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Queen of Hearts Saga #1
Queen of Hearts
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.
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.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published February 12, 2014
499 people are currently reading
32377 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Oakes
18 books1,456 followersColleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including the Queen of Hearts Series, the Wendy Darling Saga, The Black Coats, Sister of the Chosen One and Eleven Houses.
She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is also a public librarian with a Master's Degree in Library Science and is currently working on an adult thriller.
You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Instagram.
She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is also a public librarian with a Master's Degree in Library Science and is currently working on an adult thriller.
You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.org, find her on Facebook under Author Colleen Oakes or follow her on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,060 reviews
January 7, 2021
"I am the Queen of Hearts, born to sit on one of two Heart thrones. I am the Queen of Wonderland and I will have the crown that my brother made for me.”
I know a lot of people have been frustrated by Dinah’s character, that she’s not the smart kind of evil, but I think that’s exactly why this book is so good. It’s supposed to be the story of the Queen of Hearts, not Alice. If Dinah’s character was overly interesting and made sensible decisions it wouldn’t do justice to the original character. I would, personally, recommend reading all the books before making your mind.
No matter what path this retelling takes, I feel like it maintains the integrity of Alice in Wonderland. No matter what happens the fundamental characteristics of the Queen of Hearts are seen throughout the story. While the original by Lewis Carrol focuses on Alice’s journey many forget that Wonderland must have a past that goes way farther back than the glimpse that we see and watching such a retelling of the story of the Queen of Hearts reminds you of that. It reminds me that if we saw Wonderland through the eyes of the Queen of Hearts, Alice would only be the smallest speck in what could be a huge story of her own life and what drew her to be who she is.
As the story progresses all the way from the first book to the last one, Dinah’s character definitely goes through quite the arcs, but through this journey every facet of her being reflects at least one of the main characters we see in the original queen of hearts, her arrogance, the anger, the pride, the self righteousness, all of it plays a huge role in just about everything. But the part that fascinated me the most was watching her get that rage and ambition of hers under control. Dinah recognises the power seeking part of her which not one of her predecessors did, which I believe is the reason she is where she is right now.
The writing of this book was, as I keep saying, impeccable, and it's unlike Alice's innocent and beautiful musing yet the description maintains the glamor that Lewis Carrol wrought out of the original.
The books were written expertly and was amazingly descriptive revealing the wonders of Wonderland. Dinah’s personality is split in two and those two parts are constantly warring with each other but I loved that the best parts of her always come out on top. Haris and Sir Gorran are the last people who could ever be related to her but they play the biggest role in guiding her selflessly even when her own family wouldn’t. Her mind is the sharpest part of her but her capability to comprehend situations better than anyone else allows us to see the world in ways another character wouldn’t.
Dinah’s life, while it was always luxurious, causes her a lot of pain simply because the people she loves always slip away from her in one way or another. Her mother died when she was young and her father has never loved her, the brother she loves more than anything can barely reflect his love for her because of his madness but both Dinah knows that he loves her which makes her relationship with her brother the most important one she has.
I, personally, loved Charles’s character and that reinterpretation of the Mad Hatter. His artistic skills and his mad ramblings which always seem like poetry was a lovely contrast to the rather serious demeanor of the royal family.
Clearly there is a re-read of Alice in Wonderland waiting to happen for me. I loved these books and recommend to all Alice lovers.
I know a lot of people have been frustrated by Dinah’s character, that she’s not the smart kind of evil, but I think that’s exactly why this book is so good. It’s supposed to be the story of the Queen of Hearts, not Alice. If Dinah’s character was overly interesting and made sensible decisions it wouldn’t do justice to the original character. I would, personally, recommend reading all the books before making your mind.
No matter what path this retelling takes, I feel like it maintains the integrity of Alice in Wonderland. No matter what happens the fundamental characteristics of the Queen of Hearts are seen throughout the story. While the original by Lewis Carrol focuses on Alice’s journey many forget that Wonderland must have a past that goes way farther back than the glimpse that we see and watching such a retelling of the story of the Queen of Hearts reminds you of that. It reminds me that if we saw Wonderland through the eyes of the Queen of Hearts, Alice would only be the smallest speck in what could be a huge story of her own life and what drew her to be who she is.
As the story progresses all the way from the first book to the last one, Dinah’s character definitely goes through quite the arcs, but through this journey every facet of her being reflects at least one of the main characters we see in the original queen of hearts, her arrogance, the anger, the pride, the self righteousness, all of it plays a huge role in just about everything. But the part that fascinated me the most was watching her get that rage and ambition of hers under control. Dinah recognises the power seeking part of her which not one of her predecessors did, which I believe is the reason she is where she is right now.
The writing of this book was, as I keep saying, impeccable, and it's unlike Alice's innocent and beautiful musing yet the description maintains the glamor that Lewis Carrol wrought out of the original.
The books were written expertly and was amazingly descriptive revealing the wonders of Wonderland. Dinah’s personality is split in two and those two parts are constantly warring with each other but I loved that the best parts of her always come out on top. Haris and Sir Gorran are the last people who could ever be related to her but they play the biggest role in guiding her selflessly even when her own family wouldn’t. Her mind is the sharpest part of her but her capability to comprehend situations better than anyone else allows us to see the world in ways another character wouldn’t.
Dinah’s life, while it was always luxurious, causes her a lot of pain simply because the people she loves always slip away from her in one way or another. Her mother died when she was young and her father has never loved her, the brother she loves more than anything can barely reflect his love for her because of his madness but both Dinah knows that he loves her which makes her relationship with her brother the most important one she has.
I, personally, loved Charles’s character and that reinterpretation of the Mad Hatter. His artistic skills and his mad ramblings which always seem like poetry was a lovely contrast to the rather serious demeanor of the royal family.
Clearly there is a re-read of Alice in Wonderland waiting to happen for me. I loved these books and recommend to all Alice lovers.
March 22, 2017
3.5/3.75ish
As a lover of Alice in Wonderland, I think me enjoying this at least a little bit was inevitable. But, I loved how this book reinvented the world of Wonderland. It took elements from the original series and used them in very unique ways. As opposed to other Alice retellings I read, this one very much focused on the political aspect which was interesting. It also highlighted the darkness and brutality of Wonderland. I will say I found this dragged quite a bit, the plot took quite a while to actually get going but once it did I was pretty hooked. Overall a solid retelling, I think I'll be continuing with the series eventually.
As a lover of Alice in Wonderland, I think me enjoying this at least a little bit was inevitable. But, I loved how this book reinvented the world of Wonderland. It took elements from the original series and used them in very unique ways. As opposed to other Alice retellings I read, this one very much focused on the political aspect which was interesting. It also highlighted the darkness and brutality of Wonderland. I will say I found this dragged quite a bit, the plot took quite a while to actually get going but once it did I was pretty hooked. Overall a solid retelling, I think I'll be continuing with the series eventually.
March 25, 2014
“Listen to me, Dinah,” he hissed. “Things are going to change for you, child, and you had better be made of stronger stuff than the whiny brat you seem to be now.”Nope. Didn't happen.
I feel like this book pulled a bait-and-switch on me, and I am so incredibly frustrated right now. It promised me excitement, it intriguingly hinted at things that it never delivered. It wasn't a truly terrible book, but it was a short book, and honestly, I wished it were twice as long because nothing was ever resolved. Plot lines were left completely loose. I was pulled in and pulled along by hints of mysterious places, by mysterious people, by supposedly ambiguous characters, and I was left dangling. I had no resolution by the end of the book. The entire book felt like a prequel. I don't consider the ending to be a cliffhanger, because in order to have a cliffhanger, you had to have a book in the first place. This book did not feel complete.
The book is emotionless. It is dry. It is all telling, no showing. The characters are all grossly caricatured, the bad characters never felt real because there is no dimension and no resolution and no reason at all as to why they acted the way they did. The main character within this book, Dinah, is 17, but I felt like this book read like a Middle Grade novel because it was so completely juvenile, and lacking in realistic sentiment. I was supposed to feel sorry for the main character, downtrodden and not beautiful and hated by her father. I felt no such thing. I couldn't really give two shits about her, to be honest, because more than anything, the main character was a whiny, hypocritical spoiled brat who did nothing.
This book had a very interesting and beautiful version of Wonderland. It is a nontraditional retelling, without an Alice. Do not expect the White Rabbit. Do not expect a Cheshire Cat. Do not expect Tweedledum and Tweedle Dee. You will not get those elements in this book in the manner you would expect, from the original Alice books. That is not to say the setting is bad. Quite the opposite.
The trouble with this book is that the setting is so awesome that an unwary reader might completely miss the fact that there was almost no plot to the book.
The Summary: Usually I write a long-winded summary for the book. I'm not going to this time because nothing happens in the book. In a nutshell, this is the book's plot. Dinah is a Princess in Wonderland, she is unloved by her father, she gets a new sister, she is angry about it, she feels like something bad's going to happen for no fucking reason. Something bad happens. We don't know what the bad thing is, but something bad happens. Something might happen in the next book.
The end.
The Plot:
Mostly her days were filled with mind-numbing croquet, etiquette, history, and dancing lessons.That's pretty accurate.
I have to admit, I was so distracted by the setting that it didn't occur to me until the end that, hey, what the actual fuck, where is the plot? The entire book is composed of Dinah being angry at her father. Dinah hating her father. Dinah thinking about her hot friend, Wardley, Dinah feeling deep within her bones that something dark is going to happen.
“Then help me do this. Wardley, something is amiss. I can feel it. There is a lurking, a presence, a danger, something BAD is happening. And someone is trying to help us. I NEED to speak with Faina Baker, and I need your help to do it.”What?! Where the fuck did that come from?! Where is the evidence? I'm not going to take Dinah's word for it. She has these nightmares. Guess what? So do I. I regularly dream about zombies. It doesn't mean that there's going to be a zombie apocalypse anytime soon. Give me more to believe in, give me something real. I am not going to believe that there is a dark force at play in the land simply because someone tells me it is going to happen.
