This is the first Villains book that I have ever read and I loved it! Full disclosure, I’ve never seen the movie but I don’t think it really matters. I loved hearing this story from Hades’ point of view and actually found myself taking his side. Who wants to live in the underworld when they don’t even have any pie! I can’t wait to read the Ursula book next!

*Audiobook*

I have never read the Disney villain series from Serena Valentino, but Hades is my favorite Disney villain, so I was excited for this. The first several chapters are a mix of the Disney story and traditional Greek mythology. It provides a lot of background about how Hades became King of the Underworld and his relationship with Persephone which is perfect for young readers or people new to Greek mythology, but it can be a bit boring if you are knowledgeable about the topic. Nothing in the background is new information, though. The synopsis states, “And the part of the story no one tells is that when your family treats you like a villain, it is far too easy to become one.” Except that’s the exact story that everyone knows about Hades. I was expecting a new revelation about why he was banished to the underworld (per the Disney version), but it’s the same story from the movie “Hercules.” Around chapter 7 the story takes a completely different turn and becomes more interesting. I can tell that there were many connections between this book and others in the Disney villain series, particularly with The Odd Sisters, but it didn’t impact my ability to understand or enjoy the book. I loved the narration. Hades is just as sarcastic and snarky in the book as he is in the movie, and the narrator even imitates the movie version’s voice well. This is definitely more of a middle grade novel, but it was enjoyable for what it is. Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Audiobooks, and Serena Valentino for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What if you could split your string of fate and create another version of yourself? Would the temptation to duplicate yourself prove to be too great?
Hades isn't happy with what fate has given him: the realm of the dead to rule, an estranged wife, two assistants who hinder more than help, and no friendly company other than Cerberus, his 3 headed dog. Hades knows who is responsible for his woes, but how can one exact revenge against Zeus? Fate seems to interject again when the three odd sisters poof into his realm. Will Hades make friends or enemies with these sisters?

Read on to find out. This is the behind the scenes story of Hades from Disney's Hercules and he may be the most misunderstood villain of them all...

What I loved: Cerberus for obvious reasons, the conflict of emotions within Hades, the magically conjured cake.

I love the Disney Villains series. Fire and Fate, is in the series so far, leaving you wanting more. This audiobook had a great narrator and my kids were fully engaged.

How does the god of the underworld become so? Was he always so mean spirited? Does he care about anyone but himself?

All of these questions are answered in Valentino’s next installment of her a Disney villains series. Hades’ snarky humor and dialogue show through well in this book and the narrator does an excellent job of enhancing it with his vocals. The biggest success of this book was how it built upon the common story thread throughout this series that deals with the Odd Sisters. Hades had a large part to play and a couple reveals were given in this story along those lines. I like how we got to see another side of Hades’ as well other than his general dislike of everything.

Unfortunately, where this book is lacking is the typical backstory we’ve come to expect in this series. We do get a glimpse of how Hades got here, but it’s very minimal and left me wanting more.

I REALLY enjoyed the narrator for this; he added so much flair to the character that made listening a joy.

The story, told from Hades's perspective, really gives insight into his personality, his relationships, and his motivations. It was a neat look at a character that I'm not very familiar with, and told in a family friendly way that still made me giggle.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: death

**Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance audiobook.

This is my second book in this series. I read the previous book about Captain Hook. I really enjoyed how Hades (who is one of my favorite Disney villains) was written here. It very much adds to the character that we see in the movie. If you like Disney retellings/twisted tales/etc or the previous books in the this series then you will probably like this one. The narrator also did a good job.

4/5