauty and the Beast - 4 stars
Screw you Gaston. Anyway, I liked this version! But you have to see it as a whole other story, not thinking of the original. Because a lot of the main characters are missing from this one. Belle continues to be the girl boss we know she is.

Hercules - 5 stars
I love all things mythology, and Hercules has always been one of my favourite movies as well! This version gave a nice combination of romance and mystery and had a lot of good throwbacks to the original.

Bambi - 3 stars
This was my least favourite. Though it had some nice moments, it was mostly filled with Bambi being upset. The storytelling was nicely done however, and I liked the world building too!

Sleeping Beauty - 5 stars
How fun! A version of Sleeping beauty where the main character gets more than 18 lines of dialogue and has a lot more agency too! The twist here is explained at the start and sets up the short story nicely. Would have loved to read more!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a really cute anthology with some really good stories (all of EL's) and some not as fun ones! Average score is 3.4, but I'll round up to a 4 for the really good ones!

1. What if Snow White learned magic? - A really cute concept, but just wrapped up way too quickly. 2.5/5
2. What if Mulan became the Emperor's advisor? - EL never fails me, an interesting story, and I'm always a sucker for Shang x Mulan interactions. 5/5
3. What if Remy had met Colette first? - Cannot believe that I would care about a Ratatouille retelling, but this was well written and rounded, unlike many in the anthology. 4/5
4. What if Anastasia had a change of heart? - This was made for fans of Cinderella 2, really cute and with an open-ended ending, instead of the rushed finishes found in some others. 4/5
5. What if Mufasa gave up his throne? - Interesting concept, and definitely did not expect to enjoy as much as I did. FR is growing on my list of favorite TT authors. 3.5/5
6. What if Jim Hawkins joined the pirates? - Honestly I don't remember the movie at all and thought this was what happened anyway. No memory of how this story ended. 1/5
7. What if history wasn't quite right about the legend of Robin Hood? - OUAT plot. No change to the story, except replacing Robin Hood with Maid Marian - 2/5
8. What if Eric met Ariel after she rescued him? - Adorable, EL does NOT miss. Again, open-ended ending works so much better in this format than a rushed ending. 5/5
9. What if Tinker Bell was working for Captain Hook? - Love Tinkerbell x Hook dynamics so was a little disappointed this didn't have much of their interactions in it. But loved the mermaids, and the author's style. Hope to see more from her! 3/5
10. What if Naveen had to go home to Maldonia? - Absolutely adorable! If that ending hadn't been shopped so quickly, would have loved. 4.5/5
11. What if the triplets visited the witch? - Another interesting story, but a bit of a drag. 3/5
12. What if Madam Mim and Merlin went to school together? - Of all the stories, probably the most ambitious twist. I also don't remember this original story, but this twist was great. 5/5
13. What if Belle had to take her father's place at the fair? - Kind of a boring twist, but enjoyable! 3.5/5
14. What if Hercule's first day as a god didn't go as planned? - Feel like the tagline is a little misleading since this story is more about Meg. Cute story, nothing to write home about. 3/5
15. What if Bambi didn't want to be the next Great Prince of the Forest? - I didn't think I wanted to read a Bambi twist, and I was right. Boring and too long. Skimmed the last few pages. 1/5
16. What if Aurora knew the truth about her curse? - EL is 3 for 3. Another great twist and so well done. EL has a special knack for knowing her characters. Only complaint is that I wanted more! 5/5

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Check my reviews for the other stories on the Twisted Tale Advent Calendar*

1. Mulan - Initially the plot seemed a lot like Feather and Flame, but the story takes a different turn and that made it still interesting enough to read. I quite liked how Mulan is still very much Mulan in this story and therefore the focus of the story is not on the romance, but on doing what is needed to help the people of China.

2. Ratatouille - This story was insanely cute and I really liked the feel of this story. I've been smiling while reading this so much and it was impossible to not love the characters. I also quite like how this story shows the issues a female chef faces while trying to find her place in the world of star restaurants and mansplaining.

3. The Lion King - I quite liked how this story does the one thing we all secretly want to happen, Mufasa survives! However, I also enjoyed the issues that caused. If you think that this will make Simba's life easier and safer, you're wrong. But, the story does end up being a lot less sad and a lot less traumatic this way.

4. Peter Pan - I quite liked how this short story completely focusses on Tinker Bell and her motivation and journey. There was also an amazing surprising twist in this story that made insanely much sense and really changed the entire story. I also quite liked that there is still rivalry between Tink and Wendy, but there is hope for a future friendship.

5. The Princess and the Frog - This was a really nice twist on the story! Another way Tiana and Naveen could have fallen in love, without magic, without the whole Frog adventure, just because they are who they are and fit so well together. I quite liked this small adventure, although the full book (with a different scenario) was better, of course.

6. Sleeping Beauty - This was an amazing twist on this story really changing everything for the better! The romance between Philip and Aurora was well done and I liked how in this story Aurora was way more in charge of her own destiny. On top of that this story was filled with small nods and hints towards other retellings.