You think you know why the Evil Queen wanted Snow White’s heart in a box. We all grew up with that 1937 Disney image: the high collar, the peacock throne, the cold eyes of a woman who just couldn't handle a teenager being prettier than her. But honestly? That’s barely the surface. When Serena Valentino released Fairest of All back in 2009, she didn't just give us a prequel. She cracked open the skull of one of cinema’s most iconic monsters and showed us the gears turning inside.
It turns out she wasn't always a monster.
Before the poison apple, there was a girl. She was the daughter of a mirror maker—which, if you think about it, is some heavy-handed foreshadowing by the universe. Her father was a piece of work. He was cold, abusive, and basically blamed her for her mother’s death. This isn't just "sad backstory" fluff; it’s the foundation for her entire psychological collapse. When you spend your childhood being told you’re a disappointment, you start looking for validation in all the wrong places.
The Tragedy of the Mirror Maker's Daughter
In Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen, Valentino introduces us to a woman who actually loved Snow White. Yeah, you read that right. Early in the book, she’s a doting stepmother. She’s happy. She marries the King, and for a hot minute, they’re the "it" couple of the forest kingdom. She even has a lady-in-waiting named Verona who is basically her sister. Life is good.
Then the King goes to war.
Men in these stories are always going to war, aren't they? It’s the ultimate plot device to leave a woman alone with her thoughts. And in this case, those thoughts were nudged along by three of the creepiest characters in Disney literature: the Odd Sisters. Lucinda, Ruby, and Martha. These three aren't in the movie, but they are the connective tissue for Valentino’s entire Villains series. They’re the ones who give the Queen the Magic Mirror.
👉 See also: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
The twist? The mirror doesn't just talk. It’s inhabited by the soul of her dead, hateful father.
Imagine seeking the approval of the man who never loved you, and now he’s a literal reflection staring back at you every morning. Every time she asks "Who is the fairest?", she isn't just being vain. She’s asking her father, "Am I good enough yet? Do you love me now?"
It’s heartbreaking.
Why Fairest of All Serena Valentino Hits Different
Most retellings try too hard to make the villain a "hero in their own story." Valentino doesn't really do that. She makes the Queen sympathetic, but she also shows the exact moment the woman decides to stop fighting the darkness. It’s a slow rot.
- The King's Death: His loss removes her only real emotional anchor.
- The Father's Influence: The mirror acts like a parasitic voice, constantly whispering about her insecurities.
- The Odd Sisters: They represent the external pressure to "be" the title everyone has given her.
The book is surprisingly short—about 250 pages—but it feels heavy. You’ve got these vivid descriptions of medieval court life mixed with almost Gothic horror. Valentino has a background in comics like GloomCookie, and it shows. She knows how to paint a scene with a lot of shadows.
✨ Don't miss: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
One of the most jarring things about the book is how it handles the "fairest" bit. In the movie, it’s about skin and hair. In the novel, it’s about light. Snow White has this natural, effortless joy that the Queen can never replicate, no matter how much magic she uses. It’s a jealousy of the soul, not just the face.
The Problem With Blame
There is a big debate among fans about whether this book lets the Queen off the hook. If the Odd Sisters manipulated her and her father’s ghost haunted her, is she actually evil?
Some readers find it frustrating. They want a villain who chooses to be bad because it’s fun. But real life is rarely like that. Usually, people break. They get tired of being the "good" person when the world keeps kicking them. By the time the Queen is transforming herself into the Old Hag, she knows she’s lost. There’s a scene toward the end where she chooses the path to the cliff because she knows she can't go back. She’s done.
What You Need to Know Before Reading
If you’re planning to jump into the series, you should probably know that this was the first book. Since then, the Villains series has blown up. You’ve got books on the Beast, Ursula, Maleficent, and even Captain Hook. But Fairest of All remains the most grounded.
The prose is simple. It’s technically YA (Young Adult), but it deals with some pretty adult themes of grief and parental neglect. Don't expect a high-fantasy epic with massive battle scenes. This is a character study. It’s claustrophobic. It spends a lot of time in the Queen’s chambers and in her head.
🔗 Read more: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
Also, don't look for names. The King is the King. The Queen is the Queen. It gives the story a weird, fable-like quality that makes the descent into madness feel more like a destiny than a series of choices.
Actionable Takeaways for Disney Fans
If you're a fan of the lore, here is how to get the most out of this story:
- Read in Order: Even though they are about different villains, the Odd Sisters' plotline is a continuous thread. Start with Fairest of All, then move to The Beast Within.
- Watch the Movie First: Seriously. Go back and watch the 1937 Snow White. Look at the Queen’s expressions. Then read the book. It changes how you see her eyes in that opening scene.
- Check out the Graphic Novel: If you aren't a big reader, there is a graphic novel adaptation with some really striking art that leans into the green and black color palette of the Queen's magic.
Ultimately, Serena Valentino didn't just write a backstory. She wrote a warning about what happens when we let our self-worth be defined by the people who were supposed to love us, but didn't.
To dive deeper into this world, your next move should be looking into the Odd Sisters themselves, as they are the true architects of the chaos in the Disney universe. Their standalone book (the sixth in the series) explains why they targeted the Queen in the first place, revealing that her tragedy was just a single piece of a much larger, much darker game.