Red Queen by Christina Henry
Title: Red Queen (The Chronicles of Alice #2)
Author: Christina Henry
Publisher: Ace 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges:
The land outside of the Old City was supposed to be green, lush, hopeful. A place where Alice could finally rest, no longer the plaything of the Rabbit, the pawn of Cheshire, or the prey of the Jabberwocky. But the verdant fields are nothing but ash—and hope is nowhere to be found.
Still, Alice and Hatcher are on a mission to find his daughter, a quest they will not forsake even as it takes them deep into the clutches of the mad White Queen and her goblin or into the realm of the twisted and cruel Black King.
The pieces are set and the game has already begun. Each move brings Alice closer to her destiny. But, to win, she will need to harness her newfound abilities and ally herself with someone even more powerful—the mysterious and vengeful Red Queen...
Overall I really enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it as much as Alice. The first book really connected the original story to a darker, grittier version of Alice in Wonderland. We get direct characters and action parallels. I was expecting more of the same style, but this book departed from the direct comparisons. Instead, we get more of a dark fairy tale story incorporating different elements (enchanted forest, people turning into wolves, goblins, giants). I loved the beginning with Alice and Hatcher emerging from the tunnel into the burned meadow. I loved the ending when Alice got to connect with the Red Queen and defeat the White Queen. But some of the middle got a bit lost for me and I wanted more connection to Alice in Wonderland. I wanted more Chesire and maybe the duchess or Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Not quite as successful for me as the first book.
The Chronicles of Alice
#2 Red Queen
Looking Glass
Next up on the TBR pile: