Frog Prince

Title: Fairy Tale Collection: Frog Prince
Author: Jenni James
Genre: Fairy Tale
Source: Amazon, ebook
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws


Prince Nolan has spent the last few years writing letters to his betrothed.  The image he gets of the woman is less than desirable, a spoiled princess.  He decides to best determine her quality he disguises himself as a frog and spends a month with her.  He needed to see who she was outside of written letters.  Could he actually marry such a woman?  The only way to break the spell prior to the 30 days is for Blythe to kiss him in his frog state.  Will Nolan learn to look past his judgements and find the woman beneath the letter.  The true merit to Blythe.

I am kind of on the fence with this one.  It was a lot shorter than I thought, more of a novella instead of a novel.  Maybe have it included in a bigger book with two other stories.  I have not read any of the other books in the series and I am on the fence if I do.  I have her Sleeping Beauty one to read in the future.  It is a quick read and while I am familiar with the classic Frog Prince tale, I never actually read it so I don't have much to compare this to as I have with some of the other re-tellings I have read.  There were a few things that seemed a little off center like being called to tea time with a triangle, is that how royalty were called to tea?  The way the do on ranches.  While the setting is in a European castle (we aren't given an idea of a country), but the names felt more American, more modern than something that would have fit the time period.


The characters don't grow, they don't evolve much.  We see Blythe being a sweet young woman teaching children in the village when there is no schoolteacher, but she still remains quick to judgement.  He doesn't evolve at all beyond realizing what a jerk he is and self centered he is.  He remains this way, and even tells her he is still the same.  From the first moment he believed she was different than she thought simply because she said she mimicked his letters and she was pretty.


The writing was fair enough, but at times it was confusing and the sentence structure didn't seem to flow well together.  Not that it was bad, but that it could have been written differently.  I think more younger audiences would like this, younger than the young adult market.  It definitely wasn't something a woman in her 30s would turn back to time and time again.  But it does make me want to read what the original story was like.

Wintersong

Title: Wintersong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: Library Hardback
Rating: 2.5 out of 5


Liesl grew up on the tales of the Goblin King, Lord of Mischief and Ruler of the Underworld. Since childhood he was also the muse to her music, the inspiration for her compositions. As she grows older and puts aside childish memories, the Goblin King and all her fantasies must be forgotten in favor of being the daughter she needs to be.  When her sister Kathe is taken by the goblins, Liesl challenges the king to a game, she wins he lets Kathe go.  He wins, he gets Liesl as his bride. But there is a catch, the life of a maiden must be given to the land in order for it survive according to the old laws. There is not rebirth, no death, nothing will grow and flourish. Liesl then offers herself in marriage to the Goblin King.  As time goes Liesl discovers her passion for music remains within the Goblin King and she realizes she loves him.  But the longer she remains in his bride, her life fades.  Will she pay the ultimate sacrifice so that the world above may live?  Will she choose love of her husband over love of her family?

I have seen this book around everywhere and had it on my list for a little while.  Then one of my best friends recommended it, so I grabbed it.  Once I started reading it I got the feel of many different folklore and fairy tales mixed into this story.  It is not a cutesy fairy tale, it has its darker moments which is reflective of Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti.  Goblin Market is basically a tale of goblins in a market trying to lure young women into their realm with fruits like peaches.  Once the girls eat the fruit nothing can satisfy their hunger until they are once again with the goblins.  Soon because they cannot get the fruit again, they die.  There is more to it, but that is the gist of it. 

First I will say my Goblin King will first and always be David Bowie as Jareth in Laberynth so every time he was in a scene, that is who I pictured.  I don't think this was Jae-Jones' intention, but that's what happens when a Laberynth fangirl reads a book with a goblin king right?   Granted a lot of things about this Goblin King did remind me of Jareth, down to the mismatched eyes (really?). I wanted his image to be different, but I couldn't shake Bowie from my mind.  I have read people thinking this book will be like the Laberynth, but it is not.  Do not go into this book with that expectation.  I enjoyed the mystery around the Goblin King and that there seemed to be more depth to him that what meets the eyes, to both the readers and Liesl. 

