The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz Series: Descendants #1
Publisher: Disney Hyperion (2015)
Hardcover (320 pages)
Rating:
Also by this author: The Ring and the Crown
Reading Challenges: 2015 Fairytale Retelling, Read 2015
Synopsis
Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that’s been left to rot and forgotten by the world.
But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon’s eye: the key to true darkness and the villains’ only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it…who will it be?
Maleficent, Mistress of the Dark: As the self-proclaimed ruler of the isle, Maleficent has no tolerance for anything less than pure evil. She has little time for her subjects, who have still not mastered life without magic. Her only concern is getting off the Isle of the Lost.
Mal: At sixteen, Maleficent’s daughter is the most talented student at Dragon Hall, best known for her evil schemes. And when she hears about the dragon’s eye, Mal thinks this could be her chance to prove herself as the cruelest of them all.
Evie: Having been castle-schooled for years, Evil Queen’s daughter, Evie, doesn’t know the ins and outs of Dragon Hall. But she’s a quick study, especially after she falls for one too many of Mal’s little tricks.
Jay: As the son of Jafar, Jay is a boy of many talents: stealing and lying to name a few. Jay and Mal have been frenemies forever and he’s not about to miss out on the hunt for the dragon’s eye.
Carlos: Cruella de Vil’s son may not be bravest, but he’s certainly clever. Carlos’s inventions may be the missing piece in locating the dragon’s eye and ending the banishment for good.
Mal soon learns from her mother that the dragon’s eye is cursed and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She’ll just need a little help from her “friends.” In their quest for the dragon’s eye, these kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain’t so bad.
Find the book: Goodreads
My Review
This book is about the children of famous Disney villains. They are on an island where the villains have been locked without magic for twenty years. This island is completely isolated from the mainland of Auradon where the Disney heroes live.
The four main characters on the Isle of the Lost are Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie. Mal is the daughter of Maleficent,the ruler of the Isle of the Lost. Jay is the son of Jafar. Carlos is the son of Cruella De Vil. Evie is the daughter of the Evil Queen from the Snow White story.
The four each have something to prove to their parents about their evil-ness. That is part of what the people on the island care about. The older, famous villains are training the younger villains to be even more villainous and to avoid the mistakes of the previous generation.
One thing that got me about this book was that the villains were all the same age. The heroes in Auradon as well, for that matter. Then all of their kid just happen to be the same age. Also, who are the young villains other parents? All we know is one parent. However, they have been trapped on an island for twenty years. Therefore, their other parent would have to be a villain who is also on the island, right? But, they are never really mentioned. Then Jay seems way more like Aladdin than Jafar. Aladdin was the thief and Jay totally takes after the Aladdin before the genie lamp. It is a bit strange.
Overall, this was an entertaining read. I have to say that it made the plains of South Dakota seem to go by faster on my drive cross-country in June.
Which Reading Challenges?
- You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
- Fairytale Retelling Challenge
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