It used to be that you could only find Disney characters on the big screen, but in recent years the Walt Disney Company has been upping its game in the book world. First it was their Disney Villains series, and now it’s the Twisted Tales. With so many books, what is the best Disney Twisted Tales series order?
What are the Disney Twisted Tales?
It also started with the Serena Valentino’s Villain series. This series explored popular stories from a villains Point of View (POV), often spinning the story on its head to make the villain the victim.
Disney liked this format so much, and with the popularity of retellings in the YA Fantasy world, they thought they’d contract popular YA Fantasy authors to retell their famous stories…with a twist.
Just like the Disney Villains books, the Disney Twisted Tales series are middle grade novels meant to appeal to all audiences.
The first Twisted Tale, A Whole New World, explores the idea that Aladdin never found the lamp, Jafar did from the start. How would that change the story? What does that mean for our heroes?
All of the Disney Twisted Tales entertain similar twists. If that sounds amazing, then you’ll love these books.
Who Wrote the Twisted Tales?
Unlike the Disney Villains, which are all written by a single author, various authors helped make the Twisted Tales a reality.
To date, Liz Braswell, Jen Calonita, Farrah Rochon, and Elizabeth Lim (author of Spin the Dawn) have written in the series. Disney may contract more authors as time goes on.
But let’s get down to business and list out the Disney Twisted Tales series order.
Disney Twisted Tales Series Order
- A Whole New World (Sept 2015) Aladdin
- Once Upon a Dream (Apr 2016) Sleeping Beauty
- As Old As Time (Sept 2016) Beauty and the Beast
- Reflection (March 2018) Mulan
- Part of Your World (Sept 2018) The Little Mermaid
- Mirror, Mirror (Apr 2019) Snow White
- Conceal, Don’t Feel (Oct 2019) Frozen
- Straight on Till Morning (Feb 2020) Peter Pan
- So This is Love (Apr 2020) Cinderella
- Unbirthday (Sept 2020) Alice in Wonderland
- Go the Distance (Apr 2021) Hercules
- What Once Was Mine (Sept 2021) Tangled
- Almost There (Sept 2022) The Princess and the Frog
- When You Wish Upon A Star (Expected: April 4, 2023) Pinocchio
- What If?: A Twisted Tale Anthology (Expected: October 3, 2023)
- Set in Stone (UK Release: March 31, 2023, US Release: TBA) Sword in the Stone
- Suddenly Super (UK Release: August 31, 2023, US Release: TBA) The Incredibles
- Fate Be Changed (Expected: April 2, 2024) Brave
- Sally’s Lament (Expected: October 8, 2024) The Nightmare Before Christmas
Information on the upcoming untitled books is sparse. What we do know was gleaned from Disney’s Wiki.
Do I Need to Read the Twisted Tales in Order?
No, each book in the Twisted Tales series is a standalone novel. You can read them in any order that you like.
If there’s a Disney character that you don’t care for, feel free to skip that book entirely. You won’t be missing out on any overarching story as there is none.
For the purposes of this article, we’ve listed out the Disney Twisted Tales series order according to their publication date.
Summary of the Disney Twisted Tales Series Order
If you’d like to learn more about each of the books in the Disney Twisted Tales series, we’ve listed them all out along with their synopsis below.
A Whole New World
What if Aladdin had never found the lamp?
This first book in the A Twisted Tale line will explore a dark and daring version of Disney’s Aladdin. When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.
To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war. What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.
Once Upon a Dream
What if the sleeping beauty never woke up?
It should be simple–a dragon defeated, a slumbering princess in a castle, a prince poised to wake her. But when the prince falls asleep as his lips touch the fair maiden’s, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over.
With a desperate fairy’s last curse controlling her mind, Princess Aurora must escape from a different castle of thorns and navigate a dangerously magical landscape–created from her very own dreams. Aurora isn’t alone–a charming prince is eager to join her quest, and old friends offer their help.
But as Maleficent’s agents follow her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are and, moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?
As Old As Time
What if Belle’s mother cursed the Beast?
When Belle touches the Beast’s enchanted rose, memories flood through Belle’s mind―memories of a mother she thought she would never see again.
And, stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful enchantress who cursed the castle and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast will have to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is 21 years in the making.
Reflection
What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld?
When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily.
With the help of Shang’s great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang’s spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise–or become King Yama’s prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend.
Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it’s too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him–and be lost in the Underworld–forever?
Part of Your World
What if Ariel had never defeated Ursula?
It’s been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid… and took King Triton’s life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric’s kingdom on land.
