This post contains spoilers.
Title: Queen of Hearts
Author: Colleen Oakes
Series/Standalone: The Queen of Hearts Saga (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retelling
Pages: 306
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2014
Format: Hardcover (Own It)
First Line: "'Oh, my future queen, you're late!'"
"Only queens with hearts can bleed.
This is not the story of the Wonderland we know. Alice has not fallen down a rabbit hole. There is no all-knowing cat with a taunting smile. This is a Wonderland where beneath each smile lies a secret, each tart comes with a demand, and only prisoners tell the truth.
Dinah is the princess who will one day reign over Wonderland. She has not yet seen the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father's approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into Wonderland's dangerous political game. dinah must stay one step ahead of her cunning enemies or she'll lose not just the crown but her head.
Evil is brewing in Wonderland and maybe, most frighteningly, in Dinah herself.
This is not a story of happily ever after.
This is the story of the Queen of Hearts."
My New Rating: 4/5
This is such a fast-paced retelling and one that I didn't think would hold up as well as it did. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the setting. I will say at times that the characters were a little lacking, but as far as I remember that really changes in the second book. I also found that at times the pacing seemed to be a little off at times as more time would pass than was seemed likely. I did appreciate the relation to the original story the use of the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and Harris are just a few. I can't wait to continue on with the series.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: Queen of Hearts
Author: Colleen Oakes
Series/Standalone: Queen of Hearts Saga (Book #1)
Genre: Retellings, Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 306
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2014
Format: Hardcover Physical Copy (Own it)
First Line: "'Oh, my future queen, you're late!'"
"Only queens with hearts can bleed.
This is not the story of the Wonderland we know. Alice has not fallen down a rabbit hole. There is no all-knowing cat with a taunting smile. This is a Wonderland where beneath each smile lies a secret, each tart comes with a demand, and only prisoners tell the truth.
Dinah is the princess who will one day reign over wonderland. She has not seen the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father's approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into Wonderland's dangerous political game. Dinah must stay one steap ahead of her cunning enemies or she'll lose not just the crown but her head.
Evil is brewing in Wonderland and maybe, most frighteningly, in Dinah herself.
This is not a story of happily ever after.
This is the story of the Queen of Hearts."
My Rating: 4/5
I'm not a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and while I know the story and am interested in the world it creates, I want to start this review by saying I'm not here to critic this book for its alignment with the original classic. I think that retellings are something that you have to take with a grain of salt, which means you have to both respect the fairytale in its original aspect, but also be willing to give up some ideas you might hold it to. And if you do these things I think that you would really enjoy Queen of Hearts. This story is not one for the faint of heart. The author brings together violence and beauty in a way that is both poetic and startling to read about. And while this is a short first instalment in the Queen of Hearts Saga it is a powerful one. The world painted by Colleen Oakes is one of mystery, political intrigue, horror and wonder, after all, what would Wonderland be without that. I think that this book was very well done, but wished that the twists and turns hadn't been quite so predictable. There were points in this book where I could guess what was going to happen next and found that to be extremely frustrating. I look forward to continuing the series and following Dinah in her quest for the crown.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
These retellings are really starting to grow on me. This book follows our main character Dinah, Princess of Wonderland soon to be Queen of Hearts. Or at least that's what we all thought. Dinah goes through quite a few struggles in this book, dealing with the loss of her mother, the hatred of her father, the madness of her brother and the introduction to a new sister. One who seems to be favoured by the majority of the people, including her father. I really enjoyed the twists this book had on the classic, making some characters more relevant in palace life by changing their appearance and ranking in Wonderland. I also loved how Colleen Oakes created a beautiful palace, as well as the towers filled with horror. Amazing writing. I did not enjoy the love interest very much but understood why it was necessary. I also wasn't a huge fan of the twist of her crown being taken (um duh, saw that one coming a mile away). I also have some theories concerning the rest of the book. One being that Faina was Vittore's mother.
Characters:
Dinah: She is a strong character, but at the start of this book very much does what she pleases when she pleases which was frustrating to read about. Especially with the naive attitude that everything in Wonderland was good. It was great in fact. It was sad to watch her go through so much and not know who to trust. As well as getting to know the fact that her father was the real villain in all of this, or was he?
Vittore: I honestly think that she was abducted and being used to get rid of Dinah and give the kingdom an heir so they didn't have to worry about Dinah leaving. I also think that we'll get to know so much more of her backstory in the next book. Can hardly wait.
Faina: I strongly believe that Faina was Vittore's mother. And she suffered for her daughter, and her daughter suffered for her. What will her death mean for Wonderland? What whispering did she hear?
The King: I don't know if he was always this way or someone corrupted his thoughts. At this point anything is possible. But he is an evil man and I can't wait to see Dinah go to battle with him.
Harris: I hoped that he survived the interrogation that I'm sure he got after Dinah's running away.
Charles: He met a horrible end, but I wonder about his life as well. What did he know? What did he want from life? Were his riddles predictions? I also wonder if he got some sap from the Black Towers fed to him to add to his madness.
Wardley: He was an amazing main character and love interest. I wonder what he will do without Dinah there? Or was he helping a darker cause? Will he be in the towers? Ahh!
Davianna: Once again I want her story. How did she end up with the King and what was her life like?
Cheshire: I don't know what to think of this asshole. I think that he's on the king's side, but what if he was the guy in the bedroom... ugh.
Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "'How fine you look when dressed in rage.'"
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
