Rise Of The School For Good And Evil by Soman Chainani
Published by Harper Collins
WITH a highly anticipated Netflix film coming this autumn, The School For Good And Evil, Soman Chainani’s magical series that presents a unique take on the fairytale structure, is gaining popularity with a whole new generation of young readers and reigniting the love of those who grew up with it.
These books delve deeper into the complexity of the characters that inhabit their stories and their journey to become who they must be to successfully complete their adventure. This journey is imagined in the form of two joined schools – one for Good and one for Evil. While the original book and upcoming film are focused on specific characters and their time there, The Rise of The School For Good And Evil is an enlightening prequel.
In the office of the school sits a magic pen by the name of The Storian which writes each fairytale as it plays out, ensuring Good and Evil win almost equally, to ensure the balance of the world is kept in place.
Due to its importance, its protection is entrusted with the schoolmasters of the School For Good And Evil. Rhian, a soul of pure good, and Rafal, a soul of pure evil, are twin brothers who run their school with equality and balance at its core. In return for their eternal youth, they are tasked with maintaining what they were chosen for in the first place, their love.
The bond of their familial love and deep care for each other makes them the perfect duo of leaders for the next generation of heroes and villains. After a hundred years of doing so successfully, their future becomes blurry and endangered by one student.
The schoolmasters had decided together that the young thief Aladdin would be a student for Evil, and while their judgement had never been wrong before, this time the Storian overruled them and placed him in the School For Good.
While Rhian, as Schoolmaster for Good, is secretly pleased by this addition to his own side and wholeheartedly trusts the Storian, Rafal Of Evil fears this may be a larger matter of Good being favoured over Evil and so boundaries are drawn between them.
They each interfere, attempting to prove Aladdin belongs on their own side to both humorous and dangerous results. As their feud grows, it affects not only them but the students, and the two find themselves on separate journeys to reevaluate their positions and what they mean to them.
As can be seen in the rest of the series, the fact that some authorities are made to be questioned while others are able to help and guide with good intention as well as valuing individual identity and the need of support from others are raised and handled with wisdom. In anticipation of the film, now is the time to read this series, and whether you start with this latest prequel or the original, its magic will find a place in your heart.
