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The Looking Glass Wars #2
Seeing Redd
Alyss of Wonderland's rule has only just begun, and already those who prefer chaos to peace are threatening to destroy everything worth imagining. Trailed by newly appointed royal bodyguard Homburg Molly, Alyss is doing her best to keep pace with the non-stop demands of being queen while attempting to evade Molly for a few private moments with Dodge.
Alyss' life is a challenging mix of duty, love, and tough decisions, and then a series of phantom sightings set fire to an urban myth of Her Imperial Viciousness' return and have everyone... seeing Redd.
Has Redd somehow freed herself and her chief assassin, The Cat, from the confines of the Heart Crystal? If not, then who has resurrected Redd's brutal foot soldiers the Glass Eyes and set them loose to attack Wonderland on all sides?
Battles rage, looking glasses explode, and the Alyssians once again unite to defend White Imagination in this fast-paced follow-up to the New York Times best-selling The Looking Glass Wars.
Alyss' life is a challenging mix of duty, love, and tough decisions, and then a series of phantom sightings set fire to an urban myth of Her Imperial Viciousness' return and have everyone... seeing Redd.
Has Redd somehow freed herself and her chief assassin, The Cat, from the confines of the Heart Crystal? If not, then who has resurrected Redd's brutal foot soldiers the Glass Eyes and set them loose to attack Wonderland on all sides?
Battles rage, looking glasses explode, and the Alyssians once again unite to defend White Imagination in this fast-paced follow-up to the New York Times best-selling The Looking Glass Wars.
371 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2007
About the author
Frank Beddor
26 books1,533 followersLiterary Sleuth and world creator Frank Beddor dared to expose the true story of Wonderland in the New York Times bestselling young adult trilogy The Looking Glass Wars. To satisfy the awakened curiosity of his readers he continued to tell the parallel adventures of Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan’s search for the lost princess in the graphic novel series Hatter M. He lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,238 reviews
September 18, 2007
The problem with Beddor's books is that he's created a world so wonderful, so fantastic, and then he doesn't give you enough. Alyss, barely a character in Looking-Glass Wars, really, is not all that more intriguing here. She's growing into a strong queen, but we have no real sense of her as a character. Redd is frankly cartoonish. And many of the oft-mentioned creatures of Wonderland are never described. What's a gwormmy? A spirit-dane? Anyone? Anyone? Despite this I still couldn't put the book down.
January 25, 2010
I liked The Looking Glass Wars enough to really want to like this sequel, as well. But unfortunately, all of Beddor's flaws in book 1 are even more present in Seeing Redd.
In this sequel, Alyss Heart is now queen of Wonderland, but she's got her hands full -- King Arch in neighboring Boarderland is plotting against her and has kidnapped Homburg Molly. Redd and her assassin The Cat have escaped to earth through the Crystal (by means not fully explained) where they're wreaking havoc and amassing an army. Hatter Madigan stumbles on some very personal secrets and sets about to make amends. And Dodge and Alyss struggle with balancing her responsibilities, his bitterness, and their respective obligations while admitting their affections for each other.
All of these plot twists have the making for an excellent story -- I was thrilled to see more time given to Hatter especially -- but it fell short, again, in poorly executed descriptions. There was SO much time given to Redd and Arch, and so much less to Alyss and her allies, which wouldn't have been so bad if that time had covered something interesting. But Arch and Redd are shallow, textbook villains, spouting ridiculously corny lines and plotting in predictable ways (for a truly excellent spoof of this fantasy pitfall, check out Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog). And when we do see the good guys, the storyline is a bit of a mess. Homburg Molly, who was endearing in book 1 because of her pluck and verve, is reduced to a zero-action existence as a captive in Arch's encampment. Hatter's big discovery and subsequent reunions and interactions around it don't really go anywhere exciting (I can't say more without giving away plot, but after all the build-up about his deep, hidden emotions, the actual fell pretty flat). Dodge and Alyss start some interesting conversations about what it means to love and protect someone against their own self-hatred and bitterness, but again, the theme is left undeveloped while the plot turns to repeated vague descriptions of combat. I still don't know what a spirit-dane is, although thankfully I could actually read the map in book 2. And when will that rook be given an actual name???
But I admit, I'll tough this out for book 3, simply because the story is creative, and hope Beddor improves.
In this sequel, Alyss Heart is now queen of Wonderland, but she's got her hands full -- King Arch in neighboring Boarderland is plotting against her and has kidnapped Homburg Molly. Redd and her assassin The Cat have escaped to earth through the Crystal (by means not fully explained) where they're wreaking havoc and amassing an army. Hatter Madigan stumbles on some very personal secrets and sets about to make amends. And Dodge and Alyss struggle with balancing her responsibilities, his bitterness, and their respective obligations while admitting their affections for each other.
All of these plot twists have the making for an excellent story -- I was thrilled to see more time given to Hatter especially -- but it fell short, again, in poorly executed descriptions. There was SO much time given to Redd and Arch, and so much less to Alyss and her allies, which wouldn't have been so bad if that time had covered something interesting. But Arch and Redd are shallow, textbook villains, spouting ridiculously corny lines and plotting in predictable ways (for a truly excellent spoof of this fantasy pitfall, check out Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog). And when we do see the good guys, the storyline is a bit of a mess. Homburg Molly, who was endearing in book 1 because of her pluck and verve, is reduced to a zero-action existence as a captive in Arch's encampment. Hatter's big discovery and subsequent reunions and interactions around it don't really go anywhere exciting (I can't say more without giving away plot, but after all the build-up about his deep, hidden emotions, the actual fell pretty flat). Dodge and Alyss start some interesting conversations about what it means to love and protect someone against their own self-hatred and bitterness, but again, the theme is left undeveloped while the plot turns to repeated vague descriptions of combat. I still don't know what a spirit-dane is, although thankfully I could actually read the map in book 2. And when will that rook be given an actual name???
But I admit, I'll tough this out for book 3, simply because the story is creative, and hope Beddor improves.
March 20, 2014
This is the sequel to The Looking Glass Wars.
Redd has been banished from Wonderland. She is determined to find her way back to her world by any means necessary. Alyss is the new queen who has much to learn about ruling. And a new enemy is making his move. King Arch of Borderlands is determined to have wonderland for himself. He reeks havoc and even kidnaps Molly.
Once again, Frank Beddor has done am amazing job of recreating the magical realm of Wonderland. All the favorites from the last book plus some new faces. Hatter continues to remain my favorite character of the story. We get a lot of insight on Redd and learn a lot about Arch. We also make progress getting to know Molly and Dodge. However, I feel as though Alyss was a bit stagnant in this volume.
Seeing Redd is darker than the last. The villains are nastier than before, and smarter. The book also plays on a more political playing field at times. A full scale war involving the Caterpillars, Wonderlanders, Borderlanders, and men of earth clash in this next installment to the series.
Again, I loved the character growth and backround information we get here. There were a few dull moments in the book where the pace seems to die off briefly but is quickly back to normal. Overall, a very enjoyable, magical adventure for any with Imagination!
