We all know the story ofCinderella — the fairy godmother , the ball , the glass slider — but herwickedstepsisters ’ lives have always been a bit less illuminated . In The Wicked Ones , National Book Award - winning author Robin Benway ( Far From the Tree ) tender a new view on the familiar fairy tale .
The Wicked Ones is the first book in Benway ’s Dark Ascension series for Disney Press focusing onits most famed villains , and we ’ve have the cover and an single excerpt to share today . First up , here ’s a piece more about the book and its ( misunderstood ? ) characters .
There ’s no rivalry like a sibling rivalry … find out the on-key report behind the Disney Villains ’ wicked stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella in this opening installing in the all - new Dark Ascension series “ Blood is blood … and one means or another , we all bleed . ” Drizella and Anastasia only know one matter for certain : they will never end up like their mother , Lady Tremaine . When their father exit them as young girl , he took what was left of their family ’s fortune and their mother ’s dignity with him .
Image: Disney Press
A few years and one at rest stepfather later , the only version of Lady Tremaine that Drizella and Anastasia know is a virulent and cruel head of house . Anastasia and Drizella have anticipate themselves — and each other — that they ’ll be different . They ’ll find out love , see the human race , and never lease their hearts go frigid . But both sisters are all too cognisant of what it can mean when be sick into disfavor with their female parent , and fueled by Lady Tremaine ’s inclination to pit the daughters against one another , Drizella and Anastasia are locked into a complicated walk-in of tenuous sisterhood . On the cusp of the royal debut political party — their one chance to yarn-dye the Prince and live up to their female parent ’s expected value — the sisters at last get a coup d’oeil of what living could be like outside of Lady Tremaine ’s intentions : Drizella get a line a love of science and Anastasia spark off a mystical romance .
But never lowball the power a mother whose greatest talents lie down in manipulation , and the sisters may teach that even the cruelest of hearts can spill blood . This first account book in the new Disney Villains Dark Ascension series by National Book Award - winning writer Robin Benway explores the complex sib rivalry between the two distasteful stepsisters from Cinderella that turned them into the characters we know today .
Here ’s the full cover , by Nathanna Érica , followed by the extract !
Image: Disney Press
Anastasia makes it out of the kitchen ten minute before her female parent seem in what she consult to as the breakfast way . It ’s really just the dining room , but neither Drizella nor Anastasia is slow enough to argue with her about it . And technically , they do exhaust breakfast in there .
Anastasia has seen other parents greet their child on the street , satisfy them in the schoolyard or looking after them at the marketplace . She ’s catch the way other parent ’ face up twinkle up when they spy their children , the smiles that go all the way up to their eyes , the way their cheeks get rosy with joy and lovemaking and tenderness . They cross them up into their arms for hugs and kisses , and Anastasia can almost sense the warmth . It draw her dentition hurt sometimes , her body aching to feel that form of heat , that level of guard .
Anastasia ’s mother is not that sort of parent .
She stalks into the way this morning like a woman unaware of how rundown her house is , like the drape are n’t literally hanging on by threads and there are n’t shiner skittering throughout its walls . After their female parent splice Ella ’s father , they all displace into his star sign , and while it matte grand at the clip , the years of neglect and disrepair have taken their toll . Sometimes , it seems to Anastasia , the neglect and disrepair have assume their toll on all of them .
Lady Tremaine ’s dress is heavy and dark , not quite a widow ’s outfit but also not a apparel worn by someone whose life experiences radiate joy . Her now - gray hair is done up in its normal bouffant - ish bun , with not a individual fibril of hair daring to be out of place . Anastasia remembers when her female parent used to wear it looser , softer , but one day several years ago , she go on to be walking past her mother ’s elbow room and realized that the door was slightly ajar . She did n’t imply to spy , she really did n’t , but she caught a coup d’oeil of her female parent ’s scalp as she tied her whisker up . The strain was literally eat away at her whisker . The barefaced spots made her count almost vulnerable , like a moth - use up sweater that ’s useless in winter . Making her mother appear vulnerable was a exploit Anastasia had thought to be impossible , and she slink away , trying to ignore that gnaw at , cold intuitive feeling in her stomach .
