Malevolent Souls

by Delilah S. Dawson

A spine-tingling young adult horror about the untold origins of Maleficent’s dark magic—because evil is seldom what it seems, from New York Times bestselling author, Delilah S. Dawson.

Her story begins once upon a nightmare . . .

Maleficent believes she is destined for great things. In her hometown, only fairies who sprout wings at age sixteen can learn magic—and though her family looks down on her, she knows that once her wings appear, they will finally recognize her potential. 

But when the unthinkable happens and Maleficent is denied her destiny, she joins up with four other teens bent on defying their fates to venture beyond the town’s borders. 

A mysterious force pulls at Maleficent, leading the group to an abandoned castle perched on a mountain. This strange place seems straight out of a dream, providing everything they need to survive and creating new rooms at will. 

But something sinister is afoot, all exits are blocked, and shadows haunt the halls. As fear and paranoia tear the group apart, Maleficent is more determined than ever to be the mistress of her own destiny. In exchange for the magic she has long desired, she'll do anything.

Anything.

From New York Times bestselling author Deliah S. Dawson comes a sinister novel positioning one of Disney’s darkest villains, that shows the power of desire and the importance of sacrifice.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult, Fiction, Retellings

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

Delilah S. Dawson is the New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma, Black Spire: Galaxy's Edge, and The Perfect Weapon. With Kevin Hearne, she writes the Tales of Pell. As Lila Bowen, she writes the Shadow series, beginning with Wake of Vultures. Her other books include the Blud series, the Hit series, and Servants of the Storm.

She's written comics in the worlds of Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Lore's Wellington, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, The X-Files Case Files, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, and her creator-owned comics include Star Pig, Ladycastle, and Sparrowhawk.

Find out more at www.whimsydark.com.

Reviews

[Ricardo Figueira]

Malevolent Souls by Delilah S. Dawson is easily one of the best Disney villain retellings I’ve read in a long time. It was deliciously twisted, fun, and at times surprisingly poignant.
​What really stood out to me was the emotional weight of the story as it progressed. As the circle of close friends shrank, the narrative captured a deep sense of isolation. With each friend lost, it wasn't just sharp pain I felt, but a quiet, lingering sadness for everyone who was gone along the way.
​The climax and ending were absolutely incredible. The conclusion was so powerful and left the story completely open to thrilling new possibilities. If you love dark, character-driven villain origins and reimagined Disney lore, this is an absolute must-read!

[Rebecca Morton]

A Spellbinding Story That Follows Maleficent And How She Discovers Her Magic. In The Kingdom Of Sweetvale, When Fairies Turn 16, They Attend The Midsummer Ball And Gain Their Wings Before They Join The Estrellian Academy. When The Ball Goes Wrong And Maleficent's Wings Don't Appear, Maleficent And 4 Companions Who Are Also Wingless Set Out On To See What Lies Outside Sweetvale's Borders. The Story Was Really Engaging And The Writing Style Had Me Gripped From The Start, As It Is Very Atmospheric From The Spooky Trek Thru The Creepy Forest To The Mysterious Abandoned Castle, That Turns Out To Be Alive With Magic. I Liked The Little Glimpses Of Flora, Fauna & Merryweather At The Start Of The Story And Loved Rumpus The Cat. Disney Fans Will Devour This Book, Especially The Ones Who Have A Soft Spot For The Villians.

Thank You To NetGalley And The Publisher For The ARC.

[Heather]

Maleficent is my favorite Disney character. When kids were picking a favorite Disney princess, little me always said Maleficent. I never would have read a backstory on her unless it was written by my favorite author. Maleficent is too near and dear to my heart to trust to just anyone. I had faith that Delilah S. Dawson would do her justice, and by the end of the book, she did. I struggled a bit in the beginning, something just did not sit right with me, but I loved the ending. It was a powerful conclusion and it all felt vindicating.

[Devon Chenoweth]

It's Betrayal on House on the Hill (the board game) but the house is a castle and Maleficent is, no surprise, the traitor. This character named Maleficent does not match the character that Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty is. It's just not for me. I'm happy to see others liked it but it did not do it for me.

[MizzyRed]

I quite enjoyed this! While I do love the rewriting of some villain stories to be updated to make them more like anti heroes, how their actions were actually understandable and even good. But I also like the origin stories that keep them as villains and give them a great background for why they choose the darker path. And this story of Maleficent, once a favored daughter of a wealthy family, destined to receive wings, and the power that goes with it, denied that chance and cast out with all the other fairies who did not get wings was a great starting point for her rise to power.

I like that it kept certain things the same (including her preference for the green and purple colors) but also gave Maleficent more depth, friends that traveled with her to find a better future, and a very intriguing castle that would be fun to visit...as long as I could leave after! It was a great tale and really portrayed well the journey to darkness as Maleficent searches for the power and the price it costs. It was interesting to see the rationalization in her mind and made for a nicely entertaining story. While I cannot condone some of the actions, I did enjoy the humor and can't say I quite blame her because her family really did a number on her!

A great what if villain tale for one of my favorite villains! Sometimes they are just plain villainous but at least she does it with style! Many thanks to Igloo Books and Autumn for giving me the chance to see another side of Maleficent!

[Dierdra McGill]

I LOVE retellings, and this was honestly one of the best ones I’ve read.

This was such a fantastic book from beginning to end. The story felt fresh and unique, while still fitting the original character so perfectly. I loved the direction the author took with it, and the writing completely pulled me in. It never once felt childish or like I was reading a YA book, which I really appreciated.

My only tiny issue was with the narrator. I actually love her, but I just didn’t feel like her voice was the best fit for this particular character. Even so, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book at all.

The cover is absolutely stunning, the writing was beautiful, and the entire story was creative, engaging, and so well done.

I absolutely loved this one and would highly recommend it, especially to anyone who enjoys retellings. This is definitely a favorite.

[Christina Asher]

Maleficent is my favorite villain. This story leaves me kind of sad. To watch someone go from so much hope to so much pain hurts. I think this is a wonderful back story and really shows why Maleficent is the way she is.

[meghin]

Maleficent Is my favorite “villain” and live action Disney movie. Her origin story did not disappoint. Honestly, I don’t fault her for wanting her cake and eating it too. In the end, the magic won. The story was very well written and the ending so powerful!

[onplanetsoph]

wowowow!!!! i loved this. i love an unreliable narrator. the way the audience is slowly brought to light, descended into madness along the main character. and how even at the end, you are left morally gray. imo, she was justified!!

[Robbie Best]

A "horror" take for young adults on Maleficent's origin.

[Carrie]

Read for SLJ Review.