Review: A Dream So Dark - L.L. McKinney

In L. L. McKinney's A Dream So Dark, the thrilling sequel to A Blade So Black, Alice goes deeper into a dark version of Wonderland.

Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates high school), Alice must cross the Veil to rescue her friends and stop the Black Knight once and for all. But the deeper she ventures into Wonderland, the more topsy-turvy everything becomes. It's not until she's at her wits' end that she realizes - Wonderland is trying to save her.

There's a new player on the board; a poet capable of using Nightmares to not only influence the living but raise the dead. This Poet is looking to claim the Black Queen's power - and Alice's budding abilities - as their own.

Dreams have never been so dark in Wonderland, and if there is any hope of defeating this mystery poet's magic, Alice must confront the worst in herself, in the people she loves, and in the very nature of fear itself.

The Nightmare-Verse Series:
A Blade So Black
A Dream So Dark

Visit L.L. McKinney's website for more information

Review:
A Dream so Dark is the second book in L.L. McKinney's Nightmare-Verse trilogy and it picks up Alice's story immediately from where the previous book left off with Alice trying to explain her latest disappearance to her long suffering and very, very angry mother. As I mentioned in my previous review I really liked the fact that Alice's mum is involved in her life and constantly checking up on her daughter and it's no surprise to see her grounded and pretty much under house arrest after her latest antics. I don't want to say too much but I appreciated the fact that Alice is able to be more open with her mum in this book, it was just a shame that her mum was only really around in the beginning of the story.

In this book we get to spend much more time exploring Wonderland, we meet some great new characters along the way but there were parts of the book where I really found myself missing my favourites from the first book. There were also places where the story dragged a little even though it was fun seeing more of Wonderland and the creatures who live there. The pacing just felt off to me, very slow in the middle and rushed towards the end, and that meant I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first one.

The action scenes we do get were fabulous, L.L. McKinney has a way of hooking you in and she makes it really easy to picture exactly what is happening. There are some huge revelations that are going to make the final book really interesting and I'm definitely invested enough in these characters to want to see how their story ends.

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: Wonderland: An Anthology

From the greatest names in fantasy and horror comes an anthology of stories inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Join Alice as she is thrown into the whirlwind of Wonderland

Within these pages you'll find myriad approaches to Alice, from horror to historical, taking us from the nightmarish reaches of the imagination to tales that will shock, surprise and tug on the heart-strings. So, it's time now to go down the rabbit hole, or through the looking-glass or… But no, wait. By picking up this book and starting to read it you're already there, can't you see?

Brand-new works from the best in fantastical fiction

M.R. CAREY
MARK CHADBOURN
GENEVIEVE COGMAN
JONATHAN GREEN
ALISON LITTLEWOOD
JAMES LOVEGROVE
L.L. McKINNEY
GEORGE MANN
JULIET MARILLIER
LAURA MAURO
CAT RAMBO
LILITH SAINTCROW
CAVAN SCOTT
ROBERT SHEARMAN
ANGELA SLATTER
CATRIONA WARD
JANE YOLEN
RIO YOUERS

Review:
An anthology of stories inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland already jumps straight to the top of my wish list but then you tell me it includes stories from authors like Juliet Marillier & L.L. McKinney and I just get even more excited about it! This book includes a collection of 17 short stories and 2 poems that were all inspired by Alice and her adventures and written by some very well known writers: Jane Yolen, Robert Shearman, M.R. Carey, Genevieve Cogman, Cavan Scott, Juliet Marillier, Jonathan Green, George Mann, Angela Slatter, Rio Youers, Catriona Ward, Laura Mauro, L.L. McKinney, James Lovegrove, Lilith Saintcrow, Alison Littlewood, Cat Rambo and Mark Chadbourn.

All of these stories are linked to Alice in different ways, be it through a familiar character: Alice herself, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter or perhaps even the Cheshire Cat; or a familiar place: falling down a rabbit hole or stepping through a looking glass maybe. Perhaps the link is just a throwaway phrase or a chance to visit a part of Wonderland that you've never explored before. I love how different each of the stories are, some are spooky, others are introspective but most of them are as weird as the tales they're based on.

As with any anthology there were some stories I loved and a few that didn't resonate quite so well but overall I thought the quality of the stories was very high and a few particular highlights were The White Queen's Pawn by Genevieve Cogman, Dream Girl by Cavan Scott, Good Dog, Alice! by Juliet Marillier (my favourite of the collection), The Hunting of the Jabberwock by Jonathan Green and Smoke 'em if You Got 'em by Angela Slatter.

This is the perfect collection for Alice in Wonderland fans, there really is something for everyone and it's a great book for dipping in and out of when you want something quick to read.

Source: Received from Titan Books in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour:

Review: A Blade So Black - L.L. McKinney

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and school. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she's ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.

The Nightmare-Verse Series:
A Blade So Black
A Dream So Dark

Visit L.L. McKinney's website for more information

Review:
As a huge Alice in Wonderland fan the second I heard A Blade so Black is a retelling where it was actually Buffy who fell down the rabbit hole I was all in for this book and I'm so happy to say that it lived up to my high expectations.

