Return To The Isle Of The Lost: A Descendants Novel
Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
Written by Melissa De La Cruz
Disney Hyperion
Release Date: May 24th, 2016

When we last saw Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos, offspring of the most villainous villains of the Isle of the Lost, they had saved the kingdom of Auradon from Maleficent, who had turned into a dragon, intent on destroying them all. Her daughter Mal stood up to her and won… the battle and the newly crowned King Ben, son of Beauty and the Beast. Now they are happy and settled in their school life at Auradon Prep. Or are they? When they each receive an ominous message urging them to Return to the Isle of the Lost referencing the moon, they don’t know what to think… only that it can’t be good.

More on the new novel by Melissa De La Cruz below.

This followup to the Disney Channel phenomenon, Descendants, has the same whimsical air as the movie. Our characters are definitely the good guys, but with enough bad traits to still be the most complex characters of all the lands (Chad Charming is too). When they go back home, they do have a bit of nostalgia and have to face some challenges that are tailor made for them, and really makes them take a hard look at their old lives. King Ben actually has his own story thread that has no real connection to his relationship with Mal, which is both cool for him, yet a slight disappointment as their relationship was the most interesting part of Descendants.

Elementary and middle schoolers will LOVE the story and be super excited for the eventual movie. It is fast-paced and chock full of adventure, with a closer and more descriptive look at the evil isle. There is a bit of the unexpected in the novel, unusual for a Disney product. I did not expect to be that surprised by the turn of events.

Definitely a must buy for the kids and maybe even for some of the adults in your life.

Also check out the Descendants prequel, The Isle of the Lost, also by Melissa De La Cruz, which has our four going on an evil little adventure on their home turf.

Book synopsis:

The sequel to the #1 New York Times best seller The Isle of the Lost

Mal’s an expert at intimidating her enemies, but she’s broken the habit since leaving her villainous roots behind. So when she and her friends Evie, Carlos, and Jay all receive threatening messages demanding they return home, Mal can’t believe it. Sure, she’s King Ben’s girlfriend now, and she’s usually nice to her classmates, but she still didn’t think anyone would be silly enough to try to push her around.

The thing is, it kind of worked. Especially since she and her friends have a sneaking suspicion that their villainous parents are behind the messages. And when Evie looks into her Magic Mirror, what she sees only confirms their fears. Maleficent’s just a tiny lizard after her run-in with Mal at Ben’s Coronation, but she’s the worst villain in the land for a reason. Could she have found a way to escape? Whatever’s going on, Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay know they have to sneak back to the Isle and get to the bottom of it.

Without its infamous leader, the island’s even worse than when they left it, but the comforts of home-even a home as gloomy as the Isle of the Lost-can be hard to resist for recently reformed villains. Will the kids be able to beat the evil bubbling at the Isle’s wicked core, or will the plot to destroy Auradon succeed?