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· 4,805 ratings · 473 reviews

Start your review of Rise of the Isle of the Lost (Descendants, #3)

May 30, 2017 Jessica rated it it was amazing

I have no idea why I like these books so much but I do. I'm 22 and should have grown out of watching DCOMS by now. I guess you're never too old for Disney.

This was a great follow up to the last book and a great set up for the movie.

I thought this was another solid book in the series/franchise. I liked that Lonnie was in this because she is one of my favorites. I also liked the new characters and can't wait to see them in the movie.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read for Descendants fans.

I have no idea why I like these books so much but I do. I'm 22 and should have grown out of watching DCOMS by now. I guess you're never too old for Disney.

This was a great follow up to the last book and a great set up for the movie.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read for Descendants fans.

...more

Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature. Note: My FanLit editor specifically requested that I turn my review of this third book into a review of the entire series, so this review discusses all three books (so far) as well as the related TV musical films and other media tie-ins. But, full disclosure, I've only actually read this third book in full, though I've read excerpts of the other books and watched a bit of the movie.

description
Evie, Mal, Carlos and Jay

Disney's THE DESCENDANTS series of inte

description
Evie, Mal, Carlos and Jay

Disney's THE DESCENDANTS series of interrelated middle grade books (fairly easy chapter books) and television musical movies follows the adventures of the children of all of your favorite Disney animated film characters ― both the ones you love and the ones you love to hate. In this series, all of the villains from the various animated films were banished years ago to an isolated island called the Isle of the Lost. The island was then enclosed in a magical force field, an impenetrable dome that keeps the villains locked inside and all magical power locked outside. The Isle of the Lost is a rundown, grimy and unhappy place, while the non-wicked Disney characters live it up in the lovely nearby kingdom of Auradon, ruled over by Beauty and a no-longer-beastly Beast, where flying carpets and magic mix with cell phones and modern technology.

Now it's twenty years later, and the children of these characters ― both the villains and the heroes and heroines ― are teenagers. Conveniently, these children invariably have a name that echoes their famous parent's, which is helpful in minimizing confusion for younger readers, though potentially eye-rolling for older ones. Also conveniently, other than romances that were in the original films, the parents of these teens are apparently alone; there's no word, for example, about Maleficent's husband or Jafar's wife. (Single parenthood? Parthogenesis? Inquiring minds want to know!)

This DESCENDANTS series of books, by Melissa de la Cruz, and Disney Channel movies takes place in the following chronological order:

The book The Isle of the Lost (2015) is first in line, chronologically. Mal (daughter of Maleficent), Evie (daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White), Carlos (son of Cruella de Vil), and Jay (son of Jafar) are the four main teenage characters in this book and (at least thus far) in the series generally. On the Isle of the lost is a dark and mysterious Forbidden Fortress that holds a hidden dragon's eye, the key to true darkness, which may give the villains a way to escape the loathed island. Various villains are competing to be the first to find the dragon's eye, but it holds a curse that could backfire on the finder. The four teenagers are more enemies than friends, but Mal hatches a plan to avoid the curse and capture the dragon's eye, and she needs the other three teens to join her in this dangerous quest. Through their team efforts, Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay begin to learn to trust each other and form a tight friendship.

Next in line is the first television movie, Descendants, which first aired in 2015. A couple of notable cast members are Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent and Kathy Najimy as the Evil Queen. Prince Ben, the son of Beauty and the Beast, convinces his parents to allow four teenagers from the Isle of the Lost to be given a chance to be rehabilitated. Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay are ushered away from the island to go to school at Auradon Prep. Before they leave, Maleficent orders them to steal the Fairy Godmother's magic wand and give it to her so that she can use it to dissolve the magical barrier around the island and take over the world Auradon. While the four teenage villains-in-training initially fall in with Maleficent's plan, through their experiences in Auradon they continue to discover that perhaps they aren't as dark-hearted as they had always assumed, and that retaining some of their edgy, tough character isn't necessarily a bad thing.

