Mistress of All Evil

Mistress of all Evil takes place not to long after the events of Poor Unfortunate Soul and succeeds where the previous novel failed. Whereas the previous novel glossed over the abuse that Ursula suffered, this new novel does not shy away from the ostracization and bullying that Maleficent suffered at the hands of the “good” fairies. The way that this novel address bullying is very thought-out because it focuses a lot on perception and behavior and it analyzes prejudices as a foundation of bullying. It was beautiful how it functioned and structured the story in a way to tell the story and give Maleficent an elaborate backstory.

Readers got to know who Maleficent was before she became the dark fairy. It is a beautiful twist to the backstory of Maleficent and offers much insight to her character and the three good fairies that would eventually be Aurora’s guardians. There is this world that exists between the fairies, a backstory that makes their dynamics more powerful. There is history here, a dark history that changed who Maleficent was and set the course of fate in a path of Maleficent’s destruction.

What makes this story and this series so good is the way that Valentino takes liberties with the storytelling. There is nothing in this novel that takes away from the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. That story still exists without tarnish, but instead, there is more history and backstory to it to make what happened in the film even more impactful. It also explains so much of the previous novel.

Let’s say this: read the previous novels before reading this one. These novels intermingle with another one, and even where some of the novels are a little lackluster, the history and the way they are all brought together in this novel makes them worth reading. Alone, they are not worth much, but together, as a series, they hold steady. There are details in the previous novels that are significant in this novel and to the overall story going on here. Moreover, the odd sisters, these characters seem to be the children of Valentino’s imagination, and they fit perfectly in the series. As antagonists, they are interesting, and where they came from is finally explored. Valentino finally reveals the key to their dark descent, and it is a great plot twist.

Valentino has a way of making her elements fit very well in Disney’s universe. Maleficent’s story is also one of the most influential stories in the series next to the first novel in the series. The characterization and backstory are all so well thought out and defined, leading the story to be impactful. Admittedly, the details to the final climax seemed a little forced and almost felt like they did not fit, as if Valentino wished she was not about to write what she about to and failed to realize she had to return to the Disney film, so it felt a little anticlimactic. It was bittersweet, but given the depth of the story and the history, it leaves the reader sad that the story was forced to end the way it did.

This book was ok. It’s definitely not the strongest in the series. We get a little background as to who Maleficent is and where she came from. While I’ve generally liked where Ms. Valentio has taken the characters in the past books, this one didn’t sit right with me.

I really didn’t like the idea of making the three fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather) so nasty. They were straight out of ‘Mean Girls’, and it felt wrong. The Fairy Godmother (as in Cinderella’s) was portrayed as being a snobby elitist who only things Princess’s and royalty should he helped (which makes no sense considering Cinderella was basically a servant when the Fairy Godmother stepped in to help her).

Overall, this was definitely not the best of the bunch. I DO recommend sticking with it though because the next book, ‘Mother Knows Best’, is REALLY good. That book goes back to the Grimm-like retelling of a timeless story and feels like the first book in the series.

Mistress of All Evil – the fourth book in the Valentino Villains series – is an emotionally charged origin story of Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent. The tale carries with it a sense of helplessness, probing whether one can ever really change their fate. Valentino pulls at the heart strings taking us back to the old school yard, complete with bullies, exams and treehouse retreats. The comfort of Nanny’s baking and the Odd Sisters’ oddly warm birthday company is no match for the entrenched maelstrom of Maleficent’s existence from day one. When nature itself turns against you, and the good fairies do not appear to be all that good, there is no happy ending.

Maleficent is confident but not cocksure like the Beast Prince; lonely, but not self-destructive like the Wicked Queen; powerful, but not greedy like the sea witch. She thrives on reading and learning – knowledge is power. This notion is, however, interestingly juxtaposed with the suggestion that one’s story cannot be unwritten; no tale untold. In the land of dreams, Aurora contemplates this very issue, considering that “[i]t was strange having so much knowledge at once and having so little power to direct her own fate.” The same can be said for Maleficent. She is a bookworm with an unquenchable curiosity and many magic materials at her disposal, and yet her power is limited.

