#twisted tale

[torpublishinggroup]

“How did you get a demon in your chicken?”

“The usual way. Couldn’t put it in the rooster. That’s how you get basilisks.” —T. Kingfisher, Nettle & Bone, on sale now

And don’t forget to check out What Moves the Dead, hitting shelves July 2022

#tkingfisher #fantasy #twisted tale #fairy tale #house of usher #ursula vernon #nettle&bone #nettle and bone #paladin #what moves the dead #tor books #tor nightfire #bookblr

[nerdasaurus1200]

So my friend @monster13souhaits got the Twisted Tale coloring book and eeee! We finally got a look at Gina’s appearance and more New Dream cuteness!!!!

#tts #rta #tangled #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #twisted tale #what once was mine #nerd talks #rapunzel #eugene fitzherbert #gina #new dream

[skatoonyfan1234]

Disney A Twisted Tale Book Idea:

Time Of Your Life

Film: A Bug's Life

Scenario: What if Atta was banished instead of Flik?

Plot: It's a dark time for Ant Island. The circus bugs have been exposed, and they, alongside the ant who found them, Flik, were supposed to be exiled, but, in an unexpected twist even Flik never saw coming, Atta ultimately takes responsibility for the whole thing, ultimately leading to her exile from Ant Island, instead of Flik and the circus bugs.

When Hopper turns up and forces the ants and the circus bugs to gather food for him, Dot, Flik and Dim are able to escape, and set off to warn Atta about Hopper's plot. But Atta is still reluctant to return to the island she once called home, even with the ant that she couldn't bear to exile before. Will Flik and Dot help Atta to find the courage to return home, and prove she's ready to be the queen before Hopper tears apart the colony, and Ant Island?

#a bugs life #twisted tale #atta #flik #princess dot #hopper #exiled #what if

[l-egionaire]

So, apparently THIS is how Syndrome recruited Mirage in the Incredibles.

#Incredibles #Twisted Tales #Twisted tale #Disney #Mirage incredibles

[nuitthegoddess]

Finished Once Upon a Dream Twisted Tale like fuuuuuck I FORGET HOW GOOD IT WAS OMGGG

ALL HAIL QUEEN AURORA

IN THAT BOOK SHE WAS NO DAMSEL IN DISTRESS AND SHE HAD A SWORD AND DOING ALL THE MOST LIKE AN ELEGANT BADASS WOMAN AS SHE SHOULD BE

HER PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER DID INFLUENCE MY TWST AURORA OC AURELAIN SO MUCH THAT I AM SO PROUD

HOW SHE STEPPED UP TO MALEFICENT SO MANY TIMES WAS SUCH *CHEFS KISS*

AND MALEFICENT WAS BEING DRAGGED BY HER AND HER REASON WHY SHE CURSED HER WAS SUCH A HER THING TO DO. NO REDEMPTION ARCS OR ANYTHING. SHE SAID DON’T MESS WITH SOMEONE WITH POWER AND BEING A BITCH❤️ GAWD MY WIFE IS AMAZING

YALL AURELIAN IS SO AURORA ROSE FROM TWISTED TALE. 🌹🧵🦉🕊️🐿️💖💙💚

YALL PLZ GO READ IT

Thank u for coming to my Ted talk PFPFP

#twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted tale #twst aurora #malleus draconia #maleficent #aurelian hawthorn #princess aurora #royal sword academy oc #inspiration #book #disney

[theengineeringmage]

As Old As Time: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell

What if we learned more about Belle’s mother? Who is she? Where is she? How do her interactions impact Belle’s life? And why is she important to this tale as old as time?

I love how this story gives background on who Belle’s mother was and how she met Maurice. I love the parallels they show between Belle and Rosalind as they switch back and forth in time and stories. We never knew about her mother and there were fan theories about how her mother might’ve been the witch to curse the beast. These alternative universes offer interesting contrasts to the stories we know.

