A TWISTED TALE ANTHOLOGY

A whole collection of Disney what ifs.

What if Snow White picked up some magic? What if Mufasa survived his fall? What if Tinker Bell worked for Captain Hook? What if Aurora was raised with knowledge of Maleficent’s curse? YA authors explore these possibilities (and more) in this collection of 16 short stories. Previous contributors to the A Twisted Tale series return—Liz Braswell, Jen Calonita, Farrah Rochon, and editor Lim. Joining them are Livia Blackburne, M.K. England, Micol Ostow, and Kristina Pérez. The shorter format allows readers to revisit some movies that already have their own novel-length treatments (The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Hercules, The Princess and the Frog) as well as others that often get less attention (Robin Hood, Treasure Planet, Bambi), which is refreshing. Some of the stories have radical and intriguing premises (Rochon’s “A New Dawn,” Braswell’s “A Royal Game of Chess,” and Lim’s “The Rose and the Thorns”). The stories that take place after the canon may be the most fun for some readers, since they don’t upend the original beloved narratives (Lim’s “A First Mission” and Calonita’s “The Envelope” and “Fates, Three”). A couple of the tales offer some expanded backstory or fill in missing scenes (Pérez’s “A Dragon in the Snow” and Braswell’s “The Reluctant Prince”). All in all, this volume contains a pleasing variety of well-crafted entries.

An entertaining compilation that will satisfy Disney fans.