Queen of Hearts

Title: Queen Of Hearts
Author: Colleen Oakes
Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling
Source: Paperback
Rating: 3 out of 5


Dinah is the princess of Wonderland, destined to role beside her father until the day she marries or when he dies.  She longs to have her distant father's approval and hopes she will achieve it until one day he brings in another child, one born out of wedlock, a duchess of Wonderland.  He dotes on Vittorie and gives her the love and devotion Dinah wishes.  When she receives a mysterious note, she begins to dig deeper into the dark secrets Wonderland holds.  The more she secretly discovers the more in danger she becomes.  This is not the cheerful Wonderland we all know, but one with a darker, sinister side.

Of course you can expect at least 1 Wonderland retelling from me this year, and I am glad this one is one story that I started the year with.  I finished it within a day.  Oakes did a great job at reinventing Wonderland in a way that looked at the Queen of Hearts rather than Alice herself.  This is the first in a series, so we will see what happens to Dinah in the next few books, we begin to see how the Queen became the queen whether it is Vittorie or Dinah readers don't know yet (but since Dinah is the lead most likely her HA).  It isn't the cheery colorful Wonderland of Carol's story, but one with a dark, political side.


There were points where the story dragged on and you wished it got to the point, when it finally gets to the real action and Dinah begins discovering things you wonder why it took so long to get to this point.  There is a point in the book where I believe it's Dinah's father (I could be wrong) states "Listen to me Dinah," he hissed. "Things are going to change for you child, and you had better be made of stronger stuff than the whiny brat you seem now." This doesn't exactly happens instead of following her resolve to become stronger and fierce the way her father wants to be she remains this whiny brat who wants everything her way and complains when it doesn't happen.  She blames other people for the way things are rather than taking action and focusing on her studies or the things that would make her an excellent queen.  All she keeps saying is "when I'm queen" but she doesn't really show that she has what it takes except for a few moments when she does use her power. Moments where she is feisty and full of anger (which is a lot, maybe leading up to why she is the way she is when she meets Alice).


The end of the book does make it feel a little unfinished, questions were raised throughout the story, but none of them were answered and readers are left wondering what is happening.  There are elements that aid in a good story and show readers it is leading to something, but we don't know what it is yet.  I hope those get resolved in the next book which I do plan on reading.  It is very evident that this is the first book, it's meant to build up to something but rather than having some sort of resolve at the end we are left hanging without any answers or anything to hold on to.


I would recommend this book, but do not go into it expecting a fantastical novel.  Be prepared for a whiny main character than is difficult to like at times, and a story line that takes a while to get to the point.  While there were things that would be a hindrance to the novel, I did enjoy it and look forward to what the next novel in series holds.

Heartless

All Catherine wants for her life is to open a bakery with her best friend Mary Ann. But her parents have a different plan. For her to marry the King of Hearts. Cath believed her life to be boring and without excitement. That is until the new court jester, Jest, arrives on the scene. In the middle of a grand ball before the king makes a announcement the ball is attacked by a monstrous creature known as the Jabberwock. Since that night, Cath's life is forever changed as she tries to figure out how to open her bakery, avoid the king's advances, falls in love with Jest and evades the attacks of the Jabberwock.  All she wants to do is live the life she wants, but there are obstacles in her way at every turn.  Soon fate reveals itself and Cath learns sometimes you cannot outrun fate.

As many of you know I am an avid reader of Alice in Wonderland retellings, and absolutely love anything Alice in Wonderland related, so when I seen Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles) wrote an Alice in Wonderland adaptation, of course I had to read it.  I have to say this was not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed reading it immensely.  There wasn't an "Alice" character per-say, but Catherine is a representation of the Queen of Hearts.  This novel is almost a backstory of how she became who she is and the way she is. We see some of the same beloved characters like Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire, but we also see different characters that seem to always take a backseat to some of the other characters like the Mock Turtle or the Walrus. It was interesting to see these characters in a different light than what we see in the classic tale.

I am a huge fan of Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and I came into this novel with high hopes, and this book met every one of my expectations.  I wanted to see more of Jest and Raven, and hope to see them more in the future maybe if there happens to be more novels, maybe one about the kingdom of Chess or the white kingdom.  Meyer has a certain style to her writing that paints the picture vividly, it is easy to envision everything happening from the turtle turning into the Mock Turtle or the Jabberwock attacks, even smell the delicious tarts that Cath makes.  I enjoyed the use of the Fate sisters and treacle, as well as many element from Carol's tale.  It was still very much a Meyer story, but held some of the traditional elements we would find in Alice in Wonderland.

