Heartbroken

Villains #12

by Serena Valentino

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES • This darkly captivating novel reveals the madness behind one of Disney’s most dangerous the Queen of Hearts.

She missed the days of wonder. But those days were long past. All that remained was the anger.

You may think you know the story of the Queen of Hearts, the bloodthirsty tyrant known for seeing red. Surely you’ve heard of the young girl Alice, who fell through the rabbit hole to a place called Wonderland, and how she defeated its villainous ruler in order to find her way back home.

But have you ever wondered about the Queen’s own first day in Wonderland? Did she encounter the same wonders—and horrors—as Alice? Are the laws of the land her royal decree—or a desperate attempt to bring order to a place that refuses to make sense?

And why is she so angry?

It may be hard to answer, with any certainty, questions about a world created from the broken shards of others. In the end, it all comes down to a woman fighting against the darkness within, and her unlikely friendship with a little white rabbit.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fiction, Audiobook

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 29, 2025

About the author

Serena Valentino is best known for weaving tales that combine mythos and guile with her work on the comic book series GloomCookie and Nightmares & Fairy Tales, and her best selling Disney Villain Novels which have earned her critical acclaim for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty and extraordinary female protagonists.

Her Disney Villain novel series would be best enjoyed if read in this order: Fairest of All: The Story of the Wicked Queen, The Beast Within: The Story of Belle’s Prince, Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch, Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy. Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch and The Odd Sisters: A Villains Book to be released in Summer 2019. Book 7 will be out Summer 2020, Book 8 summer of 2021, and Book 9 Summer of 2022.

Serena lives in New Orleans with her dog Gozer, and a very tiny kitty named Momma.



Contact: Serena@serenavalentino.com

Reviews

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 5 out of 5]

no spoilers but I 100% know who the next Villain is!

[Cheyenne Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG!! I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOOK!! AAAAHHHHH!!! 🥳

[Yas]

فقط جالبیش این بود که فهمیدیم اون تولپه رو برای چی از اول مجموعه داره میکشونه😂
هیچ وقت طرفدار آلیس در سرزمین عجایب نبودم. ولی جدا از اون نویسنده این جلد کوتاهی کرده بود، داستان ناجالب و متن‌ بی‌فایده.

[Laura.has.too.many.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I'd strongly recommend reading the previous books first, as this book connects to multiple previous stories.

When the Queen of Hearts wakes up in Wonderland, she is more confused than anything. Waking up next to a strange man who called her Queen and interacting with the rude inhabitants of Wonderland would have send her over the edge in no time at all, if it was not for her best friend the White Rabbit. But when you're made of the anger of the Odd Sisters, how much of a chance do you really have in the world of madness that is called Wonderland?

Pro's:
+ This story is very easy to read, even with its multiple storylines. Every chapter is marked really well and I think the author did a really good job in keeping the reader on track. Especially since we're not only diving into the story of the Queen of Hearts, but also into the overarching story.
+ These stories are just as fun for a younger audience as they are for adults who've grown up with Disney. And I think that is because this author always manages to create really approachable stories in this own universe she has created.

Con's:
- I found the dialog in the Queen of Hearts parts of the story quite repetitive and even with the ending it felt a bit unnecessary. It also felt like we've touched on just a slither of this story, even though I can't also tell you what I feel is missing.

It was nice to get another story in this universe, but for me this entry felt a bit more discombobulated than the previous books in this series. I know that could also be the Wonderland element of this story, but I cannot help myself feeling like there was something missing from this story. The overarching story is stronger than ever in this book and it is nice we made some headway in that regard, but the Queen-part of the story felt a bit repetitive. This entry is not the best in this series, but I hope the next book will be better and more fun again.

[Shelby Westerdahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the friendship between the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts, such a fun and unexpected dynamic! This book kept me hooked the entire time. I was fully invested from start to finish.

[Pattricia Mesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serena Valentino’s Villains series is the perfect invitation to explore the hidden backstories of Disney’s most iconic antagonists—the characters we love to hate. In book twelve, Heartbroken, we get the chance to find out more about the past of the Queen of Hearts and the events that led her to become the angry, beheading monarch set on shouting “Off with her head!”, who goes after Alice.

When I requested Heartbroken, I overlooked a small but important detail, this is part of a connected series. While maybe the first three books can be read as standalone, this one absolutely cannot. I was kinda disappointed because the synopsis doesn’t mention that you need background knowledge from earlier books to fully grasp the subplot and supporting characters.

Unlike the first three books, which I remember vividly for the way they added emotional depth and complexity to the villains, Heartbroken didn’t capture me the same way. We don't really understand what makes the Queen of Hearts’ descent into darkness until the very end, and by then, it wraps up far too quickly. The exploration of Wonderland’s chaos is intriguing, but this book feels more like the backstory of the White Rabbit than of the Queen herself. Ironically, I found myself empathizing far more with him, and now I’m even more curious to see what happens to his character in the next installments.

One thing I did love was getting a happier ending for some characters from book one. It was really sweet to see the queen who once didn’t love herself finally find happiness.

If you want a series that feels like classic Disney but shows the deeper stories and emotions behind the villains, this is a great choice. Just make sure to read the earlier books first so you can really understand where Heartbroken fits in.

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Beth✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

poor misunderstood, lonely queen of hearts. I love the relationship with the white rabbit. what a fun twist on Alice in Wonderland.

[Kami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not crying…you’re crying!!!

As usual the author has done it again. I love how she intertwines the fairy tales and villains. This continuation is another beautiful story that continues on the main plot line and adds in a new story and new villain. This one might just be my overall favorite in the series for how this plot progresses and how the characters develop.

[Wendy Stachura · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was super short and felt more like a bridge for books than the actually story of Queen of Hearts

[Dragonfae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting ride for sure. I definitely need to reread Hades story as it's important to this story, plus reading the original Alice in Wonderland books. I liked the multiple storylines in the book along with the twists and decisions of the Odd Sisters and Circe. I'm super excited about Chernobog and how he'll reek havoc, along with Princess Tulips war. This book had me wanting more, though. The ending wasn't my favorite, I did feel the writing in the Wonderland timeline felt repetitive, and I wish we had more backstory on the Queen of Hearts.

[mikeyandherbooks]

This series has been ongoing for a while now and I find them a good time usually but this one didn't feel as fleshed out as the other ones. I didn't understand as much what made the Queen so angry whereas other books in this series have done a much better job and made me feel a lot of empathy for the villains, I think this one falls short in comparison

[Nikki Ruzick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbroken, the 12th installment in Serena Valentino’s Villains series, offers a clever and imaginative twist on Alice in Wonderland, diving into the backstory of the Queen of Hearts and shedding light on why she’s so furiously misunderstood. As a longtime fan of the series, I found this book just as captivating as the others. Valentino once again delivers a richly layered tale that reimagines a classic character in a new and emotionally resonant way. Fans of Wonderland will especially enjoy seeing familiar faces through this darker, more introspective lens. The “little white rabbit” completely stole my heart, adding a tender touch to the story’s intensity. A solid 4-star read. Fun, thought-provoking, and full of heart.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Random House/Disney for the ARC.

[Valerie Contreras · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think this series is for me anymore. I found myself feeling bored and uninterested for the most part. I think I just personally outgrew it. It was interesting to see the Queen of hearts’s point of view, especially with learning why she is the way she is. I did not expect the white rabbit to be friends with the Queen. There is not much I can say in this review since I breezed through it.

I feel like readers who still like this series might enjoy this but I can’t say that I would recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

[James Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This series is so back! Heartbroken is my favorite Disney Villain novel in a long while! I had so much fun with this book! I will say that I have a previous love for the Alice in Wonderland film and the Queen of Hearts. I'd been wanting a Queen of Hearts novel for SOOOO long! However, with the release of the Gaston book, I became scared for Valentino to tackle a favorite villain. Now, all of the books before Fire and Fate were wonderful! I loved them so much! But, Fire and Fate along with Kill the Beast were so bad, and really brought out my issues with the other books, that I thought the series had lost its mojo... I was so wrong! Heartbroken actually covers the origins of the Queen of Hearts in a compelling and fun way! And, I can't believe I'm saying this, the Odd Sisters and their side of the world were not only cool, but I began to love those characters again! I never thought I'd say such a thing! They had consistently been my least favorite parts of the series, but now the sisters and the Many Kingdoms are showing GREAT PROMISE! Heartbroken not only makes the Queen of Hearts sympathetic, but it fleshes out Wonderland and the lore of the many kingdoms in a very cool, fun, and inventive way!

Firstly, the Queen of Hearts herself! I loved her storyline! It was so interesting how she appeared in Wonderland, and how she had to navigate it with the White Rabbit while tackling their fractured memories! I loved how Wonderland felt like it was ripped right out of the animated movie... But the addition of the Jabberwock was a very nice touch! The Queen goes through a lot, and I like how her journey kind of mirrors Alice in a dark way! Like Alice, the Queen becomes angry and perplexed by Wonderland, and eventually finds herself stranded and alone. However, the Queen can't escape the responsibility of her station. She tries her best to be kind, but she is angry by nature. The "how" of the Queen was so good! It literally made the travesty that was Fire and Fate worth it! They explained Wonderland and the Queen so well! The queen was sympathetic, and honestly I felt for her! This was an actual villain origin where we see her slow development into the villain! Unlike the horrible Gaston plot twist where he's cursed to be a villain. The White Rabbit in all of this is also very compelling! His love for the Queen is so sweet, and I honestly liked how he also wasn't perfect! The characters were very 3-dimensional, which isn't always true for this series.

