I enjoy these spin off of classic Disney Stories. I read this with my kiddo at bedtime and we both enjoyed it.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

The Wicked Ones by New York Times Bestselling author Robin Benway is the first book in the new Dark Ascension series by Disney Publishing. It is a thoughtful, bittersweet origin story of Cinderella’s stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia, that sheds light on their personalities, struggles, hopes and dreams like fans of the 1950s animated classic have never seen before.

This first book in the Dark Ascension series explores the complex family rivalry and relationships involving the two stepsisters from Cinderella that turn them into the so-called wicked characters we know today. Were they always so wicked? After reading this tale, I would say no, or at least, it’s not that simple…

The Wicked Ones is an excellent story which builds on firmly established characters and yet shows them in a whole new light. What did we know of Drizella and Anastasia before The Wicked Ones? Beyond the fact that they are Cinderella’s cruel stepsisters, not much. This story invites readers into a mature, multifaceted world in which Lady Tremaine’s cruelty reigns supreme. However, this time the victims at the center of the story are her own daughters, and not just Cinderella.

The Wicked Ones is well written, easy to read and enticing from beginning to end. Benway transforms Drizella and Anastasia from two-dimensional villains into relatable young women – with hopes and dreams all their own – and who suffer under the pressure of a bitter and overbearing parent with impossible expectations. It is always a breath of fresh air to learn more about famous villain backstories, especially when their experiences may not be unlike some of our own experiences. While the sisters continue to struggle with their father’s absence having left them when they were very young, Drizella discovers a love of science and dreams of visiting Paris, while Anastasia explores a budding romance which she constantly fears is too good to be true. Against the backdrop of Lady Tremaine’s terrifying watchful eye, all is destined (unfortunately) not to end well.

Despite a heartbreaking final chapter (which is in fact perfect for an inevitably tragic tale), The Wicked Ones does complete justice to the Tremaine sisters and the greater Cinderella universe. The cover art by Nathanna Erica is strikingly beautiful and true to the Drizella and Anastasia that Disney fans are familiar with. A gripping and lovable page-turner right to the very end, The Wicked Ones belongs on every bookshelf accessible to young readers who know what it is to struggle with balancing dreams and reality.

This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story, written from the stepsisters' point of view. I'm a fan of retellings, especially when they're done well, and I enjoyed this one.

Wow - this was pretty dark for a Disney book. I struggled to finish it because it was so boring and depressing. I also didn't realize this was a prequel, so I was confused as the story progressed since I kept trying to make it fit the Cinderella timeline.

The Wicked Ones has such an interesting premise but unfortunately I just could not get into it. I wanted to love it and get the backstory of why they are the way they are and the villain origin but instead I felt confused and conflicted. Maybe that was the point of the book and I just didn’t like the feeling, but it was hard to watch their fall and their choices. It could also be that I have seen all the Cinderella movies and direct to dvds and so came in with some preconceived notions of how I thought things would go.

I'm going to start by saying I gave this book 3 stars not for the fact that the book was bad or poorly written, but more so the fact that I didn't "enjoy" it. I felt like putting it down at about 75% because I realized how the story was going to play out. I know that might sound like a foolish thought - seeing as the nature of this story is Cinderella told from the POV of the step sisters, but there were things in the book that made me feel like things could be different. That's all I'll say about it because I don't want to spoil anything - even though going in it shouldn't be considered "spoilers".

Overall, it is well written, the characters are well described and the author has really made you feel for this characters who Disney has made you dislike. Even though I personally didn't really like the outcome of the story, I still would consider reading the sequel.

I received a copy of this book from #Netgalley

"The Wicked Ones" was just an OK book for me. I did not get teleported to the world that I do when reading other Disney stories. I did not like the writing style of the author and how the story unfolded. It felt like the author did not even watch the Cinderella movie but created a world where that never happened. I would not suggest this to my family or friends.

"The Wicked Ones" is a fun expansion of Disney's Cinderella, broadening the characters of Anastasia and Drizella to create two complex and at times utterly relatable characters.

