''The School for Good and Evil'' is a
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
fairytale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cul ...
hexalogy
A hexalogy (from Greek ἑξα- '' hexa-'', "six" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse") is a compound literary or narrative work that is made up of six distinct works. The word apparently first appeared in English as a borrowing from German, in ...
of books by
Soman Chainani. The
first novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...
in the series was published on May 14, 2013. The series is set in a fictional widespread location known as the Endless Woods. The original trilogy (known as ''The School Years'') follows the adventures of best friends Sophie and Agatha at the School for Good and Evil, an enchanted institution where children are trained to become fairytale heroes or villains, respectively. The second trilogy (''The Camelot Years'') follows Agatha and her true love King Tedros ascending to the role of Queen and King of the legendary kingdom,
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
, and Sophie re-forming Evil into a new image.
The final book in the original series was released on June 2, 2020, with the first book in a
prequel series debuting in 2022. A
film adaptation by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
was released on October 19, 2022.
Summary
''The School Years''
Premise
Every four years, two children are kidnapped from the village of Gavaldon. Usually, one child is well-behaved and beautiful, and the other is ugly and peculiar. The kidnapper, referred to as "the School Master", allegedly kidnaps them to the School for Good and Evil in the surrounding Endless Woods, where they are trained to become fairytale heroes and villains.
The School for Good & Evil (2013)
Beautiful and pink-loving Sophie dreams of attending the School for Good and finding true love. Meanwhile, her best friend Agatha, who isn't stereotypically
pretty and withdrawn, is deemed the perfect candidate for the School for Evil. On the night of the kidnapping, both girls are kidnapped but are seemingly sent go the "wrong" schools: Sophie to the School for Evil and Agatha to the School for Good. Soon after, Sophie becomes smitten with
King Arthur's son, Tedros of
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
, who also takes notice of her. Agatha, however, only wants to go home; she and Sophie ask the School Master to go home, but the Storian begins their fairy tale. He tells them they must follow it and give them a riddle to solve; the answer is true love's kiss.
Sophie must kiss Tedros to prove they are in the wrong schools and go home; he denies her, however, after she refuses to save him out of selfishness. Sophie becomes bitter and learns Agatha is her nemesis, whom she must kill to be happy. Sophie loses her beauty and attacks the schools when Tedros asks Agatha to be his princess. During the battle, Sophie learns the School Master is Evil, and the Storian is atoning him for the murder of his brother. He believes that Sophie is his true love, and her kiss will restore Evil's glory. However, Sophie denies him and sacrifices herself to save Agatha, who kisses her, reviving her. The two return home, ending their fairy tale while Tedros is left alone.
A World Without Princes (2014)
Agatha and Sophie have settled back into their old lives in Gavaldon. Agatha misses Tedros and secretly wishes for him. This triggers a wave of mysterious attacks on Sophie, which threaten the entire village and cause the two girls to be run out of town. They make their way to the School for Good and Evil, only to find it has become the School for Girls and Boys. At the School for Boys, Tedros is seeking revenge upon Sophie for supposedly stealing his true love. At the School for Girls, former Evil history teacher Evelyn Sader, who was banned from the schools years before and believed she was the School Master's true love, is now Dean. After Agatha kisses Tedros, Sophie is almost sent back to Gavaldon. However, Sader tricks Sophie into kissing the School Master using a piece of his soul he placed in her before she was exiled. The School Master is then revived and kills Sader. Agatha and Tedros are returned to Gavaldon, with the fate of Sophie and the Endless Woods unclear.
The Last Ever After (2015)
In the wake of Sophie and the School Master's kiss, Evil has been shown capable of love, and all the previous fairy tale villains are given a second chance. They quickly hunt down their heroes and murder them, weakening the shield between the world of Readers and the world of fairytales, threatening the existence of both. With the shield weakening, the sun begins to melt. After leaving Gavaldon, Agatha and Tedros rescue Sophie and recover Excalibur, which they need to destroy a ring Rafal (the School Master) gave Sophie that transforms her soul into the deepest Evil and keeps him immortal. Sophie refuses and returns to Rafal; the two sides begin to prepare for a war on the night the sun will melt completely. During the war, another hero is killed, and the shield between Gavaldon and the Woods disappears. However, when all hope is lost, Agatha convinces Sophie to destroy her ring, killing Rafal. Afterwards, Sophie becomes the Dean of the School for Evil, feeling content with her new life; Agatha and Tedros arrive at Camelot, seeking to restore it to its former glory.
