Rise of the School for Good and Evil

The School for Good and Evil #0

by Soman Chainani

The battle between Good and Evil begins.

Go back in time to the beginning of the School for Good and Evil and uncover the never-before-told events leading up to Sophie and Agatha's dramatic arrival and the beginning of their epic fairy tale.

Two brothers. One Good. One Evil.

Together, they watch over the Endless Woods. Together, they choose the students for the School for Good and Evil. Together they train them, teach them, prepare them for their fate.

Then, something happens. Something that will change everything and everyone. Who will survive? Who will rule the School?

The journey starts here. With magic, surprises and daring deeds at every turn, courage and loyalty will be put to the test, only to lead you to the very beginning of the adventures that are The School for Good and Evil.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Magic, Audiobook, Adventure

ebook

First published May 31, 2022

About the author

Soman Chainani’s debut series, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD & EVIL, has sold over 4.5 million copies, been translated into 35 languages across six continents, and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Netflix that debuted at #1 in over 80 countries.

His book of retold fairytales, BEASTS & BEAUTY, also debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List and is slated to be a limited television series from Sony 3000.

EverNever World, his decade-long franchise of fairy tales and fantasy, continues to expand. Together, these books have been on the New York Times Bestseller List for 50 weeks.

In 2026, Soman unveils a brand new universe with YOUNG WORLD, a global political thriller.

In his career, Soman has visited more than 800 schools around the world, where he continues to share his secret with students of all ages: that reading is the path to a better life.

Reviews

[luke]

me someone who never finished tsge: HOLY SHIT

[Yeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

ReRead: 23/04/30
Rating: ~3.5 stars~

I just was bored out of my mind, so I thought why not reread this before the release???

➳➳┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄※┄┄┄┄┄┄┄➳➳
First Read: 22/06/20
Rating: ~3.5 stars~

This book was good, but not what I wanted it to be. I guess the 12 year old me would have appreciated more. But the twist at the end, is what I actually was waiting to know and damn 🙂😲

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Update 12 June 2021: Honestly I'm thinking if Soman Chaiani and Victoria Aveyard aren't the best Author-friend soulmate, then who are they??? they both confirmed their new cover and books and the release date sort of near each other 😃.

Anyway, back to the point, this is confirmed. a brand new series(more like a prequel) in this world, and I'm guessing it's about the two brothers??? Rafal and Rhian??(oh my god please be about them rafal was my favorite villain back in those days😥)

BTW the cover is amazing and epic yohooooo.

[fer bañuelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

COMENTAAAA.

Ya se la saben: La Escuela del Bien y el Mal es fácilmente una de mis series favoritas. Probablemente en el top3. Cuando anunció esta precuela celebré, porque significaba más historias dentro del mundo que me había enamorado. Pero no me esparaba este nivel.

Reader, it was so good. SO SO GOOD.

El tema de esta bilogía es una sibling rivalry entre Rafal y Rhian, y que BUEN TEMA para la precuela. Leyendo The School For Good and Evil sabemos ciertas cosas de estos personajes, pero esta precuela expande profundamente en la relación entre estos dos personajes que son emblemáticos a más no poder si son fans de la serie. Aunque en la serie original si llegamos a ver un poco de una rivalidad entre hermanos (if you know you know), esta bilogía la desmenusa increíblemente, viendo lo balnco, lo negro y lo gris de ella.

Not gonna lie, hubieron un par de dialogos que me dejaron ESTUPEFACTO, todos relacionados con Rhian. Soman Chainani you're insane. Él es un personaje muy complejo, una cara de la moneda así como la otra es Rafal. Me encantó conocer más de ellos porque como les digo, aprendemos un poco de ellos en la serie, pero ahora tener el retrato completo de quienes fueron ellos es fantástico.

Tal vez algo que si tengo que decir es que en el apartado de construcción del mundo este fue un poco debil. Creo que dependió bastante de si has leído la serie principal para entender como estan sucediendo las cosas y el porque de todo lo demás. En ese aspecto no creo que se defienda independientemente de ser un spinoff.