Alice is a fantastic character, she's smart and hard working and she knows how to kick butt. She may not always make the right choices but she goes with her gut and she'll fight to the death for the people cares about. Ever since she was attacked by a creature straight out of our nightmares she has been training with her mentor Addison Hatta learning how to protect humanity from the creatures of Wonderland. It's not easy juggling school and homework with being a warrior, especially when her overprotective mother wants to know where she is every second of the day, but she does her best to balance all the balls she's juggling.

I think one of the things I loved most about this story was that Alice's mother was in the picture and constantly nagging her about missing curfew or sneaking out at night. So many YA books have absent parents who don't seem to have a clue what their kids are up to so it was nice to see the opposite here. I actually felt really sorry for Alice's mother and if I had a kid like Alice they would drive me insane constantly disappearing on me but at the same time it wasn't easy for Alice to keep such huge secrets from her mother either. I'm hoping in the next book (there's got to be a next one right?!) that she'll let her mum in on what's going on, I think she's going to have to if she wants to explain her latest absence. This story is full of fantastical elements but is also really grounded in the real world which I liked.

A Blade so Black has just enough elements of the original story to excite Alice in Wonderland fans but not so many that it's boring to read, I thought L.L. McKinney hit the balance perfectly there and I really enjoyed the way she made so many nods to the original but took characters we already know and love and still managed to make them her own. Hatta and Maddi were particular favourites (although I wish Maddi had spoken in riddles for the entire story!) but I also loved the Tweedle twins and many others too. There's plenty of action, lots of diverse and wonderful characters and great world building so I'm definitely hoping to see more of these characters in the future. The way it ended there just has to be a sequel & if there is it's definitely going to be at the top of my wish list!

Source: Received from Titan Books in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Blog Tour: A Blade so Black - L.L. McKinney (Guest Post: Mad Hatters Tea Party)

I'm really excited to be taking part in the blog tour to celebrate the release of L.L. McKinney's debut novel A Blade so Black today. I've wanted to read this book ever since I saw it described on twitter as "an Alice in Wonderland retelling but what would have happened if Buffy had fallen down the rabbit hole". Trust me it's even more amazing than it sounds, make sure you check back later today and you'll be able to read my full review then!

In the meantime I want to tell you all about the book and I have a fantastic guest post from L.L. McKinney to share with you.

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and school. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she's ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.

Visit L.L. McKinney's website for more information


Now please give a very warm welcome to L.L. McKinney who is here to tell us all about the guests she would invite to her Mad Hatters Tea Party!

Mad Hatters Tea Party by L.L. McKinney

A Mad Hatters Tea Party: if you could invite any fictional characters to dinner who would they be (and why) and what would you serve them?

Wow. That’s…a hard question. There are so many characters I would love to invite! I’m gonna pick five, because that seems like a safe number. Here they are, in no particular order.

I’d pick Camellia Beauregard from Dhonielle Clayton’s THE BELLES. She probably knows more about what goes into hosting a tea party than I do so I’d be able to ask her for help. I’d like things to have a hint of the traditional, because it seems like it would be a bit of fancy fun! Hopefully Camellia would be able to bring some teacup animals and maybe give us a few beauty touchups. Small things, longer lashes, arched brows, nothing over the top. For her, I’d have all the sweets. Cakes, candies, every sugared delight imaginable.

I’d pick Louis from Anne Rice’s INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. I know that the fan favorite is Lestat, and while I do love me some Brat Prince, Louis was the character I adored most in the stories and who I enjoyed reading about whenever he was on the page. To this day I’m salty he wasn’t in the movie Queen of the Damned, but I’m also relieved because that…that was a mess. Except Aaliyah, she was flawless. Since Louis is a vampire, I’m fairly certain it’s obvious what he’d be served.

I’d pick Puck from the Gargoyles television series. Nothing here said they had to be strictly book characters. Puck is my favorite from that show. He’s fun and funny, just delightful. He’d no doubt keep all of the guests entertained, or annoyed, and that would keep me entertained. That’s the important part. Plus it’s always nice to have a legit magic trick on standby. You never know what you’re gonna get with Puck, and that keeps things exciting. As for what I’d serve him? No clue. I’m sure he could conjure up whatever he liked, or trick someone into fetching it for him.

I’d pick Storm from X-Men because…I mean…it’s Ororo. She’s the queen. The goddess. The literal force of nature. I’m sure she’d have all sorts of wisdom to impart, as well as ALL the tea from the team and what nonsense everyone is getting up to. Honestly, I’d just want to sit in the same room as her, breath the same air as her. Plus, no matter what time, she’d make sure the weather was perfect. I’m not sure what Ororo’s favorites are, but she’s more than welcome to the sweets lain out, and I’d make sure to try and get some savory things on the menu, some stuff with spice. For some reason, she strikes me as a woman who likes a bit of kick.

Last, but not least, I’d pick Spider-Man. I’m a huge fan. Always have been. He’s my favorite hero ever. And Peter Parker always seems to be down on his luck, so I’m sure he’d appreciate a free meal. He’s funny as hell and always working and trying so hard. I’d like to give him a full plate, a big hug, and some positive vibes. As far as serving him, I don’t think he’s picky, so what we’ve already got would be fine I think.

That’s it! That’s my tea party. Turn up!

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Thanks for a fabulous guest post Elle, I always find it so difficult to think of guests to invite to fantasy parties but you've made some wonderful choices there so I'm sure it would be an afternoon to remember!

Don't forget to check back later today to read my review of A Blade so Black and in the meantime you can visit the other blog tour hosts below: