A végzet lángja - A sötétség urának története

Villains #10

by Serena Valentino, Gergely Halmai (Translator)

A jól ismert mítosz szerint a három testvér: Zeusz, Poszeidón és Hádész tíz éven át háborúztak az apjuk ellen. Kronosz, és a többi rettentő erejű titán legyőzése után Zeusz három részre osztotta a világot. Az övé lett az ég és alatta a föld, Poszeidón megkapta a tengerek fölötti uralmat, a legidősebb fivér, Hádész pedig az Alvilág ura lett. Hádész igyekezett magányos birodalmát a legjobb tudása szerint irányítani, ám az örökkévalóság túl hosszú idő, ha olyan helyen kell élni, amit gyűlölünk. S bár erről ritkán mesélnek, de akit mindig gazemberként kezelnek a családtagjai, az kétségbeesésében könnyen gonosszá válik. Az elkeseredett és bosszúszomjas isten egy véletlennek köszönhetően összebarátkozik a különleges nővérekkel. A holtak ura alkut köt a három boszorkánnyal, ám ha egy istenről van szó, akkor egy ilyen esemény mások történetét is átírhatja, nem csak az övét... 10+

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

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2023

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]

I have so many thoughts on this one but I need time to process and discuss with the book club!

I LOVE how much this recapped the entire series and provided so many answers to most of the other fairytales that were left with questions.

Another masterpiece by the one and only Serena Valentino!

[Brittany Holloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited about the concept of this series but I ended up being highly disappointed. Now that I’ve finished the series, I can’t shake the feeling that this is just published fan fiction. I think this series would’ve been better if each book could’ve been a stand alone rather than the inclusion of the odd sisters in every story

[Rafael Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Captain Hook to Hades, John York has done an incredible job narrating Fire and Fate. Serena Valentino once again has hit the nail on the head with this one.
She tightened some loose ends from previous events and open new possibilities for others.
Fire and Fate takes place in Mistress of All Evil story, and Hades is directly responsible for everything that happened during the events that led to the killing of Circe to the Odd Sister's decision to bring her sister back as their daughter.
The book also explains the real origins of Circe, Hades's direct interference in the Odd Sister's fate, and the events after the sisters were imprisoned in the world between.
I cannot go any further as I don't want to spoil the surprising events that the readers will love. Fire and Fate, in my opinion, is the best entry in the series so far, leaving a taste of "wanting some more" that will be hard to quench.
I advise readers to re-read Mistress of All Evil and The Odds Sisters before sinking their teeth into Fire and Fate.

Release date: July 18, 2023

[Brittnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this was my least favorite one in the series so far. I understand that the web is being woven, but the plot hops and story connects felt loose and somehow also hard to follow.
Still, it was an easy read and a better use of my time than doom scrolling on my phone.

[Noela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series that disappointed me. I wanted more of Hades before he was ruler of the Underworld. I'm so over the Odd Sisters.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 stars - This book was awful - one of the weakest of the series...feel like the entire book revolved around The Odd Sisters.

[Samantha Scheer · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Meh. This wasn’t bad and this wasn’t great. It was just okay.

These are all standalones but there is a lot of details from the previous books in this series, which I haven’t read yet, so that could be confusing at times. I also felt like while this story was focused on Hades somewhat, it didn’t focus on him as much as I would have liked or thought.

A short read and great if you’re a fan of Disney! The beginning is basically Hercules and then it takes a twist and goes totally off script. Like I said, it wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible.

[Jacklyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When your family treats you like a villain, it is far too easy to become one."
Upon defeating their father Cronus and his tyrannical Titans, brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades each took their own piece of the world to rule. Zeus took the sky and what fell beneath it for himself, then assigned the sea to Poseidon, and the Underworld to Hades. Unhappy with his new role, Hades tries to make the best of it. While spending eternity in a lonely role he never wanted, he grows resentful. After years of being ignored and shamed by his family, Hades is introduced to three witches who are very much alive, but somehow found their way into the land of the dead. Intrigued, Hades befriends the mysterious Odd Sisters and makes a deal that will change fate's course. But will his power cause others' stories to change along with his own?
I've been counting down the days to this release and I'm glad to say it did not disappoint! I flew through this story so fast, loving every second of it. I enjoyed learning more about Hades's background and seeing his connection to the Odd Sisters and The Book of Fairy Tales. The narrator, John York, did a phenomenal job with this, just as he did with Never, Never. He voices the characters so perfectly and makes the story fun to listen to. I highly recommend experiencing this series through the audiobooks, as the narrators all do a wonderful job bringing these stories to life. I'm already dying to know which villain's story we will be getting next. If you're a Disney fan, this series is a must read!

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

« Hades was happy, happier than he had ever been, and he wondered if they deserved such a delicious ending, but he didn’t care. He finally had laughter in the Underworld again. His witches were home at last. »

Not the author’s best but not her worst. Wasn’t what I expected for Hades’ book. I get that the mythology version and the Disney version of him are very different but that didn’t work for me. Besides, it was too focused on the Odd Sisters (again) and on Circe for my liking.

[Yas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate who I’ve become. I don’t even recognize myself anymore.

زیاد دوستش نداشتم. دوست داشتم یکم از مگ و گذشته‌اش بگه مثلا. ولی داستان نصفش درباره خواهران جادوگر بود. میشه گفت بیشتر داستان این جلد همزمان با جلد ۴ و ۵ یعنی مالفیسنت و گوتهل بود.
هادس کارکتر باحالی بود و چقدر تنها☹️ آرزوش این بود که کسی بیاد دیدنش، با هم چیزی بخورن😭داداشای نامردش://

[Erika Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Audiobook*

I have never read the Disney villain series from Serena Valentino, but Hades is my favorite Disney villain, so I was excited for this. The first several chapters are a mix of the Disney story and traditional Greek mythology. It provides a lot of background about how Hades became King of the Underworld and his relationship with Persephone which is perfect for young readers or people new to Greek mythology, but it can be a bit boring if you are knowledgeable about the topic. Nothing in the background is new information, though. The synopsis states, “And the part of the story no one tells is that when your family treats you like a villain, it is far too easy to become one.” Except that’s the exact story that everyone knows about Hades. I was expecting a new revelation about why he was banished to the underworld (per the Disney version), but it’s the same story from the movie “Hercules.” Around chapter 7 the story takes a completely different turn and becomes more interesting. I can tell that there were many connections between this book and others in the Disney villain series, particularly with The Odd Sisters, but it didn’t impact my ability to understand or enjoy the book. I loved the narration. Hades is just as sarcastic and snarky in the book as he is in the movie, and the narrator even imitates the movie version’s voice well. This is definitely more of a middle grade novel, but it was enjoyable for what it is. Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Audiobooks, and Serena Valentino for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Alyson Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really tied the whole series together with a nice, neat bow. Short and sweet and to the point. Hades has always been one of my favorite villains and it was nice to see some human qualities to him.

[~Amber~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serena did a phenomenal job with Hades in this story. I feel she kept him just as witty and with the same amount as sass as he was in Hercules. All the while once again still tying the stories all together. Brilliant!

[Naira Xx · Rating 4 out of 5]

ahhhhh i love you Hades

[Stacie (MagicOfBooks) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks

"Fire and Fate" is book 10 in the Disney "Villains" series by Serena Valentino being an origin story to Hades from "Hercules."

Why do I continue to torture myself by reading this series? Why? Someone please tell me why? I'm a sucker for these covers (and the cool cover underneath the main cover). I'm weak. That's what my problem is.

And I feel like I'm a broken record at this point. I honestly have no energy or interest in even really reviewing this book. Read my other reviews for the other books in this series. Not really an origin story. The main Disney villain is not the focus. I absolutely hate with a passion the Odd Sisters, as well as just every single original character created by Serena Valentino. Her writing is childish and rather amateurish. And I love Hades, you guys! He's up there with my top Disney villains. But he just didn't work in this. Don't even get me started on the pop culture references that felt forced. And dear god, also don't get me started on the prologue of this book where Serena Valentino has to practically explain why these books are so shitty by trying to explain that they are told out of sequence and it has to do with "time being a construct." Oh for f***s sake! Really? Seriously? Like I said: amateur writing.

[Courtney McGhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously never know what’s going on in these books. So much looking into the past, looking into the future, multiple fairy tales combining, and I get confused. I do love Hades though and I think the author nailed his sarcasm and personality.

[kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one i enjoyed. I found for such a short book it seemed so long and boring. Although everything tied in and answered alot of questions i just couldn’t get into it

[Lisa Andres · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pure retconning. That’s what this book is.

35 / 202 pages deal with Hades and *don’t* mention anything to do with the blasted Odd Sisters or the Many Kingdoms.

17% of a book about how Hades became the villain is actually about Hades.

Everything else is…idk. Attempts to make this convoluted hot mess of a series make sense. But it doesn’t work because in order to make it “make sense,” Valentino has to admit that things literally don’t make sense. As in, “time doesn’t follow rules,” so just pretend it does. As in, in one chapter, a few weeks in the Many Kingdoms equals 18 years in Hades’ world. But a few pages later, Hades is gone for a few days, and years have passed in the Many Kingdoms.
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

The dialogue is stilted, characters fall in Insta-Love and there’s no tension to the plot: diagramming it, it would be a straight line.

If you want a complex Hades figure, read Lore Olympus. I just…Can’t.

[Lizzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's probably my fault for not realizing this series was not a set of standalones, but I'm a Hercules fan first and a reader of YA books second, so I took the plunge. This book makes absolutely zero sense when read without reading the rest of the series. I was under the impression they were each an isolated story, but this felt like being stuck in someone's poorly written self-insert Wattpad fic about all their oc's hanging out with Hades, who was so poorly characterized that I couldn't even imagine James Woods' voice delivering his lines.

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hades is stuck with the dead in the underworld. But he wants more. He finds his way to the Many Kingdoms and the Odd Sisters hoping to change his fate. Hade's relationship with the Odd Sisters was unexpected and touching. I love this series and seeing how the villains became villains.

[Mandy (Bookishlove85) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do enjoy this series so much! Every time we get a bit of the behind the scenes of each villains origns story and how they’re tied to the odd sisters, I appreciate the story telling even more! This one had such a nice ending of one story and beginning of a new batch of characters.

[DeteHört · Rating 4 out of 5]

HÖRBUCHREZENSION

Tanja Geke liest wie immer hervorragend, kann es nicht anders sagen. Die macht das einfach wahnsinnig gut und ich höre sie sehr gerne!

War auf jeden Fall wieder ein besserer Band, vor allem natürlich auch deswegen, weil die verdrehten Schwestern ein wenig mehr dabei waren. Zusätzlich ist Hades ein unglaublich unterhaltsamer Charakter und es ist immer lustig und spannend beobachten zu dürfen, was er wohl als nächstes macht.

Habe mich zudem auch gefreut mitzubekommen, welchen Einfluss er teilweise auf die Geschichte an sich hat und hatte. Mal sehen, ich hoffe, dass er noch einmal vorkommt, das wäre schon echt super. :-)

Ansonsten ist insgesamt so ein weeeeeenig die Luft raus, seitdem die eigentliche Story durch ist. Aber das mit der Zwischenwelt hingegen und auch sonst die Geschichte rund um Lucinda scheint noch nicht zu Ende erzählt zu sein. Bin gespannt!

[Valorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeus sucks and Hades knows it. If you know anything about Greek mythology you know it, too. In classic Disney fashion, he does not suck in Hercules. He's the loving, heartbroken father that can't raise his son. Sure, Jan. In Fire and Fate, you get a little bit of Zeus's suckage, but not that much. That's okay, I guess. This isn't Zeus's story, it's Hades' and Hades is pretty rad. Without going into too much detail, there are two versions of Hades, and the one in the movie is the evil bafoon. This book is about the other version.

I've long believed that Serena Valentino would be good friends, but after this book, it was pretty much confirmed. Since, as Hades says, time is a human construct, Hades knows his pop culture references from the future. He name drops William Shakespeare, the witches from Macbeth (obviously), even The Craft. There are more I'm forgetting.

I enjoyed this very quick read. It's a great addition to the series. If you don't already like Hades, you should after this book. Ms. Valentino did a great job capturing his humor.

[Silvia Flores · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not my favorite book of the series. It feels as if the more books are written, the more the focus shifts from the main villain to the odd sisters. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at the writing... how many times would Hades say "my witches" and gush over how much he loves them? It felt so off. It read like a fanfiction. We all know what happened in Hercules, but this felt like a cop out. Two Hades? Really?? And don't get me started on the complicated interweb that the author has created.. its hard to follow.

I didn't learn anything new about Hades. It felt like she used his character for her validation of the odd sisters. The plot has gotten too messy. I need a break from these books.

[Katya · Rating 2 out of 5]

They DID NOT do my favorite villain justice with this book! The execution was a mess, writing was really hard to follow because of all the name dropping, and ideas didn’t fully develop before bringing in another concept.

Also, it’s Hades! This could’ve been way more interesting than the plot the author went with. The majority of the book was about the Odd Sisters? Last time I checked, they weren’t on the cover 😂

Best part about it was listening to the audiobook. John York, the narrator, killed it as Hades!

[Christie K.Rowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

<>"Los hilos de gasa del destino están intrincadamente entrelazados en la tela del Libro de los Cuentos de Hadas, entretejidos como una telaraña.
Y en su centro está Hades."<>

3,5⭐️

Tenía mucho hype con este libro porque los dos anteriores me encantaron; De hecho son mis favoritisimos de esta serie.

Sin embargo, creo que la historia de Hades ha flojeado un poco y mira que este villano tenía potencial....

El problema es que la mayor parte de la trama se ha basado en las hermanas extrañas y en conexiones con otras historias. Esto si me ha gustado, la forma de conectar los demás mundos/Cuentos ha sido brillante pero, ¿que pasa con este personaje tan iconico? ¿Porque no ha tenido la potente historia que se merece?

En todo caso, me declaro fan y tengo muchísimas ganas de leer la siguiente entrega aunque no me esperaba que fuera Gastón....😮

¿Para cuando la reina de corazones o Jafar? 🙏🏻

Esperando me hallo 🤭

.....

[Heather G . · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so many thoughts and theories about books 11 & 12!!

[Emiliano Dolinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno de los libros que más esperaba de la saga y siento que pasó sin pena y sin gloria. A ver, no es el peor libro de la saga; pero siento que pudo haberle sacada mucho más jugo al libro y al personaje. El tamaño lo sentí muy corto para un villano tan icónico como lo es Hades.

En los otros libros los villanos tenían una verdadera razón para ser malos, en cambio Hades lo siento más como un berrinche y eso es todo. Algo muy interesante es que nuestro protagonista es el primero en cambiar su destino, eso es algo que amé. Rescato la narrativa tan amigable y única de Serena, no es pesada en ningún momento y seguimos en este desarrollo del mundo que ella creó; y como nos deja con ese final que ya me urge leer el siguiente libro.

En conclusión no fue lo mejor de la saga, pero tampoco lo peor. Seguimos con la historia de la hermanas perversas, un buen desarrollo en ese aspecto, pero Hades merecía algo mejor. ¿Quién será el siguiente villano?

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ties things up rather well. Not my favorite in the series but it did work.

[Erica Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Hades 💙🔥!!