The writing for this novel is eerily beautiful and chills you to the bone at times.  The words Jae-Jones is beautifully chosen and create quotes that are endless. Liesl is a spitefire willing to do anything to save her sister, she fights and sacrifices, even giving herself up for marriage to the King so Kathe may live. The Goblin King is ever the trickster, changing thing up, saying one thing but meaning something else.  But then they marry and everything changes.  He becomes a submissive, almost weak being, and apparently a Christian.  Not that I dislike that, but it didn't fit with a character such as a goblin king who would honor the old laws rather than God's laws.  And Liesl becomes cruel and angry.  All she wants to do is "consummate" their marriage and is angered when he rejects her body stating he wanted her soul, her heart.  But she will have nothing of it, and borderline forces herself on him or tries to guilt him into it.  I am not a fan of that.

There was no romance building other than the two discussing music and playing music together.  We don't see them exploring caves together or them sharing the inner parts of themselves which granted that's what the king wanted but we don't actually see the actions to lead to that other than the sex scenes.  I did like the use of music throughout the book, and how he wanted the music within, the part of her she hid from everyone else.

I would continue to recommend this book.  It felt more meh to me than fantastic.  I will continue to read the series to see how things will play out.

The Bear and The Nightengale

Title:  The Bear and The Nightengale
Author: Katherine Arden
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Source Library Book: Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5


Amid the Russian wilderness, winter seems to last forever.  Vasilisa spends her time huddled around the fire to listen to stories told by her nurse, her favorite being about Frost; the winter demon who appears in the night to claim souls.  Soon after her birth, Vasilisa's mother passes away and her father goes to Moscow to find a new wife.  Her new step mother forbids the family and the rest of the estate to honor the house, yard, and forest spirits and honor the Christian God instead.  But Vasilisa personally knows these spirits are real, and the family rituals are more important than others realize.  Soon enough crops begin to fail, and creatures of the forest venture closer to the homes.  Her stepmother and the new priest combine their efforts to force the young girl into either marriage or the convent, but Vasilisa will have nothing of it and escapes into the sanctuary of the forest.  What she finds will change her forever.

This book came up as a recommendation because I loved reading Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and I was skeptical of the comparison.  While this book doesn't have the same theme or idea as Night Circus, it still spun a spell around my mind and soul and Katherine Arden's talented writing drug me deep into her tale. The book was enchantingly dark, darker than I expected but I loved it, couldn't get enough of it.  Arden has been able to craft a world that lingers on the fence between the seen and unseen and pokes at the mystery of the beyond. She has transformed this Russian folklore into something magical and fresh.


I have always enjoyed reading books based on folklore, especially folklore that I am not accustomed to and this novel was the perfect opportunity to introduce myself to something outside my realm of knowledge.  I appreciated the fact that while Vasilisa honored the house/yard/forest spirits, she also did not discount the faith of her step-mother, priest and brother.  She seemed to respect them and simply asked the priest to respect her own beliefs and allow her to practice as she has always done.  This was a powerful aspect of the novel as we are reminded that she is a young woman not 16 yet (I believe by the end she is 14 or so). Vasya is a strong-willed independent character who continues to grow into herself and the things she believes in.  There is a lot to be said in her character not being willing to sacrifice herself to fit what everyone else wants her to be.  That's powerful in and of itself. 


I loved how Arden uses some traditional Russian words, it helped put me into the setting and made me want to learn more about the language.  There is a glossary at the end as well as an Authors Note about the terms that help the readers understand the usage of these terms.  She has a very lyrical writing style which is perfect for this kind of a book as it really makes the story feel like a folklore/fairy tale.  She does a great job in showing the relationship between good and evil as well as the transition between old beliefs and new and how it could become a battle ground of faith and self preservation.


I highly enjoyed reading this novel and plan on checking out the second book in the series The Girl In The Tower.  This book had everything I was looking for in a read, magic, some adventure, and folk lore.  It was the perfect choice for my vacation last week.  If you enjoy novels like fairy tale retellings and spinning of folk lore, give this book a shot I'm sure you might like it.