In Return to the Isle of the Lost (2016), the second book, Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay receive a mysterious invitation to return to the Isle. Despite their (somewhat) reformed ways, once they sneak out of Auradon Prep and return to the island, they can't help but begin to fall back into old habits. A new challenge awaits each of them on the island: Mal (Maleficent's daughter) needs to find a dragon egg; Jay (Jafar's son) a golden cobra; Evie (the Evil Queen's daughter) a poison apple; Carlos (Cruella's son) a "ring of envy." But will these four objects be tools for good or evil?

In Rise of the Isle of the Lost (2017), the just-published third book in this series, King Triton's trident was swiped by his granddaughter Arabella for a little bit of innocent magical experimentation. Arabella is shocked when the trident causes a huge storm, escapes from her hands, and is lost in the ocean. When a separate spell by the Fairy Godmother momentarily lifts the invisible barrier around the Isle of the Lost, the trident slips through. Soon word gets out and all of the island's inhabitants are on a mad search for the trident, sure that it will bring the finder power, and possibly a way off the island.

Uma, daughter of Ursula the Sea Witch and a rival of Mal since a fight a few years ago made them permanent enemies, is determined to be the one to claim the trident, and she has Harry (son of Captain Hook), Gil (son of Gaston) and a pirate crew and ship to help her. Meantime, Arabella confides her mistake to Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay. The foursome decides to save Auradon by finding the missing trident before anyone from the Isle does. And the race is on!

Despite all her focus on her grudge against Mal, Uma is an enjoyably energetic character, along with her handsome henchmen, sharp Harry and not-so-bright Gil. There's a minor subplot about young King Ben traveling to a far corner of Auradon to resolve a conflict between two towns, and another about Carlos and Jay's tryouts for a school sports team called R.O.A.R. (like fencing), but most of the plot of Rise of the Isle of the Lost focuses on the chase for the trident. The story shifts between the points of views of several of the teenage characters, while the adults, almost without exception, conveniently absent themselves from all of the action. I found it a little disturbing that Arabella and the main foursome decide to secretly recover the trident on their own, rather than confiding in any adults and getting their help, despite the grave danger that the loss of the magical trident poses. But I'm viewing it as a parent; young readers are unlikely to mind.

A second TV movie, Descendants 2, premieres on the Disney Channel in July 2017. For children who are enthusiastic about this series, there's also a live-action Disney television series, Descendants: School of Secrets, and a computer animated series, Descendants: Wicked World, as well as Descendants, a junior novelization of the first TV movie.

The DESCENDANTS books are engaging fantasies for young readers who will appreciate the strong Disney tie-in. The tone of the books is light and humorous, with an emphasis on the adventure. Several of the main foursome have romantic interests: for example, Mal is attracted to Prince Ben of Auradon, while Evie is interested in the delightfully bright and nerdy Doug, son of Dopey the dwarf. These romances are very innocent, strictly on a middle grade level, and the villainy is more of the popcorn variety than actually evil. Evil is handled lightly and in the end will reliably be overcome by good.

The DESCENDANTS books and the TV movies are light and fluffy fantasy adventures. I recommend these books and movies for readers in the 8-14 age range who enjoy Disney generally, and specifically shows like High School Musical or books like the DISNEY FAIRIES series.

Initial comments: This kids-of-Disney-villains book magically appeared in my mail today, even though I didn't request it and I've never heard of this series before. But I want to stay on Disney's good side so they don't send Maleficent after me. Or the Evil Queen from Snow White. She would cut you. So into the TBR pile it goes.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. Thank you!

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Oct 11, 2017 Katie rated it it was amazing

These books are a guilty pleasure of mine. I'm a huge Disney fan, and I love the Descendants movies, and so it's not much of a surprise that I also love these books.

While for some reason, these books are marketed as YA, they are really more middle grade. It's not an amazing book by any standard, except that I just really enjoyed it and it made me happy. I think books like these are good for those times - when you want something that's fun, even if it's not the best thing ever.

