City of Villains by Estelle Laure

The quick cut: A teen girl who interns at the police department investigates a recent string of disappearances.

A real review:

Disney origin stories are well known, but what if their origins came in a different way? What if they all lived together in a city where a class divide is a growing issue? In this series, that concept is brought to reality.

Mary Elizabeth lost everything, just like the city did years ago when a building disappeared in the Scar neighborhood. When her parents and sister died, she appreciated the effort taken by the current Chief on their case. Now a string of disappearances is creating turmoil in the Scar and Mary Elizabeth is assigned to help with the case. Will she find the girls who disappeared? Or is something else going on?

I like the reimagination of these Disney characters origin stories, it's definitely unique and different. The world building very much has a Gotham feel to it and the class divide storyline plays strongly throughout the action. It certainly sets up a strong foundation for the series future books. Now if only the characters were as well developed...

Mary Elizabeth is set up as the heroine who has gone through so much turmoil. She lost her family and the city she lives in isn't having it much better. She's likeable, but overall it also makes her quite forgettable. I wanted to see her be a little less bland, but hopefully she stands out a bit more in the sequel.

A fantasy story with great world building but forgettable characters.

My rating: 3 out of 5