How to Read Serena Valentino's Disney Villains Series
If you have ever wondered why Snow White's Evil Queen became so obsessed with vanity, or how Ursula ended up exiled from the royal mer-kingdom, Serena Valentino’s Disney Villains series has the answers. But unlike typical Disney retellings that treat each fairytale as its own self-contained universe, Valentino has done something much more ambitious: she has woven all of these iconic stories into a single, interconnected gothic saga.
Because of this shared universe and a complex overarching plot, we strongly recommend reading the Disney Villains series in publication order. While later books starting with Cruella De Vil’s story can technically be read as standalones, the first six books form a tight, continuous narrative arc that you will not want to disrupt.
The Disney Villains Reading Order (Publication Order)
To experience the story exactly as Serena Valentino intended, follow the publication order. This ensures you watch the background mysteries unfold naturally and understand the true puppet masters behind the villains' downfalls.
- Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen (2009) – Centering on the Evil Queen from Snow White. This opening installment introduces the mirror’s dark origins and the early stages of a magical conspiracy that defines the entire series.
- The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince (2014) – A look at the Prince from Beauty and the Beast before he met Belle. It shows his vanity and the curse that transformed him, highlighting the unseen forces pushing him toward his fate.
- Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch (2016) – Diving into the ocean depths to explore the tragic history of Ursula. The book reveals her family ties to King Triton and her exile, showing how her bitterness was nurtured by outside magic.
- Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy (2017) – Exploring Maleficent's curse on Sleeping Beauty. This book reframes her anger and shows how she was manipulated by forces seeking to sow chaos throughout the kingdoms.
- Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch (2018) – Focusing on Mother Gothel from Tangled. This novel goes deep into her history with the Rapunzel flower and her toxic maternal instincts, setting up the final pieces of the first major story arc.
- The Odd Sisters: A Tale of the Three Witches (2019) – The sixth book is a crucial turning point. Instead of focusing on a traditional Disney villain, it centers on Lucinda, Ruby, and Martha—the Odd Sisters. This book acts as the grand finale to the initial overarching narrative, tying together the plots of the previous five novels.
- Evil Thing: A Tale of the Devil Woman (2020) – Shifting the setting to a more modern, non-magical era, this book tells the tragic backstory of Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, exploring her childhood, wealth, and descent into fur-obsessed madness.
- Cold Hearted: A Tale of the Wicked Stepmother (2021) – An exploration of Lady Tremaine from Cinderella. It delves into her life before marrying Cinderella's father, detailing the losses and societal pressures that hardened her heart.
- Never Never: A Tale of the Lost Boys (2022) – Centering on Captain Hook from Peter Pan. This story details his arrival in Neverland, his complicated rivalry with Peter Pan, and how a young man lost his youth and hand to a ticking crocodile.
- Fire & Fate: A Tale of the Underworld (2023) – Exploring Hades from Hercules. The story dives into Greek mythology, explaining his banishment to the Underworld by Zeus and his schemes to take back Mt. Olympus.
- Kill the Beast: A Tale of the Forgotten Brother (2024) – Focusing on Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. This book expands on the town's hunter, his obsession with Belle, and his interactions with the mysterious forces of the woods.
- Heartbroken: A Tale of the Angry Queen (2025) – The story of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. It reveals her transition from a gentle, quirky girl into the quick-tempered tyrant who demands everyone's head.
What to Know Before You Start: The Odd Sisters & Shared Continuity
The defining feature of Serena Valentino's series is the inclusion of the Odd Sisters: Lucinda, Ruby, and Martha. These three original witch characters do not exist in the classic Disney animated films. Instead, they act as the connective tissue of the book series, manipulating events behind the scenes. They are the ones who give the Evil Queen her mirror, curse the Beast, influence Ursula, and drive Mother Gothel to extremes.
Because the first five books build up the mystery of the Odd Sisters' motives, reading them out of order will ruin the mystery. The sixth book, The Odd Sisters, acts as a direct sequel to all five preceding books, resolving their storylines and serving as a massive payoff for dedicated readers. If you jump straight into The Odd Sisters or read the books randomly, you will miss the significance of characters like Circe (their sister/daughter figure) and the larger magical political struggles of the shared world.
Can You Read the Disney Villains Books as Standalones?
For the first six books, the answer is a definitive no. Reading them out of order is highly discouraged because the meta-plot is continuous. If you read Mother Knows Best before Poor Unfortunate Soul, you will encounter major spoilers regarding the Odd Sisters and Circe.
However, from Book 7 (Evil Thing) onward, the series shifts. Because villains like Cruella de Vil and Lady Tremaine live in worlds without active high magic or direct interference from the Odd Sisters, their books are much more self-contained. You could easily read Evil Thing or Cold Hearted as standalone novels. However, they still contain easter eggs, recurring characters, and minor references to the wider universe, so reading them in order remains the best experience.
Graphic Novels & Adaptations
If you prefer a visual medium, Disney has released official graphic novel adaptations of Serena Valentino's works. So far, books like Evil Thing and Fairest of All have received graphic novel counterparts. These visual adaptations feature the same storylines but condensed for a comic format with beautiful, gothic illustrations. They are excellent companion pieces, but they do not replace the depth of the prose novels, and the complete 12-book series is currently only available in prose.
How Disney Villains Compares to Other Disney Series
Readers often confuse the Disney Villains series with other Disney YA lines, particularly Jen Calonita's A Twisted Tale series. It is important to know the difference before diving in:
- A Twisted Tale: These books are completely standalone "what-if" scenarios (e.g., "What if Aladdin never found the lamp?"). They do not share a continuity, are written by multiple authors, and can be read in any order.
- Disney Villains: This is a single, linear epic written entirely by Serena Valentino. It has a strict chronological continuity, recurring original characters, and a cohesive overarching storyline.
If you love dark fantasy, psychological depth, and seeing how your favorite Disney animated classics connect in a larger magical universe, Serena Valentino's series is the perfect place to start. Grab a copy of Fairest of All and prepare to see the villains in a whole new light.