But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world–and a prince–she never imagined she would see again.
Mirror, Mirror
What if the Evil Queen poisoned the prince?
Following her beloved mother’s death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White’s stepmother, commonly referred to as “the Evil Queen” by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation.
But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she’d never see again, and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom.
But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power… including going after the ones Snow loves?
Conceal, Don’t Feel
What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other?
As the future Queen of Arendelle, Princess Elsa’s life is full of expectation and responsibility―not to mention, questions. What type of ruler will she be? When will she have to pick a suitor? And why has she always harbored the feeling that some critical piece of herself is missing?
Following the unexpected death of her parents, Elsa is forced to answer those questions sooner than she’d hoped, becoming the sole ruler of her kingdom and growing lonelier than ever. But when mysterious powers begin to reveal themselves, Elsa starts to remember fragments of her childhood that seem to have been erased―pieces that include a very familiar-looking girl.
Determined to fill the void she has always felt, Elsa must take a harrowing journey across her icy kingdom to undo a terrible curse . . . and find the missing Princess of Arendelle.
Straight on Till Morning
What if Wendy first traveled to Never Land . . . with Captain Hook?
Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling’s life is not what she imagined it would be. The doldrums of an empty house after her brothers have gone to school, the dull parties where everyone thinks she talks too much, and the fact that her parents have decided to send her away to Ireland as a governess—it all makes her wish things could be different.
Wendy’s only real escape is in writing down tales of Never Land. After nearly meeting her hero, Peter Pan, four years earlier, she still holds on to the childhood hope that his magical home truly exists. She also holds on to his shadow.
So when an opportunity to travel to Never Land via pirate ship presents itself, Wendy makes a deal with the devil. But Never Land isn’t quite the place she imagined it would be. Unexpected dangers and strange foes pop up at every turn, and a little pixie named Tinker Bell seems less than willing to help.
But when Captain Hook reveals some rather permanent and evil plans for Never Land, it’s up to the two of them to save Peter Pan—and his world.
So This is Love
What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper?
Unable to prove that she’s the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress.
But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king’s visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king—and the prince—out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella’s own Fairy Godmother.
Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it’s too late.
Unbirthday
What if Wonderland was in peril and Alice was very, very late?
Alice is different than other eighteen-year-old ladies in Kexford, which is perfectly fine with her. She’d rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian’s lively salon, ignoring her sister’s wishes that she stop all that “nonsense” and become a “respectable” member of society.
Alice is happy to meander to Miss. Yao’s teashop or to visit the children playing in the Square. She’s also interested in learning more about the young lawyer she met there, but just because she’s curious, of course, not because he was sweet and charming.
But when Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects-the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar.
There’s something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. And as Alice develops a self-portrait, she finds the most disturbing image of all-a badly-injured dark-haired girl asking for Alice’s help.Mary Ann.
Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts’ tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so . . . before the End of Time?
Go the Distance
What if Meg had to become a Greek god?
After Hercules proves he’s a true hero and regains his godship, all seems right in the world. That is, until Zeus tells Meg that she can’t be with Hercules because she’s, well, mortal. Luckily, Hera has a solution, offering Meg a chance to prove herself worthy of a spot on Mt. Olympus–as a god. All Meg has to do is complete a mysterious quest.
The mission? Oh, just to rescue her ex’s current wife from the Underworld. The ex-boyfriend she saved by selling her soul to Hades. The ex-boyfriend who immediately moved on to someone else while she was stuck in the Underworld.
Can Meg put her past behind her and use her quick-wit to defeat monsters and gods alike, including the nefarious Hades? Will she finally figure out her place and contribution to the world? Or will her fear of commitment have her running away from an eternity of godhood with Herc?
What Once Was Mine
What if Rapunzel’s mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?
Desperate to save the life of their queen and her unborn child, the good citizens of the kingdom comb the land for the all-healing Sundrop flower to cure her . . . but someone mistakenly picks the blossom of the Moondrop instead. This shimmering flower heals the queen and she delivers a healthy baby girl?with hair as silver and gray as the moon.
But with her mysterious hair comes dangerous magical powers: the power to hurt, not heal. For the safety of the kingdom, Rapunzel is locked away in a tower and put under the care of the powerful goodwife, Mother Gothel.
For eighteen years Rapunzel stays imprisoned in her tower, knowing she must protect everyone from her magical hair. When she finally decides to leave the only home she’s ever known—to see the floating lights that appear on her birthday—she gets caught up in an unexpected adventure with two thieves: a would-be outlaw named Gina, and Flynn Rider, a rogue on the run.