Redd has been banished from Wonderland. She is determined to find her way back to her world by any means necessary. Alyss is the new queen who has much to learn about ruling. And a new enemy is making his move. King Arch of Borderlands is determined to have wonderland for himself. He reeks havoc and even kidnaps Molly.
Once again, Frank Beddor has done am amazing job of recreating the magical realm of Wonderland. All the favorites from the last book plus some new faces. Hatter continues to remain my favorite character of the story. We get a lot of insight on Redd and learn a lot about Arch. We also make progress getting to know Molly and Dodge. However, I feel as though Alyss was a bit stagnant in this volume.
Seeing Redd is darker than the last. The villains are nastier than before, and smarter. The book also plays on a more political playing field at times. A full scale war involving the Caterpillars, Wonderlanders, Borderlanders, and men of earth clash in this next installment to the series.
Again, I loved the character growth and backround information we get here. There were a few dull moments in the book where the pace seems to die off briefly but is quickly back to normal. Overall, a very enjoyable, magical adventure for any with Imagination!
March 5, 2009
I am not going to lie, I liked this book much better than the first. Something about it was so much more interesting, so indefinably more plot oriented, that I just couldn't help but like it more.
By the way, Hatter Madigan is still the bomb.
One of the reasons I think I like t so much better is because of Redd. She is just such a good villain, cruel, merciless...everything a good reader could want. I find nothing more enjoyable than a bad guy who thinks everything else is below them. It's an odd characteristic to be sure, but the better the antagonist is, the more interesting the book will be, since the main character(s) will have to work that much harder to defeat him or her.
I also enjoyed King Arch's position in the story. He pulled strings and made me want to yell at the main characters for not suspecting him (another good quality in a well made villain, though of course he was no match for Redd). Also, his extremely sexist attitude, though annoying, made his character so different from many fantasy kings. Usually in a world such as this, the author eliminates sexist attitudes because the women have so much to offer. Not Arch. He looks down at women, even after having Redd as his neighbor for thirteen years. It is amusing, in a way, how this stupidity both defines and weakens his character.
The good guys as well were marginally more interesting this time around. Alyss, Dodge, Molly (though I really wish we had gotten to see more of her); even Bibwit seemed like a little less of a snob. It was excellent.
By the way, Hatter Madigan is still the bomb.
One of the reasons I think I like t so much better is because of Redd. She is just such a good villain, cruel, merciless...everything a good reader could want. I find nothing more enjoyable than a bad guy who thinks everything else is below them. It's an odd characteristic to be sure, but the better the antagonist is, the more interesting the book will be, since the main character(s) will have to work that much harder to defeat him or her.
I also enjoyed King Arch's position in the story. He pulled strings and made me want to yell at the main characters for not suspecting him (another good quality in a well made villain, though of course he was no match for Redd). Also, his extremely sexist attitude, though annoying, made his character so different from many fantasy kings. Usually in a world such as this, the author eliminates sexist attitudes because the women have so much to offer. Not Arch. He looks down at women, even after having Redd as his neighbor for thirteen years. It is amusing, in a way, how this stupidity both defines and weakens his character.
The good guys as well were marginally more interesting this time around. Alyss, Dodge, Molly (though I really wish we had gotten to see more of her); even Bibwit seemed like a little less of a snob. It was excellent.
December 12, 2007
I found out about this "2nd in a triology" and I was very intrigued by the concept: factions fighting for control of an actual Wonderland, complete with card soldiers and caterpillars, the whole works.
But the author just can't handle more than plot-driven writing. Vivid descriptions of the beauty of wonderland are mixed with leaded prose that practically screams "pay attention: plot point." I didn't even bother to finish, even after giving the 1st book in this series a shot.
This sequel will probably also make a good movie, one where I fully believe a competent director could actually improve upon the source material.
But the author just can't handle more than plot-driven writing. Vivid descriptions of the beauty of wonderland are mixed with leaded prose that practically screams "pay attention: plot point." I didn't even bother to finish, even after giving the 1st book in this series a shot.
This sequel will probably also make a good movie, one where I fully believe a competent director could actually improve upon the source material.
September 12, 2019
I didn't like this book as much as the first, in large part because it feels almost like a place holder to get everyone back in the game before the final confrontation. Really this book is more about Hatter and his issues than about Alyss and her battle with her aunt. It takes Redd most of the book to get back to Wonderland and Arch is thrown in as this temporary villain to cause problems until Redd can get there.
That being said I do like this take on Wonderland and I felt for Hatter in this book. I wish we'd gotten more of a talk between Hatter and Homburg Molly with all that was revealed about them. But then again their storyline for as much as it took up of the book, felt short cheated in some ways.
Still I'm looking forward to reading the last book and finally completing this series. There was a lot in this one that I didn't remember so I'm glad I reread it prior to picking up the last book in the series.
That being said I do like this take on Wonderland and I felt for Hatter in this book. I wish we'd gotten more of a talk between Hatter and Homburg Molly with all that was revealed about them. But then again their storyline for as much as it took up of the book, felt short cheated in some ways.
Still I'm looking forward to reading the last book and finally completing this series. There was a lot in this one that I didn't remember so I'm glad I reread it prior to picking up the last book in the series.
October 6, 2008
Ah, Alyss and Wonderland. I first jumped down Beddor's rabbit hole with the Hatter M comics and shortly after that with The Looking Glass Wars. I had just finished reading the 'original' Alice stories by Carroll and had that imagery fresh in my head. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and had a lot of fun with the new and very creative interpretation of the Wonderland world and the characters and interactions found there. Snippets of Beddor's writing style bugged me a little bit, but I got used to them.
In Seeing Redd, the second book in the Looking Glass saga, I wasn't quite as happily fulfilled. The first book, while it had a handful of issues like most books do, was a tightly woven story with compelling characters and a great story arc. While it obviously left itself open for the potential of a continuing saga, it also tied up most loose ends and left us with a very fulfilling and happy place to leave Alyss and her friends. The second book did not tie things up neatly. Normally that wouldn't be a problem for me. Some of my favorite books have been members of a series and often ended with wildly dramatic cliffhangers.
So what is different about Seeing Redd that leaves me unhappily unsettled? The problem, as I see it, is that the tone and styling of the novel seemed almost ignorant to the fact that it was leaving so much in the air by its end. The writing seemed to believe that everything was going to tie itself off nicely by the end of the final page. Rather than identifying and exposing the suspense of the loose threads, the novel practically disavowed their existence.
In the first book, I found myself turning pages faster and faster as I neared the end and as I did so, I was growing more and more nervous that the author wasn't going to have time to wrap things up. In the first book, the action took on a rip-roaring pace to finish things up neatly in a short amount of time. It moved quickly but didn't become disorienting.
As I neared the end of book two, I was again nervous that things weren't going to wrap up, but I recalled my previous experience and trusted the author to leave me with a satisfactory ending because I had no suggestions from the text that there would be any sort of suspenseful interlude between book 2 and book 3.
