Hexed

Hexed turns the beloved Disney movie The Little Mermaid on its head by casting the villain as the protagonist. In the film, “Vanessa” is the identity the sea witch Ursula adopts to sabotage the relationship between the protagonist, Ariel (here Aria), and Prince Eric. Further, the novel’s graphic sex and violence depart markedly from standard Disney fare. In these respects, Hexed resembles all the preceding titles in the Never After series, which largely skewer the Disney renditions of fairy tales and classic literature. 

McIntire does this to highlight the sympathetic characteristics of each of the story’s villains. In exploring the factors that turn someone into a villain or a monster, she also highlights the less attractive features of those traditionally lauded as heroes. Hooked (2021), for example, is Peter Pan from the viewpoint of the Captain Hook character. In the novel, Hook and Pan run rival criminal organizations. Hook kidnaps Pan’s daughter, Wendy, for revenge and ends up falling in love with her. Wendy also finds herself falling for her captor. Similarly, Scarred (2022) recounts The Lion King from the perspective of the usurper and murderer Scar. In this instance, the dark prince falls in love with the heir’s betrothed while conspiring to steal the throne from his brother.