I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys Alice in Wonderland, fairy tales, Lunar Chronicles, and young adult novels.  Even if those may not be genres/topics that are your typical go to novel, break out from the norm and check out this book.  You will not regret it.  I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Alice

Through a hole in the wall, Alice makes her only friend, Hatcher, in the hospital. After days, months, years the two form a bond.  Then one night Hatcher is frantic, the hospital is one fire and he urges Alice that a creature under thr hospital will escape. A creature he feels connexted to, one he calls the Jabberwock.  The two escpae their confinement and emabrk on a quest to find the object that the Jabberwock is searching for.  Their quest takes them throughout different territories of Old Town to Chesire, Caterpillar, The Walrus and ultimately to the one place Alice never wanted to face again, the Rabbit.  They make alliances along the way and Alice learns secrets about herself and Hatcher that strengthens the belief that only they can stop the terror of the Jabberwock.

This book is a retelling of Alice in Wonderlan, a morbid, grotesque version.  Christina Henry has a way of writing some of the most horrific scenes in an utterly beautiful way.  There are topics that might be a trigger for some such as rape,  but Henry does it in a way that gives strength to Alice.

I lived every character in this novel, they dit their roles perfectly and contained aspects from Carrol's characters as well.  I couldn't get enough of them and simply fell in love with Hatcher (a variation of Hatter, which could be why I love him so.) 

Alice is great she starts out weak and unsure of herself and begins to grow into a badass character.  Hatchet was already a badass from the beginning.  Cheshire i wanted to both hug and kill him.  The others...made me crimge and hate the roles they were given, but interested to see them in those roles.  I was able to picture them each as Henry described them. I love how Henry integrates some of the characters like the white rabbit, Dormouse,  and March Hare.

 

I am completely fascinated with retellings especially Alice in Wonderland.  Some have been well done while others have not.  This novel was very well done and had an American McGee's Alice in Wonderland feel to it, and I love that feel.  I couldn't get enough of this book once i began to read it.  Some parts did seem a little bit slower than others but i still flew through it in about a day.  I did not want to put it down, I have read a lot of different Alice in Wonderland retellings, but honestly nothing come close to this one.  This may be my favorite retelling thus far, and I know there is more to the series.

I highly recommend it for those who enjoy retellings or want something a bit different from the normal or thise who enjoy a horrorish (not really horror but grotesque if that makes sense) either way i recommend it.  Rating I would give is a large 5 out of 5.  I cannot wait to pick up Red Queen, the next book in the series and see where Henry decides to take this story.

King of Hearts

Alice has been cheated on more times than she can count.  She is a beautiful woman and cannot understand why men treat her the way the do.  She decides that she will not allow another man to have a hold over her heart.  Then one day she finds herself falling down a rabbit hole into a beautiful world where her curves are sexy and desirable.  The king is determined to make Alice his new queen, but can she trust this gorgeous specimen of a man.

Now this is a COMPLETELY different type of story I normally read and will put a disclaimer that this novel is for MATURE audiences.  There were several times that this novel made me blush.   It is border line pornographic, don't get me wrong I love a good romance novel, but this was way beyond romance.  I have read and enjoyed other Cheyenne McCray novels, but this went beyond her normal romantic paranormal romance.

It is great seeing a character with curves being seen as a goddess, I want more novels like this to show all women are goddesses and deserve to feel desire and love like this.  I love seeing the king go to all lengths to try and show her his desire for her is real and not a ploy to get into her pants.  Cheyenne has a way of making her stories seem real, and the same goes for this novel as well...it was very...steamy...phew! 

I am not sure if I would recommend this novel.  It is very much not my cup of tea, but I know there are women out there who do enjoy a rather raunchy novel.  Putting my own preferences aside, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 rating.

After Alice By Gregory McGuire

Yep, another Alice in Wonderland spin off, I've told you I love Alice in Wonderland and anything related to it.  I actually received this one as a gift from my wonderful boyfriend.  After Alice is the story of Ada, a friend of Alice's who had fallen down the rabbit hole after Alice did.  She spends her time in Wonderland looking for Alice so they may return home together.

I have to  say I was a little disappointed in this novel.  There seemed to be more focus on the family in London rather than Ada in Wonderland.  I expected some reference back to London, but not the this extent which included Alice ' s sister fancying a gentleman who came to their home. There were slight mentions of her having a disability, but not further uses in the story.  

There were several other references to other works of literature or nursery rhymes that were completely out of place.  For example  Ada comes to a door with  the inscription "abandon hope all ye who enter here."  That is from Dante's  Inferno, so one wonders in the gates to Hell in Wonderland?

We don't see Ada interacting with many of the known characters for too long, it's all just a brief contact, as she passes through their part in Wonderland.  When she does catch up to Alice it is lacking in  climax.  I think Mr. McGuire  tried to put too much into the story that he lost track of his original idea.  I without say this novel is not for Alice fanatics like myself, but others may find it enjoyable.  I am struggling with a rating while I was completely  disappointed and disheartened by this book it is well written.  I would have to, unfortunately, give this novel a 2 out 5 which saddens me not only because I am an alice fan, but also a Gregory McGuire fan.  This novel seemed to lack a certain quality his other booms have.