A review by chezler24
Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

This is a nice continuation of Beddor's sci-fi, fantasy Wonderland, and I'm pleasantly surprised that the sci-fi and whimsy don't overpower each other but instead work together to create this almost modernized Wonderland. We see Alyss Heart as she settles into her newfound role as monarch. She simultaneously is navigating her return to this new world (some time has passed), the grief of losing her parents, and the management of the ever-growing threats of her aunt, Redd, and Arch, King of the Borderlands. I loved the additional lore behind the Looking Glass Mazes; I do wish they were tapped into even a bit more, but I'll take what I can get. We also get to learn more about the mysterious Hatter Madigan. His plot line in this book keeps you on your toes. As a side note, Bibwit, the tutor, felt off to me. I'm not sure if it was his nervous demeanor but some of his dialogue and mannerisms made me suspicious. We also were eeking closer to development with the Alyss/Dodge romance but those will have to be cast aside due to more pressing matters as we were left on a pretty devastating cliffhanger...

As a side thought, there is a curious quote on pg 110 that mentions Alyss possesses the most powerful imagination to legally occupy the throne. I suppose this alludes to Redd but the "legally" qualifier stood out to me.