Check out some other reviews of The Bear and The Nightengale:


Arlene's Book Club

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.

Woodcutter

A man known as The Woodcutter stumbles upon a maiden's dead body, with no trace of foul play, nor who could have caused her tragic fate.  The only thing left behind were her glass slippers.  The Woodcutter seeks to find her killer before other maidens suffer the same fate.  The Woodcutter is not your average man, he is the keeper of peace between the kingdoms of man and the realm of the faerie.  He searches the realms for clues to the mysterious events happening around the kingdoms and the forest, along with three axes blessed by the River God, he begins to find clues to lead to the truth.  Shortly into his search he discovers information that is troubling: one of Odin's hellhounds has escaped, a nefarious mansion appears and disappears and princes and princesses along with it, pixie dust being turned into a drug ring, and more young woman proceed to go missing without a trace.  The Woodcutter must find the truth to all of these before it is too late, as task proven more difficult with an evil queen lurking in the shadows intent on stopping his every effort.  Will he be able to stop the queen before she destroys the kingdoms and the fae or will it be too late?

I love fairy tales.  Everything about them brings me back to my childhood.  I love reading retellings and other author's takes on the different stories.  When I picked this book up I expected it to be along the lines of the woodcutter in Snow White or Red Riding Hood, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be something completely different.  I love the idea of a mysterious protected of the realms that no one knows his name, his name never gets revealed and leaves the read in as much a mystery as the characters.  It almost makes you as frustrated as the queen in not knowing his name.  That adds an air of mystery around this character, and at the same time the reader knowing he cannot bear children but must wait until the fates bring a child to him and his wife makes your heart break especially after he comes across young children.  You can almost feel the fatherly desire in his heart.

Danley creates a world where the characters come to life, without specifically referring to the characters by name or tale, readers can get an idea of who is supposed to be who based off minor descriptions such as the glass slippers left behind when the maiden was killed.  Readers get the idea that someone harmed Cinderella without specifically being told.  It was also interesting that Danley incorporated some mythology in the tale with the use of Odin and the hellhounds.  That was a great touch though I wanted more from that storyline, it almost takes a backseat to the other events of the tale. This was a great story, one that I finished in a few short days.

I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy fairy tales, fantasy, young adult, and a good story.  As for a rating I will give this a 5 out of 5, pick it up today.  You won't regret adding this to your book shelf.

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.

Ensnared

Alainn's father is a genius when it comes to robotics, he has created some of the most useful AI units around.  He promises a unit to Lorccan, but needs more time to complete the project, time Lorccan declines.    The AI Unit Rose devises a plan of her own to send Alainn in her place and then try to rescue her when another unit is created.  When presented with this idea at the last minute Alainn goes through with it, against her better judgment.  She then spends the next few weeks having dinner with a scarred man, pretending to be a self-actualized AI unit.  Things begin to get cloudy when they begin to fall for each other and Alainn discovers Rose's true plans.  Will Lorccan still love Alainn once he discovers she is not a robot?  Will she be able to put a stop to Rose's plans before it's too late, and save her father from imprisonment.




**This is another book I have received through Netgalley for an honest review.  Seriously if you haven't tried it yet..do so soon.**




I have really gotten back into fairy-tale retellings lately and this one is fantastic!  I could not put my kindle down until I finished it.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about it when I began because I am not really one for stories with AI units, but I loved this one.  I loved the Lor has little monkey AI's and that they could communicate or that the tower itself was an AI unit.  Very interesting and different from others.  What I was a little confused on was what did her father do to get himself into this predicament, there were different things mentioned like fraud, gambling, booze.  Were those what got him into such trouble that he could have gone to prison for it?


