The Isle of the Lost: Chapters 12–18

by Melissa de la Cruz
This first book of the Descendants series introduces four teenage daughters and sons of banished villains who embark on a quest to retrieve Maleficent's scepter and break the curse that traps them on the island.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 2, Chapters 3–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapter 19–Epilogue
40 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. grim
    harshly ironic or sinister
    He shivered, retracing his steps through the grim backstreets and alleyways of the town, past the eerily bare trees and broken-shuttered buildings that looked as abandoned and hopeless as everyone who lived there.
  2. whim
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
    She had her whims, but they never seemed to last. That was the good thing about Mal; she would get all worked up about something, but totally drop it the next day.
  3. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
    If twenty years of being frozen could turn a raven cuckoo, twenty years of life among the lost had done just as much to diminish the former Grand Vizier of Agrabah’s infamy, along with his grandeur and panache (at least, that was how his father thought of it).
  4. sumptuous
    rich and superior in quality
    Gone were the sumptuous silks and plush velvet jackets, replaced by a uniform of ratty velour sweat suits and sweat-stained undershirts that smelled a little too strongly of their shop’s marketplace stand, which was located, rather unfortunately and quite directly across from the horse stalls.
  5. adversary
    someone who offers opposition
    Iago had taken to calling him “the Sultan,” since Jafar now resembled his old adversary in size; although, in all fairness, Iago himself looked like he was on a daily cracker binge.
  6. trappings
    ornaments; embellishments to or characteristic signs of
    No matter that the Isle of the Lost was a floating rubbish heap; somehow Jafar believed the big score was always right around the corner—a bounty that could transport him back to his rightful place as a sorcerer, with all its power and trappings.
  7. sordid
    foul and run-down and repulsive
    The gloomy morning light made everything look sadder and more sordid.
  8. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    He was hungry, his head hurt, and he hadn’t slept well—dreaming anxiously of keeping the party a secret from his mother, but also of the dazzling light that had emanated from his machine and hit the dome.
  9. congeal
    solidify, thicken, or come together
    Carlos filled a bowl with some congealed, lumpy oatmeal and grabbed a spoon just as the Gastons stuck their heads inside.
  10. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    Sure, she was plump and middle-aged and no longer resembled the formidable portrait of her that hung in the main gallery, but she was far from ugly.
  11. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    Even the crack on her ceiling was starting to look like the Dragon’s Eye.
    Mal stared up at it from her bed, transfixed.
  12. hapless
    unfortunate and deserving pity
    Mal didn’t exactly have an army of evil resources at her command. She made do with what she had to work with—stolen paint cans, hapless high school kids, a closet full of old mink coats and fur traps.
  13. harangue
    address forcefully
    It was still quiet in the Bargain Castle, which meant Maleficent hadn’t gone out on the balcony yet to harangue and humiliate her subjects.
  14. adamant
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
    She was adamant about getting eight hours of “evil sleep” and recommended a healthy diet of nightmares to keep the claws sharp.
  15. debacle
    a sudden and complete disaster
    That had always been her mother’s specialty—putting people to sleep against their will. Of course, that hadn’t exactly worked out during the Sleeping Beauty debacle, but that didn’t mean that the Dragon’s Eye staff would be any less powerful now.
  16. crotchety
    having a difficult and contrary disposition
    Carlos remarked once that it must have been a huge sacrifice for him to give up Auradon, but the crotchety old wizard shrugged and said that he didn’t mind and that he had a responsibility to teach all children, good or bad.
  17. per se
    with respect to its inherent nature
    “If science is in fact magic, i.e., per se, could one then correspondingly and accordingly posit the postulate that magic is thus, ergo, to wit, also science, quid pro quo, quod erat demonstrandum, Q.E.D.?”
  18. postulate
    a proposition accepted as true to provide a logical basis
    “If science is in fact magic, i.e., per se, could one then correspondingly and accordingly posit the postulate that magic is thus, ergo, to wit, also science, quid pro quo, quod erat demonstrandum, Q.E.D.?”
  19. quid pro quo
    something given in exchange for something else
    “If science is in fact magic, i.e., per se, could one then correspondingly and accordingly posit the postulate that magic is thus, ergo, to wit, also science, quid pro quo, quod erat demonstrandum, Q.E.D.?”
