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A review by snakeboba
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
5.0
Before I start let me say Alice in Wonderland takes third place in my list of adored tales from childhood (behind The Little Mermaid and Rapunzel). I’ve basically loved so far every adaptation and twist to the story (however I am still on the fence about the live action movie if any wonder). So, when I was a couple of pages in The Looking Glass Wars I heard from those how much I would love it and indeed I was amazed without a doubt.
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor is such a brilliant idea. The story of Alice as what we know is not quite as it seems. Alice in Wonderland is a tale inspired by Alyss’ stories she told to the reverend who worked at the same college her adoptive father was dean of, which I cannot remember the same of, and used Lewis Carroll as a pseudonym. This makes Alyss angry as she believed someone would finally see her stories as truth and not fiction. He turns her stories of her home in such a way she finally gives up on trying to make anyone believe and she even pushes it deep within believing it is something she made all up.
In a way you feel her heartbreak within yourself when you know the truth. She is not Alice, a poor child who was found on the streets to those who assume she witness the death of her parents and put in an orphanage to later be adopted by the Liddells. Though she should be a proper lady, not a proper lady of London. She should be the Queen of Wonderland, the most powerful one of all, and use her White Imagination to overthrow Redd. Without Hatter, or anyone else, she becomes a normal lady who pretends all her stories with her dealing with her childhood and blends greatly into the world of which she lives in no matter if she is Princess Alyss for that is a long ago fairytale.
How did she end up in London? How did this all happen? Well, it is all simple and distressing. Alyass was taken from the Heart Palace to the Pool of Tears with Hatter Madigan as her guide and guard on her seventh birthday by the word of her mother, Queen Genevieve, when Redd’s army attacks the palace. Redd and her army battles Genevieve and White Chess pieces. The Cat is sent after Alyss to ensure there will be not Heart Family left to take Redd’s place. This is where Genevieve is slayed and the Queendom is taken over by Alyss’ aunt.
The Cat with several lives chases after the Alyss and Hatter, only losing them with only getting a bit of Alyss’ birthday dress in his claws. He claims to Redd he murdered the two to bits and with them both in the Pool of Tears Redd could not see either in her Inner Eye (I’m pretty sure it is not called that, but what came to me), and ruled Princess Alyss gone. The two actually safe, but separated in the pool. This is how Alyss ends up alone in London with no one listening to her stories and Hatter in Paris seen as a dangerous person as her searches with regret of losing the young princess. It leaves her separated from her real life for nearly eighteen years.
In the years of Alyss’ absence in Wonderland, Redd has ruled out White Imagination and governed Black shall be the truth power. Those who refuse to commit to her ways have suffered to the point death is their only freedom. Her rage for banishment is put on to those in the Queendom and is absolutely ruthless. The only problem she has at all is the Alyssians, more like an irritating bug to her, who are the rebels are trying to reclaim the Queendom in the name of their beloved, fallen princess.
The Alyssians are a group made up of those who are left of the chess pieces, Wonderlanders, and overall anyone who is willing to fight against the power of Redd. They claim in the name of Alyss to defeat and overthrow the Queen. The few are key characters without giving too much is General Doppelgänger (he can split into Doppel and Gänger) and Dodge, which is the romantic interest in the story. There are a couple more characters known to the reader, but I dislike to give away too much if I do not have to even if those may appear obvious to what they are.
It is found out The Cat who had claimed to murder Aylss and the Hatter had not, though no one learns of his reasoning of lying because of wishing to not get wet. This upsets Redd in a way she takes a few of the Cat’s lives as punishment and if Alyss is not murdered soon she’ll take more of the beast. She is able to return to Wonderland, but is hardly able to believe in the world and of herself. She questions if she can be the savior everyone wants her to be and has to overcome it all.
Does Alyss overcome her maze? Does she defeat Redd?
That is all for you to discover.