I have seen shows and things about people falling in love with AI units, such as Ex-Machina movie or the anime Chobits, so this didn't faze me too much.  What I did question a few times was how did Lor not question a lot of things including romantic things.  Regardless, this was a great retelling.  It still had the feel of Beauty and the Beast, but it was it's own story.  It almost had the same feel as Melissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, but different as well.  Aliann is an interesting character, its a little uncertain of what she wants in life or even what she expects.  We get little snippets of her past that play a small role in the story, but it isn't heavy like we don't have whole chapters devoted to flashbacks and memories, which I liked.  The novel kept to the story and didn't deviate into something else. 


The descriptions were interesting, I could picture the scar on Lor's face or the feel of the computerized windows.  Something I found very interesting and plausible was the use of 3d printing, it seems this is something that is making headway now and I enjoyed seeing the ideas that Rita took with this concept.  She used a lot of things in her book that I have not seen used before.  The novel is well written, it didn't feel slow or forced, everything flowed well together.


For those who enjoy fairy tales, retellings, Beauty and the Beast, then I highly suggest this novel.  I also suggest it if you like sci-fi, and romance because those elements play a large role in this story.  As for a rating I would give this a 4 because there were still some questions left unanswered.  I look forward to reading more from Rita, maybe a retelling of Aladdin or even Thumbelina *hint hint Rita!**

Healer's Apprentice

Rose is the daughter of a wood-cutter, and has been appointed as the apprentice to the healer.  She tries to her best to do well and make the healer proud, but the sight of blood makes her queasy!  When the prince comes in needing assistance with a gash in his leg, Rose must gather the strength to mend his wound thus beginning an unlikely friendship.  Hamlien encourages Rose to accept his brother Rupert despite his reputation in an effort to get her off his own mind and heart.  Hamlien has other things to worry about such as finding an evil sorcerer so that his betrothed (whom he has never met) may come out of hiding.  Rose and Hamlien struggle to hide their feelings for one another, will they be able to forget their feelings?  Will the prince find his betrothed?  Read on to find out!


I have read Melanie Dickerson's Merchant's Daughter previously and enjoyed her re-telling of Beauty and the Beast.  Healer's Apprentice is her take on Sleeping Beauty.  She does a wonderful job at presenting a new story for these classic fairy tales.   The novel is considered Christian fiction and Dickerson does a great job incorporating those elements into the story without them being too overwhelming, such as the characters praying or encouraging one another with a verse.  It didn't feel overdone or thrown in the readers face.  Perfect execution of this.  Another thing she does wonderfully are the romantic elements.  She develops the romance through friendship and interaction.  Anytime Rupert suggests something scandalous Rose rebukes him informing how inappropriate it would be.  She even flusters at either man kissing her hand in public or being seen unaccompanied with them.


This being the second book of Dickerson's that I have read, I have come to love this author.  She has an outstanding talent for writing and captivating her audience.  While this is a "romance" novel it is not typical romance in that it does not have sex scenes and shows healthy development of the relationship, something young women need to read.  I think this is a great book for a young woman and older women as well to pick up and read on a Saturday afternoon.  I finished it in an evening, okay I may have been  up until 2 am wanting to finish it.  The story really draws you in and makes you eager to know what happens next.  I know there are other books in this series and I certainly will be looking for them.


Healer's Apprentice is the type of book to make young woman daydream about the perfect man.  Every woman wants a valiant man like Hamlien, some may even want a little imp like Rupert.  I am excited and happy to have this book in my collection.  I am giving it a rating of 4 out of 5.  The story of the evil sorcerer seemed to have taken a backside to the romance, I would have liked to see more of that in the story.

Neverland Wars

Gwen is a typical 16 year old girl, dreaming about the boy in her algebra class and hoping he will ask her to homecoming to getting frustrated at her little sister and parents.  Then her little sister goes missing and her parents tell Gwen that Peter Pan has taken her to Neverland, and that magic is real.  She escapes to Neverland to try and bring her sister home only to find out there is a war going on between the two worlds.  Peter Pan is not the child we remember from the stories, but is now a teenager due to his constant visits to reality.  Gwen is faced with a decision of whether or not she will join Pan and his band of children in their war or hurry home to her normal teenage life

I have never been more disappointed in a book than I was with this one.  I had such high hopes for Neverland Wars.  I haven't read a "re-telling" of Peter Pan yet, so when I found this book I was eager to read it.  But when I got to the point where it discussed Peter Pan as kidnapping children and reality engaging a war with Neverland.  I am not sure what exactly I was expecting but that wasn't it.  Granted once Gwen gets to Neverland there is a lot of the Peter Pan elements like flying, child-like imagination, mermaids, the crocodile etc.  It was interesting of reality wanting to harness and utilize Neverland magic, I am not sure if it was executed properly.

