#a twisted tale anathology

[cartoonfangirl1218]

A Twisted Tale Anathology Review

This anathology of sixteen short stories take new twists on tales already done in the series and new ones from the Pixar and Disney animal catalogue. In the limited space, the authors manage to pack in heartfelt and fun adventures that may make you see the story in a new way.

It's always hard to do an anathology review so I'll do my best to summarize each story and what I enjoyed from it.

Cast Out: What if Snow White learned magic? Blackthorne's Twisted Tale debut has Snow White incidentally taking charge of her fate. During her cleaning of the castle, she finds the magic mirror and her stepmother's evil magic lair. Once she realizes the danger (and the potential excitment to her dreary scullary maid life), she starts reading her spellbooks and is able to change her fate. I enjoyed this twist in how Blackthorne ably retains Snow White's sweet personality and love for animals with a stronger intention in her actions as she takes up spells to protect herself and her animal friends.

A First Mission: What if Mulan became the Emperor's advisor? After returning home, Mulan decides to accept the Emperor's offer to become his advisor so she can serve her country and become a role model to the women of China. Let's face it, after defeating the Huns going back to chores or marriage question wasn't her style. Unfortunately, the other advisors aren't thrilled a woman is among them especially Chi Fu. He schemes to get her kicked out by pointing out her lack of experience. Mulan knows what he is trying to do but she also knows he's right that she doesn't having the training or education so she accepts his challenge to save China's imperial silkworms. This was like a classic Disney short film with Mulan saving the day and making Chi Fu see her in a new light. Just very light and filled with warm-hearted characterization that epitomizes the kind of woman Mulan is. She may not be traditional, but her compassion and ability to see what's really important make her shine. Also I enjoyed Lim's MulanxShang dynamic.

Et Voila: What if Remy had met Colette first? Braswell did a great job on this Pixar classic! Colette's struggles as the only woman in a male-dominated chef industry was steller as she balances Colette's exhaustion of the daily grind, how dishartened she is that she has no more passion for her work yet her technical expertise can't make up for the fact she doesn't have the creativity of master chef. That is until she meets Remy. He has the vision, she has the human hands for knives and together, they make their own pop-up resturaunt in an alleyway. I loved the humorous realism of Colette doubting her sanity as she bonds with the rat and the quiet friendship that springs up between them. Remy finds someone who understands him and Colette loves cooking again. One of my favorites in the anathology.

The Envelope: What if Anastasia had a change of heart? Calonita finally gets to do a story with her favorite Disney tale, and I think it's clear she's a Cinderella fan as this slightly copies Cinderella 2 and 3 by depicting Anastasia's redemption. Yes, Anastasia realizes she did Cinderella wrong, yes, she's treated harshly by her mother and Drizella for her idealism, yes, she gets a cute love interest. But unlike other tales, her redemption is primarily her own and inspired by her late father's belongings that make her realize she has gone far from who he would have wanted her to be. It's a nice tale, but skippable if you're already familiar with other Cinderella movies.

A New Dawn: What if Mufasa gave up his throne? Rochon saves all of us from childhood trauma by having Mufasa live through his fall off the cliff. Permenantly handicapped, he is forced to step down from leadership and Simba becomes king. Rochon creates an interesting conflict as Simba struggles to lead with his father undermining his commands to the pride. He can effectively protect them if Mufasa is sending him one way and the elders don't respect him. The hashing out between father and son is only heightened by Mufasa's choice to blindly ignore Scar's betrayal and believe his lies, plunging them to more danger from internal divisions. Rochon does an excellent job in showing a layered father-son bond as Simba shows that he's ready to lead on his own and Mufasa acknowledge his own resentments while strengthening there is much for them to still learn from each other. Plus the lion fight scenes were truly raw and primal.

