Alice is still in shock after the event of the previous book, but she's also got the pressure of being a Dreamwalker - a protector of the world, but she can't tell anyone and she still has to do all her typical teenage girl things, like going to school and listening to her over-protective mother.

The Black Knight arrives in Alice's mundane world, confronting both Alice and her mother, forcing Alice to let her mother in on some of what she (Alice) is doing. Now Alice must return to Wonderland to uncover who the Black Knight is working for and she worries about her friends Hatta and Chess.

I was a little bit tepid about A Blade So Black (the first book in this series) but I definitely liked this book much more, even though it would be pretty important to have read the first volume. While the first book did a good job of setting the scene and introducing us to the characters, this book has an energy about it that's hard to ignore. There's angst and action, danger and drama, and author L.L. McKinney weaves us through a dark, tangled tapestry of Wonderland that is both familiar and stranger than you might expect.

I do love stories that border (and cross the line into) the absurd, and I also like dark fiction, so this book ticks two of my favorites. But I think that what makes this a stronger book than the first one, and one well worth reading, is the more personal connection we get with Alice. And this connection comes through with the scenes with her mother.

At first it seemed as though we were getting a little stereotypical with the over-protective mother but McKinney works this really well and it feels natural.

Wonderland feels more fleshed out here. It's not a constant danger, which is how it felt before. It's still not a safe place, but we get to look around the corners and survey it a bit.

I'm glad I stuck with this for the second volume and I'm definitely interested in seeing how this series continues.

Looking for a good book? A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney continues the dark adventures in Wonderland with an Alice who's a fighter, a protector, keeping us safe from what comes from Wonderland.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE this series. I picked it up in 2023 to get prepped for a book tour with the finale in the trilogy being released and having a bisexual MMC and Black FMC was so cool. We love seeing that in a YA setting. Also this series drops you right into the action. The whole series is a 4 star series for me

Still reeling from book 1, I immediately went into book 2 with anticipation and a little anxiety. At this point, I was feeling protective of Alice and her friends. McKinney had me hooked. This book picks up where Book 1 left off, and Book 2 felt like every page was a page-turner. Alice is still amazing, and now her abilities are gaining power. She is formidable, and I love it.

The writing, as always, was phenomenal. This book doesn't lull at all, and I would recommend reading book 1 before jumping into this one. I will say that I enjoyed this book more than book 1, but I also enjoyed book 1.

A solid sequel to book one. Alice and her relationship with her mom is my favorite thing about the book. What I’m not a fan of are the romantic storylines. I’m interested in seeing how this series will conclude.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Picking right up from where A Blade So Black ends, Alice is still getting in trouble with her mom and still slaying butt! But this time the Black Knight shows up in her home when her mother is present forcing Alice to talk about what she is going through by being chosen. Alice's grandmother also senses something as well but can't quite place her finger on it.

A Dream So Dark gives us more #BlackGirlMagic with some #GirlPower razzle-dazzle. With a cast of new characters (a few which recognizes Hatta) everyone works towards the goal of getting Alice back home. Even her best friend, Courtney, is a part of the rescue efforts.

Big twists and turns places this sequel right where it belongs as. a fortelling of Book 3: A Crown So Cursed. The writing is perfection as well. as more world-building for Wonderland on all four Gateways and introducing the Gatekeepers.

I really enjoyed the second book in the Nightmare-Verse series. Since the first book ended on a cliff hanger, I jumped right into the second book because I had to know what happened next. While the first book only had the main character Alice’s POV this book had multiple point of views. It was a nice surprise from the first book and it was easy to keep up with the differing viewpoints. I enjoyed the story and where it went in this book. This one didn’t end on a cliff hanger so I look forward to seeing where the 3rd book takes us.

Just finished book 2 and I believe I like this one even more than A Blade so Black. In this book you get more of Alice’s relationship with her mother after she is forced to tell her mom the truth about who she is and what she has been doing after fighting the Dark knight in her home. Surprisingly she is more receptive of what Alice is doing and lets Alice know her father would be proud of her. The fight scenes are even more descriptive and I loved it. I’m about to start book 3 and at this rate I can tell I’m gonna love it. The series is only getting better.

I want to thank HOV book tour and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. After reading the first book I couldn't wait to dive into book 2 and this book did not disappoint.

I love the darker side of Wonderland with this series and cannot wait for the 3rd book. This book picked up right where the first one left off and it was a seamless transition. With the prologue, I was immediately sucked back into this world of Wonderland and went in wanting to know more about the Queens and the lost princess. Then Chess, poor Chess! I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who wants to go back to Wonderland, but not the Wonderland of pastries and innocence...

Perfect continuation of the first book. Alice in Wonderland retellings are always my favorite books. I love how we as readers get to connect with Alice figuring out her love life and also figuring out how to deal with her problems in real life and hiding them from her mom. Of course, mother knows all and she finds out everything and knows that she can trust her daughters instinct. I'm excited for the next book to come out and see where the adventure leads.

