Disney Twisted Tales Collection 3 Books Set Title in the Set Mulan Reflection in Underworld, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST As Old As Time, Aladdin as Whole New World.
After the sort of introverted childhood you would expect from a writer, Liz earned a degree in Egyptology at Brown University and then promptly spent the next ten years producing video games. Finally she caved into fate and wrote Snow and Rx under the name Tracy Lynn, followed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under her real name, because by then the assassins hunting her were all dead. She also has short stories in Geektastic and Who Done It and a new series of reimagined fairy tales coming out, starting with A Whole New World—a retelling of Aladdin. She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at me@lizbraswell.com.
This retelling of Beauty and the Beast adds new elements of horror and suspense to the classic tale. The characters are richly developed, including ones who are a bit more wooden in the film adaptation. While the ending made sense, it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Overall, though, this is a well-written twist to an old favorite. Definitely recommended and one to read again.
The other day in Barnes and Noble (my home away from home) while I was looking for something to happily blow all of my Christmas money on, I happened upon a display labeled Disney Villains with a smattering of books featuring many of the darkest of meanies from various Disney films from my childhood. I'd seen Poor Unfortunate Soul by Serena Valentino before, having found myself curious but never curious enough to buy it. Of course, since I have a rather large weak spot for the story of Aladdin (as noted by the lovely shirt I own from seeing the broadway play only two years ago), the second I noticed this particular book I immediately plucked it up.
I was admittedly rather weary of this novel, partially due to its obvious place in the younger of genres and because retellings are often incredibly hard to do well. This is not to say that books for younger children aren't worth reading--there have been many I've picked up with my brother in mind and read myself simply because I am a sucker for any good story, be it meant for 10-12 or those categorized as young adult and I'll give just about anything a chance if it has piqued my curiosity.
Braswell's reimagining of the story of Aladdin as though Jafar had actually gotten hold of the lamp was, as far as I'm concerned, well worth the read. It was interesting and showed a take on that particular branch of alternate universe in a way I personally never could have predicted. In this, it had its goods and bads and very strong ones at that. I enjoyed reading it, but would by no means call this an amazing story. I admire Braswell's boldness as well as her tenacity and while I do intend to read the two other Disney twisted reselling she has written, there are many things I would change about her Aladdin retelling.
It was surprisingly dark, at times, and brought into play plot ideas that I didn't particularly care for, particularly with Jafar's army which I found idiotic and somewhat demeaning to the story and Jafar's character. Iago's role in the retelling also deeply upset me, again in regards to Braswell's portrayal of Jafar's character. More often than I would have liked, I found myself feeling as though the characters were not themselves, and it is here that I think Braswell hit her largest snag. She simply did not have a great grasp of the original characters and struggled at times to write them in a way that remained true to their nature in the Disney version. I was most disappointed in Jafar, followed closely by Jasmine and the Genie. Aladdin, however, was rather impressive, even if he had moments--albeit small--where he didn't quite fit himself.
Now, as this is a retelling, it is perfectly reasonable to accept these changes in characters. I don't fault Braswell entirely for her choices and the differences that existed among the characters. But I did not enjoy what I did notice. I was horribly unimpressed with the way in which she chose to free the Genie and had admittedly hoped that at some point the deep friendship between Aladdin and Genie would be addressed, and felt the loss of that friendship greatly throughout the course of the story. I do, however, find less fault in this than in the changes made to Jafar's character in particular.
On another note, I believe Braswell did a fantastic job of capturing the world of Agrabah. Other additives, such as Aladdin's mother and relationships connecting characters I otherwise would never have connected in that way were enjoyable. Overall, it was a wonderful story with various things I can't help nitpicking at.
Had this been an original story, without my previous love for the Disney movie, I may have been less critical of some things. I do believe the romance was a bit awkward, however, I was willing to overlook that due to my previous experiences with the story of Aladdin. This book was not better than the movie. It did not impress me as the broadway play did. But it was good, in its own way.
I hope Braswell improves with her other retellings, as this was her very first.
