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A review by marjories
Alice the Dagger by Ashley McLeo
5.0
An urban fantasy heroine thrown into the whimsical world of Wonderland. Fast paced enjoyable read with plenty of humor, a bit of slow burn romance, lots of action and all the feels. There were many nods to the classic books, but McLeo put her own twist on them, playing up some of the darker and more sinister elements hinted at in the original and re-imagining some of the sillier and kookier ones. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum as pixies were my favorite (but don't call them that!). Cheshire and the Caterpillar were well done too.
This story seems to take place about a generation after the events of the original books and imagine some interesting family dynamics culminating in a final battle that requires all of Alice's wits, skills and new friends to win.
I liked that Alice was given a backstory that supported her skills but it almost seemed non-sequitur after she went through the rabbit hole. I enjoyed watching the relationships unfold through the book. I do think that she had a vulnerability that was necessary to the story, but not necessarily realistic to her background. It made her far more likeable as a character. I think maybe what was missing was who or what helped her cling to her humanity through her brutal upbringing.
The book ends in a way that indicates it is the beginning of a series. I hope this is so as these are characters and a world I would enjoy spending more time with.
This story seems to take place about a generation after the events of the original books and imagine some interesting family dynamics culminating in a final battle that requires all of Alice's wits, skills and new friends to win.
I liked that Alice was given a backstory that supported her skills but it almost seemed non-sequitur after she went through the rabbit hole. I enjoyed watching the relationships unfold through the book. I do think that she had a vulnerability that was necessary to the story, but not necessarily realistic to her background. It made her far more likeable as a character. I think maybe what was missing was who or what helped her cling to her humanity through her brutal upbringing.
The book ends in a way that indicates it is the beginning of a series. I hope this is so as these are characters and a world I would enjoy spending more time with.