I love how awkward Beast is in the beginning. He is usually aggressive towards Belle and the only kindness comes from the servants of the house, but this version shows him awkwardly trying to be nice. It is very endearing. It also fits with his personality as a young prince without others to interact with and his lack of social decorum. Instead of a brute, we see someone who lacked guidance and was deprived of those opportunities with this curse.

There is a difference between the flow of the story as it gets broken a lot by the changing of times, but it offers more of a unique outlook that we didn’t get in the movies. There is also more about Belle and her interactions with the servants and it shows some of her more assertive qualities. I already knew she was headstrong, but the movies made it very surface level, but the level of defiance also speaks to her age. She is very snarky and less of the ideal princess she was portrayed as. I probably like that change in character trait more than anything. Her inner strength is something new and refreshing. She criticizes the idea of falling in love so fast, so I think her and movie Elsa would get along. I love this new side to Belle. She is incredibly smart and when she starts piecing things together I admire her more.

I think it is interesting how each retelling of the beauty and the beast is different. Belle’s mom isn’t mentioned in the original animated film. The live action version depicts Belle’s mother dying. The book suggests that she left Belle and Maurice. It is so interesting how each of these variations is important to Belle’s portrayal and her discovery of herself.

This also explores Belle’s and Beast’s relationship in more detail and how they got close. It gives a more behind the scenes feel of the story that we already know. It doesn’t runaway from the scary or difficult truths of the story and creates a completely plausible world where magic existed but was eradicated by fear and power.

I would definitely recommend this to people who want a refreshing take on Beauty and the Beast.

#book review #Disney #Twisted Tale #Belle #Beauty and the Beast #rose #magic #alternative universe #yafantasy #fantasy #fiction #fairytale #Liz Braswell #Elizabeth Braswell

[twistedtummies2]

Four Must-Read Books Based on “Alice in Wonderland”

I know I just finished my “Artists in Wonderland” event, but I’m still in an Alice mood, and especially in regards to literature. So I decided to cover another topic in terms of Wonderland in writing: different books based on the “Alice” stories. Of course, movies, video games, and TV shows have given us countless reinterpretations of the “Alice” stories and characters, but there have been just as many - and probably more - in writing. From stories based on the real-life events behind the scenes, to sequels, reimaginings, and prequels of the Carrollian classics, literature has provided an abundance of different takes on Wonderland. What’s interesting is that - beyond children’s picture books and such other things -  many of these reinterpretations take a darker and more adult stance with the story, creating unique lore and diving into the characters in a way Carroll’s stories do not do. This is nothing new, of course, but literature can do this in a way that most screen-based versions either cannot or do not. Now, there are numerous books based on Wonderland, like I said, and I’ve read my fair share. Today, however, I wanted to provide a short “must read” list with four key books that I feel anyone interested in “Alice” should take a look at. Again, there are a LOT more than four. Some books I enjoy that I won’t be mentioning here are The Splintered Trilogy, The Alice Chronicles, The Queen of Hearts Saga, Still She Haunts Me, After Alice, and Grin: The Unauthorized Biography of a Cheshire Cat. These are just to name a few that aren’t included here: all of them have their own unique merits and are worth looking up if you have time. These are just four books that I would classify as the cream of the crop. I should add that I won’t be including non-fiction books on the list, such as biographies, analytical or informational texts, etc. I’m specifically looking at works of fiction inspired by the stories. With that said, here are Four Must-Read Books for Alice in Wonderland Fans.

4. Alice I Have Been.

I’m starting this off with the most unique and arguably the most fascinating of the whole bunch. “Alice I Have Been,” written by Melanie Benjamin, is NOT an “Alice in Wonderland” story. It isn’t about the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, or any of the characters in the books. Instead, this is a piece of historical fiction that effectively tells the life story of Alice Hargreaves (nee Liddell), the young lady who inspired Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) to write the Wonderland books to begin with. The novel focuses on Alice’s relationship with Carroll, of course, but also just on her life in general, as she squares off her own desires and simple humanity with the fact that she is seen as someone she isn’t. In a way, the book is a lot like the movie “Dreamchild,” but while that film occasionally brings people into the fantasy of Wonderland and mostly focuses on Alice as an old woman, “Alice I Have Been” sticks entirely to the real world, and traces her life pretty much from birth to death. It’s not a biography, as it IS written in the form of a novel, and does take some liberties here and there based on the writer’s presumptions and the themes and ideas they want to play with. However, it does paint a very sincere and true-to-life portrait of the young woman, whose life story so many people never really paid attention to. If you’re more interested in reading about the actual Wonderland characters and world, then the other three books on this list are going to be more to your taste, but I felt I simply could not leave Melanie Benjamin’s gorgeous story out of the running.