Jamás me cansaré de leer historias de este mundo y la pluma del autor. Lo adoro con toda mi alma.

-----
ESTOY COLAPSANDOOOOOO

[Elle Dunne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe all of the School for Good and Evil happened because of some messy gay drama... This is the LGBT representation kids need!!
Important note: In this book, Evers aren't homophobic. The book distinctly says that Evers approve of all forms of true love, regardless of gender. However, we know in book 1 of SGE that the School for Good is where all the straight, white people go because society views them as inherently good. This means that sometime in between the events of this book and the first SGE book, the School for Good becomes homophobic. HOW did this happen?? WHEN will we be getting the homophobia arc??

This book was insane!! Other than some pacing issues, I really enjoyed it. I really appreciated how this book seemed to confirm that the school you're placed in is not because of fate or something inherent to yourself, but because of the way someone acts. This 100% makes sense with the thesis of the original book where all the Nevers are queer and POC coded because society has trained them to see themselves as the bad guys. That being said, it's been a while since I've read the main series, and does Rhian end up staying as the Good School Master?? Doesn't that go against the twist in this book? Much to think about...

[mors · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5🌟
Ok this was book 0 and I hadn't high expectations.
But the ending 😯😯😯

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What a mind blowing, mind twisting, EPIC story! When I say Soman brought it-HE BROUGHT IT! Lol This was amazing, & I’m so in love with this new chapter I got a glimpse of-I will always love being in this world. There’s a reason it’s my favorite series of all time. Once again, he flips everything on its head. He makes you question EVERYTHING you think you know. You doubt every fairytale you’ve ever read, you doubt good..you doubt evil. He has you thinking 1 way through the book, then totally messes with your head & makes you question everything you think you felt/thought about what you read up til then-I use the term “mind blown/blowing” for a reason often when talking about this series lol.

He is the MASTER at all of that, & DEFINITELY the master of that gray area of morality. He makes you wonder who the “good” ones or “bad” ones even are. Makes you wonder if you’re rooting for the right “team” or, like me, questioning whether you yourself are “evil/bad” because you are connecting more with evil, & feel a stronger emotional connection to them(In the original series Sophie is my favorite, so if you’ve read them..this says a lot about me & where I stand on my opinion of most things with this world).

This is such a roller roaster too. It’s broken into parts. The first part we are actually introduced to Aladdin(we meet another famous character later in the book as well). I always love the addition of classic fairytale characters he brings in with his own take on them. He always does such a brilliant job. Aladdin is just the seed that grows the story of this book & the 2 brothers though. I loved seeing how it all began with them. Learning even more about them. You think from what we know going into it who you will side with, who you will be against. Nothing is ever as clear cut as that in this world.

Everything we learn about the brothers, the Storian, this world..& even the Readers & Gavaldon & how THAT all started was so gripping & FASCINATING. We even get to see another characters beginnings that we know originally from the main series. I loved that. I loved every part of this. The more you read the more invested(if even possible lol), & more hooked you become. It becomes increasingly more difficult to put it down(it gets to the point where you CAN’T). So many twists, turns, & my jaw on the floor moments. I can’t say a lot because I don’t want to spoil anything from the original series or this book, but wow. Just wow.

I will say there was 1 Ever girl who soul itself was so GOOD, she made me want to be a better person. I really enjoyed doubting everyone & everything, & yet there still being a character who was actually so true in who they were. Then the Nevers & what they saw & dreamed for their own futures. Just incredible. The “Circus show” near the end was EPIC. Had actual goosebumps. Then the revelation at the end?!?! ACTUAL MIND BLOWN! Lol I was soooo happy to hear there will be a 2nd book. I can’t wait! This was another PHENOMENAL story, & I need more lol. This also has the most STUNNING illustrations sprinkled throughout(to go with the beautiful cover)by Raidesart as well! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! This is out now!💜

[(straw)mary ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

god do i love this franchise // RTC

--------------------------------
pre-review

i would like to formally thank all foreign bookstores for providing me with a signed copy from my favorite childhood author <3

[Sheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF THE YEAR

Finally done and gosh, THE TWIST!!! I have so many things in my mind right now. I need answers! I need the next book now! 😭😭😭

This book is a prequel to my all-time fave series, The School for Good and Evil. It can technically be read as a stand alone but I would recommend at least reading the first book.

[Lucía Cafeína · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Ehhh wow, no me esperaba una precuela de este tipo y ME HA ALUCINADO: ha sido original, sorprendente e incluso conmovedora.

[Caryn - iam.caryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is honestly everything you could hope and expect the book to be.

Fun, exciting, dramatic and all-consuming. You will not want to put this down once you start. And if you do put it down, it will take over every thought you have.

Recommend that you read at least the first School for Good and Evil book before picking up this perfect prequel.

*Disclaimer* I received an eARC from Harper Collins on Edelweiss. An honest review was provided.

[Aragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait until the sequel to this prequel

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

منتظرم ببینم چیکار می‌کنی توی جلد بعدی...خوندن داستان‌های مربوط به گذشته همیشه جالبه.

من اینا رو دوست دارم ولی بیشتر دلم آگاتا و تدروس‌ و سوفی رو می‌خواد.

[hadley &#x1f9e1; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I HAVE SO MANY CHILLS OHVMY GODD 🥲🥲🥲

[Abigail Mohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot: 2/5
Pacing: 1.5/5
Writing: 2/5
Characters: 2.5/5
General Enjoyment: 2/5
Average: 2 stars

This was disappointing :/ I was expecting an emotionally intense, thrilling origin story of the School for Good and Evil... but what I got was a strange collection of semi-connected vignettes and a rivalry between some of the most annoying characters ever. If you thought Agatha and Sophie were annoying, just wait until you read about Rhian and Rafal. Rafal was such an entertaining villain in the main series, but just annoyed me absolutely to death in this one. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to put immortal preteen boys in charge of... anything? The sole reason "characters" gets 2.5 is because of Marialena tbh. And I did think the Sader origin story was interesting... but that's about it.

I don't have too much to say besides the fact that I might eventually read the Fall of the School for Good and Evil, but won't be preordering it or anything. Unless you're a diehard fan of the series who will get absolutely any content related to it, I wouldn't recommend this.

[noor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You know, Rafal, ever since we've been teenagers, you've become very moody."
"We've been teenagers for a hundred years," Rafal replies.
"Precisely," said Rhian.

OH THIS BOOK. Jaw? Dropped. Heart? Stopped. Tea? Spilled.

This was my most anticipated read of the year and it delivered. It has everything you'd want from it - action, drama, magic, BETRAYALS OUUUU MY POOR HEART...

We learned a lot of important things from this book:
1) Seers age ten years whenever they tell a truth (Evelyn really was lucky)

2) Evers were allies (what happened that made them homophobic??? this is important)

3) Rhian (and Rafal too, but more lowkey) is gay (the rep we need and deserve <3 he's such a mess and I'm definitely not in love with him or anything)

4) How the Readers came to be (angst)

5) Aladdin was an idiot (it's okay man, me too)

6) The lines between Good and Evil are extremely thin (we already knew this from the tale of Sophie and Agatha but this book just solidified it)

7) The school you're sent to is not because of any greater forces, but by how you act - it's why so many Nevers act evil. They've been trained to see themselves that way (and that's why so many of them are queer and POC coded; they're trained to be seen as evil).

8) The School for Good and Evil exists because of gay drama

This book just. Completely shatters everything I know about the School for Good and Evil universe.

“I can love you and still think I’m better.”

OKAY SO. When I saw the cover, I remember thinking "huh, they're on the wrong sides" and I panicked for a bit and then I just shrugged and moved on. I did not make the connection. That Sophie thought she was Good and was on Evil's side. And Agatha thought she was Evil and was on Good's side. CHAINANI!!! You cruel mastermind!!!

I have so many questions from that ending... Like, when is the next book coming out??? Is this another case of the Snake and the Lion, where Rhian takes Rafal's place in order to stay the School Master? Or does Rafal just go 'eh, I'm pretty good at this Evil thing'? Is this all just supposed to be a spin on Sophie and Agatha's tale??? What would happen if they betrayed their love??? UGHHH!!!