The Odd Sisters/ Many Kingdoms stuff in this is absolutely amazing! Firstly, we get Chernobog and Bald Mountain! That was a wonderful surprise! And, the way that Wonderland and the Queen were created fits flawlessly into the narrative thus far! I really, really enjoyed the seamless connection. The Odd Sisters themselves were brilliantly used! They were funny, interesting, and dark. I also liked how we get some cameos from previously in the series.... I really liked how this book started tying everything together. Circe doesn't get as much to do, but she is set up for some big things in the future that I can't wait to see. But, yeah, this book sets up A LOT for the future! This book felt like the first act of Avengers: Infinity War... Setting up a HUGE overarching conflict. With three more books to go, I'm excited to see what we get! This book really made me excited for what's to come! I'm hoping for Madame Mim! I also want MORE than three more books! Keep this train moving! So, with Chernabog, we see a lot of the threads from previously in the series begin to become intertwined. We have the Dead woods, Wonderland, Hades, and Tulip all leading to the reemergence of this threat... I'm wondering if the next book will be the end of this arc like how the Odd Sisters was the end of the first arc.

Now, this book isn't a five star book for a reason... It did have some problems. Firstly, it has a very uneven tone. This book is technically a children's book, but it feels like the author wants it to be YA. Heck, I want it to be YA. So, sometimes it's really dark, and sometimes it's really childish. If we can get the next books in the YA section, that'd be great please... And that's it! That's all I didn't like! I LOVE THIS BOOK!

So, I've had my doubts about this series, but if we continue to have this quality, this could get back to its former glory with books like Mistress of Evil and Mother Knows Best! I'm so excited! I'm in love with this series again!

[Scolardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Gebrochenes Herz“ von Serena Valentino ist der 12. Band der „Disney Villains“-Reihe. Weiterhin kann ich keine genaue Angabe dazu finden, wie viele Bände die Reihe insgesamt umfassen wird, laut einer anderen Rezensentin sollen es aber wohl mindestens 15 Bände werden.

Dieses Mal befassen wir uns mit einem Bösewicht aus dem Film „Alice im Wunderland“ aus dem Jahr 1951: der Herzkönigin. Die Handlung verläuft hier parallel zu Alices Geschichte.

„Gebrochenes Herz“ befindet sich mit seinen 320 Seiten eigentlich im durchschnittlichen Mittelfeld den Umfang entsprechend, fühlt sich aber gleichzeitig viel länger und viel kürzer an. Das hat damit zu tun, dass unheimlich viel in diese 320 Seiten gequetscht wird.

Nun sollte man meinen, dass die Handlung dadurch auch ein enorm hohes Tempo habe, doch weit gefehlt. Die Geschichte fühlte sich für mich tatsächlich extrem unausgewogen an. Der Handlungsstrang rund um die Herzkönigin mäandert viel zu lange ziellos daher, während parallel der übergreifende Handlungsbogen mit großen Schritten voranschreitet, uns dabei aber scheinbar nur auf einen großen Showdown vorbereitet, statt effektiv etwas zu erreichen. Vielleicht wären hier ein paar Seiten mehr mal besser gewesen.

Nichtsdestotrotz gefällt mir Valentinos Idee, wieso die Herzkönigin so wütend ist, ausgesprochen gut und ich bin immer noch überrascht, wie toll das Ganze in die übergreifende Handlung integriert wurde. Die Freundschaft zum Weißen Kaninchen ist dabei definitiv ein kleines Highlight, das ich so nicht hätte kommen sehen.

Ebenso gelingt es Valentino mit diesem Band, mein Interesse für die übergreifende Handlung neu zu entfachen. Ich bin so gespannt darauf, wie es mit der einzig nicht-kanonischen Prinzessin weitergehen wird. Hoffentlich wird der nächste Band wieder ein Sonderband wie „Das Geheimnis der Schwestern“, in dem dieser Handlungsbogen dann im Mittelpunkt stehen kann.

Alles in allem hat mich „Gebrochenes Herz“ mit seinen originellen Ideen zwar begeistert, mit der Umsetzung jedoch enttäuscht. Nun ergab es sich auch noch, dass ich kurz zuvor Marissa Meyers „Star-Crossed Hearts“ gelesen hatte, weswegen meine sowieso schon sehr geringe Toleranz dem Wunderland gegenüber schon arg strapaziert war. Dazu dann noch zu hohe Erwartungen…diese Umstände sind dem Roman gegenüber eigentlich nicht fair. So oder so freue ich mich auf alles, was noch kommen wird. 3/5 Sterne.

