*The Dark Ascension Series: The Lost Ones* by Lauren DeStefano is a haunting and immersive journey into a world of darkness and mystery. DeStefano’s richly developed characters and evocative prose make this a compelling addition to the fantasy genre, filled with twists and emotional depth that leave a lasting impact.

Thank you to Disney and NetGalley for providing an ARC. Opinions are my own!
I love a character backstory, and with a villain twist… it’s even better! This is a fun addition to the series and a rare peek into Hook’s life, as he’s often overlooked. It seemed to be a slow build and took a while for me to get into. That said, hardcore Disney, villain, or Peter Pan lore fans will want to dive in—just be patient and willing to trudge at times!

I love anything that takes a familiar tale and gives it a twist that completely changes everything. This is very well done and I couldn't put it down. For the first time, I was on the side of Captain Hook!

James and Marlene are fifteen-year-old twins. Their parents are okay, but a bit neglectful because of the jobs they do to keep their family fed. Their mother expects Marlene to be dainty and delicate rather than messy and excitable, and their father expects James to take over his fishing business rather than having a head for mathematics. On their birthday, an accident leads them to Never Land. There, they meet Peter Pan, they shake up the status quo, and they try to decide for themselves where and who they really want to be.

This is, obviously, the origin story of Capt. Jas. Hook. We all know that he's the villain in Peter Pan's story. This book looks at the reasoning for WHY Hook hates Pan so very much.

I have always been a sucker for a book about Never Land. I remember watching the Mary Martin stage show when it was aired on TV in the 80s and playing along with it with my cousins. (Looking at it with the eyes of today, things like the "Ugga Mugga Wigwam" song were insanely racist, but we just thought we were singing funny sounding words and playing with Peter Pan.) But the idea of never growing up has always held so much appeal. This book takes a different look at Never Land, though. It has you think about "but what if you COULDN'T remember anything about before, and what if Peter made it that way himself, and what if he refused to let you leave?" And most importantly, "what would happen if you DIDN'T follow Peter's rules?"

This book is so good. The characters fly off the page. (With pixie dust, if course!) And seeing the invention and ingenuity that James is able to tap into because he's in a place where he can thrive without outside pressure is great. It's fun to watch both James and Marlene learn how to make their own way in this world with no parents. The way that James descends into his future as Hook comes both gradually and all at once, in the most twisty, Never-Land-y way. Every time you think it's going to have happened, things shift again and there's more to come.

This makes me want to read Peter Pan again in the worst way. I might just do it again this year. As I said, I have a hard time saying no to Never Land.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

I absolutely love anything and everything Neverland and Captain Hook.

But make it dark and a prequel.

This book does it. I loved it.

And a twin sister for Hook!

And to see Hook before and learn what causes him to be the way he is? Yes. All things yes.

READ IT!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

The Lost Ones is a take on Peter Pan, with twins finding themselves in Neverland with Peter and the Lost Boys. I binged The Lost Ones, the next in the Dark Ascension Series, in a few sittings and would recommend it to anyone wanting a quick, middle grade tale.

This was an odd take on the Hook origin story. Despite exploring the darker side of Peter Pan and Never Land, it still felt a bit too simple. The slight romantic subplot felt shoehorned and completely unnecessary.

As has been established, I'm often a sucker for fairytale retellings, and will generally go for every single one that comes my way; combined with the fact that I've been a Disney kid my whole life, I was really excited to see Disney Publishing come out with the Queens' Council series, following the untold parts of the Princesses' stories, and this, the Dark Ascension series, which delves into the stories of favorite villains. Unfortunately, my experiences with both series so far have been underwhelming: this, like "Realm of Wonders" from the Queens' Council series, does not manage to feel like a visit to familiar characters, but instead just seems to try to make the source material ~edgy~. For a relatively short book, this took me an inordinately long time to read, because I had a hard time connecting to the characters - James, who we know will grow up to be Captain Hook, but here is a shy, self-effacing, and soft teenager in the shadows of his bold twin sister Marlene were both - and the pacing of the story itself. While I understand that the meandering parts were probably meant to reflect the shiftless time of Never Land, there were large parts where just...nothing happened. And while I also love a good "who's ACTUALLY the villain of 'Peter Pan,' and is it Peter?" moment, everything here came to a head too close to the end of the book, and therefore felt rushed. I think I'll probably not feel any particular urgency to read more of either of these series, which is a little disappointing, but for a reader who's not as much of an admitted Disney snob as I am, maybe they're just the ticket.

