"Regina Rising" by Wendy Toliver

Title: Regina Rising
Author: Wendy Toliver
Publisher: Kingswell Teen
Year:  2017
Genre(s):  young adult, coming-of-age
Part of a Series: Complicated. Is a tie-in novel for a TV series.  
Rating: 

Why I Read It: Because I’m a big fan of Regina on “Once Upon a Time”

Summary: Regina is a princess but she lives a lonely life, her every movement controlled by a mother who wants her to be queen one day. All Regina wants is freedom to live her life and to maybe have a friend.

Then she meets Claire. Though she has Cora’s approval, Regina still finds a lot of things she wanted in her friend. They have adventures together and Regina starts to confide in Claire. However, can she really trust Claire?

Review: I’m a bit torn about this book, hence why it’s only three and a half stars. What bugs me the most is how canon it is—that is, how it fits into the show and if it is meant to. The book is authorized by Disney as well as Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, the creators of the show, and I have to imagine they had some input into it. Yet it seemed like Toliver ignored some key facts that every fan—especially Regina fans—would know. For example, the book appears to be set around the time Regina would’ve fallen in love with Daniel, yet there is no mention of him at all.

There is another part at the end that seems to fly in the face of how we saw young Regina act in the show as well, but I won’t spoil that.

Toliver does do a good job of capturing young Regina, especially the young Regina most Regina fans believe she was. She shows the innocent young woman who wanted her own life and companionship but was denied both by her mother. We also saw a girl who had to figure out what game her mother was playing in order to avoid punishment and therefore never knowing when Cora was genuine or not.

Speaking of Cora, the book also captures the abuse Regina suffered at her hands. Readers might need to be cautious with it but it’s a good start for delving into Regina’s psyche.

I also enjoyed watching her relationship with Claire. She seemed to be everything Regina wished she could be—able to move without Cora following her every move, bold, and daring. Maybe one day the writers could write Claire into the story.

Bottom line: A good read if you’re a fan, though a few pot holes may bother you.
Sex: None.

Moonlight Musing

Have you read any tie-in materials for a show or movie you like?