I recommend this s

These books are a guilty pleasure of mine. I'm a huge Disney fan, and I love the Descendants movies, and so it's not much of a surprise that I also love these books.

I recommend this series to people who are fans of the movies, but they aren't for everyone.

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Can't wait! Why am I just finding out about it now though?! Also, I thought Gaston had twin boys, both named Gaston and looked it up, and it said Harriet instead of Harry. Is Harry a shorter version? Can't wait! Why am I just finding out about it now though?! Also, I thought Gaston had twin boys, both named Gaston and looked it up, and it said Harriet instead of Harry. Is Harry a shorter version? ...more

Mar 09, 2020 Sarah rated it it was ok

While Mal and her three sidekicks have been having fun in the happy land of Auradon, the rest of the reprobates on the Isle of the Lost have been resenting them. None more so than Uma, daughter of Ursula the Sea Witch. When Uma and Mal were little, they were best friends. But one day, their childish pranks on each other went a little too far and neither girl was able to forgive the other. Since then, they've kept out of each other's way--and recently Mal's life took a turn involving a nice new s While Mal and her three sidekicks have been having fun in the happy land of Auradon, the rest of the reprobates on the Isle of the Lost have been resenting them. None more so than Uma, daughter of Ursula the Sea Witch. When Uma and Mal were little, they were best friends. But one day, their childish pranks on each other went a little too far and neither girl was able to forgive the other. Since then, they've kept out of each other's way--and recently Mal's life took a turn involving a nice new school and a handsome prince.

Uma, meanwhile, has been stuck in her own ramshackle neighborhood, helping her mother run a seafood shack. (Raising the question, who would buy food from Ursula?). Uma's only allies are Harry, Captain Hook's swaggering son, and Gil, a son of Gaston who's too dumb to live even by Disney Channel standards.

When a disturbance occurs in the kingdom under the sea, Uma senses it and pulls together a pirate crew to find her mom's old magic shell necklace and generally wreak havoc. It's up to Mal and her posse to stop Uma's plan...

Content Advisory
Violence: Little Uma and Mal play pranks on each other and everyone else, some of which resort in very minor peril. The young pirates are menaced by dancing skeletons at one point, but the combat between the two groups doesn't even result in any injuries. Why.

Sex: Uma grudgingly offers to make Harry first mate and he replies "First date if you're lucky." I'm kind of confused by the content standards of these books. I figured that we never see Ben and Mal kiss because the Disney higher-ups consider it too risque for a middle-grade book (let's hope they never find out about Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox), yet this line is allowed to stay in.

Language: Nada.

Substance Abuse: Nothing.

Nightmare Fuel: I suppose very young children might find the skeletons frightening, although all they do is move around in a vaguely menacing way. Anyone over the age of eight is probably just wondering what Ursula looks like in this universe, and what poor human man wound up fathering Uma.

Politics and Religion: At one point, Mal is forced to work her magic and utters a spell which neither makes sense nor even rhymes. That's it.

Conclusions on This Book
This series should probably have been a trilogy rather than a quartet, with the second installment combining elements of this book and Return to the Isle. As is, this book is largely a retread of the second one, with the main characters drawn back to the Isle to deal with an old frenemy of Mal's who wants to cause chaos on the mainland.

Uma's a much stronger character than Maddy from Return, not that that's a high bar to clear. Harry has potential--under all that swagger and guyliner, he's so insecure he wears a hook like his dad's even though he has both hands. Is the book, or the movie that follows it, remotely interested in exploring either of them? Hahaha, of course not.

There's one moment that's actually kind of insightful. Ben has to settle a dispute between two bordering city states because the olive trees in the one city keep shedding over the barrier wall into their neighbors' yards. What a petty reason to waste the high king's time! But it makes sense because they've exiled all the real criminals. Silly annoyances like this are all they've got left to complain about.

