This book had a lot going for it plot wise. I really liked the political take on this fantastical story. I think Oakes did a great job with the action and with creating new disturbing things about Wonderland. The end was action packed, and I really enjoyed the fast paced plot.

However, while the plot excelled, the character development and writing did not. I was expecting a strong female character (or at least developing into one) in Dinah. Instead we got a scared, spoiled, and stubborn girl that thought she was owed everything just because she was a princess. While I enjoyed the take on the traditional characters such as the Mad Hatter, Cheshire, and the rabbit (Harris), they weren't strong enough supporting characters to help carry the story for me. Oakes writing style is more tell not show, and she has a flare for the dramatics. Unfortunately, this style of writing just wasn't for me.

Overall, this wasn't a bad book, but did not live up to my hopes of what this idea could have been. Again, I think she had a wonderful idea, but the execution needed some work. I will probably continue the story at some point, just with a bit lower expectations than I went into this book with. If you love Alice in Wonderland, I recommend giving this one a quick try.

Started this one but wasn't gripped enough to continue. I like the premise and am intrigued by it--I may check out other books of Oakes to consider in the future.

A solid retelling of Alice in Wonderland told long before Alice ever made her appearance and focusing on the Queen of Hearts as a child and young woman with interesting twists that make the mad hatter her brother and the Cheshire cat an advisor to the throne.

Villain backstories are always intriguing; there is certain complexity in showing how a personality devolves from good to bad. Mostly such stories are heart-breaking, a victim who turned a bully sort of tale. And Dinah has some similar origins. The princess of Hearts, she lives in a tamer version of Wonderland, with a kingdom and a father who despise her. This fact is not given a reason to, but I suppose the way her father treats her and the fact that she is not beautiful and charming are strikes against her. Enter her beautiful and charming illegitimate half-sister, whose presence evokes admiration in her subjects. Naturally, Dinah is upset by the betrayal of his marriage that her father is flaunting, and the fact that he seems to hate her.

While she goes about preparing for her coronation and being a better ruler than her father, she discovers the true brutality of the regime – the Black Towers that are institutions of torture. Her visit sets in motion a chain of events that leaves her exiled and on the run. There will be a lot of vengeance involved in the future of this series, I can already see that and I am so excited to see her journey and how she becomes the Queen of Hearts. The writing was pretty good, (I had skimmed through the start of an earlier edition once and found her a bit bratty) and there was definitely a malicious tinge in the atmosphere of the book. If you are looking for a quirky maddened Wonderland, this is not it; there are however allusions to various key characters like the Mad Hatter and the Chesire Cat (who seems shady!), and perhaps even Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum – all expected since this is written more like a prequel. In short, this is a series I am definitely excited for.

I didn't get a chance to read this before it expired on my nook. I'm sorry! I did buy the first book from Harper and am excited to read this series in its new form!