As the climax of the final battle wound down, I realized that I was in fact going to have to wait until book 3 for any additional conclusion. I wasn't left with a cliffhanger or any sort of major suspense. Rather, the resulting finish left me in a state of confusion. Most of the major action of book 2 had been nullified completely. There were a few alliances made which could be utilized in future stories. There were some intriguing actions that needed to be re-explored (like the kidnapping of a certain author), but for the most part, I feel like I could probably jump right into book 3 without ever reading book 2 and it's not likely that I would miss anything that a single chapter couldn't recap ("Character X aligns with Character Y. Characters A and B are betrayed and killed by Character X.", etc.).
Still, I am absolutely enjoying this world and the stories and imagination in this new Wonderland. I look forward to the new adventures. Despite my complaints above, I truly did enjoy this book and had a lot of fun with the characters and their struggles and triumphs. I just would have preferred the book to either be more adept in 'wrapping things up' or in adequately portraying a sense of suspense and anticipation for things to come. The current ending left me in a bit of a stupor.
***
2 1/2 stars
In Seeing Redd, the second book in the Looking Glass saga, I wasn't quite as happily fulfilled. The first book, while it had a handful of issues like most books do, was a tightly woven story with compelling characters and a great story arc. While it obviously left itself open for the potential of a continuing saga, it also tied up most loose ends and left us with a very fulfilling and happy place to leave Alyss and her friends. The second book did not tie things up neatly. Normally that wouldn't be a problem for me. Some of my favorite books have been members of a series and often ended with wildly dramatic cliffhangers.
So what is different about Seeing Redd that leaves me unhappily unsettled? The problem, as I see it, is that the tone and styling of the novel seemed almost ignorant to the fact that it was leaving so much in the air by its end. The writing seemed to believe that everything was going to tie itself off nicely by the end of the final page. Rather than identifying and exposing the suspense of the loose threads, the novel practically disavowed their existence.
In the first book, I found myself turning pages faster and faster as I neared the end and as I did so, I was growing more and more nervous that the author wasn't going to have time to wrap things up. In the first book, the action took on a rip-roaring pace to finish things up neatly in a short amount of time. It moved quickly but didn't become disorienting.
As I neared the end of book two, I was again nervous that things weren't going to wrap up, but I recalled my previous experience and trusted the author to leave me with a satisfactory ending because I had no suggestions from the text that there would be any sort of suspenseful interlude between book 2 and book 3.
As the climax of the final battle wound down, I realized that I was in fact going to have to wait until book 3 for any additional conclusion. I wasn't left with a cliffhanger or any sort of major suspense. Rather, the resulting finish left me in a state of confusion. Most of the major action of book 2 had been nullified completely. There were a few alliances made which could be utilized in future stories. There were some intriguing actions that needed to be re-explored (like the kidnapping of a certain author), but for the most part, I feel like I could probably jump right into book 3 without ever reading book 2 and it's not likely that I would miss anything that a single chapter couldn't recap ("Character X aligns with Character Y. Characters A and B are betrayed and killed by Character X.", etc.).
Still, I am absolutely enjoying this world and the stories and imagination in this new Wonderland. I look forward to the new adventures. Despite my complaints above, I truly did enjoy this book and had a lot of fun with the characters and their struggles and triumphs. I just would have preferred the book to either be more adept in 'wrapping things up' or in adequately portraying a sense of suspense and anticipation for things to come. The current ending left me in a bit of a stupor.
***
2 1/2 stars
November 16, 2007
Here's an interesting twist on the Lewis Carol classic. Alyss is from Wonderland and the heir to her mother's Queendom. Her Aunt Red, who was banished after killing the previous Queen (yes, her own mother) attacks her sister's throne, and gains control for herself. Alyss escapes to Earth, a crude reflection of her true home.
The story follows Alyss' new life and trials on Earth, and the horrors that Red, Her Imperial Viciousness, rains down on Wonderlanders.
It's a great new look at the classic tale, with lots of action and new characters to keep everyone interested.
The story follows Alyss' new life and trials on Earth, and the horrors that Red, Her Imperial Viciousness, rains down on Wonderlanders.
It's a great new look at the classic tale, with lots of action and new characters to keep everyone interested.
May 5, 2013
Not as good as the first, but the unique world of Beddor's Alice in Wonderland re-imagining is absolutely worth a revisit. Some of the writing shows up as clunky now that the novelty of Looking Glass Wars has worn off, but it is utterly readable and again, unique and interesting enough to keep me invested with the trilogy.
September 25, 2022
3
Ok, he de admitir que me gusto mucho más el primer libro, pero este no está malo.
Después de lo sucedido en la guerra de los espejos, la reina Alyss intenta reconstruir a Marvilia, sin embargo, nuevos problemas la están atacando.
Siento que el principio se siente un poco flojo, ya que meten mucho tema de política y ese tipo de detalles, aunque te plantea que el verdadero villano o el nuevo villano es el patriarcado y obvio Alyss no se iba a dejar.
Conforme avanzó la historia cada vez se ponía más interesante todo, pero aún así siento que le faltaba un factor que el primero tenía.
Uno de mis personajes favoritos por algún motivo fue la reina Roja, siento que desde el principio fue muy iconic, aunque en esta segunda parte fue una caricatura de lo reflejado en la primera parte.
Ok, he de admitir que me gusto mucho más el primer libro, pero este no está malo.
Después de lo sucedido en la guerra de los espejos, la reina Alyss intenta reconstruir a Marvilia, sin embargo, nuevos problemas la están atacando.
Siento que el principio se siente un poco flojo, ya que meten mucho tema de política y ese tipo de detalles, aunque te plantea que el verdadero villano o el nuevo villano es el patriarcado y obvio Alyss no se iba a dejar.
Conforme avanzó la historia cada vez se ponía más interesante todo, pero aún así siento que le faltaba un factor que el primero tenía.
Uno de mis personajes favoritos por algún motivo fue la reina Roja, siento que desde el principio fue muy iconic, aunque en esta segunda parte fue una caricatura de lo reflejado en la primera parte.
December 8, 2015
I honestly didn't care that much for the first book in this series. I read this because I'm honestly just trying to power through a pile of books I've obtained over the span of a few years, so my expectations were pretty low for this novel.
Like the first installment, the writing in this book is about a middle school level (think Stephanie Meyer). The whole, it felt like I was reading poorly written fanfiction (and there are some great, well-written fanfiction out there!). The characters were very flat and lifeless, the relationships forced and predictable. It honestly reads more like a script for a graphic novel, with the amount of obnoxious text sound effects. That format would better suited to the story for a lot of writings, poor writing being first and foremost.
As far as the plot goes, the author has some pretty interesting ideas but is terrible at executing them. Some of the concepts of Wonderland and the characters were pretty interesting but just weren't given enough time to develop into something better. King Arch for example. Terribly sexist, awful ruler. He literally sounded like a ten year old who didn't like girls, plain and simple. Instead of using his sexism as a kind of talking point, to illustrate how that shows him as a weaker ruler, etc, he just makes royal decrees that men can't cry or watch rom-coms, basically. Think the MRA skit with Lena Dunham on SNL, another interesting idea that went nowhere.
My other complaint would be the magic. I'm totally fine with magic that doesn't have a lot of rules or explanation to it, but the imagination didn't really make sense at all. Another reviewer mentioned that Alyss and Redd seemed to just be doing the same thing over and over, and I agree. It wasn't particularly impressive, imaginative, or unique in it's powers and how Wonderlanders used them.
Again, I definitely did not read this book because I had any kind of hope for it, I fully expected to not like it. For anyone who loves Wonderland and all of it's new and different incarnations, I would recommend this book for it's IDEAS but caution strongly against the writing.
Like the first installment, the writing in this book is about a middle school level (think Stephanie Meyer). The whole, it felt like I was reading poorly written fanfiction (and there are some great, well-written fanfiction out there!). The characters were very flat and lifeless, the relationships forced and predictable. It honestly reads more like a script for a graphic novel, with the amount of obnoxious text sound effects. That format would better suited to the story for a lot of writings, poor writing being first and foremost.
As far as the plot goes, the author has some pretty interesting ideas but is terrible at executing them. Some of the concepts of Wonderland and the characters were pretty interesting but just weren't given enough time to develop into something better. King Arch for example. Terribly sexist, awful ruler. He literally sounded like a ten year old who didn't like girls, plain and simple. Instead of using his sexism as a kind of talking point, to illustrate how that shows him as a weaker ruler, etc, he just makes royal decrees that men can't cry or watch rom-coms, basically. Think the MRA skit with Lena Dunham on SNL, another interesting idea that went nowhere.
My other complaint would be the magic. I'm totally fine with magic that doesn't have a lot of rules or explanation to it, but the imagination didn't really make sense at all. Another reviewer mentioned that Alyss and Redd seemed to just be doing the same thing over and over, and I agree. It wasn't particularly impressive, imaginative, or unique in it's powers and how Wonderlanders used them.
Again, I definitely did not read this book because I had any kind of hope for it, I fully expected to not like it. For anyone who loves Wonderland and all of it's new and different incarnations, I would recommend this book for it's IDEAS but caution strongly against the writing.
April 8, 2011
So...I was not too sure about the first book of this series. I like the idea and concept however the writing was a little bad in some ways and was a bit off-putting. I read Seeing Redd in an attempt to pursue the storyline more than my enjoyment of the first book.
I think Beddor got a little in over his head with this one. The plot is as follows:
After the end of the first book, Redd has jumped into the Crystal Heart, so we aren't sure if she is dead or alive and plotting, meanwhile Arch the king of lands outside of Wonderland is plotting to take over Alyss' queendom by his own means.
Where I think that this book went nuts was that the book really doesn't have an ending, nothing gets resolved, you are left on a complete and total cliff when it comes to the overall plot line...meaning you HAVE to read the 3rd book.
At this point I have no intention of reading the next one, the writing in book 2 much like book 1 was pretty bad, and seemed a little word vomit-y (everything that came to mind was immediately written and then left be). While I am interested in the plot ending and to see if Alyss lives happily ever after, I am not willing to take up any more of my time at the moment.
I think Beddor got a little in over his head with this one. The plot is as follows:
After the end of the first book, Redd has jumped into the Crystal Heart, so we aren't sure if she is dead or alive and plotting, meanwhile Arch the king of lands outside of Wonderland is plotting to take over Alyss' queendom by his own means.
Where I think that this book went nuts was that the book really doesn't have an ending, nothing gets resolved, you are left on a complete and total cliff when it comes to the overall plot line...meaning you HAVE to read the 3rd book.
At this point I have no intention of reading the next one, the writing in book 2 much like book 1 was pretty bad, and seemed a little word vomit-y (everything that came to mind was immediately written and then left be). While I am interested in the plot ending and to see if Alyss lives happily ever after, I am not willing to take up any more of my time at the moment.
July 11, 2018
Another fun book in the Looking Glass Wars series!
Lots of action and humor. Redd is still amusingly insane. Some really nice descriptive sections.
Some emotionally moving sections.
I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Lots of action and humor. Redd is still amusingly insane. Some really nice descriptive sections.
Some emotionally moving sections.
I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!
February 13, 2015
It's a decent read, the action scenes are good, but the characters and some of the 'shocking plot twists' are a bit too cliched.
February 21, 2020
There are spoilers ahead for The Looking Glass Wars. Alyss Heart is the newly instated queen of Wonderland, but the threats haven’t stopped since Redd jumped into the Heart Crystal. She worries her aunt will appear in another form, and she’s facing threats from Boarderland’s misogynistic King Arch. When there’s an attack on the Crystal Continuum and her personal bodyguard, Homburg Molly, goes missing, Alyss’s queendom is threatened from within. Hatter Madigan will do anything to get Molly back including, even, disobeying his queen. Threats: death, parent death, some people being eaten alive, violence, blood, raging sexism and bigotry from the villain, fat-shaming, grief.
Sometimes my feelings about a series don’t change that much throughout, and Seeing Redd is about on the same level as The Looking Glass Wars. The things I liked about it are consistent: solid characters, imaginative world-building, rapid pace. The things I didn’t are the same: uninspiring villains, not quite enough descriptions of all the weird magic and weapons. There are maybe a few too many action scenes here, as almost every chapter includes a battle of some kind, and an overdose of sound effects. I started skipping everything in italics, since I’m reading a novel and not a comic book.
This also scales back the character development quite a bit, and I didn’t see as much of Alyss coming into her power as I wanted to in this book. If anyone has development, it’s Hatter, and it’s easy to see that Beddor is more enamored of his stoic assassin than his Wonderland queen. (There’s also at least one character in here that serves no purpose whatsoever, except perhaps additional angst.) I don’t know that Arch is a better villain than Redd, but I certainly had more feelings about him, and they were all bad. The man can’t say a word without offending the entire female species, and I look forward to the day Redd double crosses him and feeds him to her flesh-eating roses.
Seeing Redd also has the slight lull of second books in a trilogy. It sets up its own plot with renewed threats on Wonderland from Redd and its neighboring kingdom, Boarderland, but almost all of the closure is left for the third novel. While I like the characters and the world-building, the overall plot isn’t all that different from a lot of fantasy and dystopian trilogies. Our heroes are fighting to overthrow an oppressive ruler and defend their king (or queen)dom. While books like this might have been setting the trend for that plot ten years ago, it’s not one of my favorite stories. I like these, but I’ll probably never love them.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Sometimes my feelings about a series don’t change that much throughout, and Seeing Redd is about on the same level as The Looking Glass Wars. The things I liked about it are consistent: solid characters, imaginative world-building, rapid pace. The things I didn’t are the same: uninspiring villains, not quite enough descriptions of all the weird magic and weapons. There are maybe a few too many action scenes here, as almost every chapter includes a battle of some kind, and an overdose of sound effects. I started skipping everything in italics, since I’m reading a novel and not a comic book.
This also scales back the character development quite a bit, and I didn’t see as much of Alyss coming into her power as I wanted to in this book. If anyone has development, it’s Hatter, and it’s easy to see that Beddor is more enamored of his stoic assassin than his Wonderland queen. (There’s also at least one character in here that serves no purpose whatsoever, except perhaps additional angst.) I don’t know that Arch is a better villain than Redd, but I certainly had more feelings about him, and they were all bad. The man can’t say a word without offending the entire female species, and I look forward to the day Redd double crosses him and feeds him to her flesh-eating roses.
Seeing Redd also has the slight lull of second books in a trilogy. It sets up its own plot with renewed threats on Wonderland from Redd and its neighboring kingdom, Boarderland, but almost all of the closure is left for the third novel. While I like the characters and the world-building, the overall plot isn’t all that different from a lot of fantasy and dystopian trilogies. Our heroes are fighting to overthrow an oppressive ruler and defend their king (or queen)dom. While books like this might have been setting the trend for that plot ten years ago, it’s not one of my favorite stories. I like these, but I’ll probably never love them.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
February 2, 2016
Wow! This just dove right into the politics, and seems that it's rather outlandish seeing that the settings is Wonderland.
Okay, I'm really not a fan of this King Arch. Men, this guy is not an example to follow. If you do, you'll deserve the slap in the face you are sure to get someday.
The way Cat and Redd are introduced back into the story is so eerie and morbid.
The plot is absolutely everywhere dividing your attention here, there, and everywhere. I was also feeling like there is an aspect that is shadowed that Beddor is hinting at, yet this eludes us and remains unanswered for the next book.
I look forward to reading the next as soon as I can, but just might wait for a really rainy day.
Until next time.
Cheers Pretties!
Okay, I'm really not a fan of this King Arch. Men, this guy is not an example to follow. If you do, you'll deserve the slap in the face you are sure to get someday.
The way Cat and Redd are introduced back into the story is so eerie and morbid.
The plot is absolutely everywhere dividing your attention here, there, and everywhere. I was also feeling like there is an aspect that is shadowed that Beddor is hinting at, yet this eludes us and remains unanswered for the next book.
I look forward to reading the next as soon as I can, but just might wait for a really rainy day.
Until next time.
Cheers Pretties!
October 18, 2016
This is exactly what I was afraid of. I loved the first book so much. The second book is just meh. It was separated into 3 parts. The entire first part dragged on so slowly. It wasn't until the second part that things started to pick up a little. This book had more to do with action than it did with anything else. I loved the first book because it provided the foundation and the back story of all the characters that I love so much. There wasn't much character development here, so I was bored fairly often. Although I will say
I hope the next book will be better.
I hope the next book will be better.
November 13, 2015
Loved it!!!!! Will write review tonight along with several others I need to catch up on. ;P
July 8, 2021
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
“The Looking Glass Wars” trilogy by Frank Beddor follows Alys Heart who flees Wonderland after her evil aunt Redd takes the throne. Alys finds herself in Victorian London and inspires Lewis Carrol to write a series of books after her. In the meantime, royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan is looking for Wonderland’s lost queen and eventually discovers her thirteen years later and must persuade her to return to Wonderland and reclaim the throne.
As a note: "The Looking Glass Wars" trilogy is part of my Year of Rereading for 2021. Find out more here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM-R0...
Sounds a bit like “The Lion King,” doesn’t it? Literally just had that revelation as I typed up that plot synopsis. Anyway…as mentioned, “The Looking Glass Wars” trilogy is part of my Year of Rereading for 2021. And like all the books I’ve been rereading this year, this is another series that I haven’t read in over a decade. I had a lot of fun re-experiencing these books because I couldn’t for the life of me remember too terribly much what happened. In some ways it was almost like I was reading this trilogy for the first time because there were quite a few moments that surprised me that I didn’t remember happening. At the same time, despite having a fun time with my reread, I also experienced that I have a fondness for this trilogy that exists due to nostalgia. I had to go back and edit my star ratings, which I have never done before on Goodreads. Each book in the trilogy I gave 5-stars. I had to knock them all down to 3-stars. Back when I first read this trilogy (like I said, it’s been over a decade) I absolutely loved these books. I thought they were so cool and unique. I didn’t really read them with a critical eye. So upon my current reread, I definitely discovered that this trilogy isn’t perfect.
Starting with the Negatives
I do feel the need to stress that these books are not horrible by any stretch of the imagination. Like I said, I still had a really fun time rereading them. My problems were due to lack of worldbuilding, lack of any sort of character depth, and the trilogy is all plot and action. For a world that’s supposed to be inspired by “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” you never really get a great look at what this world looks like. There is a handy map at the start of the book, but that’s the only way you get to see this world. Frank Beddor is great with telling a story and a plot, but I do think he lacks in developing visuals. I never got a great sense of what this version of Wonderland looks like, other than occasion moments where scenery might be described. I had a difficult time visualizing Wondertropolis. Is it supposed to look sleek and modern or more medieval looking? I can’t tell you. Moving on to characters: they are very one dimensional. For the most part, every character kind of has their one motivational thing that drives them, but there’s not much in the way of nuance or depth. Villains are very over the top. Side characters serve to only help Alys reclaim the throne rather than having their own arcs alongside hers. Even Alys is rather one dimensional is some ways. She had to flee Wonderland as a child, found herself alone in Victorian London, adopted by a family not her own, and then made to feel as though she was insane for believing in Wonderland to the point that it’s almost difficult for her to return because she thinks it’s all a hallucination. There should have been some amazing character development in there for her, but she barely struggles and barely has any doubts as to whether or not she is the queen Wonderland deserves. Even her love interest Dodge, we are supposed to want them together throughout the trilogy, but Frank Beddor really never gives them space to develop their relationship, which is a shame, because I did like the idea of them. Redd, the evil aunt, is so over the top and crazy and her only agenda is to control Wonderland. She is pure evil, pure chaos. Once again, no depth further than that. I think the only two characters who even remotely have an interesting story is Hatter Madigan and Homburg Molly. In Wonderland there are a group of people who use hats as weapons (it’s actually pretty badass) and are royal bodyguards. Hatter and Molly are part of this group who are devoted to serving Alys. Hatter is supposed to be stoic and emotionless, his job solely to serve Wonderland and it’s queen, but there are threads throughout the trilogy where his loyalties are tested and he has to think about what’s truly important to him, but also serve his queen at the same time. Molly is described as being a “halfer,” someone who is part of this guild of bodyguards, but also has a parent who was “normal.” Obviously for spoiler reasons I can’t go too much further beyond that, but Molly constantly struggles with being a “halfer” and sees herself as less and not deserving on most occasions. I often felt like Frank Beddor loved Hatter and Molly as characters and gave them the most development and the most interesting things to do, but ended up neglecting everyone else. And the third thing I mentioned as a negative: this trilogy is all plot and action. There’s not too much in the way of anything else. I don’t know if the problem with that is due to this trilogy being targeted towards kids and teenagers and Frank Beddor was like, “hey, they aren’t going to like lengthy moments of talking or character development, so it’s going to be all action!” I guess for me, as an adult reading this trilogy, I would have appreciated more depth. Like I mentioned, I needed more visuals of this world, I needed more character nuance and relationship development. I tend to gravitate towards stories that are complicated and complex, where characters exist is moral gray zones, where things are hard to figure out what’s right and wrong. But that’s not what this trilogy is unfortunately, and that doesn’t have to necessarily be a bad thing if you are willing to just sit back and have a good time.
Moving to the Positives
All the negatives up above may sound like this trilogy is garbage, but at the same time I adore these books. It’s best to just turn off the more critical side of your brain. Just relax and have a good time. Not every book has to be “Game of Thrones” or “Outlander” or “Lord of the Rings.” And that’s okay. Sometimes it’s fun to read something more silly and absurd, more light-hearted, rather than analytical and thought provoking. For starters, this trilogy is very easy to read. They are short and fast paced. It’s constantly go, go, go. Frank Beddor’s version of Wonderland isn’t perfect, but it’s still very intriguing and unique, and completely different from any other version of Wonderland you’ve probably seen in other books, TV, or movies. This world functions through what is known as Imagination. You wanna pull a prank on somebody, you can just imagine a banana on the floor, it appears into being, and somebody can trip on it. If you can imagine it, it will happen or exist. Like I mentioned, Hatter is a royal bodyguard who uses a hat (a freaking hat!) as a weapon to kill enemies. Seriously, it’s the most epic badass thing in this trilogy. The caterpillars are mysterious oracles. Chess pieces and decks of cards are animate beings who walk and talk. It’s all whimsical and fun, and I think Frank Beddor captures that essence of whimsy and silliness that’s present in Lewis Carrol’s original stories. Speaking of Lewis Carrol, he is a character in this trilogy and it was fun to see his role. And I know I complained about the lack of any sort of character depth, but I still love these characters. They aren’t perfect and they aren’t flawed, but they are lovable and fun. Alys is absolutely the rightful queen of Wonderland, she’s believes in everything it stands for, and will fight to the death for it if necessary. Dodge is out to kill the Cat (pretty much the Cheshire Cast) who killed his father and it’s all rather Inigo Montoya from “The Princess Bride.” Him and Alys have a great back and forth with one another, were childhood friends, and they help to keep each other in check. Despite Redd being one dimensional, I still appreciated her as a villain. She has some of the best one liners and quips in this entire trilogy. I also loved King Arch as a villain as well and the back and forth power struggle he has with Redd. They are both just evil for the sake of being evil. I think I’ve made it clear that Hatter Madigan and Homburg Molly are my favorite characters. Once again people: Hats. As. Weapons. Badass!
In conclusion: I’m still glad I had a reread of this trilogy because it’s certainly been a long time since I last read these books. And as stated, I have a fondness of this trilogy that’s due to nostalgia, and I quickly discovered that these books aren’t anywhere near as perfect as I thought they were, which is okay. Whenever you reread something from your childhood or from your teenage years, that’s going to be a natural progression because your reading tastes and the more critical side of your brain has developed over time. I think this is still a great series for younger readers. They are fun and capture the whimsy and silliness of Lewis Carrol’s stories. Young readers are instantly going to fall in love with Alys and Hatter like I did back when I first read this series and discover a whole new Wonderland that’s nothing like the Disney cartoon. Even as an adult I still appreciated this trilogy and had a great time, and I’m glad I took the time to re-experience them years later.
“The Looking Glass Wars” trilogy by Frank Beddor follows Alys Heart who flees Wonderland after her evil aunt Redd takes the throne. Alys finds herself in Victorian London and inspires Lewis Carrol to write a series of books after her. In the meantime, royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan is looking for Wonderland’s lost queen and eventually discovers her thirteen years later and must persuade her to return to Wonderland and reclaim the throne.
As a note: "The Looking Glass Wars" trilogy is part of my Year of Rereading for 2021. Find out more here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM-R0...
Sounds a bit like “The Lion King,” doesn’t it? Literally just had that revelation as I typed up that plot synopsis. Anyway…as mentioned, “The Looking Glass Wars” trilogy is part of my Year of Rereading for 2021. And like all the books I’ve been rereading this year, this is another series that I haven’t read in over a decade. I had a lot of fun re-experiencing these books because I couldn’t for the life of me remember too terribly much what happened. In some ways it was almost like I was reading this trilogy for the first time because there were quite a few moments that surprised me that I didn’t remember happening. At the same time, despite having a fun time with my reread, I also experienced that I have a fondness for this trilogy that exists due to nostalgia. I had to go back and edit my star ratings, which I have never done before on Goodreads. Each book in the trilogy I gave 5-stars. I had to knock them all down to 3-stars. Back when I first read this trilogy (like I said, it’s been over a decade) I absolutely loved these books. I thought they were so cool and unique. I didn’t really read them with a critical eye. So upon my current reread, I definitely discovered that this trilogy isn’t perfect.
Starting with the Negatives
I do feel the need to stress that these books are not horrible by any stretch of the imagination. Like I said, I still had a really fun time rereading them. My problems were due to lack of worldbuilding, lack of any sort of character depth, and the trilogy is all plot and action. For a world that’s supposed to be inspired by “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” you never really get a great look at what this world looks like. There is a handy map at the start of the book, but that’s the only way you get to see this world. Frank Beddor is great with telling a story and a plot, but I do think he lacks in developing visuals. I never got a great sense of what this version of Wonderland looks like, other than occasion moments where scenery might be described. I had a difficult time visualizing Wondertropolis. Is it supposed to look sleek and modern or more medieval looking? I can’t tell you. Moving on to characters: they are very one dimensional. For the most part, every character kind of has their one motivational thing that drives them, but there’s not much in the way of nuance or depth. Villains are very over the top. Side characters serve to only help Alys reclaim the throne rather than having their own arcs alongside hers. Even Alys is rather one dimensional is some ways. She had to flee Wonderland as a child, found herself alone in Victorian London, adopted by a family not her own, and then made to feel as though she was insane for believing in Wonderland to the point that it’s almost difficult for her to return because she thinks it’s all a hallucination. There should have been some amazing character development in there for her, but she barely struggles and barely has any doubts as to whether or not she is the queen Wonderland deserves. Even her love interest Dodge, we are supposed to want them together throughout the trilogy, but Frank Beddor really never gives them space to develop their relationship, which is a shame, because I did like the idea of them. Redd, the evil aunt, is so over the top and crazy and her only agenda is to control Wonderland. She is pure evil, pure chaos. Once again, no depth further than that. I think the only two characters who even remotely have an interesting story is Hatter Madigan and Homburg Molly. In Wonderland there are a group of people who use hats as weapons (it’s actually pretty badass) and are royal bodyguards. Hatter and Molly are part of this group who are devoted to serving Alys. Hatter is supposed to be stoic and emotionless, his job solely to serve Wonderland and it’s queen, but there are threads throughout the trilogy where his loyalties are tested and he has to think about what’s truly important to him, but also serve his queen at the same time. Molly is described as being a “halfer,” someone who is part of this guild of bodyguards, but also has a parent who was “normal.” Obviously for spoiler reasons I can’t go too much further beyond that, but Molly constantly struggles with being a “halfer” and sees herself as less and not deserving on most occasions. I often felt like Frank Beddor loved Hatter and Molly as characters and gave them the most development and the most interesting things to do, but ended up neglecting everyone else. And the third thing I mentioned as a negative: this trilogy is all plot and action. There’s not too much in the way of anything else. I don’t know if the problem with that is due to this trilogy being targeted towards kids and teenagers and Frank Beddor was like, “hey, they aren’t going to like lengthy moments of talking or character development, so it’s going to be all action!” I guess for me, as an adult reading this trilogy, I would have appreciated more depth. Like I mentioned, I needed more visuals of this world, I needed more character nuance and relationship development. I tend to gravitate towards stories that are complicated and complex, where characters exist is moral gray zones, where things are hard to figure out what’s right and wrong. But that’s not what this trilogy is unfortunately, and that doesn’t have to necessarily be a bad thing if you are willing to just sit back and have a good time.