There are hints that go nowhere. This is what I refer to as a bait-and-switch. If you are going to repeatly mention something, I expect the book to fucking deliver on it. You cannot mention _____ place as, oh, such a dangerous, mysterious place and then go nowhere with it. You cannot repeatedly mention a dark, mysterious, ambiguous figure, giving us tantalizing clues only to go nowhere with it.
He was never her ally; rather, he was a man who constantly whispered twisted secrets in her father’s ear. The rumors of his extracurricular activities ran rampant in the castle.You cannot have a villain throughout the book and give no reason to his hatred of the main character.
He grabbed her chin in his hands and held it close, the scent of wine washing over her face from his hot breath. He was shaking her violently now, and she felt her knees begin to buckle.You cannot introduce a new character without giving us any resolution whatsoever by the end of the book. The book is the most frustrating book I have read in a long time because I still don't know anything by the time I finished the book.
The Writing: I was bothered by the style of the writing, which included CAPS. Emotions are BOLDED like this for emphasis. It pissed me off, which is entirely subjective, but really, the writing style and extreme emphasis did nothing to endear me to this book or its characters. For example:
“Wardley, what are you doing? STOP it! I have to LEAVE!”The Main Character: This book is told from the 3rd person POV of Dinah, a Princess of Wonderland, and man, is she fucking annoying. She starts off as the most spoiled 15 year old in the whole world, a Princess, a Queen of Hearts-to-be who acts more like the holy terror that is Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She starts the book as a scowling 15 year old.
“I heard him, my father. I SAW HIM."
Dinah felt her entire body tremble. “NO, NO! I can’t. Absolutely not.”
“Why are you talking to me?” she snapped. “I HATE YOU! Don’t touch me!”
“It will all be alright, child. Trust me. Now put on your brave face. Let me see it.”And the anger and resentment never stopped. She glowers. She shrieks. She snaps.
Dinah scowled.
“Why are you talking to me?” she snapped. “I HATE YOU! Don’t touch me!”Dinah does not know how to speak normally, because every other sentence from her mouth is either a command or a whine or a shout.Dinah is constantly angry. She never stops being angry. Fury rises from her at every moment.
Tears gathered at the corner of Vittiore’s eyes. Her unflinching blue gaze unnerved Dinah, who found a fury rising inside.The slightest perceived insult makes Dinah see red.
Hot rage boiled up inside of her, and Dinah’s mallet dropped from her hand.The overwhelming emotion in this book is anger, and I felt it towards Dinah, not for her. Yes, Dinah is treated poorly by her father, but Dinah herself is such an intolerable character that I never once felt any sympathy for her.
Dinah has a sister, a beautiful creature. By no fault of her own, the half-sister Vittiore is stunningly beautiful, but a bastard, and loved by the father who so hates Dinah. It doesn't matter, because Vittiore never does anything wrong but look innocent and pretty, yet she is overwhelmingly the target of Dinah's anger for no visible reason at all. Dinah calls Vittiore so many names, like "bastard child."
She’s a bastard child, unworthy of a minute of his time. I hope she dies of wheezing fever."Not to mention a wench.
"Vittiore—”Everything Vittiore does makes Dinah hate her more---no matter how innocuous, and I just wanted to wring Dinah's neck, or rather, off with her head!
“Is a lovely, innocent girl,” finished Harris.
Dinah shot him a nasty look, “—is a venomous wench snake,” she replied. “The very sight of her makes me ill.
The Setting: The one good thing about the book. I found it really creative, it is based on Wonderland, but without the traditional characters. There is a King of Hearts, and the Cards are actually various ranks of soldiers.
There were four divisions of the men called Cards, each serving their purpose to the kingdom. Heart Cards, handsome and skilled men uniformed in red and white, protected the royal family and the palace.Club Cards, Spades, etc. Wonderland itself is beautifully described, and we get to see croquet games with all the birds running around. There are descriptions of beautiful court clothes.
The gown was lovely in a severe way, with hundreds of gray fabrics mingling together in an elaborate tweed. A large red heart arched over her shoulders and down the back of the dress, its top folds meeting at her collarbone. White ribbons ran up and down the heart in delicate ruffles. Bright-raspberry hearts dotted the full hem of the dress.If you just want to read about a pretty version of Wonderland, this book might do it. Just don't expect the usual characters.
The Villains: This book is simply unbelievable, because the bad guys are just bad for the sake of being bad. For example, her villified father. The cruel, evil King of Hearts who has despised Dinah since the day she was born. He constantly belittles her. He constantly seeks to humiliate her. It numbs me, because his hate felt incredibly gratuitous, there only to elicit sympathy for Dinah, and without a reason at all.
“DINAH!” A loud voice bellowed from the throne, and Dinah felt a tiny trickle of urine roll down her leg under her dress. She had been lost in thought, standing midaisle. Dinah bowed her head. “Get up here. Now.”The Romance: Thankfully light, but completely without any emotion. Dinah's romance is limited to wishful thinking. She is going to be the Queen one day, so there is no question she can, and will get the guy of her dreams.
Wardley was the King’s favorite of all his young Cards, and maybe someday, Dinah hoped, something much more. She longed to make Wardley her husband one day, which would make him the King of Hearts beside her.That's pretty much the limitation of their romance. She holds the cards (no pun intended). Wardley is not a romantic interest. He is a pawn to be used as Dinah sees fit.
Her lips trembled. “Wardley, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. . . .”Not recommended.
“No you didn’t,” Wardley snapped. “But I tried to tell you. No one can tell you anything, Dinah, not ever, because you’re the Princess and you do what you want. You’re not unlike your father that way.”
September 30, 2022
**4.5-stars**
I listened to the audiobook of Queen of Hearts to complete some challenges for Retellathon 2018.
This book hadn't even been on my radar, but I needed an audiobook to get through the week and SCRIBD had this one available.
I'll be honest, I didn't have the highest expectations going in. I didn't read any of the reviews, but having never really heard anyone discussing this story, I thought maybe it would be a flop.
Boy, was I wrong!
An origin story for the Queen of Hearts was something I didn't even know I needed, but man, did I ever!
I love retellings from the villain's perspective, that's honestly one of my favorite subgenres of YA, and who doesn't love an origin story?
This one felt very true to the atmosphere of the original story, but brought a lot of new concepts and unique twists.
I loved the deep, dark overall feel of the tale. There were parts that were very gritty and creepy, including a lot of blood, gore and torture, but not in an obnoxious way.
In my opinion, it all worked perfectly with the overall story arc.
People sometimes forget, Alice in Wonderland is not a feel-good tale. It is dark and scary with twisty-turny, upside-downy things that are meant to make you feel on edge.
I loved the relationship between Dinah, the future Queen of Hearts, and her Father. He is a demonic, evil, spiteful little man and I really hope he gets his in the next book!
Speaking of the next book, this left off on such a cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us!
Another thing I enjoyed about this was Cheshire, an aide to the King. You can tell he is all kinds of devious. I'm not sure at this point what his true motivations are but he sure is a tricky one!
He is described as having similar qualities to the Cheshire Cat from the original, yet in this tale, he is a man.
We also meet Dinah's main caregiver, Harris, who is just so sweet and precious, he loves her like her Father never has. He is just a pure gem who I hope survives the wrath that is the King of Hearts!
For Mad Hatter fans, have no fear, he is in here too; as are all the cards, the croquet games and general royal chaos.
Overall, I feel like this book needs some more love. I definitely plan to get the entire series and will probably even read this one again.
I am majorly geeking out over this right now. I am going to go back now though and read other reviews. I am really curious to see what other readers think of it!
I listened to the audiobook of Queen of Hearts to complete some challenges for Retellathon 2018.
This book hadn't even been on my radar, but I needed an audiobook to get through the week and SCRIBD had this one available.
I'll be honest, I didn't have the highest expectations going in. I didn't read any of the reviews, but having never really heard anyone discussing this story, I thought maybe it would be a flop.
Boy, was I wrong!
An origin story for the Queen of Hearts was something I didn't even know I needed, but man, did I ever!
I love retellings from the villain's perspective, that's honestly one of my favorite subgenres of YA, and who doesn't love an origin story?
This one felt very true to the atmosphere of the original story, but brought a lot of new concepts and unique twists.
I loved the deep, dark overall feel of the tale. There were parts that were very gritty and creepy, including a lot of blood, gore and torture, but not in an obnoxious way.
In my opinion, it all worked perfectly with the overall story arc.
People sometimes forget, Alice in Wonderland is not a feel-good tale. It is dark and scary with twisty-turny, upside-downy things that are meant to make you feel on edge.
I loved the relationship between Dinah, the future Queen of Hearts, and her Father. He is a demonic, evil, spiteful little man and I really hope he gets his in the next book!
Speaking of the next book, this left off on such a cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us!
Another thing I enjoyed about this was Cheshire, an aide to the King. You can tell he is all kinds of devious. I'm not sure at this point what his true motivations are but he sure is a tricky one!
He is described as having similar qualities to the Cheshire Cat from the original, yet in this tale, he is a man.
We also meet Dinah's main caregiver, Harris, who is just so sweet and precious, he loves her like her Father never has. He is just a pure gem who I hope survives the wrath that is the King of Hearts!
For Mad Hatter fans, have no fear, he is in here too; as are all the cards, the croquet games and general royal chaos.
Overall, I feel like this book needs some more love. I definitely plan to get the entire series and will probably even read this one again.
I am majorly geeking out over this right now. I am going to go back now though and read other reviews. I am really curious to see what other readers think of it!
May 11, 2016
"I can't explain it, but I need to find her. Faina. This note wasn't sent in malice, I can feel it."