And this just completely puts a spin on Good and Evil. The lines are so thin between them... Is it really 'love' that keeps Good good and Evil evil? Or is it desire? Desire and the intent to harm? The intent to save? Rhian loves (in his own restless way). Rafal loves. They love(d) each other. They can love. Rhian thought he was Good. Rafal thought he was Evil. How much is there that's just the Storian putting labels??? How much of Good is truly good and how much of Evil is truly evil???

QUESTIONS AFTER QUESTIONS AFTER QUESTIONS!!! I adored this book, if you couldn't tell.

Rhian: be gay do crimes
Rafal: stop being gay do your job
Rhian: fuck you i'll do more crime now

The pacing is amazing, the dialogue is witty, and I fell in love with this world all over again... Just to be left at a cliff to fall.

How thoughtful of his brother, Rhian mused; if it was him, he'd have locked Rafal out for a bit of fun.

[AllBookedUp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long time before the School for Good and Evil, two twin sorcerer brothers were selected to become the Headmasters of the School for Good and Evil. The two ruled the schools and the Storian peacefully for many years, as long as the two brothers loved each other. The Storian favors neither of the brother nor their schools, as long as the two twins loved each other, the balance was set for both good and evil. Break that bond and they will both grow old and die. Together, the two watch over the Endless Woods. Together, they choose the students for the School for Good and Evil. Together they train them, teach them, prepare them for their fate. Until one day, a student, named Aladdin arrived and changed everything between them.

Friendly ribbing that turned into a wager, the egos, narcissism, the crush, all tore everything apart and the school with it. Can unconditional love and forgiveness bring about redemption? Can things be repaired or have they been so broken, only heartache and despair will be in their future? Only the Storian knows and he hasn’t written the last chapter.

I loved the new characters that came in and the author, Soman Chainani, still kept the lineage of one of the families from The School of Good and Evil. We witness how it all began and we see, there is no hard line as to a person who is good or evil. We all have a bit of both within us. It’s just a matter of degree. Welcome back Soman Chainani for another continuation of this new prequel series. Off to an excellent start!

Quotes:
“I can love you and still think I’m better,” said Rafal Mistral

“Betrayal, war, death!” wrote the Storian.

"Look for where the tales go at night," stated Adela Sader.

“Love is the key to balance,” stated Adela Sader.

“If only that’s a promise one can keep.”... “It doesn’t matter what you are, it only matters what you do,” replied Rafal

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t typically write reviews but there was no way I couldn’t share my thoughts about this.
I’ve read every book Soman has written and loved all of them, but when I say this was on a completely different level I mean it, I can’t think of any book I’ve read that shocked me to the core as much.
Being a fan of the school for good and evil series for many years and rereading it too many times to count I thought I knew just about everything about it, but the ending of this book made all of that come crashing down. In a good way. I actually sat on my bed with my jaw hanging open, staring at the wall for over 8 minutes, because of how much sense the ending made, yet how unpredictable and borderline unfathomable it was.
Soman says you can read this before or after the main series, but I don’t think it would be possible to understand exactly what the ending means without reading the main series first.

[Fiebre Lectora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dos hermanos, uno bueno y el otro malo, eligen a los estudiantes de la Escuela del Bien y del Mal, los entrenan, enseñan y preparan... hasta que un nuevo alumno llega a la Escuela sin que ninguno de los dos lo escogiera, y el Cuentacuentos empieza a escribir su historia... lo que pondrá a prueba el coraje, la lealtad, y lo que se esconde realmente en sus corazones.

Dios mío, esta precuela que pensé que sería una especie de añadido a la historia principal ha resultado ser muchísimo mejor que esa misma: menuda locura de personajes, de trama, de guiños y ¡los giros argumentales! Los personajes están perfectamente construidos: ambos directores son mucho más de lo que nunca esperé, pero es que encima contamos con Aladín, Garfio... y dramita romántico a porrón. La representación lgbt que no estaba apenas en los otros, por aquí la encontramos en cada capítulo.

Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...

[Brooke Fahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have so many fucking questions😭
MAJOR SPOILERS BTW HAHA

one: if rafal is the ACTUAL “good” twin, how dose that even work in the original books???? was it actually rhian who feel in love with sophie then, pretending to be rafal??!?

two: the readers of the universe were discovered by rafal, but he didn’t take any?? so dose that mean in book two he will?? bc we know that there are readers in the original books

three: how did they JUST find out that they had actually opposite souls after 100 years???? like you would think that you could tell after a little bit, but no i guess?

anyways that’s all for now, also i called it that rhian was gay i fucking knew it🤾

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

pre-reading
probs one of my most anticipated releases of the year, here's hoping we get an agatha and tedros epilogue

this might be one of my most disappointing reads of the year. i'm sad! my love for sge is well documented on goodreads, it's one of my favourite series ever. this could have been great! but alas, this novel suffers from several major issues.
firstly, the characters. there were too many trying to share the spotlight. aladdin was positioned as the main character before being shafted in the other 2/3 of the book! marialena was almost completely useless, except to bring back the sader name. the pirate captain was also useless. and with the characters we got, they were hardly developed! part of the strength of the series is how chainani writes characters. from sophie to hester to agatha, their voices are unique and distinct and full of life. here, an attempt is made for rhian, rafal, and hook, but barely for the other characters. aladdin, marialena, hephaestus, kyma, they all felt bland and underdeveloped (kyma was less bad, interesting to see her as a sort of pre-agatha who doesn't do anything to stop good's corruptness). rhian, rafal and james were better developed as characters, with more distinctive voices, however their development suffers from the second problem.
the length. this book could have done with another 100 pages, easily. that would have allowed for more character development, expansion on certain topics, etc. because of this book's short length, everything felt very rushed and wasn't given the proper time to breathe. this means the pacing was very off, and often very disjointed from section to section.
the ending. the ending? i'm sorry, that sort of reveal shouldn't be relegated to the last three pages? i'm confused. this feels like a cliff-hanger ending that chainani likes to use, except i'm pretty sure there won't be a sequel to this. so what gives?
it's not like this book was horrible. i liked returning to this world and seeing the evolution of the school. rhian and rafal being disaster gays was hilarious and not what i expected from this book (take a shot every time rhian gets flustered or blushes around a hot guy in the novel or every time rafal mentions james) but i absolutely loved it. there were fun comedic moments, usually between the twins, who had a lovely relationship to read about (very much parallels to agatha and sophie). watching rafal and rhian slowly turn to each other's sides was honestly very compelling, as they play separate chess games against each other.
did this book need to be written? i honestly don't think so. while kind of fun, we didn't need to see this story and unfortunately it does little to lift the series even higher in my books. while i am still a fan of chainani's works, this just wasn't it for me, disappointingly.

[Nick-library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in a family were reading is a routine and not just a choice. Seeing everyone ever ready to see next book Dad will be coming home with was such a pleasure. Weekends and holidays has a big role to play in every family.

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg u end the book like that?! Crazy cliffhanger I need a sequel to this asap! Plz and thank u! 4/5 stars

[Elizka · Rating 4 out of 5]

tak kocham tę serię, że fajnie było przeczytać dodatek przedstawiający jak doszło do tego, z czym spotkały się agata i sofia po przybyciu do akademii

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rafal and Rhian are twin brothers: one is the school master for good and the other is the good master for evil at a prestigious boarding school where heroes and villains are trained and made to storybook perfection. But the twist is: who is the good twin and who is the evil twin and does one always stay evil or good or does it change over centuries of proceeding over a school? Read on to find out.

It all started with Aladdin. Both twins were certain he was destined for the school for villains, but the storybook pen had other plans - so off to the school for good for Aladdin. And things unravel rather quickly from there. Be warned: avast there be pirates... and fairies... and future telling Satyrs. While only a few known fairy tales borrow characters for this one, the new characters and the school masters all make up for it. Which school comes out ahead: good or evil? That was a question that haunts me even after the last pages.