Robin Benway does a great job of giving these generally vapid characters agency and motivation for the way they act toward Cinderella, and illustrates a disturbing cycle of abuse without victimizing either of these "ugly stepsisters."

I especially liked that this book didn't contain a "happily ever after" so much as a final twist (albeit one that is rather predictable).

Of course, there were things that I didn't like. For starters, the novel was much too long, and the middle portion became especially repetitive. The inconsistencies with the Disney film made it less cohesive, in my opinion.

But overall, this was an enjoyable addition to the expanded Disney universe.

A Disney retelling taking readers into the backstory of the wicked stepsisters? Sign me up!

Drizella and Anastasia have one huge life goal in mind: don’t end up treating others like her mother treats them. When they were little, their father left them with nothing but their mother’s disdain. Now, their mother’s disdain has changed into a life motto of the girls better find rich husbands to make them happy. Drizella however; has her own plan in mind when she meets a lovely herbologist. As for Anastasia, she can’t resist a member of the royal palace.

Told in dual point of views, Robin Benway takes readers inside both Drizella and Anastasia’s lives. The journey for both sister to discover who they are without their mother’s shadow is one filled with self doubt, a royal ball and finding oneself. While the chapters are a little longer than I would have liked, I enjoyed Benway’s separation of each sister’s tale. I look forward to reading the next novel in this series.

Thank you Disney Publishing and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I'm torn on this one, but honestly, the writing is fantastic. Benway did an amazing job keeping the spirit of the sisters, while also giving them more dimension. You learn that Ella was not Lady Tremaine's only target for abuse, neglect, and manipulation. However, I'm a big fan of Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, which also expanded and gave more dimension to Anastasia. It really added to her character by showing her ability to grow and change given the opportunity to. Granted, this book also highlighted Drizella, and I loved how she is more curious and could be scholarly given the chance. Overall, it's a good look at how evil is made, not born (even in the case of Lady Tremaine), but it's bleak knowing the story is a prequel to the movie.

Thank you Netgalley for access to the arc.

This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story, written from the stepsisters' point of view. I'm a fan of retellings, especially when they're done well, and I enjoyed this one. I look forward to the rest of the series!

I love it when someone writes the backstory of a side character or a minor character of a story I loved. I like when they continue a story too after the main character's chapter has ended. In this novel, we get the backstory of Drizella and Anastasia Tremaine from Cinderella. We also get a little insight on how Lady Tremaine came to be the way she was as well.

Fair warning, like most fairy tales, this one has some tragic parts. There is significant child abuse within this story, not only to the main characters, but to Ella as well. There are also deaths of parents within the pages.

Drizella and Anastasia didn't start out as wicked stepsisters, they were molded and fashioned into them. It begs one to consider the nature vs nurture argument while reading. Had they had a more nurturing upbringing, would their nature have been less wicked? How would the sisters have faired if their mother hadn't been so wicked herself?

Drizella is miserable in her life. She wants adventure and travel. She wants to chase the stars. When she meets a scientist in town, she thinks all the answers to her prays lay in front of her. Anastasia dreams of love and romance. She wants someone to dream with and to hold her when she's lonely. Since the kitten Lucifer that she rescued doesn't seem interested in cuddles with her, she tries to escape with a budding love interest. But lives for the sisters is complicated by an overbearing and overly watchful mother. Even meek and mild Ella cannot escape her wrath.

Read on to find out more. Love this for middle grade retellings.

3.5 stars

This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story, written from the stepsisters' point of view. I'm a fan of retellings, especially when they're done well, and I enjoyed this one. However, it was a bit more depressing than I expected, and the ending completely dashed my hopes for a different conclusion! Thankfully, this is only the first book in the series, so I'm hoping for a more uplifting ending for all three sisters.

The interesting thing is that Ella's story is barely a side story and Robin does a great job of making you feel sorry for the two stepsisters. I would rather not say anything else because I don't want to spoil anything for other readers.

