I did like the appearance of some of my favorite Disney characters, Maleficent, Ursula and Captain Hook, in teen-form.

Tweens and Middle Graders deserve great stories as well! I just personally feel it is a better fit within that space than in YA and that's okay! I think this could have used another round of editing, perhaps cutting out some of the romantic aspects, changing Mary's age, and allowing this to fall more into a higher Middle Grade, or Tween, category. Mary and Bella begin their investigation, but instead of gaining any clarity, the mystery only gets deeper.Īfter Mary's best friend, Ursula, disappears as well, Mary knows something more sinister is happening than just kids running away from the Scar, but who will believe her!?Įven though I wanted to get to the bottom of the disappearances, the writing and overall plot of this story were a little basic for my tastes. She sees this as her opportunity to seal a position within the department for after she finishes school.

Mary is over the moon to finally have the chance to prove to the Chief what she can do. While her main duties at the station involve paperwork, when a classmate of hers, Mally Saint, disappears, the Chief actually assigns her to the case, partnering her with a young detective, Bella. In addition to her schooling, Mary currently interns for the Monarch City Police Department. Our protagonist is Mary Elizabeth, a teenage girl living within the Scar, an area where magic once thrived, but now no longer exists.Īfter her family was killed, Mary's main goal became to one day become a police officer she wants to help protect others. 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.Ĭity of Villains is the first installment of a new Fairy Tale-inspired Crime series published by Disney Books. 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. There she finds a girl with horns, a boyfriend with secrets, and what seems to be a sea monster lurking in a poison lake. But what begins as one missing person’s report soon multiplies, leading her down the rabbit hole of a city in turmoil. 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. 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. She watches with envy from behind a desk as detectives come and go, trying to contain the city’s growing crime rate. Mary Elizabeth Heart is a high school senior by day, but by night she’s an intern at the Monarch City police department. Disney’s Villains meet Gotham in this gritty fairy tale-inspired crime series.

City of the Guardians by Bee L. Kirk