Walt Disney Animation Studios released its first animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 based on Snow White by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Subsequently more Disney adaptations of fairy tales were (and continue to be) released that immortalized these stories for decades to come. There are, of course, books based on these classics as well. However, in 2015, Disney published a series of books, called Twisted Tales, based on selected classics but with a twist premise, such as “What if the sleeping beauty never woke up?”
How many Disney Twisted Tales are there?
Disney’s A Twisted Tale series so far has 11 books with a 12th one coming soon. Wondering which classic tales and what premise each title is based on? Here’s a list:
- Aladdin – A Whole New World (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if Aladdin had never found the lamp?
- Sleeping Beauty – Once Upon a Dream (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if the sleeping beauty never woke up?
- Beauty and the Beast – As Old as Time (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if Belle’s mother cursed the Beast?
- Mulan – Reflection (By Elizabeth Lim)
- Premise: What if Mulan had to travel to the underworld?
- The Little Mermaid – Part of Your World (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if Ariel had never defeated Ursula?
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Mirror, Mirror (By Jen Calonita)
- Premise: What if the Evil Queen poisoned the prince?
- Frozen – Conceal, Don’t Feel (By Jen Calonita)
- Premise: What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other?
- Cinderella – So This is Love (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper?
- Peter Pan – Straight on Till Morning (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if Wendy first travelled to Never Land with Captain Hook?
- Alice in Wonderland – Unbirthday (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if Wonderland was in peril and Alice was very late?
- Hercules – Go the Distance (By Jen Calonita)
- Premise: What if Meg had to become a Greek God?
- Coming soon: Tangled – What Once was Mine (By Liz Braswell)
- Premise: What if Rapunzel’s mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?
Is there an order to Disney Twisted Tales?
No. Any of these titles can be read independently as they are each about a different Disney story.
*Disclosure: We only recommend books that we love and would read ourselves. This post contains affiliate links, as we are part of the Amazon Services LCC Associate Program and others, which may earn us a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
A quick review of a couple of books from the Twisted Tales series
So This Is Love. A Twisted Tale. By Elizabeth Lim. “What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper?”
This tale begins with Cinderella’s arrival at the Royal Ball, her brief encounter with the Prince and running off home at midnight leaving a glass slipper behind. As per the original story, her stepmother doesn’t let her try on the slipper and from this point onward a different series of events arise. Her stepmother attempts to sell Cinderella who escapes while the carriage was taking her away. She ends up finding work at the castle.
Amidst trying to figure out why magic is banned from the kingdom or what the family tensions are between the king and his sister, there are hints of a conspiracy going on. Will the prince recognize Cinderella and will they be allowed to have a happily ever after?
I was expecting more from this but it was a decent read nonetheless.
A Whole New World. A Twisted Tale. By Liz Braswell. “What if Aladdin never found the lamp?”
This is a story of Aladdin and Jasmine having to fight Jafar without the help of the genie or the magic carpet. Its really not quite the same without them. The story loses some of its magic touch without the involvement of these beloved characters on our hero and heroine’s side.
Sadly, I found this book disappointing as there was too much doom and gloom. The only positive aspect of this book was that the story highlights Jasmine’s strength, determination, and resourcefulness as she makes new friends and allies with people to enlist their help in saving her kingdom.
What age are the Disney Twisted Tales for?
It is expected that a Disney fan who enjoys young adult fiction will like this series. As a Disney fan who enjoys YA fiction, I have mixed feelings about Disney’s Twisted Tales series. I feel that younger YA fiction fans will likely enjoy this more than adults do.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is not a bad series as long as you don’t set your expectations too high. Seeing as the initial release of this series was only a collection of 9 books and that more titles were subsequently released, I think we can expect more stories to come out yet. Keep an eye out if your favorite Disney character’s “twisted” story is not on this list yet.