One of my pet peeves in books is when a character makes decisions based on a feeling. Either it goes well, which makes it look like a deux ex machina. Or it goes horribly wrong, making said character look like an idiot.
Guess what happens to Diane. Go on, guess.
Diane is... you know, I don't quite have the words for her. She's bratty. Childish. Insipid. During the climax, when everything goes to shit, a horse has to tell her what to do. A horse. Granted, a magic horse, but my God!
"'The price of a necklace, she thought guiltily, just one of the many jewels that sit idly in my drawer, more than enough to feed a family.' She often found herself feeling shame at such things."
Nope, sorry, still don't feel sorry for you. Not when you're wallowing in self-pity instead of doing shit. Don't try to tell me her dad might notice, because she totally gives one away later in exchange for a guard's silence.
It's not like she's uneducated. She's the princess of Wonderland, as she loves reminding guards while being unnessarily cruel. She sits through lessons all day long, all throughout the book. You think she'd pick up a few things.
But noooo. Precious Princess Diane makes rash decisions, barely thinking through a plan before plunging up to her shoulders in it. Then whines when they fall through.
She throws tantrums bordering on hysterical-outburst material. In the first chapter, when she's being presented to the throne by her very intimidating father, she zones out.
Come on, realistically, would that happen? When you're already frightened and nervous? I'd be hyper alert and march down that aisle as quick as possible, so no one will stare.
The writing burns my eyes. Just look at it:
"The ivory doors slammed shut behind her, the sound bouncing around the vast room. Voluminous red banners billowed from floor to ceiling, a black heart stitched across each center: the blazon of the King. Dinah's white slippers echoed loudly against the marble floors, and she felt thousands of eyes watching her, judging her. She held her crowned head as highly and regally as she could. The entire court watched her walk up the aisle, lords and ladies of noble birth, their bright fashion a blot of color on the otherwise black-and-white marble room."
Yesh. I can write a Stephenie Meyer novel with all those adjectives.
Sometimes, less is more. Especially in the beginning, when readers are still getting used to the world and characters. I'm not interested in an essay on the duties of different Cards and Wonderland provinces. Spread it out like peanut butter, man.
There's telling in form of dialogue, telling instead of showing, so much telling I feel like I'm five sitting through a lecture from my mom.
"The King of Hearts stood before her now, a giant man full of fury and righteousness and an insatiable lust for food and women."
Give me concubines in the crowd. Show me a straining waistline. Let me hear a barked command at a servant. Don't be fucking lazy with storytelling.
The dialogue is downright cringe-worthy:
"Oh, Dinah, you are too good. This just what I needed. You're incredible, you know that?"
The whole thing just feels like a prequel.
Without all the unnecessary description, it'd be half the length, freeing more pages to actually do something substantial. The world-building itself is interesting. The Mad Hatter is Diane's crazy brother Charles who designs hats. The information about Cards and their heirarchy is fascinating once you look through the word-vomit.
But without a plot and interesting characters, it's nothing but an empty world.
ARC provided by Edelweiss. Quotes taken from an uncorrected galley proof and may be subject to change.
January 20, 2014
This was more like 3.5 stars from me:which is good.
Dinah is a teenage future Queen of Hearts in Wonderland. She is not that horrible character from Disney/Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. At least not yet. Dinah was a strong female character. She has spunk and is feisty. She has a big heart and it hurts her to see how her father (the asshole) rules Wonderland. He is abusive both physically and mentally to her character.
She looks out after her servants and her Mad brother Charles aka the Mad hatter. Charles's character was one of my favorites in this book too. He wraps the reader around his finger. Something went wrong at his birth and he was born mad. Such a sweet sole he has though.
You also have Cheshire who is the King's closest adviser. He is not in cat form in this book but there are rumors that he can shape-shift into a cat.
Dinah's King father springs upon the kingdom a perfect child that he worships that he supposedly fathered out of wedlock in a night of lust. I hated that heifer too.
This is the first of a trilogy and I can't wait to see where the author goes with it. What makes Dinah change into that famous evil queen? Must find out.
PS There is NO Alice in this book
Dinah is a teenage future Queen of Hearts in Wonderland. She is not that horrible character from Disney/Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. At least not yet. Dinah was a strong female character. She has spunk and is feisty. She has a big heart and it hurts her to see how her father (the asshole) rules Wonderland. He is abusive both physically and mentally to her character.
She looks out after her servants and her Mad brother Charles aka the Mad hatter. Charles's character was one of my favorites in this book too. He wraps the reader around his finger. Something went wrong at his birth and he was born mad. Such a sweet sole he has though.
You also have Cheshire who is the King's closest adviser. He is not in cat form in this book but there are rumors that he can shape-shift into a cat.
Dinah's King father springs upon the kingdom a perfect child that he worships that he supposedly fathered out of wedlock in a night of lust. I hated that heifer too.
This is the first of a trilogy and I can't wait to see where the author goes with it. What makes Dinah change into that famous evil queen? Must find out.
PS There is NO Alice in this book
January 16, 2017
I did not expect to dislike Queen of Hearts so strongly but my God, this book was awful. My battle to make my way through the entirety of this story tested every nerve in my body. For a short book, it was a long and difficult trek from start to finish. I disliked the characters, the writing, the plot. It was a story which took all of the amazing things about the original Alice in Wonderland and introduced them to typical YA tropes… and you can imagine just how that turned out.
Dinah was an immature brat who deserved to be shoved off the tower and taught a lesson. I could not stand how selfish and bratty she acted, literally all of the time. At least the first third of this book is made up of her crying, throwing temper tantrums and pouting. Every interaction we had with her was riddled with the undertone of her constant self-pity and whining. It was childish and unreasonable how she treated her half-sibling, Vittiore. I don’t care how awkward it is to find out that your father cheated on your mother, which produced a sibling. I don’t care if you think she is prettier than you and that makes you jealous. There is no excuse for maintaining such a ridiculously strong hatred towards such an innocent and benign girl, let alone someone you could potentially ally with against the fury of your father, other than your own personal lack of maturity. I can understand that Dinah was jealous that her father seemed to care more about Vittiore than herself but I think that replacing the chance to explore these complicated familial relationships with childish antics was not the best idea. Dinah was not a worthy protagonist.
Wardley’s character similarly did nothing for me. Was his relationship with Dinah meant to be a romance? We knew of Dinah’s infatuation with him but it was unclear whether Wardley felt this way too. Personally, I never felt that these feelings were reciprocated but I did find it rather irritating that it was so ambiguous. Either way, his generally underdeveloped characterisation was still a sore spot for me. While I liked him a lot more than Dinah herself, I still felt that we knew little about Wardley as a character. I did appreciate that he seemed to be a sensible lad with a no-nonsense attitude. He clearly disapproved of Dinah’s antics and was loyal to her but I would have liked for him to have been more defined and clearly cast as either a supporting character or a romantic interest.
Dinah’s father, the King of Hearts, was meant to be the antagonist of the story but he did a very poor job of it. He had no real reason for hating Dinah to the extent that he did. He abused her and treated her disgustingly but for no real motivation. Was she a threat to his crown? Potentially, but she was also a child. If he was truly evil, he could easily have disposed of her in a supposed ‘accident’ when he was a helpless child. He had already turned the goodwill of his people against her. It would have been easy! For the first three quarters of the story, I was completely confuddled by his motivations and utter hatred of his daughter. His response to Charles was also disheartening and I wish that he had some depth, really any at all would have been nice. Otherwise, he was the typical poorly written villain.
The plotline was also… wait, what plotline? The reason I disliked this book to the extent I did was because nothing happened. There was no end goal. Dinah had nothing to aim for and the storyline was just a random combination of Dinah crying and over-reacting to events that happened in the palace. There was a slight detour in the middle where Dinah and Wardley investigated a random mystery in the Black Towers which was never explained properly or elaborated on. As a whole, the story was ridiculously dull and dry. For such a short book, it was scary how easily I lost my focus. I could not concentrate on the story unfolding on the page because there was so little story actually unfolding.
Oakes’ writing style did not help in the slightest. Not only was it overly simplistic - to the point where it was almost juvenile - but she had the uncanny knack of filling pages and pages of telling instead of showing. It was frustrating as hell to have Dinah’s emotions dictated to us, and the dialogue came across as stilted and awkward in response. I disliked how clunky the descriptions were and how awkwardly they were often incorporated into the body of the story. However, I did think that some of Oakes’ ideas were clever, and I did like exploring the Wonderland world she has created. Was it completely unique? No, not entirely, but I found myself impressed at the idea of the Black Towers, Hornhooves, and the Ninth Sea. The parts of the plot which allowed Dinah to explore these settings were my favourite parts of the book. As a whole, the world-building was passable. Oakes captured some of the important whimsical vibes of Wonderland but I did wish we knew more specifics about the towns which surrounded the palace and details like that.
Overall?
This book was so damn disappointing. I’ve always enjoyed Alice in Wonderland retellings or whimsical fantasy settings like this, but the approach Oakes took to this story was not enjoyable. I strongly disliked the protagonist, Dinah, and did not connect to her friend/LI (?) Wardley either. The plotline was non-existent and I disliked not having a clear end goal for the story or a decent antagonist to keep things interesting. The writing style was also too juvenile for my tastes. Queen of Hearts is definitely not a retelling that I would willingly recommend and if you are looking for a more absurd and fun Alice in Wonderland story, I’d aim you towards Insanity or instead.
Dinah was an immature brat who deserved to be shoved off the tower and taught a lesson. I could not stand how selfish and bratty she acted, literally all of the time. At least the first third of this book is made up of her crying, throwing temper tantrums and pouting. Every interaction we had with her was riddled with the undertone of her constant self-pity and whining. It was childish and unreasonable how she treated her half-sibling, Vittiore. I don’t care how awkward it is to find out that your father cheated on your mother, which produced a sibling. I don’t care if you think she is prettier than you and that makes you jealous. There is no excuse for maintaining such a ridiculously strong hatred towards such an innocent and benign girl, let alone someone you could potentially ally with against the fury of your father, other than your own personal lack of maturity. I can understand that Dinah was jealous that her father seemed to care more about Vittiore than herself but I think that replacing the chance to explore these complicated familial relationships with childish antics was not the best idea. Dinah was not a worthy protagonist.