3. Unbirthday.

This book is part of a series by Liz Braswell, called “Twisted Tales.” The series is published by Disney, and in each novel, a question is asked about a particular Disney movie. The novel then riffs on that question, usually by presenting a sort of AU or “What If?” scenario, but sometimes by creating a new story, a prequel or sequel, to provide a new spin on the world and characters. The latter is the case with “Unbirthday.” Admittedly, Unbirthday’s premise is not the most inspired: a grown-up Alice returns to Wonderland, and finds it has become a darker and more dangerous place than ever before. She thus joins forces with a group of freedom fighters to battle the Queen of Hearts and save Wonderland. This exact premise, in those two sentences, can sum up a LOT of different “Alice” works. And I mean A LOT: most of the more prominent darker reinterpretations of Wonderland follow that basic formula. This book isn’t the first, and it isn’t the last. So, what makes it special? One simple little thing: all other darker Wonderlands with this premise are essentially their own invention. They aren’t based on any specific pre-existing version of the stories, they’re really their own thing, with their own special spin on the setting and characters. “Unbirthday” is interesting because it’s actually based on a very particular version of Wonderland, the Disney one. This makes the story unique, because we aren’t simply seeing newer, darker takes on the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, and other characters. We’re seeing the Disney ones - the ones so many of us know best and are familiar with from childhood, beyond all the rest - being corrupted and twisted in various ways. Similarly, we aren’t simply seeing a grown-up Alice, we’re seeing the Disney Alice all grown up. It’s a bit like watching “Spider-Man: No Way Home” versus “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Both are films with similar concepts at play, but they take very different approaches, and a big part of this is that one uses versions of the characters we’ve seen before and have a pre-established connection with, while the other is totally original. The best part is that Braswell’s writing is so meticulously handled, the characters really DO feel like those Disney versions, from the way they speak to the way they are described as generally behaving. If you’re a fan of dark Wonderlands, a fan of the Disney film, or both, check this one out.

2. Heartless.

This book by Marissa Meyer is a rare example of a prequel to the “Alice” stories. This is something that actually isn’t as common as you would think. Sequels to Wonderland and reimaginings of the story are pretty easy to come by, but prequels - stories that detail the world before Alice - are quite rare. I think this is mostly because, in the books, Wonderland is supposedly just a dream Alice had. And in many strict adaptations, it’s left ambiguous, at best, how much of Wonderland was a dream and how much of it was real. So what’s the point in creating a backstory and lore to a world that doesn’t exist? Well, of course, these works base themselves on the idea it DOES exist, and while they are not common, they are out there. In my opinion, “Heartless” is the single best Wonderland prequel I’ve ever come across. The story ostensibly tells the tale of how the Queen of Hearts - here named Catherine - became the fat, pompous, bad-tempered old tyrant we all know and love to hate. In other words, it’s essentially “Wicked” (the novel, not the play), but for the Queen of Hearts. And much like “Wicked,” it not only gives us the skinny on the main villainess, but also involves multiple other characters from the books, most notably the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Duchess, and the King of Hearts, although other characters show up here and there, too. The primary reason I think Meyer’s book tops other prequels to the stories is simply this: with other prequels I’ve encountered, there’s always this sort of inconclusive feeling. Like, it’s hard to imagine these characters becoming the ones in the Carroll stories. That ISN’T the case with “Heartless”: not only is Catherine’s petulant, furious, rage-filled personality perfectly understandable, giving a once comically cruel and violently nasty villain a sympathetic and complex persona, but other characters feel very natural in their progression from where they start off to where we next see them. They’re written in such a way that they really do feel like those Victorian caricatures of madness we all care about so much, while still existing in their own unique space. This, above all else, makes Heartless one of my favorite Wonderland-based books. Check it out if you ever wanted to know what life was like before Alice’s fall.