The other day in Barnes and Noble (my home away from home) while I was looking for something to happily blow all of my Christmas money on, I happened upon a display labeled Disney Villains with a smattering of books featuring many of the darkest of meanies from various Disney films from my childhood. I'd seen Poor Unfortunate Soul by Serena Valentino before, having found myself curious but never curious enough to buy it. Of course, since I have a rather large weak spot for the story of Aladdin (as noted by the lovely shirt I own from seeing the broadway play only two years ago), the second I noticed this particular book I immediately plucked it up.
I was admittedly rather weary of this novel, partially due to its obvious place in the younger of genres and because retellings are often incredibly hard to do well. This is not to say that books for younger children aren't worth reading--there have been many I've picked up with my brother in mind and read myself simply because I am a sucker for any good story, be it meant for 10-12 or those categorized as young adult and I'll give just about anything a chance if it has piqued my curiosity.
Braswell's reimagining of the story of Aladdin as though Jafar had actually gotten hold of the lamp was, as far as I'm concerned, well worth the read. It was interesting and showed a take on that particular branch of alternate universe in a way I personally never could have predicted. In this, it had its goods and bads and very strong ones at that. I enjoyed reading it, but would by no means call this an amazing story. I admire Braswell's boldness as well as her tenacity and while I do intend to read the two other Disney twisted reselling she has written, there are many things I would change about her Aladdin retelling.
It was surprisingly dark, at times, and brought into play plot ideas that I didn't particularly care for, particularly with Jafar's army which I found idiotic and somewhat demeaning to the story and Jafar's character. Iago's role in the retelling also deeply upset me, again in regards to Braswell's portrayal of Jafar's character. More often than I would have liked, I found myself feeling as though the characters were not themselves, and it is here that I think Braswell hit her largest snag. She simply did not have a great grasp of the original characters and struggled at times to write them in a way that remained true to their nature in the Disney version. I was most disappointed in Jafar, followed closely by Jasmine and the Genie. Aladdin, however, was rather impressive, even if he had moments--albeit small--where he didn't quite fit himself.
Now, as this is a retelling, it is perfectly reasonable to accept these changes in characters. I don't fault Braswell entirely for her choices and the differences that existed among the characters. But I did not enjoy what I did notice. I was horribly unimpressed with the way in which she chose to free the Genie and had admittedly hoped that at some point the deep friendship between Aladdin and Genie would be addressed, and felt the loss of that friendship greatly throughout the course of the story. I do, however, find less fault in this than in the changes made to Jafar's character in particular.
On another note, I believe Braswell did a fantastic job of capturing the world of Agrabah. Other additives, such as Aladdin's mother and relationships connecting characters I otherwise would never have connected in that way were enjoyable. Overall, it was a wonderful story with various things I can't help nitpicking at.
Had this been an original story, without my previous love for the Disney movie, I may have been less critical of some things. I do believe the romance was a bit awkward, however, I was willing to overlook that due to my previous experiences with the story of Aladdin. This book was not better than the movie. It did not impress me as the broadway play did. But it was good, in its own way.
I hope Braswell improves with her other retellings, as this was her very first.
A magnificent tale of mystery and excitement , giving all the answers if Aladdin never found the lamp. When Jafar steals the Genie's lamp, he uses his first two up to be the most powerful sorceror 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.
What will happen next? Read : A twisted tale, A whole new world to find out…
A very nice book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The Twisted Tales series was a Christmas gift from my husband. I don't remember much about the original fairy tales, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fun telling my husband about it, and he would tell me how it differed from the original Aladdin story. I was concerned it would still be a bit childish, but it was perfectly "adult" enough.
This book was a great retelling of Aladdin I enjoyed it very much. There is lots of action and there are still elements of the original story in the book. I would definitely recommend this.
This was definitely an interesting spin when compared to the actual movie Aladdin. I watched the live action and original movies before reading this book and it did an amazing job at keeping the beginning very similar. If you love Disney, Aladdin, and dark books this is a must! I wouldn’t say it’s a kids book though so definitely make sure you are at least 13 before reading!
As a disney fan the retelling was fun and it was an easy read. I found the writing difficult to get past but that is due to it being for a younger audience which i knew going in so cant complain too much! Good if you want something you can fly through and to see a new version of the story
As Old As Time - A Disney Twisted Tale By Liz Braswell
If you love Beauty and the Beast, this is a must read. I was hooked from page 1.