Wardley’s character similarly did nothing for me. Was his relationship with Dinah meant to be a romance? We knew of Dinah’s infatuation with him but it was unclear whether Wardley felt this way too. Personally, I never felt that these feelings were reciprocated but I did find it rather irritating that it was so ambiguous. Either way, his generally underdeveloped characterisation was still a sore spot for me. While I liked him a lot more than Dinah herself, I still felt that we knew little about Wardley as a character. I did appreciate that he seemed to be a sensible lad with a no-nonsense attitude. He clearly disapproved of Dinah’s antics and was loyal to her but I would have liked for him to have been more defined and clearly cast as either a supporting character or a romantic interest.
Dinah’s father, the King of Hearts, was meant to be the antagonist of the story but he did a very poor job of it. He had no real reason for hating Dinah to the extent that he did. He abused her and treated her disgustingly but for no real motivation. Was she a threat to his crown? Potentially, but she was also a child. If he was truly evil, he could easily have disposed of her in a supposed ‘accident’ when he was a helpless child. He had already turned the goodwill of his people against her. It would have been easy! For the first three quarters of the story, I was completely confuddled by his motivations and utter hatred of his daughter. His response to Charles was also disheartening and I wish that he had some depth, really any at all would have been nice. Otherwise, he was the typical poorly written villain.
The plotline was also… wait, what plotline? The reason I disliked this book to the extent I did was because nothing happened. There was no end goal. Dinah had nothing to aim for and the storyline was just a random combination of Dinah crying and over-reacting to events that happened in the palace. There was a slight detour in the middle where Dinah and Wardley investigated a random mystery in the Black Towers which was never explained properly or elaborated on. As a whole, the story was ridiculously dull and dry. For such a short book, it was scary how easily I lost my focus. I could not concentrate on the story unfolding on the page because there was so little story actually unfolding.
Oakes’ writing style did not help in the slightest. Not only was it overly simplistic - to the point where it was almost juvenile - but she had the uncanny knack of filling pages and pages of telling instead of showing. It was frustrating as hell to have Dinah’s emotions dictated to us, and the dialogue came across as stilted and awkward in response. I disliked how clunky the descriptions were and how awkwardly they were often incorporated into the body of the story. However, I did think that some of Oakes’ ideas were clever, and I did like exploring the Wonderland world she has created. Was it completely unique? No, not entirely, but I found myself impressed at the idea of the Black Towers, Hornhooves, and the Ninth Sea. The parts of the plot which allowed Dinah to explore these settings were my favourite parts of the book. As a whole, the world-building was passable. Oakes captured some of the important whimsical vibes of Wonderland but I did wish we knew more specifics about the towns which surrounded the palace and details like that.
Overall?
This book was so damn disappointing. I’ve always enjoyed Alice in Wonderland retellings or whimsical fantasy settings like this, but the approach Oakes took to this story was not enjoyable. I strongly disliked the protagonist, Dinah, and did not connect to her friend/LI (?) Wardley either. The plotline was non-existent and I disliked not having a clear end goal for the story or a decent antagonist to keep things interesting. The writing style was also too juvenile for my tastes. Queen of Hearts is definitely not a retelling that I would willingly recommend and if you are looking for a more absurd and fun Alice in Wonderland story, I’d aim you towards Insanity or instead.
February 5, 2018
OMG! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO FREAKING MUCH!
I didn't even bother looking at the reviews for this book because I wanted to read it so badly. I just didn't care if the whole world hated or loved this book - I wanted to read it and that's all that mattered to me.
Queen of Hearts is obviously a retelling but it made me like the Queen of Hearts so freaking much. Dinah, who is the MC and the future queen, is basically treated lower than dirt by her father. Speaking of the King Douche, I hate his guts so freaking much. I wanted him to die the entire time I was reading this book. Spoiler alert: he's still sadly alive. LE SIGH PEOPLE.
This book gives you a couple twists: a new step-sister (which Dinah views has a bastard rightfully so) who isn’t really trustworthy at all, a brother who is the mad hatter that you fall in love with, then the stable boy that is usually the Queen's first love. Or that could be from the show Once Upon A Time but I don't really know. Just go with it.
Either way, it was freaking amazing. Like I've mentioned before I flew through this book. I couldn't get enough. I even read that free chapter for the next book then found out that I didn't bring that book with me. Talk about pure sadness guys.
I loved everything about this book. I hope the people I want dead die in the next book. I want Dinah to become the Queen she is meant to be.
I didn't even bother looking at the reviews for this book because I wanted to read it so badly. I just didn't care if the whole world hated or loved this book - I wanted to read it and that's all that mattered to me.
Queen of Hearts is obviously a retelling but it made me like the Queen of Hearts so freaking much. Dinah, who is the MC and the future queen, is basically treated lower than dirt by her father. Speaking of the King Douche, I hate his guts so freaking much. I wanted him to die the entire time I was reading this book. Spoiler alert: he's still sadly alive. LE SIGH PEOPLE.
This book gives you a couple twists: a new step-sister (which Dinah views has a bastard rightfully so) who isn’t really trustworthy at all, a brother who is the mad hatter that you fall in love with, then the stable boy that is usually the Queen's first love. Or that could be from the show Once Upon A Time but I don't really know. Just go with it.
Either way, it was freaking amazing. Like I've mentioned before I flew through this book. I couldn't get enough. I even read that free chapter for the next book then found out that I didn't bring that book with me. Talk about pure sadness guys.
I loved everything about this book. I hope the people I want dead die in the next book. I want Dinah to become the Queen she is meant to be.
November 15, 2019
Desde que lo vi me llamó muchísimo, tanto por la portada, que tienen que admitir es una lindura, hasta la sinopsis, que nos muestra la historia de la reina de corazones desde un punto de vista bastante diferente, a la que ya todos conocemos.
La historia es buena y el desarrollo de la trama también, el pero más grande es el cómo está editado, en realidad.
Cada dos o tres palabras se mencionaba el nombre de la protagonista, Dinah, Dinah, Dinah, y más Dinah que terminaron por hartarme y desear abandonarlo. En situaciones como está es cuándo más impotente me siento, porque en serio, la idea de la autora es increíble, y su pluma es muy creativa.
El asunto es que la editorial no le dio un buen presupuesto a su edición, porque dejó mucho que desear.
La Fantasía, los personajes y ese final me encantó. Aunque debido a esta situación con la edición, estuve en peligro de no terminarlo. Si esto también es un inconveniente para ti, te prometo que la historia es muy muy buena, solo trata de ignorar (aunque sea muy difícil lo sé) y no te arrepentirás.
Vale mucho la pena, es un giro fresco y muy creativo para el usadísimo mundo de Alicia. Una reina con un comienzo difícil, pero que en definitiva no debemos perder de vista.
La historia es buena y el desarrollo de la trama también, el pero más grande es el cómo está editado, en realidad.
Cada dos o tres palabras se mencionaba el nombre de la protagonista, Dinah, Dinah, Dinah, y más Dinah que terminaron por hartarme y desear abandonarlo. En situaciones como está es cuándo más impotente me siento, porque en serio, la idea de la autora es increíble, y su pluma es muy creativa.
El asunto es que la editorial no le dio un buen presupuesto a su edición, porque dejó mucho que desear.
La Fantasía, los personajes y ese final me encantó. Aunque debido a esta situación con la edición, estuve en peligro de no terminarlo. Si esto también es un inconveniente para ti, te prometo que la historia es muy muy buena, solo trata de ignorar (aunque sea muy difícil lo sé) y no te arrepentirás.
Vale mucho la pena, es un giro fresco y muy creativo para el usadísimo mundo de Alicia. Una reina con un comienzo difícil, pero que en definitiva no debemos perder de vista.
July 2, 2018
Well this was a disappointment. Up until literally the last chapter.
Dinah is one hell of a spoiled brat and sadly our main character. I don’t have time for her bullshit - she’s future queen but incredibly ignorant and self centred. Oh what a journey we’re gonna go on together.
Vittoire arrives on the doorstep as her long lost sister - but all is not as it seems. That is interesting and if I read the second book I hope that is explored more as it sounds a hell of a more interesting back story than Dinah. The outside world beyond the palace also sounds very intriguing.
The last chapter saw a much better side to Dinah and I hope that chapter progression continues - but 90% of this book I literally couldn’t stand her whiny ass complaining about having to share.
Dinah is one hell of a spoiled brat and sadly our main character. I don’t have time for her bullshit - she’s future queen but incredibly ignorant and self centred. Oh what a journey we’re gonna go on together.
Vittoire arrives on the doorstep as her long lost sister - but all is not as it seems. That is interesting and if I read the second book I hope that is explored more as it sounds a hell of a more interesting back story than Dinah. The outside world beyond the palace also sounds very intriguing.
The last chapter saw a much better side to Dinah and I hope that chapter progression continues - but 90% of this book I literally couldn’t stand her whiny ass complaining about having to share.
August 24, 2018
I was just so disappointed by this book, it was so meh.
THE PLOT
This was probably my main issue. Nothing interesting happened. It was all so cliche, and even the deviations from the original Alice in Wonderland story felt boring & predictable.
ALICE was dumber than this:
(Who just randomly eats stuff?? I am still not over this stupidity). I think her name was Dinah or something weird in this book, but she had no unique or interesting qualities whatsoever, making it quite boring.
There was just nothing about this book to make it interesting. I still don't know the character names, so evidently this story won't stay with me long.
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS
I'm sorry, but, BYE!!!!!!!!
