Release: February 2nd, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: NetGalley
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N.
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Disney’s Villains meet Gotham in this gritty fairytale-inspired crime series.
Mary Elizabeth Heart is a high school senior by day. But by night, she’s an intern at the Monarch City police department. She watches from behind a desk as detectives come and go while trying to contain the city’s growing crime rate. For years, tension has simmered between the city’s wealthy elite and their plans to change the decaying neighborhood. They used to call the area the Scar-once upon a time the epicenter of all things magic.
Meanwhile, the daughter of one of the city’s most powerful businessmen goes missing. And Mary Elizabeth is thrilled when the Chief actually puts her on the case. But what begins as one missing person’s report soon multiplies, leading her down the rabbit hole of a city in turmoil. There she finds a girl with horns, a boyfriend with secrets, and what seems to be a sea monster lurking in a poison lake. As the mystery circles closer to home, Mary finds herself caught in the fight between those who once had magic and those who will do anything to bring it back.
This dark and edgy YA series explore the reimagined origins of Maleficent, Ursula, Captain Hook, and other infamous Disney Villains like you’ve never seen before.
About the Author:
Estelle Laure is the author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back, YA books about love and family and the afterlife and siblings and head injuries (not in any particular order). She is pretty seriously obsessed with the 80s and serial killers and magic, all things that scare and fascinate her. If she weren’t a writer, she probably would have been a forensic psychologist, Clarice Starling, or possibly a nurse in an asylum in 1947. Estelle currently lives in her hometown of Taos, New Mexico.
City of Villains Review:
Firstly, I thought the author did a brilliant job of merging various genres into one. This book has a bit of romance, crime, YA, mystery, and Disney references all rolled into one.
I liked Mary Elizabeth in the lead and thought she shared great chemistry with the other characters. Mary and Bella have a good work relationship, and I admired how they support each other. Similarly, I also enjoyed James, Ursula, and Smee’s roles. Ursula is complex and mysterious, and I liked the way the author wrote her. She starts to show her true colors as the story progresses. James and Mary also have a lovely bond, and their romance was sweet. I wish we had seen more of Smee because I liked him too!
Similarly, I also thought the author added the Disney references nicely without making it sound like a retelling. The story is unique, but the characters mostly have famous Disney villains (and a few of their dialogues). I chucked at a few parts, like how they name the areas like “Monarch High” and “Neverland.” Moreover, the story also ends in a climax that makes you eagerly anticipate the next book. I cannot wait to see what James, Ursula, and Mally do.
Quite a few scenes had me to the edge of my seat, like when Mary Elizabeth confides with the mirror, the conversations she has with the chief about her family past, or when she sees Ursula in the water. As a Disney fan and YA lover, I enjoyed how the author incorporated all these elements.
Overall, “City of Villains” is an excellent start to the series, and I loved reading it!