It starts off setting the premise of Gwen being a teenage girl in love with the homecoming king, Jay Hoek.  I honestly thought somehow this would come back to him being somehow related to Captain Hook, but no cigar.  All of this becomes a moot point when Rosemary is taken and everyone is in an uproar, not because she is taken, but because they need to explain to Gwen now about magic and how it is being used to operate things like smartphones.  Ookay, cut the next scene where she runs off with Peter Pan to Neverland and the next large portion of the book feels like nonsense of the kids playing and having festivities.  At times Peter is borderline abusive to Gwen calling her a dumb girl and instead of standing up for herself, she takes it and agrees with him.  Like what the heck? any man calls me dumb and I will fight heaven and hell to prove him wrong.  So far were are about 70% into the story and there is still no sign of a war until suddenly a bombing attack of Molotov newspapers which is almost immediately forgotten.

Finally when there is about 10 - 15% of the story left is when things shift to Gwen going back to the reality (sans Rosemary which was her whole point of going to Neverland) and again nothing remotely close to the original plot line of a war between the worlds, but hey she finally kisses the boy of her dreams before being attacked by a shadow.  Yes a shadow....this is the part when I got completely confused and unsure of what in the world was happening.  I honestly have no idea what happens in this part, to the point where i kept asking WTF. 

The writing was good enough, I think the issue was there is a lot of build up for future novels.  Sometimes when trying to develop a series too much time is spent building up the story in the first book and I think that is what happened here.  I hope the next novel in the series (if there is one) follows the storyline better and provides more to the war between the two realities better.  Unfortunately because it came off as being so laughable, I am giving this a 2 out of 5.

Winter By Marissa Meyer

Winter is the fourth book in the Lunar Chronicles, and probably my least favorite.  I was excited to read this and find out what happens and how the story will end.  Cinder sneaks on to Luna, Cress gets seperated from the group Winter escapes death with the help of Scarlet who finds her way back to Wolf. Everything escalates and ends the way we pretty much expect them too. I am not saying the entire book is predictable nor is the process to getting to the end, but every reader has to expect the Cinder becomes to Queen she is meant to become.

The book is slow to start off and begins to pick up pace as you get farther into the story.  I had a hard time with the slowness of the plot-line and how easy it was to predict some things that were happening in the story. The overall story was great and interesting, I enjoyed the adaptation of Snow White mixed with Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Red Riding Hood.  I haven't seen to many books that weave different fairy tales into one story (Jackson Pearce is one who is doing a great job at it as well).  This is a story that makes all the characters strong on their own without the need for a prince to come save them, but still desire love because really who doesn't desire love?  Meyer's descriptions are great and made me want to visit Luna! I wish I could live there it sounded so gorgeous.

I am not sure entirely why I struggled more with this one than I did the other books, maybe I wasn't in the right mindset to read (I am in the midst of moving and starting a new job, lots going on).  There is a lot that is happening in this novel, I think it is longer than the other three, so there is a lot for the reader to take in as they are reading.  Many of the characters get split up so the story jumps from Cinder, to Cress, to Scarlet and Winter that sometimes it is hard to keep up until they find each other once again.  I could easily see this series made into a movie series, and maybe expand on the story a little, maybe a book after on how things are after Cinder takes back her crown.

Despite me having a hard time with this edition to the series, I enjoyed it and would recommend not just this book but the entire series to those who are looking for an interesting book to read.  I would give this novel a 3.5 out of 5 rating.  I will come back to the book after some time when things have calmed down and re-read it, maybe my feelings towards it will change.

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.