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Thursday, September 15, 2016

Red Queen

"Alice was a magician, albeit one who did not know very much about her own magic. She was escaping a City that hated and feared Magicians... (she) was tall and blue-eyed and a little broken inside, but her companion didn't mind because his insides were more jumbled than hers could ever be. Hatcher was a murderer, and he knew quite a lot about it. He was tall and grey-eyed and mad and dangerous but he loved her too, and so they stayed together, both stumbling toward a future that would let them leave their past in the past."

Alice's adventures continue in this well-written sequel by Christina Henry. She and Hatcher have escaped the Old City and are heading East in search of Hatcher's daughter, Jenny, who was stolen away years ago. Their journey takes them across burned plains, through a forest filled with giants, and straight into the middle of a feud between the White Queen and the Black King. There are enchantments to unravel and stolen children to recover. Then Hatcher falls under the spell of the White Queen and Alice finds herself alone. All alone.
"Alice had a scream lodged in her throat, and if she gave vent to it she would never stop. So she didn't scream or weep or tear her hair or pound her fists until they were bloody, though she wanted to do all those things. Instead she grabbed on to one thought and wouldn't let it go--every spell can be undone. She had to believe this, though she had no evidence of its truth. She had to believe that she could get Hatcher back."
Red Queen is not as dark or macabre as Henry's first novel, Alice, but it's still a slightly twisted walk through an enchanted wonderland that Lewis Carroll could never have imagined. What I liked best about it is how Alice comes into her own. In the first book she really depends on Hatcher just to survive, but in this book, without him by her side, she is forced to grow up and find her own way forward. She also discovers her own magical powers, and her essential Alice-ness. It's a fun read.  And I have to say, Christina Henry is now one of my favorite authors.

Happy Reading!

12 comments:

  1. Putting both books on my list! Love the cover, too!

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  2. That cover is really unique, I love it! Alice in Wonderland retellings are my favorite! have you read The Splintered Series? That is one of my favorite series!
    Thanks for sharing! this is actually the first time I've heard of this book!
    Emily @ www.rabbitholereviews.com

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    1. I've read Splintered and really liked it; but I haven't read any of the other books in that series yet. Henry's take on Alice in Wonderland is a lot darker, but still fun. Thanks for commenting! :)

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  3. Sounds like another good read by Christina Henry. Now I really have to check out her books. :)

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  4. How is it, with the recent resurgence of interest in the Wonderland books, that I've never heard of this series? They sound both interesting and well-written. I'll have to see if the library has them.

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  5. I was not familiar with any of these books. Thanks for sharing! Would you recommend someone be familiar with the Lewis Carroll books before reading these?

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  6. Wait, what?! I do don't know about this series. Well, now I'm going to have to check it out.

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    1. I think it's a really good one...I'd love to know what you think of it, so if you get a chance to read Alice and the Red Queen, let me know! :)

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