Week 18 Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin

From Goodreads:
Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

My Review:
Wow, I don't think you can really contain into words the love that I had for this book. I needed to read it so much, I checked to see if it was available on the 1st when it was the 2nd elsewhere in the world, and it was, so I had to read it, which is why I read it before it came out in my area!

After over a month of really desperately wanting this book, obsessing over what was going to happen, what I wanted to happen, and wondering how it was all going to end, well, it's hard for the book to live up to all that. Don't get me wrong, this was still a top read of 2017. It just go in the direction that I hoped and imagined for. It was still so fantastic!

The first part was so evil! No Rhysand, besides a few mate bond talks, being in the Spring Court with all these people who had seen her suffering-and decided that Tamlin was more important. Gah! Though there were a few good people, and some awesome moments! Like in chapter 8, where Feyre and Lucian did something to the King's representatives, and Tamlin is berating them, and then we find out what they did, and it was just absolutely hilarious!

Tamlin did some really horrible things. Looking back, he's done some pretty horrible things throughout the series, he did nothing for almost 49 years, he was weak, and then he treated Feyre awfully, after all that she did to fight for him. And then he did some pretty top-level bad things in this book. But wow, I didn't expect what did happen!

In this book, we actually meet the other High Lords. Which was really interesting, because of the 7 of them, we really know Rhys, we know Tamlin, and we met the Summer Lord, whose name I've forgotten. Which leaves 4 others, and 4 other courts. And while the courts, we didn't learn too much about, the High Lords, we did! And there were some really interesting things-mostly regarding the Autumn Court. Like, Lucien and his mom. And the oldest brother. Really fantastic!

One thing that I'm wondering, is if the guy with the castle and the lake who cursed the last Queen, is the older brother of the twins, the Weaver and the Carver. Because the details, as far as I can recall, matched up. Hopefully I'll learn whether I'm right or wrong in future books!

I didn't know what to expect from that ending. But oh, was it blood-soaking and violent! There were a lot of losses-though two of them, the Weaver and the Carver, well, they were working for the good side, and with their deaths, meant less bad guys died at their hands. And the surprise appearances! The losses!  And the sacrifices! Amren, Rhys! But yeah, that ending was absolutely fantastic! I just wish we had more!

This is only the 3rd book in this series-we're going to get a few more, set both before and after these 3. And I only hope that we'll see more of the Court of Dreams and Dreamers, because their love lives, besides Feyre and Rhys, have so many stories to tell! I wants it!

Absolutely loved this book, and I just need 2018 to come faster so I can have more of this series!

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3
Read: May 1st, 2017
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Love her books and this series, and I desperately want to read it! And it's a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published: May 2nd 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 16 Reviews: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, Wings and Embers

From Goodreads:
A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

From Goodreads:
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Synopsis:
For Cassian, the brash, handsome Illyrian general of Rhysand's armies, dealing with the opposite sex has always been easy-and enjoyable. But when he's dispatched to the human realm to send a message for his High Lord, Cassian finds himself pitted against Feyre's sharp-tongued, steel-willed older sister Nesta. Honestly, Cassian has been aching for another round against the beautiful Nesta since their first tense meeting, though he certainly hasn't admitted that to anyone-even himself.

And Cassian certainly hasn't admitted that he may have finally met someone not so easily seduced by his quick grin and unfaltering arrogance. 

Look at what happened at that second, private meeting-and why the High Lord's general refused to divulge any of the details of it when he later returned to the Night Court.  

My first review of A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury
My Review:
I needed to reread these books! I'd forgotten so much, from how Lucien lost his eye, that they wore masks, and so much more! And so this refresher was really great, because A Court of Wings and Ruin is coming out soon, and I'm desperate for it, it's consuming a lot of my waking thoughts!

I kinda read these two out of order. I was about halfway through ACOTAR and I couldn't help myself, I started reading ACOMAF, and finished it before finishing ACOTAR. Because I'm weird like that. Of course, then I had to read bits and pieces of ACOMAF after finishing ACOTAR, because yeah, so. Freaking. Good!

Tamlin, oh Tamlin. I got really angry at him reading these books! Knowing what he was doing, what he was going to do, oh! Having more details and seeing it from another perspective, like he could've gotten Feyre out that day before the last trial but instead was kissing her, yeah. And while he might have PTSD, he denied it, and that doesn't excuse that he was pretty abusive to her, not in that he'd hit her, but he has a temper, and when she said he was drowning her and he exploded everything-if she hadn't had her powers, hadn't been able to create that shield, he would've hurt her.

When he put his need to protect her over her well being, basically, putting himself before her, in my eyes, given what that did to her, that was further abuse. And this is just my opinion, having never been abused. And that was unacceptable. So yeah, I was really angry at him! Rhys is so much better for Feyre!

