5 Reasons to Love Serena Valentino's Newest Villains Book, "Never Never"

I am a HUGE book nerd, owning over 1,000 books and reading between 50-100 a year. When the Serena Valentino villains book series was first released, I immediately got the first few. I had heard mixed reviews though, and kept pushing them aside for other books.

Fast forward about six years, and I find myself wanting to read the full series, despite the mixed early reviews. Books 4-6 were so hard to find! I ended up refreshing Amazon and Barnes & Noble daily looking for them to come back in stock. They finally did and I very quickly read through the first eight books, and have been very anxiously awaiting book #9, "Never Never".

"Never Never" is Captain Hook's story. After diving into this tale, I just had to share 5 things you'll love about this book!

#1 - The Cover (Dust Cover & Inside Cover) They say never to judge a book by its cover, but that's hard to do when you have a cover like this! All of the Serena Valentino Villains books are black with half the villains face large and staring straight at you! When removing the dust cover, it's still the villain you know and love, but either in another form or showing their more villainous side. As I received each book, the first thing I've done is check the covers. They are just so well done! And I can easily say, Captain Hook didn't disappoint! He may not have another face (like the Evil Queen to the Old Hag, or Ursula to Vanessa), but I love the change! The dust cover is standard Hook, and inside has him just a bit crazed holding up a pocket watch!

#2 - The Return of the Odd Sisters & the Book of Fairy Tales

The two previous books both took place in London, featuring Cruella de Vil and Lady Tremaine. This was a change from the series, since these aren't the most magical villains in the Disney universe. Prior to beginning those books, I really didn't know what to expect. If you've read any of these stories, you know that the Odd Sisters play a major role in the tales; they even have a book of their own! Leaving the magical world changed this. They still made an appearance and these merely human villains were still part of the Book of Fairy Tales, but it was a very different vibe to the stories. Cruella, in "Evil Thing" was absolutely fantastic. It was a complete change of pace, written as a memoir; and it may be my favourite in the series. After Cruella, the next villain to appear is Lady Tremaine. "Cold Hearted" was a difficult book for me to get into. It's my least-liked, despite many high ratings. For me, it took far too long to get into the heart of the stories; for the magical world to appear; and it just came off sad. After reading "Cold Hearted," I really missed the Odd Sisters and the Book of Fairy Tales. Chapter One of "Never Never" brings them back and I couldn't be happier!

#3 - The Pirates!!

Who doesn't love pirates? In Peter Pan, we experienced Pirate fights and got a glimpse of the Neverland Pirates, but the book goes in so much deeper! "Never Never" is about how James became Captain Hook; it's his origin story and in many ways, this is the best part! Some retellings will follow what happened in the films, but from a different perspective. Captain Hook is a fantastic villain we know very little about, and being able to see where he came from is great! The early half of the book goes into James becoming a pirate, and it's just the best! I don't want to give a lot away; but expect a kraken, Blackbeard, crazy pirates, sirens, and just who is Mr. Smee!! I love Smee in this tale!

#4 - The Link to Cruella and Lady Tremaine

Super small part of the story, but a part that caught my attention as a great addition. Small spoiler here, but if you read "Evil Thing," you'll remember Cruella's jade earrings her father gave her. They were treasure, but she was always messing with her ears when she wore them. In the same way, Lady Tremaine had a jade brooch she wore and always touched when feeling insecure. The stories are working their way backwards recently (as the Odd Sisters say, all timelines are happening at once); and "Never Never" gives us more info on those jade earrings and brooch. It's a small detail, but I appreciate the stories tying together and having more info. It makes reading in order a bit more fun as well.

#5 - The Ending

Whether a book is good or bad, the ending is probably a highlight! In this case, it's a very strong book, and I loved the ending! This was a quick to read tale leading up to an ending that keeps you on your toes despite knowing how it has to end. After all, he's not called Captain Hook for no reason. There's adventure, and some sadness; a twist, and a lot of answers.

I tried to keep this spoiler free, since I know how much I hate spoilers! I can't wait to see which villain is next! Any guesses?

Have you read the book yet? What are some of your favourite parts? Let me know in the comments, or message me on Instagram! @breakawaybrittney

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