THE PLOT
This was probably my main issue. Nothing interesting happened. It was all so cliche, and even the deviations from the original Alice in Wonderland story felt boring & predictable.
ALICE was dumber than this:
(Who just randomly eats stuff?? I am still not over this stupidity). I think her name was Dinah or something weird in this book, but she had no unique or interesting qualities whatsoever, making it quite boring.
There was just nothing about this book to make it interesting. I still don't know the character names, so evidently this story won't stay with me long.
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS
I'm sorry, but, BYE!!!!!!!!
October 14, 2016
“She’ll wear a crown to keep her head!”
This was a YA fantasy story set in Wonderland.
Dinah was quite a strong-willed character, although she maybe could have been a bit smarter. The way she went around talking about her half-sister and the King was pretty bad, and she was lucky that nobody important ever overheard her.
The storyline in this took quite a while to get going, and it wasn’t until right at the end that things actually got exciting. The trip to the towers was a bit of a waste of time really as the riddles were never explained, and I expected more from Dinah really. The story was enjoyable overall though, and the action towards the end saved it a bit for me.
The ending was the best part of the book, and I’m interested to see what happens in the next book in the series.
6.5 out of 10.
June 22, 2016
Queen Of Hearts is a retelling of Alice In Wonderland and overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read and the elements from Alice In Wonderland were still present.
What I Liked :
- The world building was amazing and it was very descriptive!
- It was a very quick and short read, so if you're in a reading slump, definitely pick this book up
- The King's character ( Dinah's father ). His character was well crafted and the way he is portrayed as an " evil king " is on point.
What I Did Not Like :
- The main character, Dinah. She was just really whiny overall
- The romance was flat and weird, and there wasn't much development?
- I felt that the whole story could've just been wrapped up into a standalone and there wasn't a need for a sequel
What I Liked :
- The world building was amazing and it was very descriptive!
- It was a very quick and short read, so if you're in a reading slump, definitely pick this book up
- The King's character ( Dinah's father ). His character was well crafted and the way he is portrayed as an " evil king " is on point.
What I Did Not Like :
- The main character, Dinah. She was just really whiny overall
- The romance was flat and weird, and there wasn't much development?
- I felt that the whole story could've just been wrapped up into a standalone and there wasn't a need for a sequel
March 22, 2016
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
Book One of the Queen of Hearts Saga
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.
When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.
Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinahs furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.
Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
What I Liked:
I had no idea this was an actual retelling/story based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! For some reason, I thought this was a prequel trilogy to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Either way, I was on board with this book. I didn't know much about it beforehand (which isn't a bad thing, in this case). Obviously I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped, but it was worth my time, and I think I may read the next book (and perhaps the third) in the series.
Dinah is the crown princess of Wonderland, the next Queen of Hearts. Her mother died years ago, leaving Dinah and her mad younger brother Charles with the King of Hearts (their father, and King of Wonderland). But the King has never liked Dinah - in fact, he has always hated her. When the King introduces a complete stranger to the palace, and says that she is his daughter and a Duchess of Wonderland, Dinah cannot accept this. Her new half-sister is pretty and fragile and delicate, and not at all like Dinah (or Charles). But there is something afoot in Wonderland, and it's all coming down to Dinah's coronation as Queen.
Dinah was a hot and cold character for me - sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn't. In the very beginning, she's a bit spoiled and spineless, always afraid of her father but also trying to impress him. This is before he brings her half-sister Vittiore to the palace (fyi, I do not for a second buy this - that Vittiore is his daughter). When this happens, Dinah is pretty enraged. She absolutely hates Vittiore, especially because their father dotes on Vittiore and now openly hates Dinah. To Dinah, it's clear that Vittiore is weaseling her way into Dinah's place as Queen of Hearts. Right?
I liked Dinah more when she was enraged and ready to rip off her sister's head (sorry! It's true!). She seemed less ditsy and naive, and more aware and demanding (like a queen should be). Finally Dinah starts acting more like the queen she hopes to be, with more spine and fire. This Dinah, I liked.
I never read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, so I really can't draw parallels from the original to this story, with a few exceptions. Cheshire is Dinah's father's chief adviser, and a slimy, deceitful man. The White Rabbit is Harris, Dinah's tutor and guardian. I have no idea who Wardley would be in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but Wardley is a boy that Dinah grew up with, whom she is in love with (sadly, I'm pretty sure he thinks of her as a sister). The Mad Hatter is Charles, Dinah's younger brother. He's insane and he makes cool hats.
I think I enjoyed the story, once I got into it (that took a while though). There is an undercurrent of dread woven throughout the story, and we slowly start to see Wonderland's issues as the story goes on. I was pretty invested and rooting for Dinah more towards the end. The end is not entirely shocking, but it's not a safe and "happy" ending. We can't expect the happy ending since this is the first book in a trilogy (I think it's a trilogy?), but the ending is cliffhanger-y. Which is why I'm curious enough to want to read the next book - the cliffhanger has me hooked! Agh!
What I Did Not Like:
Things I didn't really like: at first, I didn't like Dinah. She's spoiled and naive and so clearly trying to please her father, a father that does not love or even like her. He wants her off the throne, that's for sure. I wanted to punch him! And Vittiore too - she seems innocent, but I personally think she isn't the King's daughter at all (this is my *opinion*, and not something concrete). I had been hoping that Dinah would have Vittiore meet an untimely (or perhaps timely) end! Whoops?
The beginning of this book, maybe up until fifty percent, was pretty boring. I wasn't interested, I wasn't invested, I was barely paying attention. I'm not sure it has anything to do with my not having read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but there is that. Things started to get good when Dinah had a real purpose!
Hopefully we get to see more from the romance? I'd love to see Dinah have SOMETHING positive in her life - she has it bad, from start to finish (especially at the end of this book)!
I think the King, and Vittiore, and Dinah's hatred of them (which was justified) kind of poisoned the story for a while, but once the story grew to be about more than the King and Vittiore, I started to get more invested.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhh. Well. This book was kind of meh for me. I'm giving it three stars, but I'm not sure I'd specifically recommend it. It's not that good, but it's not terrible either. If you weren't already interested, then it really might not be worth the time! The fantasy aspect is cool, and it seems like a good retelling (I can't really comment on that though, since I never read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), but ehhh. Not a life-changing or must-read book.
Rating:
3 stars. I actually think I want to read the next book - especially since it's technically already available (the first two books in the series were published by indie/small press before HarperCollins picked it up). I wonder if I could rustle up a copy of book two, somewhere on the Internet...
Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
Book One of the Queen of Hearts Saga
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.
When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.
Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinahs furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.
Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
What I Liked:
I had no idea this was an actual retelling/story based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! For some reason, I thought this was a prequel trilogy to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Either way, I was on board with this book. I didn't know much about it beforehand (which isn't a bad thing, in this case). Obviously I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped, but it was worth my time, and I think I may read the next book (and perhaps the third) in the series.
Dinah is the crown princess of Wonderland, the next Queen of Hearts. Her mother died years ago, leaving Dinah and her mad younger brother Charles with the King of Hearts (their father, and King of Wonderland). But the King has never liked Dinah - in fact, he has always hated her. When the King introduces a complete stranger to the palace, and says that she is his daughter and a Duchess of Wonderland, Dinah cannot accept this. Her new half-sister is pretty and fragile and delicate, and not at all like Dinah (or Charles). But there is something afoot in Wonderland, and it's all coming down to Dinah's coronation as Queen.
Dinah was a hot and cold character for me - sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn't. In the very beginning, she's a bit spoiled and spineless, always afraid of her father but also trying to impress him. This is before he brings her half-sister Vittiore to the palace (fyi, I do not for a second buy this - that Vittiore is his daughter). When this happens, Dinah is pretty enraged. She absolutely hates Vittiore, especially because their father dotes on Vittiore and now openly hates Dinah. To Dinah, it's clear that Vittiore is weaseling her way into Dinah's place as Queen of Hearts. Right?
I liked Dinah more when she was enraged and ready to rip off her sister's head (sorry! It's true!). She seemed less ditsy and naive, and more aware and demanding (like a queen should be). Finally Dinah starts acting more like the queen she hopes to be, with more spine and fire. This Dinah, I liked.
I never read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, so I really can't draw parallels from the original to this story, with a few exceptions. Cheshire is Dinah's father's chief adviser, and a slimy, deceitful man. The White Rabbit is Harris, Dinah's tutor and guardian. I have no idea who Wardley would be in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but Wardley is a boy that Dinah grew up with, whom she is in love with (sadly, I'm pretty sure he thinks of her as a sister). The Mad Hatter is Charles, Dinah's younger brother. He's insane and he makes cool hats.
I think I enjoyed the story, once I got into it (that took a while though). There is an undercurrent of dread woven throughout the story, and we slowly start to see Wonderland's issues as the story goes on. I was pretty invested and rooting for Dinah more towards the end. The end is not entirely shocking, but it's not a safe and "happy" ending. We can't expect the happy ending since this is the first book in a trilogy (I think it's a trilogy?), but the ending is cliffhanger-y. Which is why I'm curious enough to want to read the next book - the cliffhanger has me hooked! Agh!
What I Did Not Like:
Things I didn't really like: at first, I didn't like Dinah. She's spoiled and naive and so clearly trying to please her father, a father that does not love or even like her. He wants her off the throne, that's for sure. I wanted to punch him! And Vittiore too - she seems innocent, but I personally think she isn't the King's daughter at all (this is my *opinion*, and not something concrete). I had been hoping that Dinah would have Vittiore meet an untimely (or perhaps timely) end! Whoops?
The beginning of this book, maybe up until fifty percent, was pretty boring. I wasn't interested, I wasn't invested, I was barely paying attention. I'm not sure it has anything to do with my not having read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but there is that. Things started to get good when Dinah had a real purpose!
Hopefully we get to see more from the romance? I'd love to see Dinah have SOMETHING positive in her life - she has it bad, from start to finish (especially at the end of this book)!
I think the King, and Vittiore, and Dinah's hatred of them (which was justified) kind of poisoned the story for a while, but once the story grew to be about more than the King and Vittiore, I started to get more invested.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhh. Well. This book was kind of meh for me. I'm giving it three stars, but I'm not sure I'd specifically recommend it. It's not that good, but it's not terrible either. If you weren't already interested, then it really might not be worth the time! The fantasy aspect is cool, and it seems like a good retelling (I can't really comment on that though, since I never read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), but ehhh. Not a life-changing or must-read book.
Rating:
3 stars. I actually think I want to read the next book - especially since it's technically already available (the first two books in the series were published by indie/small press before HarperCollins picked it up). I wonder if I could rustle up a copy of book two, somewhere on the Internet...
June 29, 2016
So painful. The one lone star is for the pretty cover art.
January 29, 2014
Initial reaction: This book rocked, I loved the establishment of the characters and setting in this interesting tale in the vein of Alice in Wonderland. Dinah is a very flawed but very well developed character and I'll admit I followed her very well throughout this narrative, alongside the rest of the colorful (and some admittedly creepy) cast of characters.
Full review:
I debated a little while with my rating for this book, and decided "Whatever, this gets a solid 4.5 stars from me," with the extra half-star edging out because the story really pulled me in after a time, and I'm interested in seeing more of the environment and conflicts in this imaging of Wonderland. I don't give ratings like that often or without considering the story's impact on me - for imaginative quality, for the strength of the characterization, among other elements. There were a few things that did feel like they could've been expanded upon, but ultimately, this was fun. This is exactly the kind of retelling that's up my alley. Strong sense of conflict, intriguing characters (even if they aren't the most likable ones to follow), wonderful writing and interesting attention to players in this overarching world. Granted, Wonderland has always fascinated me, but I would never want to go there, specifically because the environment can be so twisted, you never know what's going to happen.
Especially when your viewpoint character happens to be a teenaged Queen of Hearts. Ooh, that had a lot of possibilities from the blurb in and of itself, but I'll recap briefly.
The story follows Dinah, the heir to the Wonderland throne, as she comes of age under her brutal father, with the love of a young Card soldier, with a brother who's "Mad" enough to where he can't take the throne (but whom she adores), and a number of interesting characters who provide support or opposition in various ways as she strides towards the day she will become queen.
One of the things I liked about "Queen of Hearts" is that there wasn't just one element or aspsect focused on in this respective story - there's betrayal, there's humor, there's snippets of romance, there's a whole lot of internal conflict, and layers of corruption that unravel as the story moves forward. There are many conflicts - subtle and overt - to be had in this narrative, but it's very easy to follow. Dinah herself has a temper streak and very naive view of all the complexities of Wonderland and what her respective role is in the beginning, but the narrative shows her growth. She's not always the most likable character, but she's developed so well that you can't help but follow her as she comes of age.
The environment of Wonderland is about as dark as I expected it to be, and there are quirks and interesting details that make it stand out as Dinah navigates her way through the political power plays and her father's attempts to undermine her position. She's a strong character with insecurities, but this is also a weird little narrative where it doesn't hesitate to tread on creepy territory. (Cheshire's character is rather...weird.) There are tarts and there are beheadings (sometimes both).
I really enjoyed the collective cast of characters in this narrative and watching them interact. If there were something that I wish I knew more about for conflict, it'd probably be the overarching backdrop of the war going on in Wonderland, but I suspect that might get treatment in the ongoing series. This is just the first volume and it's a treat. I'm already wondering where the narrative will go after the teaser that's included at the end here as Dinah moves forward after several harrowing events.
I loved it. I really enjoyed the journey, and definitely if you like Alice in Wonderland narratives, this is one to check into. I'm looking forward to more from Colleen Oakes respective series.
Overall score: 4.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
Full review:
I debated a little while with my rating for this book, and decided "Whatever, this gets a solid 4.5 stars from me," with the extra half-star edging out because the story really pulled me in after a time, and I'm interested in seeing more of the environment and conflicts in this imaging of Wonderland. I don't give ratings like that often or without considering the story's impact on me - for imaginative quality, for the strength of the characterization, among other elements. There were a few things that did feel like they could've been expanded upon, but ultimately, this was fun. This is exactly the kind of retelling that's up my alley. Strong sense of conflict, intriguing characters (even if they aren't the most likable ones to follow), wonderful writing and interesting attention to players in this overarching world. Granted, Wonderland has always fascinated me, but I would never want to go there, specifically because the environment can be so twisted, you never know what's going to happen.
Especially when your viewpoint character happens to be a teenaged Queen of Hearts. Ooh, that had a lot of possibilities from the blurb in and of itself, but I'll recap briefly.
The story follows Dinah, the heir to the Wonderland throne, as she comes of age under her brutal father, with the love of a young Card soldier, with a brother who's "Mad" enough to where he can't take the throne (but whom she adores), and a number of interesting characters who provide support or opposition in various ways as she strides towards the day she will become queen.
One of the things I liked about "Queen of Hearts" is that there wasn't just one element or aspsect focused on in this respective story - there's betrayal, there's humor, there's snippets of romance, there's a whole lot of internal conflict, and layers of corruption that unravel as the story moves forward. There are many conflicts - subtle and overt - to be had in this narrative, but it's very easy to follow. Dinah herself has a temper streak and very naive view of all the complexities of Wonderland and what her respective role is in the beginning, but the narrative shows her growth. She's not always the most likable character, but she's developed so well that you can't help but follow her as she comes of age.
The environment of Wonderland is about as dark as I expected it to be, and there are quirks and interesting details that make it stand out as Dinah navigates her way through the political power plays and her father's attempts to undermine her position. She's a strong character with insecurities, but this is also a weird little narrative where it doesn't hesitate to tread on creepy territory. (Cheshire's character is rather...weird.) There are tarts and there are beheadings (sometimes both).
I really enjoyed the collective cast of characters in this narrative and watching them interact. If there were something that I wish I knew more about for conflict, it'd probably be the overarching backdrop of the war going on in Wonderland, but I suspect that might get treatment in the ongoing series. This is just the first volume and it's a treat. I'm already wondering where the narrative will go after the teaser that's included at the end here as Dinah moves forward after several harrowing events.
I loved it. I really enjoyed the journey, and definitely if you like Alice in Wonderland narratives, this is one to check into. I'm looking forward to more from Colleen Oakes respective series.
Overall score: 4.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
April 3, 2016
I love all things Wonderland, so I was excited to see an origin story of sorts on the Queen. Especially since we all know what sort of queen she turns out to be.
Dinah is an interesting enough character. She's a bit more whiny than I expected her to be; however, by the end there is a bit of growth and a hint of the formidable ruler she will be. We got hints of a lot of the other characters. To me, it didn't seem like we really got to know any of them. Perhaps it was a way to show how ostracized Dinah felt?
My main complaint was there wasn't any real explanation for anything. There were a lot of random scenes and vague clues that I'm guessing will make sense in the coming books. Instead of the whimsy and imaginative set up I'm guessing they were meant to have, it felt forced and disjointed.
Overall, I think there's a lot of potential for the series. I didn't love it, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading. I will definitely be reading the next one.
**Huge thanks to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Dinah is an interesting enough character. She's a bit more whiny than I expected her to be; however, by the end there is a bit of growth and a hint of the formidable ruler she will be. We got hints of a lot of the other characters. To me, it didn't seem like we really got to know any of them. Perhaps it was a way to show how ostracized Dinah felt?
My main complaint was there wasn't any real explanation for anything. There were a lot of random scenes and vague clues that I'm guessing will make sense in the coming books. Instead of the whimsy and imaginative set up I'm guessing they were meant to have, it felt forced and disjointed.
Overall, I think there's a lot of potential for the series. I didn't love it, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading. I will definitely be reading the next one.
**Huge thanks to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
July 25, 2016
OKAY DAMN HELL I WROTE THIS REVIEW AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY CLOSED THE TAB FML.
Will rewrite later, let me simmer in the emotional pain of having a thousand words disappear before your eyes. Many tears were shed.
Regardless, I've rewritten my review, albeit it's a bit shorter and more concise considering how difficult it is to summon motivation when repeating work.
** edit: start
3 stars
Anyway here we go!
First, let me just say how much I love the concept. Queen of Hearts is traditionally one of the most complex characters in literature, because of her phenomenal mix of pure cruelty and stark ridiculousness. However to show how she came to become such a person is quite a story indeed, and certainly one that intrigued me.
It’s nicely written as well. The descriptions are strong without overpowering you. There could have been a bit more imagery regarding Wonderland’s beauty, considering readers are probably looking for that, and the book is short enough that more could have been put in.
Retelling:
I definitely thought Queen of Hearts stayed true to the spirit and original ideas of Wonderland. While not quite as lyrical, it gives us another glimpse into that beloved land, while also painting it in a darker, more malicious light. We're thrown back into a world of hats and tarts and cards and flamingos and mucho, mucho beheadings.
Plot:
Our story starts out with Dinah, Princess and future Queen of Wonderland, in her teenage years. She’s certainly no passive maiden, because she’s constantly opposing those who stand in her way, as well as making sure she exercises her power as Princess. Dinah’s relationship to her father, the King, has become even more strained in the last few years, with the King ignoring her as his daughter.
But their relationship decays past the point of no return when he reveals that he had an affair while he was still married to Dinah’s mother, the late Queen, and introduces his bastard daughter, Vittiore. Vittiore is innocent and beautiful, with golden blond hair blonde and a disposition as sweet as sugar.
Dinah, however, despises her.