1. The Looking-Glass Wars.

Frank Beddor’s “The Looking-Glass Wars” Trilogy is, without a doubt, my favorite book based on the “Alice” stories. It’s another dark reimagining of Wonderland that, on the surface, has the same basic formula “Unbirthday” and so many other stories have, but the way it interprets the world and the characters is totally its own, and wonderfully creative. The premise of “The Looking-Glass Wars” is that the story we all know and love so well is a boldfaced lie: the tale begins when Alyss Heart - the Princess of Wonderland, rightful heir to the throne - has her parents killed and kingdom usurped by her evil Aunt Redd. With the aid of Hatter Madigan, her loyal bodyguard, Alyss escapes through the Pool of Tears to our world…but because of some problems in-transit, Hatter is thrown all the way into France, while Alyss ends up in a slum in England. She is eventually taken in by the Liddell family, and meets Charles Dodgson, who writes a story inspired by the “wild fantasies” she tells him about. This story, of course, becomes the “Alice in Wonderland” we all know and love today. As time goes on, Alice forgets her old life and world entirely…until she’s finally rediscovered by her people, and brought back (along with Hatter M.) to Wonderland, to join the resistance and take back the crown from her traitorous aunt. In essence, the first book is “The Lion King” but with a Wonderland motif…but that’s only where the story starts, as the book would have two sequels, and not one, but TWO spin-off comic book series. I love the imagination and unique perspective Beddor’s books have, and the way it reinterprets classic characters. Some of them - like Aunt Redd, Bibwit Harte, and Blue the Caterpillar - feel very much like the Wonderlandian characters we all know and love, just a bit darker than usual. Others - like The Cat, Hatter Madigan, and Dodge Anders (Alice’s love interest, based on the Dodo, of all characters) - are radically different from the ones we know and love, but that’s kind of the point. The way the books mesh fantasy and history, tradition and new ideas, and so on really is one-of-a-kind, and it’s by far one of my favorite takes on “Alice” in general, and one that I wish more people knew about. I would love to see these books adapted to TV or cinema, or even to video games. Until that day, the stories stand on their own well enough. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of the comic book spinoffs I mentioned, but the original novels are truly fantastic. Read this trilogy as soon as you can.

#recommended reading #literature #list #countdown #best #favorites #top 4 #must-read #books #alice in wonderland #lewis carroll #alice i have been #melanie benjamin #unbirthday #twisted tale #liz braswell #heartless #marissa meyer #the looking-glass wars #lgw #frank beddor

[daniellesreadingnook]

So for my birthday, I decided to order myself the newest book in the Disney A Twisted Tale series: Almost There!!

This twisted tale is based on the Disney movie “Princess and the Frog.”

But instead of Prince Naveen making the deal with the Shadow Man, Tiana makes the deal with the Shadow Man instead.

I can’t wait to see what Tiana goes through to defeat the Shadow Man with the help of the other characters!!

#danielle's reading nook #booklr #almost there #the princess and the frog #princess and the frog #princess tiana #prince naveen #new orleans #disney a twisted tale series #disney twisted tales series #twisted tale #a twisted tale #shadow man #dr facilier

[keysandopenmind]

I read What Once Was Mine and I have... Thoughts.

(link to the Etsy shop where I got the Rapunzel brooch and Pascal earrings)

Yeah, so, uh, this got long. 😂This review has all the spoilers.

General:

The Framing Device

So I've only read one other Twisted Tale and it didn't do this, and from a couple of reviews I read, I gather none of the other Twisted Tales do this.

It's trying to be The Princess Bride, with a brother re-writing the story of Tangled for his sixteen-year-old sister, who is undergoing chemotherapy. He's patiently sat through the movie with her multiple times and read the book of the movie to her twice, so he suggests this time, he put his own spin on the story and tell her a different version.