Moving to the Positives
All the negatives up above may sound like this trilogy is garbage, but at the same time I adore these books. It’s best to just turn off the more critical side of your brain. Just relax and have a good time. Not every book has to be “Game of Thrones” or “Outlander” or “Lord of the Rings.” And that’s okay. Sometimes it’s fun to read something more silly and absurd, more light-hearted, rather than analytical and thought provoking. For starters, this trilogy is very easy to read. They are short and fast paced. It’s constantly go, go, go. Frank Beddor’s version of Wonderland isn’t perfect, but it’s still very intriguing and unique, and completely different from any other version of Wonderland you’ve probably seen in other books, TV, or movies. This world functions through what is known as Imagination. You wanna pull a prank on somebody, you can just imagine a banana on the floor, it appears into being, and somebody can trip on it. If you can imagine it, it will happen or exist. Like I mentioned, Hatter is a royal bodyguard who uses a hat (a freaking hat!) as a weapon to kill enemies. Seriously, it’s the most epic badass thing in this trilogy. The caterpillars are mysterious oracles. Chess pieces and decks of cards are animate beings who walk and talk. It’s all whimsical and fun, and I think Frank Beddor captures that essence of whimsy and silliness that’s present in Lewis Carrol’s original stories. Speaking of Lewis Carrol, he is a character in this trilogy and it was fun to see his role. And I know I complained about the lack of any sort of character depth, but I still love these characters. They aren’t perfect and they aren’t flawed, but they are lovable and fun. Alys is absolutely the rightful queen of Wonderland, she’s believes in everything it stands for, and will fight to the death for it if necessary. Dodge is out to kill the Cat (pretty much the Cheshire Cast) who killed his father and it’s all rather Inigo Montoya from “The Princess Bride.” Him and Alys have a great back and forth with one another, were childhood friends, and they help to keep each other in check. Despite Redd being one dimensional, I still appreciated her as a villain. She has some of the best one liners and quips in this entire trilogy. I also loved King Arch as a villain as well and the back and forth power struggle he has with Redd. They are both just evil for the sake of being evil. I think I’ve made it clear that Hatter Madigan and Homburg Molly are my favorite characters. Once again people: Hats. As. Weapons. Badass!
In conclusion: I’m still glad I had a reread of this trilogy because it’s certainly been a long time since I last read these books. And as stated, I have a fondness of this trilogy that’s due to nostalgia, and I quickly discovered that these books aren’t anywhere near as perfect as I thought they were, which is okay. Whenever you reread something from your childhood or from your teenage years, that’s going to be a natural progression because your reading tastes and the more critical side of your brain has developed over time. I think this is still a great series for younger readers. They are fun and capture the whimsy and silliness of Lewis Carrol’s stories. Young readers are instantly going to fall in love with Alys and Hatter like I did back when I first read this series and discover a whole new Wonderland that’s nothing like the Disney cartoon. Even as an adult I still appreciated this trilogy and had a great time, and I’m glad I took the time to re-experience them years later.
January 11, 2022
I made the mistake of not reading “Seeing Redd” closer to when I finished the first book in this series. Which is my bad, but I really would love for more series to normalize having a recap of sorts because it took me a long time to remember what was happening in this Alice in Wonderland retelling. In “Seeing Redd”, Alyss is trying to navigate her way as the new queen of Wonderland while her queendom recovers from the brutal rule of her aunt, Redd, who Alyss usurped in a battle of imagination. There are new threats Alyss now faces in the form of a manipulative neighbor king, and the unsettling knowledge that Redd, while defeated, is probably not gone. This book, like this whole series, is supposed to be about Alyss and what she has to do to keep her throne, and her head, but rarely does “Seeing Redd” deliver on that.
I still find the world that Beddor has molded based on the original Alice in Wonderland to be highly enjoyable. I love the mix of technology and whimsical fantasy magic in the form of imaginative powers. I really love the Milliner race of people who are these awesome steampunk elite fighters; none more so than Homburg Molly and Hatter Madigan. But the same thing I struggled with in “The Looking Glass Wars” is back in force for “Seeing Redd”: too many characters getting POV chapters that detract from the actual main characters who the book is supposed to be about. We get so little of Alyss and her allies in this book that I was pretty disappointed. What do we get instead of Alyss and seeing her struggle with the weight of ruling a queendom? You get a lot of chapters focused on Redd and Arch, who do not deserve as much page time as they were given.
The author doesn’t seem to do a great job with villains, especially compared to how well he does with the battles and weapon types he introduce the reader to (which I liked!). But both Arch and Redd read like these two-dimensional villains who just don’t live up to the political machinations and intrigues they could otherwise help improve upon. Some of the plots Arch was involved in were clever with how he plans them out are really interesting! But it gets ruined when he reads like a sexist, ten-year-old boy that hates girls simply because. His sexism was never used as a talking point for why it made him a weaker ruler, but instead it was used as a… joke? He just passes silly decrees about how boys aren’t allowed to have feelings in his kingdom. It was a missed opportunity to show complex characters, especially when it could have been used as a powerful juxtaposition between how Arch and Alyss are as rulers.
Unfortunately, this book ends more with a pause than an actual cliffhanger. It falls into that true “middle of the series” book trope where the entirety of the book and plot is merely a set up for what needs to happen in the third book, so I feel like a lot was missing, even with how long this book was getting. Did I still enjoy "Seeing Redd"? Yes, just not as much as the first book. Will I continue the series? Yes, because I do like the world and really like Hatter and Molly! I just won’t wait as long to read the third book because I know there won’t be a recap of any kind… But this is why I’m giving the book 3 stars, it was fine but not as good as the fist, and suffered from not having nearly enough Alyss.
I still find the world that Beddor has molded based on the original Alice in Wonderland to be highly enjoyable. I love the mix of technology and whimsical fantasy magic in the form of imaginative powers. I really love the Milliner race of people who are these awesome steampunk elite fighters; none more so than Homburg Molly and Hatter Madigan. But the same thing I struggled with in “The Looking Glass Wars” is back in force for “Seeing Redd”: too many characters getting POV chapters that detract from the actual main characters who the book is supposed to be about. We get so little of Alyss and her allies in this book that I was pretty disappointed. What do we get instead of Alyss and seeing her struggle with the weight of ruling a queendom? You get a lot of chapters focused on Redd and Arch, who do not deserve as much page time as they were given.