Disney tale rewrites are the best rewrites. Who knew there was so much to learn about the past of the fearsome Captain Hook! Fans of Peter Pan, or tragic backstories, will enjoy this book,

I don’t know about you but I love a good villain origin story. This was such a fun engaging read. I think younger readers will definitely enjoy this one.

I love a good origin story and this series is chock full of how the Disney villains we know (and love) became so bad!
This book is centered on a teenaged Captain Hook (young James) and his twin sister, Marlene. (I know, who knew right?!) Anyway, It seems they found Neverland way before Hook became the greatest pirate captain to ever menace a hero. After reading this, you'll come to understand why Hook made the choices he made and why he hates Peter Pan so much.

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

In the original story of Peter Pan, James Hook is the villain - he hates Peter Pan with a passion that is never explained. This novel provides that explanation.

When James was born, he had a twin sister, Marlene; their personalities were as opposite as their appearances were similar. The siblings were born to a fisherman father and a nanny mother, hard-working people who did the best they could, knowing it wasn't, quite, enough; knowing that twins were unexpected, unplanned for, and even more difficult to provide for than the single child they expected. But they did the best they could. Their best included expectations for their children that each found untenable: for James, an inquisitive, quiet, rationale child with a head for figures, that meant inheriting his father's fishing business; for Marlene, an extroverted, exuberant, enthusiastic child who in no way fit her mother's expectations for a girl, that meant being constantly reined in. On the day of their 15th birthday, the two receive gifts indicative of their parents' expectations for them, and Marlene wishes to be somewhere else - a wish that leads them to Neverland, and the explanation for just why James Hook hates Peter Pan so.

This is a fun and fast-paced novel which leaves the reader guessing right up the very end. I look forward to the next book in the series. Recommended for readers from middle school to adult.

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

This story follows James and his twin sister before he became a pirate.

She is not lady like enough for their mother and James has no interest in becoming a fisherman. Basically useless children to their parents. The ocean makes him sick, and he has no desire to be on the sea. The siblings end up in neverland and run into a Peter that is... let's just say less than innocent.

This story was pretty mentally manipulative and not the fairytale I was hoping for. Side characters were extras, not really fleshed out and James had personality traits I just cannot picture having for the pirate and villain he became.

Overall this was just OK. I definitely prefer other backstories that have been written.

I preferred this dark telling of Disney Villains to the first one. I feel like this one was much darker and gave a more original movie focused reason on my James Hook would eventually become Captain Hook. This story plays on a darker side of Peter Pan that we have been seeing in recent years and it makes the original movie look so different. A great addition for Disney Villain lovers.

I love Peter Pan stories and this brought a new angle to the story. James (who eventually becomes Captain Hook) and his sister, Marlene, find themselves in Neverland and must determine if it's what they really want.

The story is absolutely engaging as you get the personalities of not just James and Marlene, but of Peter and Sam as well. Some side characters weren't as fleshed out but they served their purpose. DeStefano did an excellent job showing the morally grey Pan (while the intent of his actions is admirable, the execution is not), and how James develops the harshness and hatred of Peter Pan. I think the ending was cut a bit too soon, leaving some questions about his rise as a Captain, but it is a great beginning to such an iconic character.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for access to the ARC.

James and his twin, Marlene, have always felt that they didn't really belong. Not in their family or their town. Marlene isn't feminine enough for their mother who works in the city, and James is too bookish for their father, who expects him to take over the fishing business. One rainy birthday, James accidentally falls into the sea, and Marlene jumps in to save him. When they surface, they are no longer in England, but somewhere else, somewhere they don't recognize. When they're greeting by a ragtag group of boys and their leader, as well as tiny fairies. As James and Marlene spend time in Never Land with Peter and the lost boys, they slowly begin to forget home and become "lost" as well. But there is a dark secret being kept, and James and Marlene are in more danger than they realize.