I continue to be amazed at how a franchise with no real story became so popular. Disney has all these fairytales, legends, myths, nineteenth-century literary adaptations, and their own creations together in one place. The resulting series was never going to be Lord of the Rings, but it could have still provided memorable characters, heartfelt messages, and all manner of adventures. In fact, that's what I thought I was getting with the first book.

But this is not an adventure series. It's a series about nothing, an increasingly common phenomena. These franchises set up a story that seems fun, but then become paralyzed with fear of the fandom. Killing off a character might enrage that character's fans, pairing off two given characters might infuriate the people who shipped them with others, and a big twist will upset people who didn't see it coming even if it was hidden in plain sight.

Writers used to accept that and write what they wanted anyway. There are people who liked the first Star Wars who bailed after "Luke, I am your father." After M*A*S*H (view spoiler)[killed off Henry Blake, the producers were inundated with annoyed viewer responses, including one claiming that the fictional character had been found alive in a raft on a lake in Texas (hide spoiler)]. The majority of viewers stayed with these franchises. Many even liked the stories better now that the stakes were higher.

But nowadays it seems that writers are terrified of getting these reactions, so they produce story-less content where the characters just kind of hang out until the end. Fights end in draws, established pairings are locked together while single characters aren't allowed to pick up a love interest, action scenes have no stakes, redemption arcs are mandated for some characters and forbidden to others, the rules governing the story's universe change on a dime, and any death or major revelation will be undone either immediately or in the next installment. A lot of stories are now confined to a single setting, like a castle or a school, so even the travel element of an adventure story has been abandoned. Everything immediately reverts to the status quo, which is fine if you're writing a comic book, comic strip, sitcom or soap opera. But any other form of story really ought to have a point--a beginning, a middle, an end, and a takeaway.

I don't understand why the Descendants universe contains so many interesting possibilities and is so determined not to use any of them. I get that TV movies don't have the massive budget of theatrical releases--and the CGI on even big movies is starting to look spotty. But strong character development and resonant themes can make a great story even with the fakest sets and effects. And those budget constraints don't apply to books. Like I said, this series was always going to be goofy, but it could have been excellent in its goofiness. Disney has more than enough resources to achieve that. I don't know why they would chose not to.

None of these problems are the fault of Melissa de la Cruz, who writes these books. She tries her best to render the material readable, but she could probably accomplish a lot more if the publishers didn't have such a stranglehold on the writing process.

...more

Jul 20, 2017 Kayla rated it really liked it

Rise of the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz follows Mal and her friends as they look for King Neptunes trident. They are against the clock and against Mals arch nemesis Uma and her first love Harry.

CHARACTERS-
I love all the descendants. The four of them are just perfect.
I hate uma, I just did not like her attitude and her personality. I did love Harry though and he was just so dreamy and flirty and perfect. I can't wait to see him in the movie especially since he will be played by Thomas

ROMANCE-
I don't like Mal and Ben. They are just not my OTP. It's great if you love them, I just don't.
I think Mal and Harry would be a power couple. I hope in the next book if there is one or in the movie, Mal and Harry have scenes together.

PLOT-
I have always loved the little mermaid and Ursula was one of my favourite villains, so this book was for me and I really really enjoyed it.

ENDING-
This leaves the perfect start for the movie and I am super excited.

Characters-9/10
Romance-7/10
Plot-9/10
Ending-9/10
Speed1-10/10 (super fast paced)

...more

This was another good read in the series. I will admit it wasn't as good as the others. The reason for that was that it spent more time with the villains rather than the other guys. I'm hoping that there will be another book. Especially with the ending being what it was. This was another good read in the series. I will admit it wasn't as good as the others. The reason for that was that it spent more time with the villains rather than the other guys. I'm hoping that there will be another book. Especially with the ending being what it was. ...more

Rating: 3.25/5

Review to come!

Jun 05, 2017 Mileena rated it it was amazing

Rise of the Isle of the Lost
4.5/5 stars

This was my most anticipated release of the year so I'm both excited and kinda sad right now to have finished it.