Rattle the Stars: What if Jim Hawkins joined the pirates? It's everyone's favorite cult classic! I was so excited for this and England didn't disappoint as they have Jim overhear Silver's betrayal and decide to join the pirate side. She does a good job illustrating Jim's insecurity and hurt over Silver's words and his constant questioning of his sincerity afterwards. Even though he doubts Silver's genuineness, his 'rattle the stars" speech still inspires Jim to take up the pirate mutiny so he'll be able to get the treasure to his mother faster. England makes it clear that this decision will leave Jim with moral ambiguity for the rest of his journey, disappointing Captain Amelia and Dobbler and following in the footsteps of his dead-beat father. But it also feels right for him at this moment, and perhaps he'll be able to finally feel free without the baggage of other's disappoints. It made me want to see more of the story and how Jim the pirate would go, if he'd find his way back home or if he'll further cross all his moral lines.

A Royal Game of Chess: What if history wasn't quite right about the legend of Robin Hood? Braswell takes on the classic trope of what if Robin Hood was a girl. In this case, what if Robin Hood was actually Maid Marian and Red was just her carefree boyfriend and image so King John wouldn't know of the infiltraitor under his roof? Braswell clearly has a lot of fun highlighting the characters' animal characteristics and descriptors and does a nice job of showing Marian's frustration that she is better serving the people inside King John's castle rather than spending it full time in Robin Hood gear as she desires. Even if it means letting Red take all the credit. It was fine, a bit bland as I've seen the trope before though.

The Secret Exchange: What if Eric met Ariel after she rescued him? Here, we get full view of Ariel and Eric's relationship where both can speak their minds and share each other's worlds. Every day, Eric rows out and explains the things about the human world that Ariel always longed to know and Ariel tells him all about under the sea. It's adorable and I love how Lim shows how alike they are in their curisoity and love of adventure and bashfulness of their true feelings. Still, there's plenty of action as Ursula conspires to use their attraction to each other to sow discord in the sea and steal Triton's crown. I really enjoyed this take on the story that has Ariel and Eric teaming up to work together against Ursula and expands the idea of Ariel and Eric being the bridge between sky and sea.

Dust to Dust: What if Tinkerbell was working for Captain Hook? Tinkerbell goes the way of Vidia when she irresponsibly uses her dust to finish her work and gets kicked out of Pixie Hollow. Her magic is tainted and she's soon lured by Hook's worldview that the other fairies are too snooty and judgy, that he gets her and that he needs her help to save Neverland from the dastardly Peter Pan. Ostow perfectly depicts Hook's pompous ego and Tinkerbell's mercurial feelings as they team up to take down Pan by Tinerkbell falls for him instead until that Wendy creature comes along. This time she's not completely motivated by jealousy but also by a fear of abandonment yet the rescue is a wonderful scene of imagination and magical awesomenesss. I just wished there had been more Hook and Tink interactions that was promised from the title.

Gonna Take You There: What if Naveen had to get home to Maldonia? It's road trip time! Tiana quits her job in a huff but before she can go beg for it back, she sees Naveen helpless on the dock after his valet quit on him. She can't leave a man in need and the fact that he's willing to pay her anything to help him get to the docks seals the deal. With Lottie in tow, they had to Alabama and Rochon illustrates the sweetest road trip fluttering crush feelings in a matter of hours. Maybe it's unrealistic but I found it sweet how Tiana talked Naveen into realizing what his future profession could be so he wouldn't have to be a professional moocher and Naveen was able to make Tiana able to appreciate the present and enjoy life. It shows even without the magical circumstances and forced frog bonding, Naveen and Tiana have a chance after all, they just fit.

Fates, Three: What if the triplets visited the witch? The triplets of Dun Broch are fifteen years old and still incorrigable rascals. Well, Hamish is. His other brothers have been preoccupied with their own interest and loves and he's beginning to feel left behind. When he ropes them into another prank that goes disasterously wrong, they secretly sneak out to the witch to change their fates even though Merida would have their hides if they found out. Calonita always has the right touch when depicting familial relationships and it's no different here as she has the brothers reaffirm their bond and communicate their insecurities all while annoying the heck out of the witch.