''The Camelot Years''
''Quests for Glory'' (2017)
The students at the School for Good and Evil set out on their required fourth-year quests. For their quests, Agatha and Tedros must try and return Camelot to its former splendor as queen and king. For her quest, Dean Sophie seeks to mold Evil in her own image. When a mysterious villain known as "the Snake" emerges, terrorizing the land the old friends must work together to save the Endless Woods. Released in 2017.
''A Crystal of Time'' (2019)
A false king has claimed the throne of Camelot, sentenced Tedros to death, and forced Sophie to be his queen. Only Agatha manages to escape. Agatha and the students at the School for Good and Evil must find a way to restore Tedros to his throne and save Camelot, before all of their fairy tales come to a lethal end. Released in 2019.
''One True King'' (2020)
To prove he is the true King of
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
, Tedros must pass three tests set by his late father King Arthur. Pitted against him is the pretender king Japeth, who has all of the Woods on his side. Staying undercover, Tedros travels the Endless Woods with Agatha, Sophie, and his friends from the School for Good & Evil, in a race to pass his father's tests and save the Endless Woods from Japeth's domination. Released in 2020.
Prequel series
''Rise of the School for Good and Evil'' (2022)
The twin School Masters, Rafal and Rhian, have ruled the School for Good and Evil for many years in harmony. After a streak of Good victories, however, Rafal, the Evil School Master decides to try and even the scales. The attempts drive the brothers apart, creating a rift that threatens the balance of Good and Evil in the Endless Woods. Released in 2022.
''Fall of the School for Good and Evil'' (2023)
The upcoming sequel and conclusion to ''Rise of the School for Good and Evil'', coming May 2023.
Conception
When
Soman Chainani was younger, he did not have access to cable, the Internet, or video games; he only had a TV and
VHS tapes of
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
's films, many of which were based on classic fairy tales. At university, the difference between the original stories and Disney's versions captivated him when he took a class about the history of fairy tales.
Chainani first began working on ''The School for Good and Evil'' in June 2010.
Revisions, retellings, and mash-ups of fairy tales had gained popularity at the time. Works often included several cliches that had heavily influenced the portrayals Good and Evil, Boys and Girls, and Old and Young, as well as tropes that recurred in the portrayal of antagonists. Chainani, however, he had wanted to focus on something more primal: a brand-new fairy tale that was "just as unleashed and unhinged" as the older tales that would redevelop the fairy tale genre while acknowledging its past—he aimed to dispel these stereotypes and deliver an original tale devoid of cliches by creating his own series.
Chainani initially planned the series as three trilogies: ''The School Years'', ''The Camelot Years'', and ''The New Class''.
Publication
When he first began working on ''The School for Good and Evil'', Chainani expected it to become a treatment for a screenplay he could sell. He later realized, however, that "it had to be novels". Producer Jane Startz, who Chainani worked with on an adaptation of ''
The Pushcart War
''The Pushcart War'' is a popular children's novel by the American writer Jean Merrill, illustrated by Ronni Solbert
and first published by W. R. Scott in 1964. It is Merrill's best known work. The story is written in the style of a historical ...
'', agreed with this sentiment, quashing any doubt Chainani had. Startz negotiated the deal for the trilogy with publishing company
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...
after that.
According to its editorial director—Phoebe Yeh—she "knew in
ergut that
he company
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
were going to have a winner" from the novel's first sentence, being "blown away" by the originality, premise, characters, lore, and language. Yeh's enjoyment encouraged her to acquire the trilogy from Startz.
''The School for Good and Evil'' was first published on May 14, 2013, in a 150,000-copy printing.
In the United Kingdom, it was released on June 6 of the same year. The second novel, ''
A World Without Princes'', was published on April 15, 2014, while the third, ''
The Last Ever After
''The School for Good and Evil'' is a fantasy fairytale hexalogy of books by Soman Chainani. The first novel in the series was published on May 14, 2013. The series is set in a fictional widespread location known as the Endless Woods. The origi ...
'', was published a year later on July 21. This was followed by the release of the fourth and fifth books—''
Quests for Glory'' and ''
A Crystal of Time
''The School for Good and Evil'' is a fantasy fairytale hexalogy of books by Soman Chainani. The first novel in the series was published on May 14, 2013. The series is set in a fictional widespread location known as the Endless Woods. The origi ...
''—on September 19, 2017, and March 5, 2019, respectively.
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...
published final novel, ''
One True King
One True King (OTK), legally OTK Media, Inc., is an American media organization based in Austin, Texas. The organization primarily focuses on online content creation and previously competed professionally in ''World of Warcraft''.
History
One T ...
'', on June 2, 2020.
Reception
Critical reception for the first book in the series has been positive, and the book has received praise from ''The Guardian'' and the ''Miami Herald''.
Awards
* ''
Waterstone's Children's Book Prize
The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children's literature published during the previous year. First awarded in 2005, the purpose of the prize is "to uncover hidden talent in children's writing" and is there ...
for Best Fiction for 5-12'' (2014, nominee for ''The School for Good and Evil'')
Impact
''The School for Good and Evil'' has amassed a significant international fan following.
As of 2022, the series has been translated into over 32 languages and sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.
According to ''
Vogue India
''Vogue India'' is the Indian edition of the monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine ''Vogue''. It is the 17th international edition of ''Vogue'' and the first edition in South Asia. ''Vogue India'' is published by Condé Nast India Pvt. Ltd., a ...
'', the series has become a "mainstay" on
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list.
Adaptation
Shortly after the first book's publication,
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
acquired rights to adapt the first novel into film. In 2020,
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
announced it would take over and release a film adaptation of the novel, directed by
Paul Feig
Paul Samuel Feig (; born September 17, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is known for directing films starring frequent collaborator Melissa McCarthy, including '' Bridesmaids'' (2011), '' The Heat'' (2013), '' Spy'' (20 ...
.
Sophia Anne Caruso
Sophia Anne Caruso (born July 11, 2001) is an American actress and singer best known for originating the role of Lydia Deetz in the Broadway musical ''Beetlejuice'', a role for which she won a Theatre World Award. She also portrays Sophie in ''T ...
and
Sofia Wylie
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. ...
were cast in the lead roles in December 2020. In addition,
Charlize Theron,
Kerry Washington
Kerry Marisa Washington (born January 31, 1977) SidebarCertificate of Live Birth: Isabelle Amarachi Asomugha(County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health). Gives Kerry Washington birth dateArchivedfrom the original on May 2, 2016.Note: Fi ...
,
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. He is a three time Emmy Award and Tony Award winning actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He has been hailed for his forceful, militant, and authoritative charact ...
and
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, ( ; born 6 August 1962) is a Malaysian actress. Credited as Michelle Khan in her early Hong Kong films, she rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in a series of Hong Kong action films where she performed her own ...
all have supporting roles in the film. On March 19, 2021, it was announced that Jamie Flatters would play Tedros and
Kit Young
Christopher William Young (born 1994) is a British actor. He began his career in theatre, earning an Ian Charleson Award nomination. He stars as Jesper Fahey in the Netflix fantasy series ''Shadow and Bone'' (2021–). His films include ''The ...
would play Rafal. On March 24, 2021, it was revealed that
Earl Cave
Earl Cave (born 23 June 2000) is an English actor. He is known for his film roles in '' Days of the Bagnold Summer'' and ''True History of the Kelly Gang''.
Early life and education
Cave was born in London
London is the capital and List ...
will play Hort. Filming took place at The Belfast Harbour Studios in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
.
The adaptation was released in 2022, debuting at #1 on Netflix in over 80 countries.
References
External links
*
Princess Not-So-Charmingat
Harvard Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:School for Good and Evil, The
2010s fantasy novels
American children's novels
American fantasy novel series
Children's fantasy novels
Hexalogies
Novels based on fairy tales
Novels set in schools
Series of children's books