The wicked ones

In stores now from Disney Books

“BLOOD IS BLOOD...AND ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE ALL BLEED.”

This first book in the new Disney Villains Dark Ascension series by National Book Award-winning author Robin Benway explores the complex sibling rivalry between the two wicked stepsisters from Cinderella that turned them into the characters we know today.

Drizella and Anastasia only know one thing for certain: they will never end up like their mother, Lady Tremaine. When their father left them as young girls, he took what was left of their family’s fortune and their mother’s dignity with him. A few years and one deceased stepfather later, the only version of Lady Tremaine that Drizella and Anastasia know is a bitter and cruel head of house. Anastasia and Drizella have promised themselves—and each other—that they'll be different. They'll find love, see the world, and never let their hearts go cold.

But both sisters are all too aware of what it can mean when cast into disfavor with their mother, and fueled by Lady Tremaine’s tendencies to pit the daughters against one another, Drizella and Anastasia are locked into a complicated waltz of tenuous sisterhood. 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 discovering a love of science and Anastasia sparking a secret romance. But never underestimate the power a mother whose greatest talents lie in manipulation, and the sisters may learn that even the cruelest of hearts can spill blood.

PRAISE FOR THE WICKED ONES

“Illuminated by emotional intelligence, Benway’s humanizing backstories give these iconic characters a claim to readers’ sympathy while prompting pointed questions as to the genealogy of evil. Psychologically astute entertainment with a bite.”
– Kirkus Reviews

“In this excellent account, the author imagines the backstories of Drizella and Anastasia, known best as Cinderella's wicked stepsisters….Each section of the story is told from the perspective of Drizella or Anastasia, taking turns as events take place. One can't help but feel hopeful for the sisters as the story unfolds, feeling like there is redemption on the horizon for them, before it all comes crashing down.”
– Booklist

PRAISE FOR Robin Benway’s Previous Novel
A year To the day

“A Year to the Day is simultaneously gut-wrenching and heartening, as grief and love so often are. Its unusual structure effectively relates a timeless story in a new and engaging way as Benway offers beautiful, profound reflections on loss, healing and forgiveness. Ultimately, Leo’s story is a lesson in self-compassion and hope, reminding readers that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting the past, and although love can be painful, it’s worth holding on to.”
– Bookpage (starred review)

"The backward chronology is a bold and worthy experiment. We step away from the novel carrying a secret — we now know what Leo might never remember — and thus we feel complicit in withholding the devastating truth. Ultimately, A Year to the Day is a moving exploration of how the mind both punishes and protects, and a reminder of how fortunate we are to love and be loved, even if only for a short time.”
– The New York Times

“As the clock winds back and details slowly emerge, Benway highlights pivotal days throughout the year, rendering a persuasive portrait of heartache and loss….Suspense, unanswered questions, and raw emotion blend together in an honest examination of one family’s varying symptoms and stages of grief.”
– Publishers Weekly

"Authentic, often sarcastically funny dialogue and texts bring a lightness and grim humor to interactions Leo has with East and others. Her divorced parents and stepmother are poignantly developed secondary characters, and the intricate dynamics of Leo’s relationships with each of them underscore the ripple effect that occurs in families following a tragic loss. An intelligent, compassionate examination of a family enduring a nightmare.”
– Kirkus Reviews

"The novel keeps a tight focus on Leo herself, allowing her to be relatable in both her growth and grief, while the third-person voice keeps the deepest heartbreak at a distance. The unique storytelling structure builds tension by slowly revealing small details of Leo’s past year, placing in sharp relief the one big thing she cannot recount. East, then, emerges as Leo’s most potent foil, since he remembers what she does not, including a truth revealed in the shattering final chapters, one that might be foreseeable but is an emotional gut punch nonetheless.”
– Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

“A nuanced, sensitive capture of a devastating event and the life beyond it.”
– Booklist