Agrabah is under Jafar's control and the Sultana is prepared to fight to reclaim the throne.
Author: Liz Braswell
Released: September 2015
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 400
Audiobook Length: 9 hours (approx.)
Book Review
This has been on my to-be-read list for quite some time. I love a good spin on childhood nostalgia. The premise of the book thrilled me.
The book has relatively good reviews across the major book review sites. I'm unsure if the story fell victim to unrealistic expectations on my part. I had hyped myself for an experience greater than this book delivered.
The first 20% of the book was an almost exact retelling of certain scenes from the movie. By the time we got to original storytelling, I had lost the excitement I originally felt for what this book could have been.
There are elements of horror within, but the book lacked the emotional intelligence and character depth necessary for a good horror novel. It felt more like shock value. As though Disney was making a shoddy attempt to divorce itself from the image of a child's story.
The end is fast-paced, original in content, and offers a decent action narrative for those die-hard Disney fans in the mood for something different.
Regardless, I found the book in its entirety, to be a swing and a miss from my perspective.
Plot
An alternative retelling of Disney's Aladdin in which Jafar is the first to the Genie's lamp. His wishes align with his all-encompassing desire for power. He wishes to be sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Deposed Princess Jasmine allies herself with Aladdin and the street rats in a wild attempt to reclaim the throne and save Agrabah from a totalitarian madman.
Additional Comments
A Whole New World is part of the A Twisted Tales series. The series comprises well over a dozen books, with more to be added in the coming years. Liz Braswell has written seven of the books in the series.
About the Author
Liz Braswell holds a degree in Egyptology from Brown University. She spent ten years, post-graduation, producing video games, as one does with an Egyptology degree.
She wrote Snow and Rx under the name Tracy Lynn, followed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under her real name.
Content Warning:
Violence
Verdict
Score: 6/10
It's a no from me.
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