This is the second book in The Dark Ascension Series, and I have read both as ARCs. These are some of the better villain origin stories that I've read, and I really enjoyed the author's take on Captain Hook and Peter Pan. It's not the first time that Peter has been portrayed as morally gray (at best), and I do wish there was more backstory on that, but this is Captain Hook's story, not his. Though I prefer the backstory for Captain Killian "Hook" Jones on Once Upon A Time, this'll do :)

I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley, in return for my honest review and opinions.

The Lost Ones is a well-crafted, multifaceted origin story that cleverly and consistently unites Peter Pan’s Captain James Hook with DeStefano’s newly-created character. Twins James and Marlene are as thick as thieves despite the stark contrasts in their personalities, skills and overall sense of adventure. Both characters grow significantly throughout the course of the story which provides ongoing intrigue and interest in each chapter which parallels an action-packed plot. One of the Lost Boys, Sam, is also given an enticing and rather sad origin story that is uncovered throughout and was one of my favorite supporting facets of this tale. I also loved the focus on memory; the role it plays in Never Land and, more broadly, what it means to the each of the characters. This theme and its exploration added a mature, confronting element to a young adult novel which had me hooked (pun intended).

DeStefano thoughtfully transforms James from a two-dimensional villain into relatable young man with hopes and dreams. 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 in terms of personal struggles and relationships. While James grapples with stepping out of his sister’s shadow, Marlene faces the tough choice of charting a course for her future, one that means choosing between being separated from her brother or from Never Land. In the twins’ tug-of-war story between the certainty of life in London and the wonder of Never Land, all is destined (unfortunately) not to end well.

Despite a heartbreaking final chapter (which is perfect for an inevitably tragic tale), The Lost Ones does complete justice to Captain Hook and the greater Peter Pan universe albeit with a dark spin. A gripping page-turner right to the very end, The Lost Ones, like The Wicked Ones before it, belongs on every bookshelf accessible to young readers who know what it is to struggle with balancing dreams and reality.

This one surprised me a lot. I found it hard to believe I ever could like Peter Pan because in my eyes he has always been the reckless and almost cruel boy who has no empathy. I loved how this book made me rethink the the character, though ultimately I remain convinced he is too clever, too cunning, too lacking in empathy and innocence to ever be classified as a hero. My favorite in this universe has always been Captain Hook and his character is given much depth in this addition to the lore of Peter Pan and Never Land. His sister is a vastly enjoyable character and helps to explain his resentment of Peter and the Lost Boys. She is a perfect embodiment of what would happen to a quick witted, young woman were she to be caught in the thrall of Never Land. James and his twin sister Marlene are on a path to adulthood that neither is thrilled to follow. Though James hopes to escape his fathers plans for him to work at sea asa fisherman in favor of a life in numbers and finances( haha, I see the parallel you drew to Mr. Darling there, very clever since the two characters are often contrasted against one another in movie format and many books) , Marlene has no hope of escaping the society that will crush her into the role of a refined and joyless woman destined to be married off and live a life of restraint. When they accidentally wind up called to Never Land through unconventional means, they find themselves in the thrall of charismatic Peter and his hoard of fairies, but the twins are no Lost Boys. They are sharp witted, educated, and independent and more than a match for Peter’s wily ways. Though Peter first tries to win over Marlene, then later when that fails, James, he will find he has greatly underestimated the bond between the two opposite yet equally fierce and resourceful twins, and in his attempt to control them and maintain his rule of Never Land it will cost him dearly and set in stone the origin of his most notorious enemy. The overall story is very fast paced and a lot of fun and nail biting moments of peril and adventure. Although no one is supposed to die in Never Land you find yourself constantly worrying that rule will be broken, even by Peter himself, who , while often portrayed as a protagonist, shows his true colors and draws a great deal of sympathy for the infamous Hook. Overall a great read and highly recommended, It’s rather more heartbreaking and dark than I first expected but no less intense and excellent reading. I was a bit shocked by the numerous fairy casualties and it makes sense why Peter is later only accompanied by Tinkerbell. Also, the introduction of Smee was a treat, as well as the new characters added to the roster. Never Land has never been more foreboding and intriguing.

I enjoyed this story that focused on the villain origin stories. It was interesting. Sometimes villains have a reason for going bad.