As Dinah’s coronation comes closer and closer, the King’s behaviour becomes more violent, inflicting terrible emotional and physical abuse on Dinah and showing Vittiore with kindness and love. As a result, Dinah turns bitter and angry, isolating herself from her father and half-sister. Streaks of her father’s hot-temper show through, and she becomes even more demanding of her subjects, and we catch a glimpse of the tyrant she is soon to become. The tension builds as Dinah becomes aware of the dark secrets that lurk through the Palace, becoming unsure of her safety, wondering who she can trust.
Characters:
Like I said, Dinah is complex. At the beginning, she’s nothing more than a naïve child, desperate trying to make a good impression on court life. But as she grows older, bolder, you begin to root for her because she’s strong and spirited, and her situation is so horribly unfair. There are times, though, when she’s strongly dislikable - she can be startlingly cold and determined to be brutal; ever aware of her future duty as Queen. Nevertheless, we are on Dinah’s side for a large majority of the time, especially as things in the palace start to heat up.
The love interest in the book isn’t very prominent – which is a relief. Dinah is in love, but with someone she considers her best friend, and therefore the relationship is fairly platonic. Wardley acts as a companion, which is a nice change from the love triangle or forbidden love trope that plagues YA fiction.
My favorite character was Charles.
Qualms:
There were things I didn’t like. I felt like although Dinah was smart, she was slow. It was like she was happy to blissfully ignore any of the things that were happening around her;
I also felt like the prologue was great; love the dripping blood and the shrill “Off with her head!” However. For that huge degree of blunt foreshadowing, where we know what is to happen, not many answers were given in the book. To be honest, the only thing that is ever concretely solved is the fact that And considering the book is such a light read (205 pages) that certainly could have been fitted in. I felt like it was held back for the next book, which isn’t bad, but can certainly be annoying to some readers.
So, certainly an okay start to a series. If indeed the answers have been withheld to the second book, then I think the true value of this book will be realized once we see where the whole series is going.
Will rewrite later, let me simmer in the emotional pain of having a thousand words disappear before your eyes. Many tears were shed.
Regardless, I've rewritten my review, albeit it's a bit shorter and more concise considering how difficult it is to summon motivation when repeating work.
** edit: start
3 stars
Anyway here we go!
First, let me just say how much I love the concept. Queen of Hearts is traditionally one of the most complex characters in literature, because of her phenomenal mix of pure cruelty and stark ridiculousness. However to show how she came to become such a person is quite a story indeed, and certainly one that intrigued me.
It’s nicely written as well. The descriptions are strong without overpowering you. There could have been a bit more imagery regarding Wonderland’s beauty, considering readers are probably looking for that, and the book is short enough that more could have been put in.
Retelling:
I definitely thought Queen of Hearts stayed true to the spirit and original ideas of Wonderland. While not quite as lyrical, it gives us another glimpse into that beloved land, while also painting it in a darker, more malicious light. We're thrown back into a world of hats and tarts and cards and flamingos and mucho, mucho beheadings.
Plot:
Our story starts out with Dinah, Princess and future Queen of Wonderland, in her teenage years. She’s certainly no passive maiden, because she’s constantly opposing those who stand in her way, as well as making sure she exercises her power as Princess. Dinah’s relationship to her father, the King, has become even more strained in the last few years, with the King ignoring her as his daughter.
But their relationship decays past the point of no return when he reveals that he had an affair while he was still married to Dinah’s mother, the late Queen, and introduces his bastard daughter, Vittiore. Vittiore is innocent and beautiful, with golden blond hair blonde and a disposition as sweet as sugar.
Dinah, however, despises her.
As Dinah’s coronation comes closer and closer, the King’s behaviour becomes more violent, inflicting terrible emotional and physical abuse on Dinah and showing Vittiore with kindness and love. As a result, Dinah turns bitter and angry, isolating herself from her father and half-sister. Streaks of her father’s hot-temper show through, and she becomes even more demanding of her subjects, and we catch a glimpse of the tyrant she is soon to become. The tension builds as Dinah becomes aware of the dark secrets that lurk through the Palace, becoming unsure of her safety, wondering who she can trust.
Characters:
Like I said, Dinah is complex. At the beginning, she’s nothing more than a naïve child, desperate trying to make a good impression on court life. But as she grows older, bolder, you begin to root for her because she’s strong and spirited, and her situation is so horribly unfair. There are times, though, when she’s strongly dislikable - she can be startlingly cold and determined to be brutal; ever aware of her future duty as Queen. Nevertheless, we are on Dinah’s side for a large majority of the time, especially as things in the palace start to heat up.
The love interest in the book isn’t very prominent – which is a relief. Dinah is in love, but with someone she considers her best friend, and therefore the relationship is fairly platonic. Wardley acts as a companion, which is a nice change from the love triangle or forbidden love trope that plagues YA fiction.
My favorite character was Charles.
Qualms:
There were things I didn’t like. I felt like although Dinah was smart, she was slow. It was like she was happy to blissfully ignore any of the things that were happening around her;
I also felt like the prologue was great; love the dripping blood and the shrill “Off with her head!” However. For that huge degree of blunt foreshadowing, where we know what is to happen, not many answers were given in the book. To be honest, the only thing that is ever concretely solved is the fact that And considering the book is such a light read (205 pages) that certainly could have been fitted in. I felt like it was held back for the next book, which isn’t bad, but can certainly be annoying to some readers.
So, certainly an okay start to a series. If indeed the answers have been withheld to the second book, then I think the true value of this book will be realized once we see where the whole series is going.
March 9, 2018
3.5/5
I think I liked this more the last time I read it. The first time I was quite bored the whole time (and annoyed with Dinah), the second time I enjoyed it more, but this third time I was really annoyed with Dinah again. I did like looking back on some of the things leading up to twists in the second one, but I'm honestly pretty glad that I have the third one now and I have no reason to reread these again. I enjoyed it, but I can't see myself picking up this series again after I'm finished.
I think I liked this more the last time I read it. The first time I was quite bored the whole time (and annoyed with Dinah), the second time I enjoyed it more, but this third time I was really annoyed with Dinah again. I did like looking back on some of the things leading up to twists in the second one, but I'm honestly pretty glad that I have the third one now and I have no reason to reread these again. I enjoyed it, but I can't see myself picking up this series again after I'm finished.
April 15, 2016
Going into Queen of Hearts, I had high expectations. There is so much potential, so much to work with if you're writing an Alice in Wonderland retelling. I was especially excited because it was from the POV of the Queen of Hearts herself, and I was expecting a badass female character that rivaled Cersei Lannister. I also expected quirky side characters and a really colorful plot. Alas, I didn't get any of these things. In fact, I spent most of the book waiting for something to happen.
And nothing did! There were a lot of little things going on throughout the plot, such as Dinah's abusive relationship with her father—The King of Hearts, plus the story's one-sided romance, and a dark secret within the castle itself. And yet, I was not given any concrete details to understand any of these things. They were just . . . there. I had no idea which details were significant and which were not. By the time I reached the really dramatic end, I simply didn't care, and I was happy that I was done with this book.
Read my full review of Queen of Hearts
And nothing did! There were a lot of little things going on throughout the plot, such as Dinah's abusive relationship with her father—The King of Hearts, plus the story's one-sided romance, and a dark secret within the castle itself. And yet, I was not given any concrete details to understand any of these things. They were just . . . there. I had no idea which details were significant and which were not. By the time I reached the really dramatic end, I simply didn't care, and I was happy that I was done with this book.
Read my full review of Queen of Hearts
July 9, 2019
I have wanted to read Queen of Hearts ever since I knew of its existence. When I saw that Colleen Oakes was going to be at Denver Pop Culture Con, I knew now was the time to finally pick up my dusty book and give it a read. I was already reading a physical book, so I opted to listen to the book instead and spent an audible credit on Queen of Hearts. The narrator was genuinely excellent and brought the book to life.
Something that I loved about this book was that we got to read an origin story for the Queen of Hearts. I liked that I sympathized with her and genuinely cared about her as well. It was a strange experience to care for the villain of Alice in Wonderland. The characters were well done though at times I found Dinah a little too whiney. I would have loved for her to pick up on some of the clues she received as well.
Something else that didn't sit right with me was how dark the book was. I knew that this was going to be dark, but I didn't expect it to be so dark that it would make me shudder at moments. Queen of Hearts is not for the faint of heart, and at times it verged into more of the horror genre.
Even though it was a little too horror-y to me, I enjoyed the book. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. This will be the perfect book for teens and adults who want to get a feel for the horror genre without jumping into the pool. It's dark, twisty, and sure to keep you entertained.
Something that I loved about this book was that we got to read an origin story for the Queen of Hearts. I liked that I sympathized with her and genuinely cared about her as well. It was a strange experience to care for the villain of Alice in Wonderland. The characters were well done though at times I found Dinah a little too whiney. I would have loved for her to pick up on some of the clues she received as well.
Something else that didn't sit right with me was how dark the book was. I knew that this was going to be dark, but I didn't expect it to be so dark that it would make me shudder at moments. Queen of Hearts is not for the faint of heart, and at times it verged into more of the horror genre.
Even though it was a little too horror-y to me, I enjoyed the book. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. This will be the perfect book for teens and adults who want to get a feel for the horror genre without jumping into the pool. It's dark, twisty, and sure to keep you entertained.
August 10, 2021
•fast-paced but boring.
•characters were interesting but not that characters you’ll somehow get obsessed to.
•the romance was somewhere between yay and nah. There were times in where they have connections but most of the time, zero!
•plot was okay...bearable, I guess.
•this is a type of novel in where after you finished reading it, you’ll read another different book immediately. In short, this novel failed to give me book hangover.
•the climax and the ending felt like a rising action.
•the novel was so short. I swear.
•perhaps the only reason reason why I bought it was because I freakin’ luv the cover!
•tsk tsk, covers can be deceiving, indeed.
•characters were interesting but not that characters you’ll somehow get obsessed to.
