The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
Released: June 22, 2015
Pages: 320
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that's been left to rot and forgotten by the world.

But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon's eye: the key to true darkness and the villains' only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it...who will it be?


I really loved this book and whizzed through it, taking only two days to read it. It is so light-hearted and funny, a perfect mix of good writing and the classic Disney that we all know and love. 

All the old characters were well written (Maleficent, Jafar etc...) and had the same attitude to life as they do in their respective films. However Melissa de la Cruz had adapted the characters to show that not only were they in the 21st century, but that they had aged since their films and were past the prime of their lives. Also the fact that there is no magic obviously limits how evil they can be, but I think she dealt with it well.

Oh my god, these new characters! I loved all of them! They were all so amazing and Disney-like. I loved learning about these new children and all their different personalities. I especially liked how the book switched between their point-of-views so you get to see the island from their individual perspectives. It also meant you get an insight into what the characters' motives and thoughts are which I think helps build up the overall story.

This was definitely an introduction novel to the Disney film as it introduced a lot of characters in short amount of time. It also built up problems and relationships that were obviously going to continue in the film. There was also a ton of description which helped build up the world, although it did get annoying at times. I understand that Melissa needed to build up the world but I want to know why Mal wanted to impress her mother not what shade of purple she wears! 

Overall I loved this book, and can't wait to watch the film and read the next 2 books! It does its job well, getting me super excited about all the Disney villains and their children. It is a lovely, well-written book and is adorable. A perfect prequel to the Disney Descendants film and I would recommend it to people who love the Disney villains.