The Dark Ascension Series The Wicked..., Robin Benway
The Dark Ascension Series The Wicked..., Robin Benway
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The Dark Ascension Series: The Wicked Ones

Author: Robin Benway

Series: Dark Ascension

Narrator: Billie Fulford-Brown

Unabridged: 8 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/10/2023


Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Robin Benway comes a journey into the wicked side of Disney's Cinderella--the first book in the Villains-focused Dark Ascension series, starring infamous stepsisters Drizella and Anastasia.

Before they were known as the wicked ones, they were two sisters fighting to escape their mother's iron rule.

Drizella and Anastasia only know one thing for certain: they never want to end up like their mother, Lady Tremaine. When their father left them as young girls, he took their family fortune and their mother’s dignity with him. A few years and one deceased stepfather later, Drizella and Anastasia only know their mother as the bitter and cruel head of the house. But the sisters promise each other that they'll chase their dreams and never let their hearts go cold.

Then, on the cusp of the royal debut party--their one chance to impress the Prince and live up to their mother’s expectations--the sisters at last get a glimpse of what life could be like outside of Lady Tremaine’s intentions: Drizella discovers a love of science, and Anastasia sparks a secret romance.

But escaping their mother's manipulations will be no easy task. Would it be simpler for them to become as wicked as she is to survive in such a cruel world?

Disney Villains meets Succession in the Dark Ascension series, which explores the complex origins of memorable characters and their siblings.

Read the whole series:
The Wicked Ones by Robin Benway
The Lost Ones by Lauren DeStefano
The Wishless Ones by Hafsah Faizal

About The Author

Robin Benway is the New York Times-bestselling author of novels for young adults, including National Book Award winner Far From the Tree, Audrey, Wait!, the AKA series, Emmy & Oliver, and A Year to the Day. Robin grew up in Orange County, California, attended NYU, where she was a recipient of the Seth Barkas Prize for Creative Writing, and is a graduate of UCLA. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Hudson.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Bookishrealm on January 03, 2025

Yea...I'm just as shocked as everyone else that I just rated this book 5 stars, but it was so damn good. Unexpectedly good. I literally cannot wait to dive into the rest of this series. I already have book 2 on hold from the library. CW: verbal, emotional, and physical abuse from a parent/parental f......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on March 20, 2023

I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes. This book serves as a prequel to the Disney movie, Cinderella, and explores how Drizella and Anastasia became evil stepsisters. The plot was well executed. I liked that the book started off with a prologue in the viewpoint of their fa......more

Goodreads review by Eileen on January 10, 2023

3.5 stars This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story, written from the stepsisters' point of view. I'm a fan of retellings, especially when they're done well, and I enjoyed this one. However, it was a bit more depressing than I expected, and the ending completely dashed my hopes for a diffe......more

Goodreads review by Annette on January 25, 2023

I read everything Disney I can find (and pay). I discovered this book by accident on Amazon and had to pre-order it right away and I was actually quite surprised that they managed to deliver it so soon after the release date. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely sure what kind of book this was gon......more

Goodreads review by Bee on October 19, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an arc! I love retellings of fairy tales, and I especially love the Ugly Stepsisters. I rooted for these two throughout the entire book. I longed for Anastasia to find true love and for Drizella to become more than her mother had planned for he......more