Evil is made not born.

Book 5 in the wildly popular Villains series.

The tale of the legendary golden flower is widely known. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the flower is coveted by an old witch to keep herself young and beautiful. And always the flower is used to save a dying queen, who then gives birth to a princess with magical hair. Not willing to lose the flower, the old witch steals the princess and locks her away in a high tower, raising her as her own. But the princess always finds out who she truly is and manages to defeat the old witch.

And yet this is only half the story. So what of the old witch, Mother Gothel? Where does she come from? And how does she come across the magical golden flower? Here is one account that recounts a version of the story that has remained untold for centuries . . . until now. It is a tale of mothers and daughters, of youth and dark magic. It is a tale of the old witch.

Enjoy Serena Valentino's entire Villain's series.

• Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen (Book 1)
• The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince (Book 2)
• Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch (Book 3)
• Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy (Book 4)
• Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch (Book 5)
• The Odd Sisters: A Villains Novel (Book 6)
• Evil Thing (Book 7)

Serena Valentino has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains, where she is known for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling Villains series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, Mistress of

All Evil.