The Looking Glass Wars is such a brilliant and bizarre taken on Alice in Wonderland. It is well written and the plot is wonderful. Each character no matter how big or small has a place without feeling like you question why they exist. It is depressing to see so many low rating when I found the book so amazing. I suggest to those who like Alice in Wonderland and enjoy the adaptation of it to give the book a try.
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor is such a brilliant idea. The story of Alice as what we know is not quite as it seems. Alice in Wonderland is a tale inspired by Alyss’ stories she told to the reverend who worked at the same college her adoptive father was dean of, which I cannot remember the same of, and used Lewis Carroll as a pseudonym. This makes Alyss angry as she believed someone would finally see her stories as truth and not fiction. He turns her stories of her home in such a way she finally gives up on trying to make anyone believe and she even pushes it deep within believing it is something she made all up.
In a way you feel her heartbreak within yourself when you know the truth. She is not Alice, a poor child who was found on the streets to those who assume she witness the death of her parents and put in an orphanage to later be adopted by the Liddells. Though she should be a proper lady, not a proper lady of London. She should be the Queen of Wonderland, the most powerful one of all, and use her White Imagination to overthrow Redd. Without Hatter, or anyone else, she becomes a normal lady who pretends all her stories with her dealing with her childhood and blends greatly into the world of which she lives in no matter if she is Princess Alyss for that is a long ago fairytale.
How did she end up in London? How did this all happen? Well, it is all simple and distressing. Alyass was taken from the Heart Palace to the Pool of Tears with Hatter Madigan as her guide and guard on her seventh birthday by the word of her mother, Queen Genevieve, when Redd’s army attacks the palace. Redd and her army battles Genevieve and White Chess pieces. The Cat is sent after Alyss to ensure there will be not Heart Family left to take Redd’s place. This is where Genevieve is slayed and the Queendom is taken over by Alyss’ aunt.
The Cat with several lives chases after the Alyss and Hatter, only losing them with only getting a bit of Alyss’ birthday dress in his claws. He claims to Redd he murdered the two to bits and with them both in the Pool of Tears Redd could not see either in her Inner Eye (I’m pretty sure it is not called that, but what came to me), and ruled Princess Alyss gone. The two actually safe, but separated in the pool. This is how Alyss ends up alone in London with no one listening to her stories and Hatter in Paris seen as a dangerous person as her searches with regret of losing the young princess. It leaves her separated from her real life for nearly eighteen years.
In the years of Alyss’ absence in Wonderland, Redd has ruled out White Imagination and governed Black shall be the truth power. Those who refuse to commit to her ways have suffered to the point death is their only freedom. Her rage for banishment is put on to those in the Queendom and is absolutely ruthless. The only problem she has at all is the Alyssians, more like an irritating bug to her, who are the rebels are trying to reclaim the Queendom in the name of their beloved, fallen princess.
The Alyssians are a group made up of those who are left of the chess pieces, Wonderlanders, and overall anyone who is willing to fight against the power of Redd. They claim in the name of Alyss to defeat and overthrow the Queen. The few are key characters without giving too much is General Doppelgänger (he can split into Doppel and Gänger) and Dodge, which is the romantic interest in the story. There are a couple more characters known to the reader, but I dislike to give away too much if I do not have to even if those may appear obvious to what they are.
It is found out The Cat who had claimed to murder Aylss and the Hatter had not, though no one learns of his reasoning of lying because of wishing to not get wet. This upsets Redd in a way she takes a few of the Cat’s lives as punishment and if Alyss is not murdered soon she’ll take more of the beast. She is able to return to Wonderland, but is hardly able to believe in the world and of herself. She questions if she can be the savior everyone wants her to be and has to overcome it all.
Does Alyss overcome her maze? Does she defeat Redd?
That is all for you to discover.
The Looking Glass Wars is such a brilliant and bizarre taken on Alice in Wonderland. It is well written and the plot is wonderful. Each character no matter how big or small has a place without feeling like you question why they exist. It is depressing to see so many low rating when I found the book so amazing. I suggest to those who like Alice in Wonderland and enjoy the adaptation of it to give the book a try.