The Plot/ Summary: (this section is gonna be a little different than usual as I basically wrote notes throughout reading to not forget anything in the future. Everything that's mapped out I loved, the cons are separated)

-Uma + Mal are ex BFF (flashback)

-Starts off to Rotten Four partying with the mermaids (seaside festival)
-Random storm happens

Rise of the Isle of the Lost
4.5/5 stars

This was my most anticipated release of the year so I'm both excited and kinda sad right now to have finished it.

-Uma + Mal are ex BFF (flashback)

-Starts off to Rotten Four partying with the mermaids (seaside festival)
-Random storm happens when it never does
-Turns out little girl that apparently was a smarter addition than putting Melody in the story took the trident -to prove she could?- and messed shit up and now it's on the isle waiting to be found

-Uma on the isle hears and is lit, (but so is everyone else considering everyone and their momma is looking for it) so anyways she enters a boat racing contest, wins through cheating but hey, it's the isle
-Then she rounds up Harry and Gil who are both super sexy
-So of course she flirts hella lot with Harry, it's cute
-Actually after that scene with the sails I ship them like super hardcore (pun intended)
-And she convinces good girl on isle to give her Ursula's necklace in exchange for a hat

Meanwhile
-Bens in China/Agrabah with Lonnie settling a border dispute (lol remind you of a certain current event?)
-Jay learns new sport
-The Rotten Four decide to steal a boat to help little girl and of course since they're such dorks, they get caught (my babies)
-Ben helped them out of their jam like the Kingly sweetheart he is and oh my gosh I was worried for a second, it felt like a lot of Descendants fanfictions I've read before where they get kicked out of Auradon
-Melissa De La Cruz I see you, first releasing a contemporary book about immigration and then this? Which is clearly a huge metaphor for Trump and the wall with the Agrabah/ China storyline and having a little sunshine like Ben handle it how? By suggesting that if they're gonna be kind, good, compromising nations they should just tear down the wall! I was floored.

-Basically Ben and the Rotten Four close in on the trident at the same time that Uma and her crew do
-And Uma proves herself to be a legit adversary considering she got there before them and if Mal didn't have her book they would've been screwed
-But also because they had this badass tug of war with the trident and I truly believe that Uma is stronger than Mal because if Mal didn't close the dome Uma would've gotten it
-and then Evie and Gil almost die! (although obviously I was more concerned for Evie) but man it was lit

-There was some more hella cute Evie/Doug scenes at the end ugh they were aiming for the cutest couple spot in this book
(Speaking of which Mal and Ben scenes were cute and omg I hardcore ship Uma and Harry! Like ugh make out already)
-As for the end I hate that my baby Mal is changing herself when Ben loves her the way she is but I thought it was a smart and exciting set up for the second movie

Cons:
-Although I loved Uma's storyline, I felt as though there was so much focus on her that we barely got to see the Rotten Four in this one

-I didn't like that Ben made Evie give up her mirror and was gonna take Mal's spell-book too until she ended up forgetting or whatever, I just thought that it was unfair to ask that of them

-MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT though is the random uber forcing of a romance between Carlos and Jane I understand that Jaylos is something that this day and age is not going to happen, and that it's basically nonexistent in Melissa's books but for that then I'd prefer the boys to stay single and I'm so uncomfortable considering I think this means that when Melissa read the script of the second movie she saw that they're gonna try to pair off Carlos and Jane and then wanted to incorporate that I in her books. So, not looking forward to that

Overall:
I usually don't like storylines at sea... Idk why it's always been a thing for me but I adored this book. I agree with the people saying that the first two books were better, but still I couldn't give this any less than a 4.5 stars. And oh my gosh I loved Uma so much more than I thought I would. Super hyped for the next movie and if there's another book that too.

...more

May 28, 2017 Natalie rated it liked it

Definitely not as good as the first two, but still enjoyable.

There was a lack of humor in this story. I had a few laughs here and there but nothing like the first two. There were also less interactions with main Disney characters. For example, Ursula is not in the book at all except for one tentacle. I don't think she says anything either. I found Jafar and the Evil Queen funny and entertaining in the first book and I would have liked some humorous interactions between Ursula and her daughter.

Definitely not as good as the first two, but still enjoyable.

The plot was fairly weak as well. I realize this is "filler" explaining what happened between the events of the second book and the second movie, but it just seemed rather simplistic and was resolved too easily.

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Aug 25, 2017 Jessica Hansen rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: For the young and the young at heart

I really enjoy the Descendants series. It's surely something for children but it's nice and lovely to read. If I compare it to adult books or YA it sure is not on the same level but for a children book I think 4 stars are appropriate. I really enjoy the Descendants series. It's surely something for children but it's nice and lovely to read. If I compare it to adult books or YA it sure is not on the same level but for a children book I think 4 stars are appropriate. ...more

Nov 27, 2017 Andy rated it it was ok

Definitely the worst of the series. I was so freaking bored with this book! It seemed to take forever for things to happen. All of the chapters were super short and it felt like nothing happened except for like ch. 33-35 or so. And this really had promise, but it dropped the ball. Still want to see the Disney interpretations though.

So I've read this book before, but instead of reading it this time I decided to use one of my Audible credits to get the audiobook version and give it a listen. I know that one of the stars of Descendants, Sofia Carson, is the narrator for all four Descendants novels, and I'm a fan of her music so I figured she'd do a great job narrating the novels. And a great job she did.

It was very easy to invest my brain in the story as I listened to her narrate. She was definitely the perfect candidate for

It was very easy to invest my brain in the story as I listened to her narrate. She was definitely the perfect candidate for this job – she even captured the tones of her co-stars' characters perfectly! I have to say that at some times of reading Mal's dialogue, she imitated Dove Cameron very well!

The story itself was good, and I enjoyed once again getting the backstory of Mal and Uma's rivalry. There was also some good tension that had me a little worried about the characters (even though I'd knew they'd be fine) while they were recovering the trident and honestly if this wasn't a Disney middle-grade novel, there would've been a different outcome that could've possibly had me flipping my lid.

My favorite scenes however had to be between Evie and Doug because they're my OTP of the entire Descendants franchise. What irks me about the movies is that their relationship is overshadowed by Mal and Ben's, and I really would've loved to see more Devie in the movies because their relationship has the most to be explored given the characters' family histories. At least the book gave me some good Devie moments.

Overall, I enjoyed this book the first time reading it, and even more so this time around listening to the audiobook, and if you're a Descendants fan you should definitely make sure you get your hands on this book if you haven't already. And if you're not a Descendants fan… what are you waiting for?

...more

Jul 15, 2017 Kieli Jo rated it really liked it

Really love this book series I just don't want to watch the movies that go along with them :( Really love this book series I just don't want to watch the movies that go along with them :( ...more

This was my least favorite book of the descendants series. I can't wait for the movie though. They are cheesy middle grade, but if your a huge Disney fan like me you'll love these. This was my least favorite book of the descendants series. I can't wait for the movie though. They are cheesy middle grade, but if your a huge Disney fan like me you'll love these. ...more

Jul 14, 2017 Rachel Meyer rated it it was amazing

I think this was my favorite Descendants novel yet. All the elements came together really well making for a page-turning read.

The character continue to be great. It's fun to see the VKs outside of the movies and let you see into their heads. It was also awesome to learn more about the new VKs, Uma, Harry, and Gil. De la Cruz does a great job writing these books and tying them into the movies.

The plot was well paced and leads perfectly up to Descendants 2. Mal and Uma's rivalry is great, plus I l

I think this was my favorite Descendants novel yet. All the elements came together really well making for a page-turning read.

The plot was well paced and leads perfectly up to Descendants 2. Mal and Uma's rivalry is great, plus I love how they each look out for their own crews. There was just so much to enjoy in this book for any Descendants fan.

I really liked this book and I give it 4 1/2 stars. I can't wait for the movie.

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Sep 23, 2017 Myndi rated it it was amazing

I will always be a Disney Girl at heart. If you're like me, you'll want to devour this Descendants series (and even watch the Disney Channel movies, they're honestly great!) Each volume adds at least one new character who is a descendant (of course) of one of the Disney movie characters. This one, if not obvious by the cover, introduces us to Ursula's daughter. I am a HUGE mermaid fan, and The Little Mermaid is probably my all time favorite movie, so I was very excited for this book. There is ve I will always be a Disney Girl at heart. If you're like me, you'll want to devour this Descendants series (and even watch the Disney Channel movies, they're honestly great!) Each volume adds at least one new character who is a descendant (of course) of one of the Disney movie characters. This one, if not obvious by the cover, introduces us to Ursula's daughter. I am a HUGE mermaid fan, and The Little Mermaid is probably my all time favorite movie, so I was very excited for this book. There is very little of the actual mermaids though, so don't get your hopes up too much for them. There is quite a bit of Uma, Ursula's daughter, so if you're a villain fan, this will please you. There is also our favorites from the first books, Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and of course, Ben. And, as with the others in the series, the villain kids end up managing to become involved in all that's going wrong in the kingdom and the Isle of the Lost.

I love how each book has a new problem to solve, but doesn't take away from the overall journey that the kids from the Isle are going through in their attempt to be good. We get a continuing story of their lives, but also the new drama by adding new characters and new drama. I hope the author continues to write this series, and I wouldn't be sad to have more of the movies as well.

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Jul 02, 2017 Elaina rated it liked it

Liked that we got some new characters in this book :) I also liked all the cute moments with Ben and Mal...and even some of the other minor characters ^_^ It still wasn't anything spectacular, but it was a pretty quick read. It says it took me three days, but that's just because I've been busy lately and haven't had as much time to read as I've wanted to. I don't know which is my favorite of the series yet...I'll have to think about it a little more :P Not the greatest book I have ever read, but Liked that we got some new characters in this book :) I also liked all the cute moments with Ben and Mal...and even some of the other minor characters ^_^ It still wasn't anything spectacular, but it was a pretty quick read. It says it took me three days, but that's just because I've been busy lately and haven't had as much time to read as I've wanted to. I don't know which is my favorite of the series yet...I'll have to think about it a little more :P Not the greatest book I have ever read, but still entertaining lol ...more

Jun 04, 2020 Karin rated it liked it

Trouble is brewing once again when one of Neptune's nieces nicks his trident during an annual ceremony and loses it. Uma gathers a band to search for it--she is convinced it should be hers and that she can finally win against Mal and also be as great as her mother was. But this niece asks for help while King Ben is away on royal business, so once again Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay have to find a way to get the trident before anyone from the Isle of the Lost can get their hands on it.

This appears to

This appears to take place before the second Descendants movie although they came out the same year.

...more

Another exciting book in the series though I do wish everything wasn't so easily solved, wrapped up so neatly and tied in a bow. It just seemed to work out too well. There was basically no conflict. Even the villains didn't have a tough time. The next in the series can't come soon enough. Unfortunately for this one the movie stole the limelight.

Mar 03, 2019 Lisa rated it it was amazing

The third book in the series, these characters still are fun for me. I love that we are still learning more about others while the journey of the original group still continues and they are still finding their footing in Auradon. I love the little hints of all past Disney characters, especially the prince and princesses that are now rulers!
A great middle age series for those who love Disney and want to delve more into what a second generation of our favourite characters may be like!

Dec 19, 2018 jessica ☾ rated it did not like it

I understand that these are written for a slightly younger age group than myself, but I just could not force myself through this. The first two were pretty good, but I feel as the series continues, the books are just downgrading in actual quality.

Nov 01, 2017 Dayeon rated it it was amazing

Super fun! If you read the first two books, it will be very very amazingly fun for you! Also, there is a movie!!!

Feb 26, 2020 Lucinda rated it liked it

I accidentally picked this up from the library thinking it was one of the books that were being held for me. I think I am a tad past the intended reader's age but it was a fun read anyway. I accidentally picked this up from the library thinking it was one of the books that were being held for me. I think I am a tad past the intended reader's age but it was a fun read anyway. ...more

Jun 17, 2017 Andrea rated it really liked it

alot better than the 2nd book, very enjoyable. I am addicted to this series for some reason ! :)

I personally don't like the prequels to Descendants because I think it's a little stretch to the movie, but I thought this one prevailed. It was pretty interesting to read it before I knew what was gonna happen in the movie. In the first prequel, I only had the chance to read it after I saw the movie, so it kinda ruined the vibe. I liked this one because it's a better intro to the new VK's and I good book to read right before the movie. I personally don't like the prequels to Descendants because I think it's a little stretch to the movie, but I thought this one prevailed. It was pretty interesting to read it before I knew what was gonna happen in the movie. In the first prequel, I only had the chance to read it after I saw the movie, so it kinda ruined the vibe. I liked this one because it's a better intro to the new VK's and I good book to read right before the movie. ...more

Jun 03, 2018 Melissa Hamm rated it it was amazing

Loved the book and the world. I'm so happy there's going to be a 4th book next year. (reason it took so long is I'm a mood reader who got distracted by other books. :) Loved the book and the world. I'm so happy there's going to be a 4th book next year. (reason it took so long is I'm a mood reader who got distracted by other books. :) ...more

Love it!

My daughter and I love reading these books together! "It was exciting and leads you big cliffhangers!" Per my 9 1/2 year old daughter.

Love it!

My daughter and I love reading these books together! "It was exciting and leads you big cliffhangers!" Per my 9 1/2 year old daughter.

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Jun 18, 2017 Leah rated it liked it

While I did enjoy this book, it definitely wasn't as enjoyable as the first two books in this series. This book has too many characters to follow, and I didn't like the Uma storyline. That fell flat for me. The other set of characters were still fun to read about. I won't watch the movie, but if there's another book in this series, I will probably read it. While I did enjoy this book, it definitely wasn't as enjoyable as the first two books in this series. This book has too many characters to follow, and I didn't like the Uma storyline. That fell flat for me. The other set of characters were still fun to read about. I won't watch the movie, but if there's another book in this series, I will probably read it. ...more

I'm so glade that I finally read Rise of the Isle of the Lost, especially before Descendants 2 premiers on Disney Channel on July 21st. This book did have some high points and some low points like most books, but here is what I thought of this one.

So Rise of the Isle of the Lost picks up only a few days after the events of the second book Return to the Isle of the Lost. There was some major character development in this book, I thought that this was mostly shown in Mal and Jay, (I do think that they are the one's who misses life on the isle the most out of the four, this maybe in comparison they didn't have it so bad there) but this book really does show that they really do enjoy life in Auradon and that they don't need to bad things to get there way. Also I love the new characters Uma daughter on Ursula, Harry the son of Captain Hook, and Gil whom I believe is the son of Gaston (I thought that in the previous two books it said that Gaston had twin sons, but in this book Gaston doesn't have twins and Harry is the only boy, can some please explain this?) I do feel that this book did focus a lot on Uma, Harry, and Gil and what was happening, and it didn't focus on the main characters Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos as much as I would have liked.

This book was overall a pretty great book, I think it's my second favorite book in this series (Return to the Isle of the Lost so far is my favorite in the series, my least favorite being the prequel The Isle of the Lost), I would give it four stars even though I didn't like it as much as the second but more than the first. Originally I did give the first book four stars, however I like the second more but didn't I loved so it wasn't five stars, to make some kind of separation I lowered the rating for the first book. I'm not going to change anything because all of this stands and I feel that it falls closer to 4 stars rather than three. I can't wait to see Descendants 2 when it airs, and I'm hoping that there might be a second book after it, but we will see.

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Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat's Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like

Her books for adults include the novel Cat's Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney's, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

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