A Dragon in the Snow: What if Madam Mim and Merlin went to school together? Who doesn't love a good school AU and Perez delivers a bittersweet tale of romance and insecurity. Mim has always been an outcast, her lavender hair a bright sign that she's infected with shadow magic. She's been building herself up to become a royal mage, so to prove to everyone she is good and no one can dismiss her again. In fact, Merlin is one of the few who always treats her with respect and soon their friendship turns to a romance. But when the trial comes down to the two of them, Mim loses and lashes out at Merlin for all his privileges and his romance which broke her concentration. Perez kept Mim's bitterness ever present so even though it's sad when Mim realizes it doesn't matter how hard she works, political connections and lineage rule the day, it also feels inevitable that she'd turn evil. A tragic tale that adds extra depth to the movie if you choose to believe they did have a romance.

The Journey Home: What if Belle had to take her father's place at the fair? Once again, Rochon takes a realistic approch to this Disney tale by bypassing the original story entirely. Belle never goes to the castle or meets the Beast or anything. Instead she ventures to the snow, excited to finally get an adventure only to get stuck in a snowstorm. The only person who could help her transport her father's invention-Gaston. Rochon hilariously writes Belle's disgust with Gaston and her painful choice to ask for his help. Her Gaston is perfectly, smugly in character too, I could hear his voice. But Belle ultimately rescues herself using her own ineguinty, showing that Belle is amazing all by herself with an epilogue that gives her the happy ending she never knew she wanted.

Call it a Hunch: What if Hercules' first day as a god didn't go as planned? Calonita did such a great job in Go the Distance so this story also becomes my immediate fav. Her characterization of Hercules and Meg is amazing from Hercules' sweetness and readiness to start helping others (even though he's unsure how) and Meg trying to start her detective agency. The dialogue is snappy, the dynamic is wonderful, and I enjoyed the inclusion of the gods. It made me smile the whole time. Of course, I'm biased. I just wished there had been more from Hercules' POV but it is inevitable Meg steals the show so I can't really blame Calonita.

The Reluctant Prince: What if Bambi didn't want to be the next Great Prince of the Forest? Braswell's nature imagery instantly brought to mind this soothing film though Bambi's troubles were less so as his father informs him he'll be Prince next season. Bambi is unsure of the responsibilities, he doesn't want to be the aloof leader his father is. He wants to be with his kids that will be born soon, he wants enjoy spring with his friends. The trio of Bambi, Thumper and Flower was nicely done, showing their steadfast friendship, best part of the story. But Bambi's talk with Faline does show human-depth to the character as she makes him see that he's confusing the role of the Great Prince with his resentment of his father and that he doesn't have to follow his footsteps. It was cool that one of the underrated films had one of the most interesting food for thought in giving Bambi more characterization. Although, this may have been based on Bambi 2, it's been awhile but I think the plot/conflict was similar.

The Rose and the Thorns: What if Aurora knew the truth about her curse? Lim closes out the novel by having Aurora take charge of her story too. Knowing about the curse, she has grown up in the castle with her fairy godmothers preparing her with magic and fencing to defend herself against Maleficent's arrival on the chance she doesn't prick her finger. The effect has made her wish for a quiet life in the woods so she doesn't have to deal with the anticipation/overprotectiveness/countdown of the curse controlling everything around her. Luckily, she has Prince Phillip, her best friend and her crush though she's unsure how to convey her feelings with the whole "True love's kiss" thing hanging over them. Lim does good job in keeping them in character and expanding their relationship while presenting a new tale where Aurora and Phillip ambush Maleficent first so they could put the curse to rest once and for all.

This was a fun anathology that any Disney fan would love! I'd recommend reading it all the way through though I'm sure others would skip around to their favorites. Mine were A First Mission, Et Voila, A New Dawn, Rattle the Stars, Gonna Take You There, Fates Three, Call It a Hunch and The Reluctant Prince.