Title Page

Copyright

Copyright © 2022 by Disney Enterprises, Inc.

All rights reserved. Published by Disney • Hyperion, an imprint of Buena Vista Books, Inc. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney • Hyperion, 77 West 66th Street, New York, New York 10023.

First Edition, July 2022

Designed by Phil T. Buchanan

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022931027

ISBN 978-1-368-08213-6

Dedication

Dedicated to my lovely readers for their unwavering love, support, and enthusiasm for this series. I love and appreciate you more than you could possibly imagine. Thank you.

Prologue

Captain James Hook

Captain James Hook would like it known he is the bravest man to ever hoist a pirate flag. We know the truth, however. We see clearly into the changeable hearts of men, and we write their stories. We are the Odd Sisters; powerful witches, the creators of fates, and the authors of this Book of Fairy Tales. If you’re reading our stories in the order we have preordained, then you will remember we are in the Place Between—the place between the land of the living and the land beyond the veil. Though much time has passed since our daughter Circe sacrificed herself to save the Many Kingdoms, we still find ourselves trapped in this place, with only one of our magic mirrors to show us what is happening in the outside world. Not that we need it—these stories are etched on our souls, for we have written them, and we have found ways to make our influence felt in the Many Kingdoms, and in the outside realms. But enough of our tale for now. This is Captain James Hook’s story.

James wasn’t always the man he is today, constantly thwarted by the Lost Boys, outsmarted by their impish leader Peter Pan, or besieged by a deep and abiding fear of a menacing crocodile with a clock ticking away in its belly. As hard as it may be to fathom, there was a time when James was a very brave soul, and one of the most feared and respected pirates to sail the Seven Seas. Those stories however have been eclipsed by his misadventures in Never Land, by his reputation for being a cowardly “grown-up.” Our story focuses on what happened before James made his way to Never Land, because you already know what happens once he got there. The adventures of Peter Pan and his nemesis Captain Hook are widely known, but what you don’t know is how James became Captain Hook, and how it was he came upon that name.