A review by misterintensity
A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney

4.0

Alice must return to Wonderland after the supposedly dead Chess kidnaps Maddie. The problem is Alice's mom grounded her for breaking curfew due to Alice secretly saving Wonderland from the Black Knight. Wonderland is in danger, but how could she save it when she can't leave the house? The second book of the Nightmare-verse series takes place moments after the first. Alice's mother is fed up with Alice sneaking away all of the time. The first quarter of the book focuses on Alice’s relationship with her mother and how her secret life affects that relationship. There are a few developments which lead to what’s happening in Wonderland in the rest of the book. Everything is connected to the events of the first book but readers also get to see parts of Wonderland they didn’t see in the first book. Plus they get more background on everything that’s been happening. New characters and locations are introduced, unfortunately some of the old characters like Dem and Dee are pushed to the sidelines. However, with more insight into the backstory of the characters and of Wonderland, readers of the first book will be satisfied with some of the revelations which happen throughout the book. You definitely need to read A Blade So Black to get a sense of what’s happening. Fans of action packed fantasy series like Graceling by Kristin Cashore or Dread Nation by Justina Ireland would enjoy the Nightmare-verse series.