  20. coquettishly
    in a flirtatious manner
    After bombing on his Evil World History exam, Jay ducked to hide from an evil step-granddaughter, who waved to him coquettishly, making him late for his Enrichment class.
  21. commission
    place an order for
    The stone monstrosity, commissioned by Maleficent herself, took up more than half the landing between the school’s second and third basement levels, and had become one of Jay’s most reliable hiding spots.
  22. petty
    (of a crime) lesser in seriousness or importance
    “One can shoplift at the bazaar, or burglarize a home, or steal a rickshaw. But these are, of course, petty exercises. Mere child’s play.”
  23. sullenly
    in a manner showing a brooding ill humor
    You expected more? You and everyone else on this island, Mal thought sullenly.
  24. depravity
    moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
    “I need you to really put your dark heart and foul soul into it. Come up with a truly wicked scheme. One that will bring you to the depths of depravity and heights of wicked greatness of which I know you’re capable.”
  25. sappy
    very sentimental or emotional
    Even a sappy hug couldn’t get to her now. She couldn’t wait to get started. Evil waited for no one.
  26. detritus
    the remains of something that has been destroyed or finished
    Jafar made a valiant attempt to take back his dignity, and pulled himself up to stand and brush the dust and detritus from his hair.
  27. berate
    censure severely or angrily
    Mal narrowed her eyes at Jay, mentally berating him for not having found a suitable place for them to talk privately.
  28. ottoman
    a low seat or a stool to rest the feet of a seated person
    Jafar took a seat on one of the long, low couches and motioned for them to make themselves comfortable on the ottomans.
  29. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    “But why would it be here?” Jay asked, leaning forward on his knees and looking at his father intently.
  30. regimen
    a systematic plan for therapy
    Evil Queen was so excited to be back in the village, she was running from storefront to storefront, saying hello to everyone and filling her cart with all sorts of age-defying elixirs and new beauty regimens.
  31. inkling
    a slight suggestion or vague understanding
    She knew she couldn’t trust Mal, and she had an inkling that Jay was behind her missing poison-heart necklace.
  32. insignia
    a distinguishing mark or symbol
    “Yup, the vultures who brought it said the goblin who found it swore it’s from one of the Auradon castles,” Evie said, handing him a pillow in a blue silk pillowcase with a royal insignia.
  33. stymie
    hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
    Mal crossed her arms, looking stymied. Carlos knew that look—it meant she was about to explode. What if Mal thought they were just pulling her leg? Letting her think they had made a discovery, when all along they were just making fun of her?
  34. hinder
    prevent the progress or accomplishment of
    In the end, it was Maleficent who wanted to reclaim her scepter, not just Mal; and if word ever got back to the Mistress of Darkness that he had opposed or hindered the search in any way, he might as well start calling himself Slop, because that’s what he would be.
  35. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    Her mother was a famous beauty in a land of famous beauties, and so it was only to be expected that Princess Audrey, daughter of Aurora, was gifted with the same lilting voice, lovely thick hair, swan-like neck, and deep, dark eyes that could drown a prince in their warm embrace.
  36. alight
    settle or come to rest
    A dove alighted on Audrey’s shoulder, cooing sweetly.
  37. conciliatory
    intended to placate
    “Dad says I have to hold another meeting to fix it. He’s disappointed, of course, and he’s had to send conciliatory gift baskets of his favorite cream cakes to everyone who was there, so he’s not in the best mood. You know how much he likes his cream cakes.”
  38. topiary
    a garden having shrubs clipped into decorative shapes
    “I love rose gardens,” said Audrey with a smile. “And I love the ones with topiaries shaped like adorable creatures.”
  39. lament
    regret strongly
    “They said I was rude,” he lamented. “And I was.”
  40. undertake
    enter upon an activity or enterprise
    “Perhaps, darling, they should have considered that before undertaking a life of evil and villainy—which could only lead to an eternity of punishment.”
Created on Tue Jul 09 17:47:22 EDT 2024 (updated Wed Jul 10 13:28:47 EDT 2024)

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