[Hayley Jasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: Spoilers


This one felt familiar to Ursula’s story to me. Although we definitely had more time with the Queen of Hearts than we did Ursula, it seemed like this was one of the villain stories that was put in place to move along the main overarching plot of the series. Wonderland being created by the shifting of worlds when the Odd Sisters were stripped of their bloodlust and madness and brought to live in the Underworld by Hades was a brilliant idea. I appreciated the friendship between the Rabbit and the Queen and the explanation to what the Rabbit’s “very important date” was. I just felt like this whole story was told to reveal the consequences of the Odd Sisters being at peace in the Underworld and also to reveal more of the chaos that’s ensuing in the Many Kingdoms.

I may also be a little harsh on this one because Gaston was a 5 star novel in my opinion. I absolutely loved his character development, backstory, and tie in with the main plot of Beauty and the Beast. This one just lacked the same connection with the Queen of Hearts and the whole Alice plot line seemed like an afterthought. I would’ve liked to have there be more plot around Alice and the Queen.

All in all, it’s still an enjoyable read and is necessary to continue the series forward. I’m looking forward to seeing which Villain will come next.

[Jocelyn Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s definitely not my favorite book in the series but it’s not bad. I think that the king was kind of lame and the Wonderland characters were very very underutilized compared to the white rabbit who was never that interesting. I do 100% blame Hades and the White Queen. Not that I ever liked the White Queen in the first place.
I think that if Valentino wrote longer books then we could definitely get more flushed out characters. I also wanted to see more of Tulip, Circe, Primrose, and Hazel. I wanted to see why Tulip chose now of all times to start a war against Adam and Belle and whether it actually had something to do with the Tree Lords. And the ladies of the light have so much potential that I wanted to see more. I’m hoping that we get more of them in the next few books.
I hope that there is more development of just about everyone. Even Grimhilde who I think is done and I want to see more Snow White with her kids. I think it would be cute.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I might. Alice in Wonderland isn't my favorite Disney movie, and the Queen of Hearts barely counts as a villain, as she only shows up at the end, and she has little to no character development. All we really know is that she has a bad and short temper. This book gave us some insight as to how she got to be that way. Now that I've read almost all the Villains books (still working on Poor Unfortunate Soul), little things from previous ones finally make sense. What I particularly enjoyed was pulling in elements of the original Lewis Carroll book that didn't make it into the Disney version. In fact, this book made it make sense as to why they weren't seen in the movie.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really curious how the author was gonna fit this book into the world and I'm really in awe! I don't think I've ever read a better explanation of why the Queen of Hearts is who she is and does what she does. I loved the mythology, I loved her complicated inner world and thoughts, and in a way this entire book feels somehow bittersweet. It's hard to really love the Queen of Hearts. It's hard to hate her too. This book makes her feel like a victim of the circumstances. Sad circumstances.

[Eric Nhem · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Our choices matter, and when we make them, it changes our fates.”

This being the 12th book in the series, it’s hard to remember some of the details from the previous books. But I enjoyed this! It was an interesting take on how the Queen of Hearts came to be, especially against the nonsensical backdrop of Wonderland.

[Heather Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbroken delivers a brilliant and tragic origin for the Queen of Hearts, weaving together Wonderland’s chaotic creation, the Odd Sisters’ influence, and cameos from past stories into a rich tale that transforms her from lost wanderer to the fierce ruler we know today.

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every time I try to read one of the books in this series I just can’t seem to get into them. They never hold my attention. Being that this one is about the Queen of Hearts I thought it would be different but it still didn’t hold my attention. DNF.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how well this story was woven into the whole Many Kingdom storyline. And especially liked how both the animated and live-action Alice in Wonderland was combined!!

⭐️Very demure, very cutesy⭐️

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book is repetitive, belaboring points that are easily grasped. The pace picks up in the second half and the plot is better once it mixes in elements from the overarching plot of the past books.

[Lauren Kloos · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great way of continuing the story. After the last book it was starting to feel a little repetitive but this book introduced a whole new twist and plot line into the story. I can’t wait until the next book comes out.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series can’t wait for the next book!

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite Disney movies so I knew I’d enjoy this one. Loved everything White Rabbit in this book.

[Jillian Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to continue this series and see the Queen of hearts’ story. I was a little disappointed to find out what her back story was and why/how she became the queen of hearts… usually the author does a great job of explaining the villains as normal people who had bad things happen to them to alter their lives. This was very anticlimactic. They moved the secondary story along more but a lot is still very mysterious and I’m not sure what’s going on…. Sadly I think the series could have done without this book.

[Cassandra Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