A good song for Feyre and Tamlin's relationship in ACOMAF would have to be Neglected Katharine McPhee. The first 6 lines, which can be found here, well, yeah, the walls of the Summer Court Estate would talk about how she reacted when Tamlin trapped her in.

Wings and Embers was so amazing! I actually didn't know it existed until recently! But it was fantastic to get both Cassian and Nesta's POV, since I'm 98% positive that they're mates. Such a great scene to read! I need more!

The pre order incentive for ACOWAR is a poster of the map. And I'm really hoping that it'll include the main continent, because it's been mentioned, at least one named character has been there (we don't actually know Feyre's dad's name, do we?) and yeah, rereading these two books has me really interested in said continent!

So some of the things that I'm looking forward to in A Court of Wings and Ruin, is watching Feyre take down the Spring Court. And Tamlin. And Ianthe. The 3 mortal-presumably turned Fae-Queens. The King of Hybern, whose name we haven't gotten yet. That's going to be really satisfying!

Though I also want to see when Feyre reveals that she's a spy, that she's the High Lady of the Night Court, to Tamlin. Because that's going to be awesome! Oh, and seeing the main continent! And of course, having Feyre and Rhys reunited, and hopefully, having a happy ending!

Yeah, these books were so freaking great, and I need ACOWAR!

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Roses and Thorns #1, 2, 2.5
First Read: May 12th, 2015, May 3rd, 2016
Read: April 20th, 20th, 21st, 2017
Source: Own, Online
Reason Why: Rereading! And this series is so fantastic! And they're 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Books!
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Published: May 5th 2015, May 3rd 2016, May 3rd 2016

A Court of Thorns and Roses:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

A Court of Mist and Fury:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Wings and Embers:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 12 Review: The Great Pursuit

From Goodreads:
In The Great Pursuit, the dramatic sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Great Hunt, Wendy Higgins delivers another thrilling fantasy filled with dangerous enemies, political intrigue, searing romance, and a princess who is willing to do everything to protect her kingdom.  

One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continues.

The kingdom of Lochlanach has traded the great beast that once terrorized the realm of Eurona for something far more dangerous: the ire of powerful Lashed woman Rosaria Rocato. Rosaria demands that Eurona overturn the laws prohibiting magic, or an innocent will be killed each day.

Despite the king's resistance, Princess Aerity believes they must make peace with the Lashed, and though she's accepted a betrothal to the man who took down the beast, she cannot help thinking about Paxton, the Lashed man who stole her heart and disappeared.

Aerity soon discovers that Paxton has joined Rosaria's army in the war against her family. Though her feelings for him are still strong, her duty to her kingdom and her family is stronger—especially when her parents are kidnapped and she has to step up to the throne and once again put aside what's best for her in order to do what's best for her people. Paxton and Princess Aerity must fight to see what is more powerful: their love or the impending war between the magical Lashed and the non-magic humans.

My Review:
This book was really fantastic! I enjoyed being with these characters again, even though they're split up across the continent in this book! And a good part of this book, was getting everybody together again! Aerity and Paxton's reunion was amazing and totally unexpected!

It's kinda funny. It took one book to face one beast. Then it takes like, one chapter to face another. Because they've learned from the first time. And that leaves room for the bad guy behind it all. Well, there were two of them. Anyways.

It was kinda like they were treating the symptoms, not the disease. Because no matter how many creatures that they killed, well, more could be created. But also, there was the why people treated and viewed the Lashed. Because that wasn't cool or good at all!

Some bad guys, they really deserve to go down! Like, they either know they're bad and they like it it, or they're the type that thinks what they're doing is just, the right thing to do and are so annoying and overbearing. This guy, was the former. And I was so glad that they took him down, and how everything worked out! There was a battle, there was losses, but a victory for the good guys!

This book was fantastic, and I enjoyed reading it so much!

Author: Wendy Higgins
Series: Eurona Duology #2
Read: March 19th, 2017
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her books and her writing! And it's a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, End of Series 2017 Book, Historical Fiction 2017 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: March 7th 2017

/5 Hearts

/5 Books

/5 Stars

Week 11 Review: Spindle Fire

From Goodreads:
Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, Spindle Fire is an enthralling, wholly original reimagining of a classic faerie story.

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king's headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora's blood, a Faerie Queen who is preparing for war, a strange and enchanting dream realm—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

Spindle Fire is a tour-de-force fantasy set in the dwindling, deliciously corrupt world of the fae and featuring two truly unforgettable heroines, from a writer destined to be a major voice in YA.

My Review:
This book was absolutely incredible! I loved this story about sisters, of Isabella and Aurora, and Malfleur and Belcoeur. Admittedly, it did take me a little while to get into it, but once I did, wow, did the pages fly!

This world was really interesting! Where the fae were rulers, but then they weren't, and they've become less and less powerful. But Malfleur is a threat to the human rulers. And yeah, I loved her story! Hers, and her sister's. We saw most of Belcoeur's side, but only a bit of Malfleur's!

And that pair of sisters' story complemented Aurora and Isbe's story greatly! Because while they weren't together most of this book, they thought of the other often! But they both still kept going on trying to fix their worlds! Given that Aurora is trapped in Belcoeur's dreamworld!

I was wondering if this was going to go the Frozen route with sisterly love, and I guessed, and I was right! But I'm not going to tell whether they did or not! Because I'm evil and not evil like that-because, spoilers!

This book was fantastic, and that ending was evil, and things are totally set up for the sequel that I just want to read now!

Author: Lexa Hillyer
Series: Spindle Fire #1
Read: March 15th, 2017
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, DAC Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected Publication: April 11th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 7 Review: The Wish Granter

From Goodreads:
An epic, romantic, and action-packed fantasy inspired by the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother's soul, from C. J. Redwine, the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen. Perfect for fans of Graceling and the Lunar Chronicles.

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille's king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can't stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother's ascension to the throne wasn't fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown. 

So Ari recruits the help of Thad's enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague's criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair's weaknesses, saving Ari's brother—and herself. 

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can't outwit him, she'll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.

My Review:
Oh, wow, I loved this book! It was so fantastic, and such a great sequel-and Lorelai and  were in it, as well! Which was so awesome! And yeah, Ari was a fantastic character, and I loved reading about her! She was different from Lorelai, and yeah, I loved learning more about her!

Like, she's curvy, and loves food! And that she's smart, she comes up with plans, but is usually the reason why there's a problem. And Sebastian, whose dad is employed by Teague, a dad that beat Sebastian and his brother to the point where Sebastian doesn't like being touched, a dad who killed his brother. Yeah. Loved watching them fall in love!

This book, it was more of the threat hidden below the surface. It does come up in public displays, but mostly it hides because Teague is smart and power hungry. Be he was also very awful, and I really enjoyed disliking him intensely!

I thought that it was a very fitting ending! There was a cost and it hurt, but they beat him! And yeah, a great use the rules, and the fact that he's Rumplestiltskin! And yeah, what she did was fitting, to release him instead of using him as her personal wish machine!

Loved this book, and I hope that there will be more in this series!

Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Ravenspire #2
Read: February 14th, 2017
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her books, and it's a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: February 14th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Heartstone: Review

From Goodreads:
A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice in an imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias, banshees, and lindworms

They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters. 

Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she's already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.

Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn't expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . . something far more sinister than gryphons.

It's a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she's never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart. 

Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen's beloved novel with her own brand of magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique new world. 

My Review:
I devoured this book. I had a massive headache, one that lasted two days, and still, I read this book! I just had to know more of where this story was going! I couldn't devour this book fast enough, and to have a sequel, more time in this world, with these characters! I need more!

This book took what I love about Pride and Prejudice (which I've read, and the 2005 movie I've seen over and over!) and just made it more! These characters do have pride, and they do have prejudice, and the emotions that they evoked in each other were just fantastic to read!

And there was more! There was this awesome world that was just so fantastic and I loved it so much! Of dragons, wyverns, gryphons and more, there was just so interesting to read, and I want to know more, to explore more! There were also more depths to these characters, like the reason why Gwen got married to the heir character whose name I've forgotten, was more complicated than just being a burden on her parents!

I really, really want a sequel! Like I said, I love this world, and I think there could be something going on with the Silent King and the debt that Gwen's dad had. And yeah, I just want to spend more time with these characters!

Absolutely loved this book, and yeah, I would love more!

Author: Elle Katherine White
Read: January 23rd, 2017
Source: Edelweiss for Review Tour
Reason Why: Sounded absolutely great, and it's a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a Historical Fiction 2017 Book!
Publisher: Harper Voyage
Published: January 17th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Bio:
A textbook introvert who likes to throw out the textbook every once in a while just to see what happens, Elle grew up in Buffalo, NY, where she learned valuable life skills like how to clear a snowy driveway in under twenty minutes and how to cheer for the perennial underdog. When she’s not writing, she spends her time drinking tea, loitering in libraries and secondhand bookshops, and dreaming of world travel.

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Week 3 Review: Hunted

From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner spins a thoroughly thrilling Beauty and the Beast story for the modern age, expertly woven with spellbinding romance, intrigue, and suspense that readers won't soon be able to forget.