One which includes historical figures like Countess Bathory. I think the idea was “Brendan is a history nerd and he’s showing off in his reinterpretation of the story” but it just didn’t make much sense (see “The Setting”, below).

I guess this would be fine if it just bookended the book, but it doesn't. Every now and then there's a couple of pages where Daniella questions the direction the plot is taking, and Brendan justifies it, and tells her to just wait, he’s got it figured out.

Honestly, it felt like these scenes were a way for the author to say, “Yeah, I know this bit’s weird and maybe doesn’t work, but shhh, we’re rolling with it.”

When you read the author’s note, you learn that Liz Braswell’s sister had cancer and lost her hair and it was through that journey that she realised why Rapunzel’s hair is such a key thing and so symbolic for a lot of people and I’m just… you could have still had that in mind and just not actually put it in your book.

The Setting

So instead of being set in Ye Olde Fantasy Times in Ye Olde Fantasy Setting, this is set in Europe. Our Europe. Supposedly. During the late fifteenth century. And all I can think of, if we’re somewhere in the Hungary/Slovakia/Czech Republic region during that time period, how on Earth has Corona maintained its independence and not being taken over by the Hapsburgs?

The “Twist” // The Plot

This is a Twisted Tale after all, and I liked the idea of the Moondrop Flower instead of the Sundrop in general. I also liked the idea of Rapunzel’s magic being tied to the phases of the moon and mostly being different types of transformation.

It’s a very surface-level story, though? There’re no big themes about finding your dreams. She doesn’t even SEE THE LANTERNS in the end. THE LANTERNS. RAPUNZEL’S WHOLE THING. They just end up missing that entirely, and she’s totally cool with it.

It’s really just a thing happens and then that is followed by another thing, and then another. The cause and effect is limited, and there’s no foreshadowing anything.

There are people after her, but the stakes never really feel high. The showdown at the end is all done and dusted in a couple of pages. There is no real villain.

Also, it’s one thing in the original where Rapunzel is kidnapped and her parents have no idea where she’s been taken. Even though they don’t know exactly where she is in this one, they did give her up willingly because they were scared of the damage her hair could do… but you’re telling me they didn’t spend every waking hour researching the Moonflower and talking to every witch in the vicinity and finding out exactly how its powers work, all with the intention of bringing Rapunzel home asap?

It honestly feels like a teenager’s improvised fanfiction, and if that’s what they were going for with the whole Brendan and Daniella device, then… well done, I guess?

Characters:

Rapunzel

Her characterisation was pretty good. She’s still got that boundless enthusiasm for learning and for adventure. She’s resourceful. Gothel has her convinced that she killed her parents with her hair and that she’s a murderer, rather than “the outside world is dangerous”, which was an interesting change. She still loves to paint and when she learns how her power changes throughout the lunar cycle, she starts painting lunar charts to document it and that felt really in character. The whole “have to visit a magic circle of rocks and make an offering to the goddess to tap into your powers properly” felt out of place though. Canon Rapunzel isn’t called a witch for her magic, and I didn’t really see why this version had to be either (don’t get me wrong, I love me some witchcraft in my fantasy books, but just… not here).

Flynn/Eugene

Heh. He’s still working with the Stabbingtons and steals the crown and is apparently a totally accomplished thief and a rogue and all that but he just felt a lot younger and less swashbuckling. Also he got badly injured in the confrontation where Rapunzel is captured and taken to Bathory, and I think the author was going for a parallel with Gothel stabbing him in the movie, but there isn’t the same level of connection between him and Rapunzel here, so there’s no big sacrifice, and honestly, I found it kind of funny when he kept fainting from the pain during the final rescue. I’m pretty sure I was not supposed to find it funny.

Which brings me to the romance.

If this hadn’t been a Tangled retelling, I probably would have been okay with it. It wouldn’t have excited me but I would have accepted it. But because it is a Tangled retelling, it just feels like it’s missing so much. There’s no charm. Not much in the way of flirting. There’s no real evolution of Flynn’s feelings, just one second, he’s bringing Rapunzel flowers to apologise for the fact that they’re going to miss the lanterns because he how much she wanted to see them. And then he just randomly kisses her because apparently he ~cares~ about her now.

