New Disney Book Series: City of Villains
City of Villains: An intern in the Monarch City PD comes face-to-face with some of Disney’s most iconic villains…
This might be it. This book might do it.
For much of the past year, my oldest has been exploring BOOKS. My 10 year old is reading. And he’s been asking for actual — PAPER — books.
However, he hasn’t found a series into which to bury his brain.
Meet Mary Elizabeth Heart: City of Villains
And City of Villains by Estelle Laure might be the one.
Disney’s Villains meet Gotham in this gritty fairy tale-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 with envy from behind a desk as detectives come and go, trying to contain the city’s growing crime rate. For years, tension has simmered between the city’s wealthy elite, and their plans to gentrify the decaying neighborhood called the Scar-once upon a time the epicenter of all things magic. When the daughter of one of the city’s most powerful businessmen goes missing, 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 explores the reimagined origins of Maleficent, Ursula, Captain Hook, and other infamous Disney Villains like you’ve never seen before.
And D23 gave us a preview of the first chapter.
The First Chapter: City of Villains
Here’s a snippet:
o n e
two years after the fall
SMEE WILL NOT DROP THE ISSUE OF ME SITTING
shotgun on the way to school.
“No, I mean really, Cap,” he’s whining to James, smoothing out his leather jacket. “We should be taking turns. We live in the same house, we drive the Sea Devil together to the same place, and then I have to get out of the front seat and get in the back just so Mary can jump in front. It’s—”
“Demeaning?” I suggest.
“Emasculating?” Ursula says, doing something on her phone. “Respectful,” James says. “Right.”
Smee gives me a look like he’s barely tolerating me and swaggers away from me so James is between us. “Just because she’s your girl- friend shouldn’t mean she gets to sit in the front all the time. We should take turns.”
James just fixed up a classic 1968 Mustang, painted it a vintage blue, and named it the Sea Devil, and it’s so gorgeous it’s causing all sorts of problems. Every time he does this—finds an old clunker with good bones, tinkers with it until it drives smooth, and polishes it to a high shine—Smee’s inner gangster comes out.
The rest of the chapter is here…
Let us know what you think? Will you, or someone you know, pick up the book?