I was struck by the recurring theme of three’s in this book: the sisters three; Flora, Fauna and Merriweather; Snow compartmentalizing her mother into three different women; and the three types of books: spell books, fairytale books and history books. Each set of three plays a significant part in Maleficent’s story, but also more generally in developing character roles. The books lead Circe to learn one of the Odd Sisters’ biggest secrets; Snow and her mother potentially discover a new type of enchantment; and the spell books frame Maleficent’s learning. Three’s clearly comprise of secrets, wisdom and magic.

As I suggested in my Poor Unfortunate Souls review (read it here), Mistress similarly demonstrates that magic is not a simple, straightforward business. As a result, we see new complexities arise, particularly as they relate to relationships. Although oft riddled with heartbreak, the reader is encouraged to reflect on what it means to be family and what one is willing to do to protect his or her family. To say that Maleficent’s “intentions were good…” rings true and yet the crux of the story lies in those three telling dots. We also learn more about the relationship between witches and fairies, particularly through Nanny and the Fairy Godmother. (The Fairy Godmother’s appearance makes me hope a Lady Tremaine story is going to bibbidi-bobbidi-boo its way into the villains series soon!) The explanation of a fairy’s role as charge to a princess (or a Pinocchio) was, I thought, particularly crafty, along with the significance of turning sweet 16. (Those Valentino tie-ins will keep me coming back every time.)

Despite being a somewhat compelling origin story, particularly seeing the Dark Fairy as an inquisitive little girl which I really loved, I felt this villain’s tale was far removed from the Disney film for three reasons:
(1) there were only a handful of references to the film,
(2) the story spent a lot of time away from settings in the film (which take on a life of their own thanks to the stylized art of Eyvind Earle), and
(3) I was not entirely convinced of the relationships between the Sleeping Beauty characters.

While I delighted in further evidence that Aurora is smart and intuitive (“she had always sensed something magical” about her Aunt Flora, Aunt Fauna and Aunt Merriweather, and I immediately recalled her line from the film, “what are you three dears up to?”), we hear almost nothing of King Stefan, his queen (though she is given a name – Leah) and Prince Philip. King Hubert is not mentioned despite providing welcome comedy and fun dialogue in the film.

I recall in Fairest of All feeling totally transported to the castle, and Valentino’s majestic descriptions of Snow White and her surrounds continue in this book, but I just was not as captured by Maleficent’s story’s settings so felt a little bit disconnected. There were no famous object backstories (I thought the spinning wheel was ripe for the taking), and I am also not entirely convinced of the relationship between Maleficent and Aurora (mainly because I am not sure where that leaves King Stefan and Queen Leah). Finally, I struggle to see Merriweather as the ringleader of the good fairies. To me, Flora calls all the shots, though I concede that Aurora’s predominantly blue dress may suggest otherwise.

So, my stubborn Sleeping Beauty feelings got the better of me and I felt a little less invested in this story. Though, there is still much to love including the following, which is perhaps my favorite passage in the book:

“Grimhilde’s love for her daughter sat in Maleficent’s stomach like a cold stone. It caused a tingling sensation that told Maleficent this was something she should feel. An inkling that this was something that would have touched her heart. But she pushed that inkling down with the others that lived in the pit of her stomach. She imagined they all looked like broken pieces of headstone. She wondered how they all fit together there and how it was possible for someone so small to carry so much. Sometimes she felt the weight of them would crush her, yet it never did. She supposed everyone carried their burdens there. It seemed like the perfect place – close to the heart, but not dangerously so.”

Mistress of All Evil, Chapter I: The Dark Fairy, pages 18-19.

Not at all what I expected. Great read.

I have read a lot in this series, this was good but I liked some of the other ones better

I liked everything about this book except the end. Lol