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chezler24's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Beddor has crafted a dark yet still whimsical re-imagining of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. While leaning heavily into war, destruction, and desolation, there still is a glimmer of hope in the ongoing battle between White and Black Imagination. In this tale, Alyss, heir to the throne, witnesses her world get tossed upside down as her evil aunt, Redd, leads a coup that results in Alyss accidentally being thrown into our world where she stays and matures into adulthood. Alyss discussing her old world is what led to the famous Lewis Carroll book being published. The attempt to layer this fictive world as a parallel world to our own is an interesting take to further bring these characters to more real space. Throughout the book, I enjoyed the liberties taken with Hatter Madigan and the armed forces of the Millinery. He is a far cry from the Carroll counterpart, but since this world is one where war and subterfuge exist, it's almost preferable that he has some skill towards that. I do wish we saw more of the heart maze at the end of the book when Alyss was trying to regain her powers. I know she is of Wonderland but I wished it dove a bit deeper into her struggle with regaining control of her Imagination after it was dampened in our world for so long. I suppose there's still a long way to go with the two sequel novels between finalizing the end of the war/coup, rebuilding Wonderland, and bringing back White Imagination into full power.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, War, Drug abuse, and Gun violence
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