I loved all the twists and turns in this one. And I loved when the characters broke into the reader's realm (aka the people who actually read the stories.. ahem... us... about the characters in Rafal and Rhian's realm). I loved how morally grey some of the characters were and how manipulative they could be. The pages are filled with dynamic characters.

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ [hibernating] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy Read with my Sister<3

I liked this one... This is an original story with actual purpose. It's slightly predictable.

Even fairy tale villains have mommy issues. The School Master's backstory is surprisingly compelling... showing that behind every great evil is a tragically unrequited love for a laundry list. It’s less "good versus evil" and more "destiny versus 'I'm not like the other villains.'"

[Diane Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative and fun YA novel. I listened to the audiobook and it is probably the best narration I have heard. The overall tone was perfect and each character was brought to life in a believable and uncringy way. I was drawn in.

[Madeeha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Omafg I loved that
I generally like Hook in literature just because of the depth he can have and this did not disappoint
I re-read it after I finished and am in godamn awe.
The illustrations were beautiful
Rafal was just omg
And like really Rhian

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh loved it! I think the ending was a bit of a “youre in a green field and then you’re falling off a cliff you didn’t know was there” type of thing. A bit of an unsatisfactory ending but still enjoyable.

[Dorian Jandreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tai Gėrio ir Blogio mokyklos priešistorė. Šioje knygoje pagrindinis herojus gerai žinomas Aladinas. Jis turguje nesąžiningai gauna lempą su neva džinu. Tą naktį jį pagrobia į Gėrio ir Blogio mokyklą. Netikėtai jis pakliūna į Gėrio mokyklą. Per pristatymo ceremoniją iš jo Rafal atima lempą, tačiau Aladinas ją pavogia iš Blogio mokyklos dekano ir pasirodžius neva džinui paprašo, kad princesė Kyma jį pamiltų.... tačiau deja jį pamilsta Kymos vaikinas Hefaistas. The Storian pradeda rašyti Aladino istoriją.... tačiau ji prasideda mokyklos direktorių Rhian ir Rafal įžanga.

Esu didžiulis Soman Chainani gerbėjas, perskaitęs visas Gėrio ir Blogio mokyklos šešias knygas. Tad nenuostabu, kad ir šitosios labai laukiau, o vos gavęs pradėjau skaityti. Vėl pasinėriau į stebuklingą pasaulį ir džiaugiausi, kad blogiukas Rafal sugrįžo kartu su savo dvyniu broliu Rhian, kurie jau gerai žinomi iš kitų knygų. Kuo toliau tuo darėsi įdomiau ir negalėjau padėti knygos į šoną. Neveltui Soman Chainani vienas mano mėgstamiausių rašytojų, nes jis sugeba sukurti tokias knygas, kokios man patinka.

Skyriai ganėtinai trumpi, tad neįkyri skaityti. Knygoje yra iliustracijų, kurios tiesiog tobulai pritaikytos istorijai. Ir.... girdėjau, kad rašytojas rašys ir antrą knygą- tęsinį. Nes pabaiga aiškiai nebuvo pabaiga. Tad laukiu dabar naujos knygos.

Rekomenduoju visiems kas jau skaitė šios serijos knygas. Tikrai nenusivilsit.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The battle between Good and Evil begins.
Two brothers.
One Good.
One Evil.
Together they watch over the Endless Woods.
Together they choose the students for the School for Good and Evil.

I was so excited when this prequel was announced. Fans of The School for Good and Evil finally get to see how it all began. The twin brothers are your typical siblings. They love each other ferociously, but they are very different people. I felt like the Storian put more pressure on them than was needed. It was like they had to try to agree on everything per the agreement instead of each doing his own thing. It caused a lot of problems and pushed the brothers apart. It really helped build the storyline that moved into the other books. It also makes the reader understand Rhian’s actions from the other books.
The schools were very different in this one compared to the others and the reader gets to witness the changes that are made. One castle becomes two, the tower the Storian lives in, and the bridge across the pond. Overall, the book was a great addition to the series and can be read before or after the series is read. It has no spoilers.