Some of the things I liked included Benway's thoughtful exploration of the relationship between Drizella and Anastasia. In a household where abuse and manipulation from the parent figure are the norm, the two of them still had the usual sibling rivalry, but there was also the desire to protect the other warring with the need to protect oneself. And while Lady Tremaine was absolutely horrible, you learn that Ella's father, while he adored her, was not a great parent to his stepdaughters, explaining some of their uneasy relationship with Ella. There were many times when I wished the three of them would have opened up to each other more and leaned on each other, but that was not the situation Lady Tremaine would have fostered. But it wasn't just Lady Tremaine who was horrible. And I liked that the author included other ways people could and were horrible to Drizella and Anastasia. In truth, many contributed to the two of them being the "Wicked Ones", with Dominic and Madame Lambert being the only bright spots.

Personally, this was not a happy story, and if abuse and neglect are triggers for you, I'd probably steer clear of this. But I still think it was well done and I am looking forward to the next book and crossing my fingers for better horizons for these three girls!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Usually I love retellings of popular tales from the perspectives of unexpected characters, but The Wicked Ones just fell flat for me. Despite the focus on the stepsisters, they were far from interesting.

I love retellings, and specifically Disney retellings. When I saw this upcoming release I thought it was right up my alley with Cinderella's stepsisters' story.

Right away we see the tone set for the book. Their father is a despicable person and leaves them with nothing. He chose his own vices over his daughters and loving wife. Literally taking the ring off her finger in the night.

Their mother understandably shut down and hardened up mentally and emotionally. This really impacted the girls and shaped them into the young women we know them to be.

This is a story of how evil is made, not born. It's a good example of how dark and gritty trauma can be. However that being said, it will be hard for some readers to get through and may require a mild trigger warning.

Overall I was not a huge fan of just how abusive this got, especially for a Disney book, but it was still a decent time and new look on a fairytale we know and love. I MUCH prefer Serena Valentino's take on the backstories, but we will see where this series goes.

I personally love hearing both sides of the story and this is exactly what this book is. I am not a huge fan of Cinderella though so I think that is why the rating is so low. If you love retellings, Cinderella, and hearing both sides of the story this may be for you.

A dark twist of a classic fairy tale. The Wicked Ones draws the reader into the heart-rending backstory of Drizella and Anastasia Tremaine. A father who abandoned his young family, robbing them blind in the process. A controlling and cruel mother pressing her daughters to marry rich. We follow the sisters as the royal ball approaches and pressure mounts from the cruel Lady Tremaine. Between a handsome stable boy and a widowed scientist, hope for the future starts to shine. Will Drizella and Anastasia be able to find their own happy ever after?

It's difficult for an author to humanize the villain and Benway manages to make two of Disney's most infamous villains very human. Anastasia and Drizilla's story is taken from secondary plot points to a realistic journey of trying to find happiness after a traumatic childhood. Benway's writing takes the one-dimensional characters and turned them into real people. The book is a fresh look at the classic story that Disney fans will greatly enjoy.

I requested The Wicked Ones as soon as I saw Robin Benway’s name. I love her writing and I really enjoyed Emmy and Oliver and Far From the Tree. Obviously, this book was totally different since it was a different genre and a much different topic from her other books. I couldn’t really get into it and felt kind of bored.

An explanation of how the "wicked stepsisters" became so wicked. Most young ladies do not start off evil. It has to be learned behavior, a sort of nurture vs. nature. Drizella and Anastasia certainly didn't have any easy start in life. Their father left, taking any and all (including the wedding ring right off his wife's finger) valuable with him. Their mother, however, IS definitely pure evil. Poor Drizella and Anastasia were left with little choice but to harden their hearts in order to survive Lady Tremaine. This is a sympathetic re-telling of Cinderella, albeit from the stepsisters POV. You're still not going to feel as badly for them as you do for (Cinder)Ella.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Disney Press for this e-arc.*