Twisted Tales Anthology by Multiple Authors

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Igloo Books in exchange for an honest review.

I adore the Twisted Tales series. There is something so delightful about official Disney fanfiction and I was particularly excited to learn there was a short story collection. As I sometimes do with anthologies, I'm going to talk about stories individually. I can't remember the story names so I will do it by film instead. I am also going to spoil things a little because it's hard to talk about them otherwise:

Beauty and the Beast: What if Belle went to the fair instead of her father? Well, she never meets the Beast, the castle dwellers presumably are doomed and she ends up running the bookshop in the town which hated her. She's perfectly happy though. This one is a little weird because while it's nice she has an alternative for a good life, it does raise some questions.

Lion King: What if Mufasa survived the fall? This story was one of the ones I disliked the most just because it felt so out of character. Mufasa becomes a helicopter, overprotective parent when he was quite open and honest with Simba in the movie. He also still trusts Scar, so you can't even argue that the accident changed him. It was decently written but didn't really ring true.

Ratatouille: What if Remy met Colette instead of Linguine? I skimread this one as I'm not hugely into Ratatouille, and as far as I could tell, not much changes from the film. Colette still meets Linguine and they still end up owning a restaurant together, so any changes are a little superficial.

Little Mermaid: What if Eric met Ariel as a mermaid? This one was kinda cool. It has some of the same stuff as the live action remake, where Eric and Ariel get to bond a bit more because she can talk to him. However, this was another one were things didn't really change much. Rather than look interested, Ariel can now say 'that's interesting'. The story goes in a different direction but it's not super exciting.

Rattle the Stars & Fates Three: I skipped both of these as I have only seen Treasure Planet once and Brave not at all.

The Reluctant Prince: What if Bambi didn't know he was meant to be the Great Prince? And what if he didn't want to be? This was kind of the opposite of the Lion King story. I enjoyed it because I got to imagine Patrick Stewart as Bambi's dad again and that was fun. Bambi is a little whiny here but it was mostly fun.

A First Mission: What if Mulan took the job with the Emperor? This was a really strong story and a great way to end the anthology. A lot is different from the film/sequel, and it's nice to see that alternative world. I wish more stories were as bold as this

Overall Rating:

.5

Disney Villains: Happily Never After Gaston by Lorie Langdon

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Igloo Books in exchange for an honest review.

Of all the villains who deserve a sad origin story, Gaston is not one of them. Still, I was super excited to read this retelling/prequel/exploration into Disney non-canon. And I'm so glad I did!

Happily Never After Gaston is the story of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, reimagined as an ugly and unpleasant teenager. Living in his brother's shadow and hated by his family, his luck starts to change when he meets an enchantress named Agatha and they form an arrangement of sorts. If Gaston can prove himself to be a good person, she will make him attractive. It's a simple premise and one which is extremely well-executed.

This book can't have been easy to write. Gaston is intentionally a flat and unpleasant character in the original film. He has to be compelling enough here to half-lead a book, but not so sympathetic that it doesn't fit with his portrayal in the film. I'd say the author does a great job of this. Is this Gaston from the films? No, but he's close enough. And honestly, it was a lot of fun as a Beauty and the Beast fan having this alternative version of Gaston and that world.

Fun is the main word I'd use to describe this book. It has the same kind of enjoyment as the Twisted Tales books and is worth checking out for any Disney fans who like exploring the characters from new and different perspectives. It has some nice nods to the original film, good writing and characterisation, and an interesting plot

Overall Rating:

The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook by Ashley Craft

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Adams Media in exchange for an honest review.

I was very curious and a little skeptical when I saw this book. I have never been lucky enough to go to Disneyland USA and so, while I have seen many photos of delicious-looking food online, I have never been able to try any myself. When I saw this book I really wanted to give it a read and I'm so glad I did!

Firstly, this book is perfectly presented. It really captures the Disney feel and I loved how the recipes were divided by park, with a cute map to tell you exactly where each food is sold. I wasn't sure how accurate this book would be in terms of recipes, but it is genuinely all food from the park and it doesn't just stick to the generic recipes either. The effort is clear on every page and it really pays off.

The recipes themselves are pretty varied and there's a great mix. I like how many of them are very accessible and either don't require a great deal to make or else they require things you would likely already have as a cook. I will say, this is an american book and some of the ingredients aren't super common in the UK. This isn't a huge issue as you can usually get the ingredient somewhere (or substitute it) and it was maybe 3 or 4 of the recipes it applied to, but it's something to be aware of as a UK reader.

Overall, this book is a real treat for Disney fans. It was everything I wanted from the title and the recipes themselves seem a whole lot of fun. I definitely recommend it for the Disney fan in your life.

Overall Rating: