The Dark Ascension Series: The Wicked Ones - by Robin Benway

About the Book

Two sisters. One chance for the throne. Drizella and Anastasia know only one thing for certain: they will never end up like their mother, Lady Tremaine. The only version of Lady Tremaine that they know is a bitter and cruel head of house. They have promised themselves they'll find love, see the world, and never let their hearts turn so cold. But fueled by Lady Tremaine's tendencies to pit her daughters against each other, Drizella and Anastasia find themselves locked in a complicated waltz of tenuous sisterhood.--

Book 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

Review Quotes

Psychologically astute entertainment with a bite.--Kirkus Reviews

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.