Admittedly, I did get a great deal of amusement out of this exchange:

Flynn: {attempts the Smoulder on Rapunzel} Rapunzel: {thinking} What is he doing with his face? {tries to mimic him} Flynn: Oh my god, what are you doing with your face? Rapunzel: I don’t know, what are you doing with yours?

Mother Gothel

… what was the point of her? She still had the Sundrop flower to keep her young. So I couldn’t work out why she wanted to raise Rapunzel. It seems her whole plan was spend nineteen years raising her and then live off the profits of selling her in marriage to the highest bidder. Hell of a long game. She wasn’t even selling the trinkets the royal family sent for Rapunzel. She is not the same kind of threat to Rapunzel that she is in the movie. She seems mildly annoyed that Rapunzel won’t come home with her, but then she sort of just flounces off. Rapunzel has the crown with her this whole time, so she can’t shove it in Rapunzel’s face or anything.

Maximus

Okay, if you are going to turn Max into a human, at least do it like @chaico did here. (ngl, still obsessed with that drawing of Max and Eugene together). He should be in the prime of his life, not an aging captain close to retirement!

And if you’re going to make him human, just… stick with that. DON’T FREAKING TURN HIM INTO A LITERAL HORSE AT THE END.

Gina

Whoops, I nearly forgot to include them, that's how memorable they were. I didn't mind Gina. Sometimes she gave me Cass vibes? But other times very much not.

Bathory

She’s supposedly the main villain? But she’s barely there, and when she is, she doesn’t seem all that threatening? I mean, she does threaten to kill Rapunzel if Rapunzel doesn’t do as she says, but again, it’s just so flat and superficial.  I had no reason to fear.

This is over 1300 words now. I feel like I should stop. 😭

#what once was mine #disney twisted tales #twisted tale #liz braswell #tangled #disney tangled

[neorukixart]

A very dirty warmup rkgk in which I try to imagine how Cass would look as Gina from the twisted tale "What once was mine" because I still think Gina is Cass (ง ื▿ ื)ว (but I overdid I think...)

#tangled #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #cassandra #tts #rta #twisted tale #what once was mine

[decemebercircus]

This. I want this. I'm getting this.

#Disney Twisted tale series #disney #twisted tale #almost there #disney the princess and the frog

[themusesof75]

In an angsty plot twist, Tiana is still in love with Naveen but Naveen's memories of them are gone. And she's not allowed to talk to him or he turns back into a frog.

Naveen develops feelings for her anyway and frequents her restaurant in effort to talk to Tiana. He keeps ordering food but she never stays.

#the princess and the frog #princess tiana #prince naveen #twisted tale #walt disney studios #weight gain #chubby prince

[nerdasaurus1200]

https://x.com/Abigail_Larson/status/1744879085942186346?s=20

Ohhh dang Aurora is a KNIGHT in Twisted Tale?!

#disney #twisted tale #sleeping beauty #nerd talks #aurora

[wingerworthwritersassociation]

Love Connection

Twenty-seven years married, thirty years away from her birth town, Joanne was surprised at how young Jonathan looked. Her first serious boyfriend, the first she gave all too, and the one she detested her parents for pulling her away from. Jonathan, still gorgeous and the first person that recognised her since her return. Still single, still his cheery, charming self. And still…

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#fantasy #fiction #flash fiction #Ghost story #horror #love #short story #twisted tale

[l-egionaire]

I love that in their Twisted Tales story, Collette does what Linguini never did and just ASKS Remy why he knows how to cook.

#Twisted Tale #A Twisted Tale #Twisted tales anthology #Colette ratatouille #remy ratatouille #Ratatouille #Disney #Disney Twisted Tales

[dragonbadgerbooks]

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream...."

#book #books #booklr #once upon a dream #twisted tale #twisted tales #sleeping beauty #fairy tale #fairy tale retelling #retelling #retellings #sleeping beauty retelling #my book pictures