Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review

Title: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil novelisation
Author: Elizabeth Rudnick
Published: October 2019
Publisher: Scholastic
Readership: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★.5

I received a copy of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There’s something deeply compelling about the stories of villains, and the villains of Disney films have always been iconic. Maleficent is perhaps one of the most striking villains, and her story, retold in the first film Maleficent, was  a deeply compelling tale of what happens when love goes wrong and you’re betrayed by the ones you least expect.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a novelisation of the sequel film, following the events of the first film and how Maleficent and Princess Aurora have become family, and how that family is once again threatened by those who distrust anyone from the Moors. As Aurora accepts Prince Phillip’s marriage proposal, the possibility of united the Fair Folk and human realms seems possible, until a curse befalls Phillip’s father, the King, and the blame falls on Maleficent’s shoulders.

I enjoyed reading this middle-grade novelisation. It prompted me to finally sit down and watch the first Maleficent film. It was nice to have the visuals to support the description in this book. The language and storyline are easy to follow and we have the added bonus of perspectives from different characters – Aurora, Maleficent, Phillip and others.

The book itself is gorgeous, with illustrated chapter titles and decorative elements throughout the book that make it an aesthetically pleasing book to look at. (Or gift to someone who loves to read stories set in the world of Disney stories!)

This is the perfect book for younger, avid readers who enjoy fantasy books filled with magic and mystery.