Reviews

ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor

marcusghee's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bak8382's review against another edition

5.0

After reading the first two books in this series I have been eagerly anticipating this book. Thankfully it does not disappoint!
In this final chapter Alyss finds herself not only battling both her old nemesis (and Aunt) Red Heart, but also King Arch from the Boarderlands, for control of the "Queendom." Alyss's biggest weapon, her imagination, is at the mercy of Arch who has stolen the Heart Crystal and declared himself King of Wonderland. When she risks her life by returning to earth to save the Liddell family Alyss finds her means of return drying up before her eyes.
Short chapters told from different perspectives and usually ending in cliffhangers make this is a quick and engrossing read. Beddor does a great job of crafting a unique take on the Alice story, and builds an original world around her. It is populated with a fresh take on recognizable characters.
Many story lines are wrapped up satisfactorily in this installment, but there are enough loose ends to guarantee we haven't seen the last of these Wonderlanders. My only complaint with this entire series is that they weren't published close enough together!

chezler24's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Unfortunately, this was a semi-disappointing end for the Looking Glass trilogy. I felt like the final battle to end this ongoing war for Imagination's safety could have been a bit more grand and given way for some more satisfying conclusions to character arcs. While I'm still invested and intrigued by the characters and world Beddor has created, it seems they got away from him in the end. Some pacing of events seemed a bit random at points with the introduction of new characters and plotlines which (supposedly) had been in motion behind the scenes for ages (e.g., the Everqueen plotline). I was hoping for some more substantial show-downs/conversations between key characters although I feel like these moments were sidelined by visits back to Earth and the permanent threat of the misogynistic King Arch. Overall, I feel like this end would have probably suited child me as a reader, but, for the adult reader who had been waiting to finally get ahold of this and finish the franchise, it left a bit to be desired. 

rj_novotny's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

ericadeb's review against another edition

I have to say I was impressed with the conclusion to the story. I was bogged down by the bad writing in the second story to the point where I couldn't enjoy it at all. This one was also pretty annoying in writing style (how many sounds do I need spelled out on the page????) but the plot was imaginative enough to keep me trucking through. Overall I was pleased with the ending.

catsgeekery's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

natalie_and_company's review against another edition

3.0

I felt like this was a fairly good ending. The reading experience was enthralling. It took the scope of what I thought the story could be and stretched it too its limits. Expanding the world and manifesting some amazing ideas. Frank Beddor kept up with the references to the original text and I thoroughly enjoyed every scene with the caterpillars in it. 

The magic explanation could have been more stretched out. Since the second book in the series felt like a really long introduction to the third book it was disappointing when there was only like two or three pages of pay off in the end. The explanations for why things ended the way they did and how they ended the way they did are a bit flimsy. I think it would have been really valuable to the author and the message he was trying to portray about Imagination has he spent a little more time fleshing out these magic system details. 

But overall I did enjoy the reading experience, I enjoyed the last book almost as much as the first one. Just wanted more of those delicious details. Also the romance felt like it was always forgotten about until the last minute. 

craftingrama's review against another edition

3.0

same problem with this one as the other 2 glad I got them from the library and did't pay for them

bibliophilelinda's review against another edition

4.0

Good conclusion to a fun and fast-paced trilogy. However, while I can't put my finger on why, the ending, as predictable as it was always meant to be, still left me feeling unfulfilled. Imagination is saved and Alyss Heart is queen again, but who did Arch become on earth? Did Redd really simply vanish? Though called a trilogy, it left me feeling like another set of books will follow. This series is going to make for some visually stunning movies, though.

bookwormerica's review against another edition

4.0

ended well. everything got tied up. dodge never got his revenge