The author doesn’t seem to do a great job with villains, especially compared to how well he does with the battles and weapon types he introduce the reader to (which I liked!). But both Arch and Redd read like these two-dimensional villains who just don’t live up to the political machinations and intrigues they could otherwise help improve upon. Some of the plots Arch was involved in were clever with how he plans them out are really interesting! But it gets ruined when he reads like a sexist, ten-year-old boy that hates girls simply because. His sexism was never used as a talking point for why it made him a weaker ruler, but instead it was used as a… joke? He just passes silly decrees about how boys aren’t allowed to have feelings in his kingdom. It was a missed opportunity to show complex characters, especially when it could have been used as a powerful juxtaposition between how Arch and Alyss are as rulers.
Unfortunately, this book ends more with a pause than an actual cliffhanger. It falls into that true “middle of the series” book trope where the entirety of the book and plot is merely a set up for what needs to happen in the third book, so I feel like a lot was missing, even with how long this book was getting. Did I still enjoy "Seeing Redd"? Yes, just not as much as the first book. Will I continue the series? Yes, because I do like the world and really like Hatter and Molly! I just won’t wait as long to read the third book because I know there won’t be a recap of any kind… But this is why I’m giving the book 3 stars, it was fine but not as good as the fist, and suffered from not having nearly enough Alyss.
January 20, 2024
I've started so many series in my life, maybe read up to the second book if they're lucky, then get anxious about how it'll end and give it a break. This year, I want to finish as many series as possible, starting with The Looking Glass Wars book 2.
I read the first book back in high school, and I vaguely remember lagging in the middle when Alyss was stuck in London, before finally finishing the book when I was home sick. I really liked it then and gave it 5 stars, but I'm not sure I'd rate it the same now. Not gonna reread it, so many books so little time. This one has a plus that Hatter and Homburg Molly get a bigger focus, but the rest of the characters are rather flat. Their story is so much more interesting to me than the main one, and I feel like their characters show more growth than say Alyss and Dodge. The villains are very cartoonishly evil, which I can accept to a certain extent because the original villains of Alice in Wonderland were cartoony in the first place, it was intentionally absurd. But at times it was hard to take seriously, especially when this is supposed to be a darker, edgier version of the original story. King Arch's raging misogyny kinda stood out in this regard, if only because he's the only character that acts like that, to that extreme.
I read the first book back in high school, and I vaguely remember lagging in the middle when Alyss was stuck in London, before finally finishing the book when I was home sick. I really liked it then and gave it 5 stars, but I'm not sure I'd rate it the same now. Not gonna reread it, so many books so little time. This one has a plus that Hatter and Homburg Molly get a bigger focus, but the rest of the characters are rather flat. Their story is so much more interesting to me than the main one, and I feel like their characters show more growth than say Alyss and Dodge. The villains are very cartoonishly evil, which I can accept to a certain extent because the original villains of Alice in Wonderland were cartoony in the first place, it was intentionally absurd. But at times it was hard to take seriously, especially when this is supposed to be a darker, edgier version of the original story. King Arch's raging misogyny kinda stood out in this regard, if only because he's the only character that acts like that, to that extreme.
April 21, 2018
3.5 stars. I was a tad disappointed with this book as compared to the first it is slow and clunky in places. However, once it got going it was a good story and worthy of notice. I loved Hatter Madigan again, he will always be my favourite character and wish he had been introduced a bit earlier in the story.
I did enjoy the book, and have moved on to the last book in the series, however, I do find Mr Beddor's writing style to be a little irritating when describing the fighting scenes with....
GAPS and noises etc so were are not completely sure what has happened until a little further on. However, it has kept me hooked enough to read the last book in the series and I look forward to seeing how it all ends.
I did enjoy the book, and have moved on to the last book in the series, however, I do find Mr Beddor's writing style to be a little irritating when describing the fighting scenes with....
GAPS and noises etc so were are not completely sure what has happened until a little further on. However, it has kept me hooked enough to read the last book in the series and I look forward to seeing how it all ends.
May 2, 2024
Whyyyy does this keep happening to me?! I read book 1 in a trilogy and love it, then the 2nd book is a disappointment. This was the case, unfortunately, with Seeing Redd.
1) I was unable to stay interested in the story because I was having a hard time picturing the scenes in my mind.
2) Lewis Carrolls blubbering got annoying real quick.
3) Sfoosh! Sploosh! Fablash! Splashaaa! Waboooshkkktsh! Ba-ba-booozzzztshchkshkchtt! These are examples of some sound effects that happened throughout the book. 🤦
4) This is considered a YA fantasy, which I read a lot of, but I feel like my 9 year old would love this book. It was a little too YA for me.
1) I was unable to stay interested in the story because I was having a hard time picturing the scenes in my mind.
2) Lewis Carrolls blubbering got annoying real quick.
3) Sfoosh! Sploosh! Fablash! Splashaaa! Waboooshkkktsh! Ba-ba-booozzzztshchkshkchtt! These are examples of some sound effects that happened throughout the book. 🤦
4) This is considered a YA fantasy, which I read a lot of, but I feel like my 9 year old would love this book. It was a little too YA for me.
May 2, 2020
3.75 stars
This series is definitely giving me vibes of a little boy (the author) having fun playing with his toys, making up crazy stories while making lots of battle sounds. It's hilarious and entertaining (and maybe the audio version makes it even more entertaining), yet it also manages to inspire readers to embrace their own imagination. I'm really liking this retelling of Alice in Wonderland that doesn't take itself too seriously.
This series is definitely giving me vibes of a little boy (the author) having fun playing with his toys, making up crazy stories while making lots of battle sounds. It's hilarious and entertaining (and maybe the audio version makes it even more entertaining), yet it also manages to inspire readers to embrace their own imagination. I'm really liking this retelling of Alice in Wonderland that doesn't take itself too seriously.
February 15, 2024
A wonderful reimagining of the classic children's story. I jumped straight into the second book without reading the first, but it was not much of a challenge to fill in the blanks. I admire the imagery throughout the book and love the twist of The Cat and Hatter! I will definitely be going on to read the next installment in this series. My only complaint is that certain events, or perhaps the book in its entirety feels a little drawn out.. Other than that, a good and different read.
February 15, 2019
This Alice in Wonderland retelling is a really fun read. This is the second book in the series, and I'm very much looking forward to reading the final installment. I love the juxtaposition of the deadly serious and the weirdly whimsical throughout the two I've completed.
April 15, 2022
Listened to audio book
I don't know why I started this one. But I wasn't in the mood. It really didn't catch my interest. Too much war.
There was one part with Redd in France that I thought was really stupid and unnecessary.
I mean I liked the first one and this one seemed flat.
I don't know why I started this one. But I wasn't in the mood. It really didn't catch my interest. Too much war.
There was one part with Redd in France that I thought was really stupid and unnecessary.
I mean I liked the first one and this one seemed flat.
September 24, 2022
Decayó muchísimo en comparación con la primer parte de la historia, no me gusta el desarrollo de sus personajes ni la personalidad que le puso a Roja.
Sin embargo quiero terminar la trilogía, no me he encariñado con ningún personaje ni con la historia posterior al primer libro pero aún conserva un poco de mi curiosidad.
Sin embargo quiero terminar la trilogía, no me he encariñado con ningún personaje ni con la historia posterior al primer libro pero aún conserva un poco de mi curiosidad.
February 7, 2021
I do really love reverse portal fantasy plots.
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