The backstory is twisted in such an interesting way and the reader is introduced to the idea that Belle's mother cursed the Beast and the palace. When the palace was cursed, it was a time when people who practiced magic were being ostracized. Belle's mother is concerned for her daughter, Belle and her husband, Maurice.
Most of my favourite scenes from the Disney film are in the novel and there were some adaptations to others. I loved reading about Belle's love of books and her exploration of the library in the palace. Her growing relationship with the Beast and the character development is well written.
This twisted tale is quite dark at the end, and as a result, the target age of this would be older than some of the other twisted tales I have read.
Mrs Potts, Chip Lumiere and Coggsworth are all as loveable in As Old As Time, as they are in Beauty and the Beast.
Liz Braswell's writing captures the magic and makes the story a page turner.
I know this is somewhat targeted at children. But it's unrealistic. It tries to have real-world problems like inflation due to the introduction of magical gold coins, which by itself is fine. But if you're going for realism, then having Jasmine take control over a bunch of street rats, gain their loyalty to do what needs to be done is unbelievable and underdeveloped.
The story needs to figure out if it wants to be a magical fairy tale. Or something that's more realistic. Even jafar's wish at the end is so out of character. Why would he wish that? It would have been better if he wished to be an all-powerful genie again rather than to remove magic from the world. That makes no sense to his character.
I really wanted to like this book. But sadly, it's really just a fanfiction of aladdin. (And sad to say, nor even a really good one).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I have read a few of the other Twisted Tales and picked this book up with high expectations. I very much enjoyed the way the story showed what would have happened if Jafar had gotten a hold of the lamp early on rather than later. With all the horrors that happened in Agrabah, you could really feel the despair and hopelessness of the people and characters.
The only reason I dropped a star was because the first few chapters felt like reading a book adaptation of the movie. I understand they may not have been a better way to start it, but up until the twisted part, it was almost exactly like the movie.
All in all, I am glad I read it. I really enjoyed the ‘what if’ aspect and being able to see the differences in how the plot went.
As a kid, I was always intrigued by Disney and its characters. To be able to explore the stories of Princess Jasmine or Belle or Cinderella was my absolute pleasure! I can’t believe that I’m finally going to read Disney’s Twisted Series. I love Disney’s magical world and I always wanted to explore more about Disney. With this twisted series, I finally have a chance to explore these stories and know more about what will happen if the circumstances have changed. I’m so excited to read this series and I know the younger Kriti would love to explore these stories from a different perspective.
I love the spin on a classic tale, the writing was very detailed however, I think that perhaps it was too detailed - the book was your average 300/400 pages. Whilst I was reading, I found that the actual plot was quite short and the book had a lot of detail to extend the book. All of that being said, I did actually enjoy the book with the short pauses for romance between the main protagonists, I always looked forward to these scenes during the action. Overall, I do recommend if you love a vivid image created through words and a small hint of romance hidden in the adventure element.
This took me a long time to read. Three books in one box set.
The first one was Sleeping Beauty This one took me the longest to read to be honest. Just something about it seemed such a struggle to read.
The second one was Aladdin and this one i went through so fast. I really enjoyed this one. I think this is the shortest of the box set at well.
The third one is Beauty and The Beast. This was the longest book of the three of them. Some parts were really easy and quick to read, where you didn't want to put it down. Other bits were a struggle to read.
A captivating easy read. The look and feeling of the book together with the promising twisted tale lured me in and I’ve enjoyed it. The concept is imaginative and at times quite dark and/or childish, and it’s interesting how these two things go together. It wouldn’t be a book I’d read twice but still very well written.
Overall I liked the book. It was a different style of the story we all know and loved. There is more depth to all the characters. Especially the Beast as I feel he is left out on most versions. I did not like the ending though. Ot cpuld have been done better.
It’s a creative twist on the classic "Aladdin" story, offering a fresh perspective by exploring what might have happened if key events had played out differently. If you enjoy alternate realities and expanded takes on familiar tales, it might be an intriguing read for you!