Beauty knows the Beast's forest in her bones—and in her blood. After all, her father is the only hunter who's ever come close to discovering its secrets. So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters out of their comfortable home among the aristocracy and back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there's no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva's fathers misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he'd been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. The Beast.

Deaf to her sisters' protests, Yeva hunts this strange creature back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of magical creatures that Yeva's only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin, or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast? 

My Review:
I loved reading this book! Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite Disney stories, what with Belle and her love of reading! And yeah, this book showcased a huge reason why I love retelling-they take the story, and elevate it, because it was more like a retelling mixed with a whole 'nother story/world that was so original and fantastic!

Yeva has a pretty decent life. She doesn't like her lot in life to become a lady, she prefers the wild, and then she basically gets her wish. And that's kinda what happens again and again throughout this book, wanting something, getting it, and yet wanting more! Which was a big, important part of the story!

I loved how everything worked in this world! There were whispers of magical creatures, and watching Yeva dive into this world was just fantastic! And with The Beast, and his/their strange narration, I enjoyed watching everything collide!

I kinda thought that this was a series when I was about 50 pages in. And that's pretty great, because these two earned a happy ending! Though if there was another story set in this world, I wouldn't mind, because this world was so awesome to read about!

Reading this book was just incredible, and I can't wait to read more by Meagan Spooner!

Author: Meagan Spooner
Read: January 19th, 2017
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it`s a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge, SAC 2017 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Expected Publication: March 14th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 2 Review: Blood of Wonderland

From Goodreads:
Dinah has been exiled from Wonderland. The vicious father she always feared has framed her for the brutal murder of her brother and turned the kingdom against her. 

Now hiding in the lush and mysterious Twisted Wood with only her war steed at her side, Dinah is faced with a choice: leave Wonderland forever or stay and fight her father for the throne. 

When a chance encounter with one of her father's long-lost enemies brings Dinah more allies than she ever could have imagined, war starts to feel inevitable. But before Dinah can lead her people into combat, she must confront certain truths about her heart and her destiny—no matter how dark those truths may be.

Revolution is rising in Wonderland. Dinah's battle has begun.

My Review:
Yeah, this was a fantastic book! It picks up quickly after the ending of Queen of Wonderland, and yeah, it was awesome to watch Dinah surviving basically all by herself, though that changes pretty quickly! This was a pretty amazing middle book!

Personally, I don't like the word "chance" there in the synopsis. There was nothing chancy about her meetings-it was all orchestrated by someone with vested interest in Dinah's survival. So it's the guy that woke up up in the end of Queen of Wonderland, but in this book, we find out more about him and why he's doing what he's doing! Though I guess you could argue that Dinah didn't know that when it happened, so only found out later!

This is the book where we get answers. We find out more about her mom, and her dad, as well as her world and the other characters that inhabit it. She might have been Princess of Wonderland, but she was sheltered for a lot!

The ending was pretty evil! Dinah's heart was broken, they're heading into war, and Harris is in the Black Towers. So yeah, there's a lot to happen, and I wonder how close to the world that Alice came into, this book will be! I can't wait to see!

Absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to read more!

Author: Colleen Oakes
Series: Queen of Hearts Saga #2
Read: January 12th, 2017
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Expected Publication: January 31st 2017

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Week 1 Review: Queen of Hearts

From Goodreads:
As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah's days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she's ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It's up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinah's furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath. 

Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this book! There's been a few Alice in Wonderland retellings out there, and yeah, this was a pretty great addition to their ranks! This book was strange and weird and different, and I loved this take!

First off, I have to preface this review with the statement that I haven't read Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland books. I've seen some movies, and there've been a ton of references to them in pop culture, but I've never actually read the books, and I don't think I will, just because there's a ton of fantastic books being published now! But that means I can only base my comparisons on my half-formed thoughts that might not actually be connected, espcailly since this is more of a retelling prequel to the series!

I had mixed feelings about Dinah. On one hand, her father treated her horribly, and nobody seemed to notice, and if they did, they either didn't care, egged her dad on, or couldn't do anything about it. But on the other hand, she was a bit bratty, she's inheriting the throne, and there was just something about her. Maybe it's just that we know she's going to be the bad guy. But anyways.

Really enjoyed how the characters like the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit were in this book, what roles they played. I espcailly liked the Mad Hatter, that he's her younger brother. But that also made things a bit sad, to know how things are going to end up-and now finding out how they did and why.

This book was pretty great, and I can't wait to read Blood of Wonderland!

Author: Colleen Oakes
Series: Queen of Hearts Saga #1
Read: January 6th, 2017
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded great, and it's a 2017 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2017 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: May 3rd 2016

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars