Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Emily McIntire is a contemporary romance author known for her dark and twisted retellings of classic fairy tales—called “fractured fairy tales.” McIntire’s works often feature morally complex characters and explore complex themes of love and redemption. Her Never After series has gained significant popularity, given her tendency to grant villains the spotlight and allow them to find their own versions of the traditional “happily-ever-after” ending. McIntire’s writing is characterized by its intensity, emotional depth, and morally complex characters.

Scarred is the second book in the Never After series, and it reimagines The Lion King as a much darker and more mature tale, drawing also upon elements of Shakespeare’s Hamlet (a literary ancestor of The Lion King). The protagonist of McIntire’s tale is Prince Tristan Faasa, the leader of a secret rebellion to overthrow and murder his brother, King Michael. Tristan’s struggle with his past trauma and his obsession with vengeance make him a prime example of an anti-hero. Likewise, the character of Sara, his love interest, is just as strong-willed and morally ambiguous; she is determined to rid the world of the Faasas because King Michael hanged her father.