A different and dark take on wonderland- in the best way plus, it's got LGBTQ rep! This is book two so be sure to read the first!! Fantasy, action, Alice has a mission to complete, things aren't as they seem, enter a poet who can influence people via nightmares AND raise the dead... things get interesting!

I love this series and this one was a great addition. This book really resonates with some of my 10th grade students so I've added it to the fantasy literature course that I teach.

What I loved about this one the most was that Alice and her mom had such a great relationship. That's something we don't see enough of in YA lit, like, yes, of course the teen should be the hero but they should also have an amazing parental figure at home to come back to.

A really fun version of Alice in Wonderland that offers a new and much-needed approach! The Wonderland that McKinney has created is detailed and interesting.

I enjoyed this action-packed follow-up to A Blade So Black and I look forward to reading the 3rd installment!

WHAT A POWERHOUSE MIDDLE TO THE TRILOGY. LL McKinney’s Nightmare Verse has my heart, and my coins....book 3 is coming sooooon!

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Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Initial reaction: I liked this even more than the first book. A lot of rolling action scenes, a little more immersion into Wonderland and more stakes for the characters considering the progression of events. It kept me on my toes for the fates of the characters. Not sure if this will be 4 or 4.5 stars yet.

This was a fun, harrowing ride, though I feel winded after everything that went on. There were still some things that I struggled with, but I'll make note of that in the larger reflection.

Full review:

I'm still struggling where to begin in writing a reflection for this second book in the "Nightmare-Verse" by L.L. McKinney, because a LOT happened it this book. When I say a lot, I mean that I felt like I ran a marathon with these characters and their respective ups and downs (particularly Alice), but it was nice to see the overarching narrative inflections with POV shifts to the other characters where they were necessary.

This book begins where the last book left off with the weight of loss and impending mystery of Alice's last battle from "A Blade So Black". I'll start off by saying that I really appreciated many of the interactions between Alice and her mother in this book. First note because there are many YA books within the realm of fantasy that don't deep dive into how the MC's pursuits affect their parents, and second note because it establishes some great moments of connection and tension throughout the events of the story. Sure, Alice's mom comes across as tough on Alice given the weight of responsibilities and secrets Alice carries, but she genuinely wants the best for her daughter and seems to weigh her fears with knowing when to let Alice do her thing. The first few scenes between them in this book were painful, but in a way that my heart reached out to both of them. I kept asking the question "So what's Alice's mom going to do if she *really* finds out what her daughter does when she disappears into Wonderland?" (It didn't take me long to find that out, lol. It went as I thought it would and then some.)

Alice is left to answer a plethora of questions and hard truths (including what really happened to Chess). When she and her companions all end up in Wonderland, they end up splitting off on their own harrowing adventures trying to figure out the truth of where they all fit in for their respective journeys. While there were moments in the first book where I felt lulls in the narrative arc, this book has so many action scenes that are ongoing and put the characters up against the wall, testing their loyalties, their true identities, and the stakes they're up against. In the midst of this is a love...square, maybe quadrangle? (Definitely more than a triangle, though I wouldn't quite put it on the level of say, the anime/manga Marmalade Boy for relationship maps and drama.) And it has positive LGBTQ+ rep to add to the good parts of the narrative.

I appreciated the expansion of Addison Hatta's character in this book because I think this sequel gave more dimension and conflict to his character. The Black Knight's POV gave an angle of struggling identity which became more clear as the story events unfolded, which I also appreciated. The return of familiar side-characters and new ones (particularly Romi and Haruka) were fun and interesting to watch, though there were some that didn't get as much scene time as I would have liked.

There's still a part of me that for all the intrigue and shaping of the realm and characterization in this series, I still can't quite sink my teeth into it the way I want to. I'm not entirely sure why that is in retrospect. "A Dream So Dark" handled many things better than the first book, likely because we know the characters a little more and are able to see angles of the conflict that weren't offered in the first, so there's definitely a step up in the presentation here that leads into interesting questions and points for the next book in the series. This had more of a rounded ending - satisfying, but leaving the reader with questions. I'm definitely interested in seeing where this series goes from here, and I have a feeling that for Alice, it's going to make her role in Wonderland much more clear and up the stakes for the battles that have yet to arise.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher.

In this version of Alice in Wonderland, Alice has enough wonder in her daily life alone to keep her occupied between keeping up with school and making her mother proud to being around for her grandmother. This second installment of the series does much to broaden the world of Alice but could benefit from further exploration of her coping with her father's death through building stronger and deeper relationships. Each book does little to inspire the reader to want the next book.

This series is amazing, and L.L. McKinney's writing is so excellent. Action packed and dark, this is a surefire hit with my fantasy readers with an awesome protagonist.