“ Anastasia , ” her mother says when she regard her now , nodding in her direction . Anastasia can not remember the last prison term her mother touched her . Well , actually , she can commend , but that computer memory of the tower is n’t one she likes to revisit . She tries to think of her last squeeze , her last gentle touch , the feeling of fingertips sweeping hair off her brow when she is fevered or a lenient kiss placed to the top of her brain when her female parent thinks she is asleep .
She try so hard to remember . But there ’s nothing there .
“ expert morning , Mother , ” she recognise her now , her Word echoed by Drizella , who ’s seat at the table and already working on her 2nd cup of tea . Her female parent nods to both of them , and the vellication of her lip remind Anastasia of her sister . Their movements are the same , always with heavy footprint and constrict eyes as if even walking into the breakfast room is a potential struggle . Her mother has a bit of a smirk while Drizella has a wry face , though . Anastasia often checks her own side in the mirror , make indisputable that she has neither , just a pleasant disposition . She used to smile more until her mother comment that it made her look simple , so now she just seek to hold the recession of her back talk up a mo , like she is mistily amused by a passing memory that only she can recall .
“ I take over that you ’ve practice for today ’s example , ” her mother says now .
“ Yes , ” Anastasia aver . She has , of form . Once . For nearly ten minutes . She has hat the flute ever since the metal object was put into her hands , an instrument find in the Ionic dialect during one of her mother ’s late - dark cleanup tear . It is n’t uncommon for Anastasia and Drizella to arouse in the middle of the Nox to hear their mother rummaging through the loft , tossing out hemorrhoid of old papers , tag , gardening shears , all the thing that foregather in an old home ’s Australian crawl space over many years . Sometimes , in private , Anastasia wondered if her mother was looking for her father . She had cite it to Drizella once , who had just replied , “ That ’s stupid . Why would Father be upstairs ? ” and they never talked about it again .
Their father was never found in the attic , of row , but the transverse flute was , and when Anastasia say “ What ’s that ? ” upon see it in her mother ’s hand , it became hers .
It could be bad , though . At least she does n’t have to take singing lessons like Drizella .
“ And I trust that you ’ve also practiced , Drizella , ” her female parent order as she sits down at the table . In a fancy home , there would be someone to pull out her professorship for her , someone to serve to her nappy and ensure her water chalice is filled , but theirs is not a fancy rest home , and both Drizella and Anastasia glide themselves into their own seats at opposite end of the mesa .
Neither of them ever sit within weapon ’s range of their mother . It just is n’t done .
“ Of of course , Mother , ” Drizella order , and Lady Tremaine raises an brow toward her , always quick to rap down any words that may be perceive as insolence . “ I mean , yes , Mother . ”
“ Good . I hope you girls realize how expensive these lessons are , how much it costs to verify that both of you grow up refined , not slink around in a scullery like”—she gestures toward the kitchen , on the face of it not hold enough energy to even say Ella ’s name—“her . ”
“ Yes , Mother , ” Anastasia enjoin , place her own napkin in her circuit . There ’s a minuscule suntan mark in the corner , probably from a too - hot iron , but she does n’t mention it . All that will do is get Ella in worry , and Anastasia ’s stomach turns over when she think about her mother ’s snappishness focalize in on any one of them .
“ And speaking of her , where is our tea ? Where is our food for thought ? Why is it so hard to get a unproblematic job done ? ” Her mother sigh like someone has punched the breath out of her body . “ Ella ! ” she call , sharp and imply , and both Drizella and Anastasia flinch a small at the disturbance .
There ’s a rustling sound behind the doorway before Ella seem , her arms laden down with several function tray . Her cheeks are flush from the heat of the kitchen and Anastasia prehend her insensate hands together under the table , try out not to palpate overjealous of the warmth .
“ I rationalise , ” she start to say , but their mother waves the word away with her hand .
“ Your silly sorrys are useless to me , ” she says . “ Either do the business correctly the first prison term or we ’ll find someone who can . ”
Ella ’s aspect picket , even though both Anastasia and Drizella recognise it ’s a bluff . If they could afford actual in - house help , Ella would n’t be here now , they ’re both sure of it . And the windows and crack walls would be repaired , and they would host parties and dinners with roasted pheasant and champagne and other things that Anastasia ’s read about in stories but never see in tangible spirit .
If that ever happened , Anastasia ’s not certain where Ella would go , but one affair is for certain : she would no longer be here .
Their mother waits for Ella to pour the tea for her first , then sips at it as she move on to the daughter ’ empty cups . “ And it ’s icing cold , ” she says . ( Anastasia takes a tiny sip of her own tea and finds that it ’s lukewarm , but she say nothing . )
The only thing that seems to be methamphetamine hydrochloride cold at the board is their female parent ’s center as she centre her brilliance onto Ella . “ We have been extremely kindly with you , ” she says , her voice down and tranquil , and across the board , Drizella ’s regard meets her sister ’s , both of them silently recognise how stupid it would be to say anything right now . Their female parent ’s temper has always had the potential to churn over like a teakettle . well to just permit some steam out every now and then .
“ Extremely , ” their mother continue . She simper a tiny bit as if amuse by her own foolish generosity . “ We ’ve impart you a place here . ”
Nobody bothers to point out that , technically , it was Ella ’s father who give them a home . Anastasia looks up at the cracked plaster walls , the pendent so weighed down by dust that it looks like it could fall from the ceiling at any minute . A home .
“ Anastasia and Drizella have been quite kind to you , as well , never sound off about the prison term and attention that you ’ve call for away from them . ” Their mother wipe at her oral cavity with a serviette even though she has n’t consider a single bite of food yet . “ Do you feel as if our treatment is beneath you ? ”
“ Oh , no — ” Ella starts to say in a Benjamin Rush .
“ Did I say you could speak ? ” their mother says quiet , and even the mouse in the wall stop their rustle . Anastasia suspects that the grandfather clock in the box has also barricade ticking , too scared to move its hands for reverence of retribution .
It ’s almost as if the house itself is frozen in time .
“ We have given you everything , and all I involve — all we postulate — is that you return some of the unselfishness that has been lend upon you . But you do n’t even know how to adequately roil urine , do you . ” She gesture toward her cold teacupful . “ And now my darling Anastasia and Drizella have to speed off to their lessons , and not only will they be late because of your inability to do anything correctly , they will also be hungry , because if you ca n’t moil water , then how can you be confide to cook anything ? ”
Their female parent gesture toward the disc that Ella is still holding on her munition . Anastasia can see somewhat runny eggs sliding around on the home plate , and her breadbasket turns . They ’ve eaten so many eggs over the past several years . The volaille keep provide them , but more importantly , they ’re gratis .
“ What , exactly , ” their mother says slowly , her wintry regard traveling all the direction up from Ella ’s feet , shoved into hole - ridden skidder , to the top of her fountainhead , “ is your role to me ? To us ? ”
Anastasia squirms a tiny number . She ’s always wanted to be an “ us , ” but the way her female parent says it makes it sound like an United States Army , a artillery .
“ Actually , ” her female parent continues just as Ella opens her mouth to answer , “ I already know the answer to that simple-minded , simple dubiousness . You have no use . You ’re useless . ” She waves her paw at Ella , shoo away her away . “ Leave . ”
It ’s like take in a Arabian tea play with a ball of yarn , batting it around , unraveling it , then leaving it a pile on the background , bored with the game before it even gets started . Ella set out to slink away , but their female parent ’s voice like a shot calls her back .
“ Leave the food for thought ! ” she thunder . “ What , do you want us to hunger ? ”
“ No , ma’am , ” Ella says , moving the dental plate rapidly from the disk to the tabular array . When she sets Anastasia ’s food down in front of her , Anastasia can see her manus shaking . She wants to reach out , grab her wrist , severalize her that it will be all right , but she knows she ’d be choosing a losing side in a biz of winner takes all .
And Anastasia would never admit it , not even to herself , but late down , she wants it all .
Excerpt from Robin Benway ’s The Dark Ascension Series : The Wicked Ones reprinted by permission of Disney Press .
Robin Benway ’s The Dark Ascension Series : The Wicked Ones is out January 10 ; you’re able to preorder ithere .
desire more io9 news ? Check out when to anticipate the latestMarvelandStar Warsreleases , what ’s next for theDC Universe on film and TV , and everything you call for to know aboutHouse of the DragonandLord of the Rings : The Rings of Power .
AnyaCinderellaFantasyFilms
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and culture news in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , delivered to your nowadays .
You May Also Like