•the romance was somewhere between yay and nah. There were times in where they have connections but most of the time, zero!
•plot was okay...bearable, I guess.
•this is a type of novel in where after you finished reading it, you’ll read another different book immediately. In short, this novel failed to give me book hangover.
•the climax and the ending felt like a rising action.
•the novel was so short. I swear.
•perhaps the only reason reason why I bought it was because I freakin’ luv the cover!
•tsk tsk, covers can be deceiving, indeed.
April 1, 2020
I bought this book, because of a review I read here and it was absolutely fantastic!
February 14, 2014
4.5 stars
Arc provided by SparkPress (a Book Sparks imprint) through Netgalley
A very promising beginning to a very addictive series featuring Dinah, the future Queen of Hearts, immortalized by Lewis Carroll imagination, in Alice in Wonderland.
What can i say about this book without giving any sort of spoilers?
This is the story of a princess, who doesn't live a fairy tale. She lives in a fairy tale scenario. But her life mostly resembles a nightmare.
This is the story of the princess destined to be Queen, alongside her father, _ the King _ upon the occasion of her eighteen year birthday. Unfortunately things won't be that linear...
There are dangers and enemies all around her, being Cheshire _the king adviser _ the most dangerous of them. ( But in this story, he is not a cat...)
If it wasn't for a few servants, a single friend and her brother, Charles, the Mad Hatter she wouldn't have anyone.
Forced to control and disguise what she thinks and feels, Dinah lives a constant life of fear.
Let me tell you about the writing...
It flows in such a smooth way, that if you have the time, you'll probably end up reading it in one single flow!
I Know it! Because i kept counting the minutes until i could return to this cruel, but even so, addictive world!!
Through a span of years, we see how the naive girl_ of the beginning of the story_ will turn out into a fierce woman ready to do what is needed, for the sake of her kingdom.
I absolutely ended up loving Dinah. And i honestly wasn't expecting it!
I loved to see her transformation, into a responsible woman. Although we can already see how everything that she goes through, is already leaving a mark on her mind...
I honestly don't even know if this book can be seen as young adult. There' so many horrific details in the story, that after a while i wasn't even sure if i still reading a ya retelling.
More like a Game of Thrones meets Wonderland, retelling!
For those of you, you may be wondering about the existence of not, of a romance (lol)....well, not really..
Dinah do thinks herself in love with someone...but i don't know _ and honestly, i couldn't care less! Because that's such a small part of the story, when so many things are happening!
Heads are literally being cut! There's a horrific building in which people are being tortured! Dinah is fighting for her life!!
I'm so glad that the romance isn't a big part of this.
Now i'll just have to wait and see/read what is going to happen next!!
Hopefully the waiting for "Wendy Darling" (the second book) won't take too much!!
Please, don't let it take too long !! O_O
So, do give this a try!! Apparently it's going to be released on Valentine's day. So if you don't know what to get to your *book obsessed* love of your life, here's a suggestion!! ;)
Myself, i'll continue searching for a place to buy (pre-order) this!!!
This better appear for sale on a place where i can buy it!!
Bookdepository..
Wook...
Fnac....
Arc provided by SparkPress (a Book Sparks imprint) through Netgalley
A very promising beginning to a very addictive series featuring Dinah, the future Queen of Hearts, immortalized by Lewis Carroll imagination, in Alice in Wonderland.
What can i say about this book without giving any sort of spoilers?
This is the story of a princess, who doesn't live a fairy tale. She lives in a fairy tale scenario. But her life mostly resembles a nightmare.
This is the story of the princess destined to be Queen, alongside her father, _ the King _ upon the occasion of her eighteen year birthday. Unfortunately things won't be that linear...
There are dangers and enemies all around her, being Cheshire _the king adviser _ the most dangerous of them. ( But in this story, he is not a cat...)
If it wasn't for a few servants, a single friend and her brother, Charles, the Mad Hatter she wouldn't have anyone.
Forced to control and disguise what she thinks and feels, Dinah lives a constant life of fear.
Let me tell you about the writing...
It flows in such a smooth way, that if you have the time, you'll probably end up reading it in one single flow!
I Know it! Because i kept counting the minutes until i could return to this cruel, but even so, addictive world!!
Through a span of years, we see how the naive girl_ of the beginning of the story_ will turn out into a fierce woman ready to do what is needed, for the sake of her kingdom.
I absolutely ended up loving Dinah. And i honestly wasn't expecting it!
I loved to see her transformation, into a responsible woman. Although we can already see how everything that she goes through, is already leaving a mark on her mind...
I honestly don't even know if this book can be seen as young adult. There' so many horrific details in the story, that after a while i wasn't even sure if i still reading a ya retelling.
More like a Game of Thrones meets Wonderland, retelling!
For those of you, you may be wondering about the existence of not, of a romance (lol)....well, not really..
Dinah do thinks herself in love with someone...but i don't know _ and honestly, i couldn't care less! Because that's such a small part of the story, when so many things are happening!
Heads are literally being cut! There's a horrific building in which people are being tortured! Dinah is fighting for her life!!
I'm so glad that the romance isn't a big part of this.
Now i'll just have to wait and see/read what is going to happen next!!
Hopefully the waiting for "Wendy Darling" (the second book) won't take too much!!
Please, don't let it take too long !! O_O
So, do give this a try!! Apparently it's going to be released on Valentine's day. So if you don't know what to get to your *book obsessed* love of your life, here's a suggestion!! ;)
Myself, i'll continue searching for a place to buy (pre-order) this!!!
This better appear for sale on a place where i can buy it!!
Bookdepository..
Wook...
Fnac....
April 16, 2019
I didn't know if I would enjoy this or not. While I generally do like retellings this one was iffy from the beginning. It was surprisingly delightful. It held my interest throughout and I am very eager to read more.
February 22, 2024
love me a queen of hearts retelling
September 12, 2017
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this enough to check out the second book in the trilogy blood of wonderland
I enjoyed this enough to check out the second book in the trilogy blood of wonderland
July 14, 2021
So my average again would be 2.5💀 But I’m giving it a 2.9 because I still loved the plot.
Setting- 7/10
Characters- 5/10
Plot- 8/10
Romance- 2/10
Writing- 3/10
It’s got me intrigued for the next two books though👀 so I’m confused.
The characters were pretty weak. Not very interesting. Not much personality. Though I love Charles😭
Charles is the retelling of the Mad Hatter! He is also Dinah’s brother👀 I loved the way the OG characters tied into this story.
Cheshire was a man basically the Kong’s left hand man. The Mad Hatter is the future queen of hearts brother. Alice is basically Dinah’s step sister. And the white rabbit was Dinah’s personal servant.
I thought I would fall in love with Cheshire but he had like 3-4 scenes so...disappointed.
I didn’t really care for our MC. And like I’ve said, I’m character driven. She was pretty bland. And cringe sometimes. She was riding a huge horse for the first time and says, “When I die today at least I can know what it feels like to fly.” Like girl💀 that ain’t how it feels to fly. Not that I would know. But I’ve ridden a horse😅
The world and settings I LOVED. because it’s wonderland so what’s not to love👀 The dungeon place (whatever it’s called) really got me interested😌 it was like a jail/torture chamber and made it feel actually interesting😂
The writing was probably the worst of the book. It felt simple and very weak. Not interesting, not descriptive, not enjoyable. So that really narrowed it down. It just felt so boring and I hated that.
The PLOT however😌👀 I really enjoyed the plot and it was so fascinating and it would’ve been so great if the characters and writing were better. The thing is it’s actually got a bit of a mystery🧐
And I had so many unanswered questions so that’s why I’m really intrigued for the sequel...hoping it gets better!
Setting- 7/10
Characters- 5/10
Plot- 8/10
Romance- 2/10
Writing- 3/10
It’s got me intrigued for the next two books though👀 so I’m confused.
The characters were pretty weak. Not very interesting. Not much personality. Though I love Charles😭
Charles is the retelling of the Mad Hatter! He is also Dinah’s brother👀 I loved the way the OG characters tied into this story.
Cheshire was a man basically the Kong’s left hand man. The Mad Hatter is the future queen of hearts brother. Alice is basically Dinah’s step sister. And the white rabbit was Dinah’s personal servant.
I thought I would fall in love with Cheshire but he had like 3-4 scenes so...disappointed.
I didn’t really care for our MC. And like I’ve said, I’m character driven. She was pretty bland. And cringe sometimes. She was riding a huge horse for the first time and says, “When I die today at least I can know what it feels like to fly.” Like girl💀 that ain’t how it feels to fly. Not that I would know. But I’ve ridden a horse😅
The world and settings I LOVED. because it’s wonderland so what’s not to love👀 The dungeon place (whatever it’s called) really got me interested😌 it was like a jail/torture chamber and made it feel actually interesting😂
The writing was probably the worst of the book. It felt simple and very weak. Not interesting, not descriptive, not enjoyable. So that really narrowed it down. It just felt so boring and I hated that.
The PLOT however😌👀 I really enjoyed the plot and it was so fascinating and it would’ve been so great if the characters and writing were better. The thing is it’s actually got a bit of a mystery🧐
And I had so many unanswered questions so that’s why I’m really intrigued for the sequel...hoping it gets better!
March 22, 2016
Full review here: https://bookidote.wordpress.com/2016/...
Amazing retelling of the Queen of hearts story! I enjoyed this book so much because the Alice in Wonderland references were on point ! The author plays on words and pictures and it was perfect! However, a lot of plotholes and questions are left.. Definetely looking toward the sequel!
Trang-Book Blogger and Book reviewer
http://bookidote.wordpress.com
July 27, 2022
Alice and Wonderland retellings are always...meh, but Queen of Hearts? Always fascinating!
This was no exception. Full of deceit and terror and morally gray characters, this was a fantastic first book!
This was no exception. Full of deceit and terror and morally gray characters, this was a fantastic first book!
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