The School for Good and Evil books in order
An adaptation of Soman Chainani's hit fantasy series has just landed on Netflix.
The new Netflix fantasy film The School for Good and Evil has its roots in a series of books by American author Soman Chainani – a series that so far consists of six novels and a companion handbook.
The film is an adaptation of the first book in the series, and although in many ways it remains loyal to the source material, it also makes one or two changes, with director Paul Feig explaining that "we always made sure to get his [Chainani's] advice on the changes".
"It’s hard for an author or a creator of any original material to give it over to somebody else and let it be reinterpreted, but it was really important to have Soman involved because it’s his baby," Feig explains in the press notes for the film.
"Even before I came on board, the producers were developing it for many years to make sure we got it right, that we got the things that the fans would want out of the book, while still being able to introduce this story to people who haven’t discovered the books yet."
For his part, Chainani added: "Only a foolish author would insist on a slavish translation that speaks to no one but the most literal of readers — a reader’s imagination is usually much more vivid and precise than anything that can be put on screen.
"Luckily, we have a brilliant and visionary filmmaker in Paul who knew how to keep the spirit of the book but also make it his own. I welcomed his changes along the way, and ironically enough, often ended up suggesting some of the most dramatic changes of all."
If you've enjoyed the film and want to know more about the other books in the series, read on for everything you need to know.
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The School for Good and Evil books in order
There are six novels in the series in addition to a companion handbook – and you can find details and a brief synopsis for each of them below.
The School for Good and Evil (2013)
Every four years, two girls are kidnapped from the village of Gavaldon. Legend has it these lost children are sent to The School for Good and Evil, the fabled institution where they become fairytale heroes or villains.
With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White at the School for Good. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black dresses and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.
But the two girls soon find their fortunes reversed – Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.
But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are?
Buy The School for Good and Evil on Amazon
A World Without Princes (2014)
After saving themselves and their fellow students from a life pitched against one another, Sophie and Agatha are back home again, living out their Happily Ever After. But life isn't quite the fairytale they expected…
Witches and princesses reside at the School for Girls where they've been inspired to live a life without princes, while Tedros and the boys are camping in Evil's old towers. A war is brewing between the schools, but can Agatha and Sophie restore the peace? Can Sophie stay good with Tedros on the hunt? And whose heart does Agatha's belong to – her best friend or her prince?
Buy A World Without Princes on Amazon
The Last Ever After (2015)
Former best friends Sophie and Agatha thought their fairytale’s ending was sealed when they went their separate ways, each in the arms of a boy. But their storybook is about to be rewritten, and this time, theirs isn't the only one.
With the girls apart, Evil has taken over and the villains of the past have come back to turn the world of Good and Evil upside down. With the forces of Good in deathly peril, Agatha and Sophie must work together to restore balance. Will they find their way to being friends again? And will their new ending be the last Ever After they've been searching for?
Buy The Last Ever After on Amazon
The Ever Never Handbook (2016)
This handbook is full of everything students at the School need to learn in order to survive their own fairytale. With full-colour illustrations, the handbook includes character interviews, diary excerpts, brand-new short stories and much, much more.
Buy The Never Ever Handbook on Amazon
Quests for Glory (2017)
The students at The School for Good and Evil thought they had found their final Ever After when they vanquished the malevolent School Master, but with every end comes a new beginning....
Now, they're on their required fourth-year quests, where Evers and Nevers alike must move beyond the bounds of school and into the biggest, boldest adventures of their lives.
For their quests, Agatha and Tedros are trying to return Camelot to its former splendour as queen and king. For her quest, Dean Sophie seeks to mould Evil in her own image. But soon, they all feel themselves growing more isolated and alone. When their classmates' quests plunge into chaos, however, someone must lead the charge to save them....
Buy Quests for Glory on Amazon
A Crystal of Time (2019)
A traitor has seized Camelot’s throne, sentencing Tedros, the true king, to death. Tedros’s queen Agatha narrowly escapes, but their friend Sophie is trapped. She is forced to play a dangerous game as her wedding to the false king fast approaches, and all the while her friends' lives hang in the balance.
Now, Agatha and the other students at The School for Good and Evil must find a way to restore Tedros to his rightful place on the throne and save Camelot – before all of their fairytales come to a lethal end and the future of the Endless Woods is rewritten forever....
Buy A Crystal of Time on Amazon
One True King (2020)
The fairytale of Sophie and Agatha comes to a dramatic conclusion in the sixth and final book of Soman Chainani’s best-selling fantasy series.
Who will sit on Camelot’s throne and rule the Endless Woods? Who will be the one true king? Prepare yourself for the end of ends...
The School for Good and Evil is streaming on Netflix now. Check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix – or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
