Aladdin is a street rat from Agrabah. Jasmine is the daughter of the Sultan. When they meet by chance one day in the marketplace, it sets in motion a series of events that puts the whole Sultanate in peril. Sound familiar? Yes and no. This series of books, written for a teen audience, asks the question, "what would have happened if..." In this story the question is, "what would have happened if Jafar had gotten the lamp at the Cave of Wonders instead of Aladdin." What happens is the Jafar instantly kills the Sultan and makes himself the ruler. He then makes himself the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Jasmine escapes from the palace. Aladdin, with the help of the carpet, escapes from the Cave, and together they lead a revolt against Jafar. The authors try to reimagine key points of the original story into the new plot. It is Jafar that has the grand parade to the castle, not Aladdin. There is a giant hour glass but it is not Jasmine trapped inside. There are also new characters, like the Street Rat Queen, that are interesting. All in all, it is cleverly written and an interesting concept. (2015, 220 p)
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