Before she can reach her happy ending, Rapunzel learns that there is far more to her story, and her magical hair, and her future than she ever knew.
Almost There
What if Tiana made a deal that changed everything?
Sometimes, life in the Big Easy is tough. No one knows that better than Tiana, though she also believes that hard work can go a long way. But when the notorious Dr. Facilier backs her into a corner, she has no other choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant.
Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realized―she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted. . . .
But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, with new threats cropping up from unlikely places. Navigating through this strange new New Orleans, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right―or risk losing everything she holds dear.
When You Wish Upon A Star
Check out the newest book in the Disney Twisted Tales series order!
What if the Blue Fairy wasn’t supposed to help Pinocchio? This New York Times best-selling series twists another Disney classic into a harrowing story in which the Blue Fairy defies fairy law, setting off a dramatic chain of events.
“Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight . . . ” so begins the wish that changes everything—for Geppetto, for the Blue Fairy, and for a little puppet named Pinocchio. The Blue Fairy isn’t supposed to grant wishes in the small village of Pariva, but something about this one awakens some long-buried flicker within. Perhaps it’s the hope she senses beneath the old man’s loneliness.
Or maybe it’s the fact that long ago, before she was the Blue Fairy, she was a young woman named Chiara from this very village, one with a simple wish: to help others find happiness. Her sister Ilaria always teased her for this, for she had big dreams to leave their sleepy village and become a world-renowned opera singer. The two were close, despite their differences. While Ilaria would give anything to have a fairy grant her wish, Chiara didn’t believe in the lore for which their village was famous.
Forty years later, Chiara, now the Blue Fairy, defies the rules of magic to help an old friend. But she’s discovered by the Scarlet Fairy, formerly Ilaria, who, amid a decades-long grudge, holds the transgression against her sister. They decide to settle things through a good old-fashioned bet, with Pinocchio and Geppetto’s fate hanging in the balance.
Will the sisters find a way back to one another? Or is this, like many matters of the heart, a gamble that comes with strings?
Looking for more books in order?
Now that you’ve finished reading the Disney Twisted Tales series order, check out this list of the Star Wars books in order.
21 thoughts on “Disney Twisted Tales Series Order [Ultimate Guide]”
Is there only going to be 17 books or is it unannounced? Thanks for all the info so far.
This is just an ongoing list of books as Disney has planned. It’s hard to say whether the series is intended to be done after 17 Books, or if that’s just as far out as they have planned. I would expect they’ll keep adding to the series so long as it’s profitable for them to do so. I’ll update the article as new information becomes available. I keep a pretty close eye on things and update most of the articles sitewide at least once a month with any new information.
You should do moana
The Lion King definitely needs to be done. The Hunchback Of Notre Dame would also make a great story, both have excellent ways to twist the film
You should totally do anastasia. She is my fav disney princess and I’m honestly a little sad she isn’t well known. I think writing a book about her would boost up her population!
Anastasia isn’t a Disney movie though but otherwise I agree, you could find a couple good twists for this series
Can you please do one on Merida from brave? I love that movie. Also could you consider doing Thumbelina?
Please do a book on Pocahontas. That is my favorite Disney princess
me too, I hope they will do it!
Hi,
I’ve seen that they’ve also released the book about sword in the stone (The book is called Set in stone), but I can’t seem to find it in hard cover? Is this because it’s too new or did it sell out already? (according to amazon it came out on 31-03-2023)
Thank you to anyone who can answer my question
This appears to only be released in the UK. I was confused at your comment because I haven’t seen anything about this book at all. Amazon still doesn’t have even so much as a pre-order. When I Googled it, it said it released in the UK on March 31, is planned to release in Australia in July, but there is no release date for the US
The UK released books are able to be purchased on Amazon, just longer shipping! I just ordered mine not long ago. I am excited to have the books and was easily accessible!
Is it possible if you can say the Australian times as well as I live in Australia.
I’m so excited for the Disney Twisted Tales series! I can’t wait to read all of them!
Hello, do you know if anymore books will come out?
I recently updated the article with every book we know is in the works. I’m sure they’ll announce more as time goes on.
Thank you 🙂
I’m so excited for the Disney Twisted Tales series! I can’t wait to read all of them!
Heya, just want to say you missed Princess of Thieves, by Mancusi. It was only released in Australia within the last month or so. Thank you for great list.
I wish they would make one with the Aristocats because that is my all-time favorite movie. The plot could be something like what would happen if the Aristocats didn’t go back to Madame and ended up staying with Thomas O’Malley.
You should do Aristocats