Queen of Hearts Saga #1 Queen of Hearts

 Presenting Queen of Hearts Saga #1 Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes.

Here is the summary of the book:

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.

Review ==

Another twisted re-telling of Alice in Wonderland. There has been many done before in books, tv series, movies and games (namely Alice Madness) but Colleen Oakes' Queen of Hearts offers something different, something new. It offers us a Wonderland without Alice, a much darker place it is too and puts the Queen of Hearts or rather Princess of Hearts, Dinah (the future Queen) as the protagonist. And succeeds in making us feel sorry for her.

This is not your fluffy, whimsical Wonderland but a darker and much twisted image. There is palace politics, cruel and murderous kings, unknown magic and secrets that have their ways of shaking us to our cores. Princess Dinah is a spoilt, insolent and intelligent girl. Hated by her own father and the whole palace. She is afraid that would never amount to everyone's expectations. Always looking to impress her father, the King of Hearts. It all goes crashing when her father takes in this delicate slip of a waif, Victoirre, proclaimed her his bastard and a Duchess of Wonderland.

Her new sister is everything she is not. Delicate, glowing and graceful, everyone seems to like her already and Dinah fears what is to happen to her. Things are changing for Dinah and the future doesn't seem good. Of course the unforeseen happens. Tragedy knocks on the doors and she must run, run for her life ....

Colleen Oakes' terrific, vivid imagery produces a vibrant Wonderland with its own brand of mysteries and dark magic. Cheshire Cat is no longer a cat but the devious adviser to the King, you just never know on whose side he really is. White Rabbit is Dinah's tutor and the Mad Hatter is her younger brother. The romance also felt non-existent and dry, Dinah clearly had it bad but her person of interest may not feel the same.

Too bad for her but the biggest downfall, there doesn't seem to be much happening in the plot. While I appreciate the amount of time the author takes to visualize her vision of Wonderland, the progression of the plot felt negligible at best. Although this is the first book of the series, so I definitely want to see what happens next because too many questions are left unanswered and unexplored and the book feels incomplete ..... Will I recommend it? Maybe wait for the series to finish to read the books would be my answer.

"Vivid imagery and twisted new look to Wonderland"

Genre :     Young Adult, Fairytale re-imaging, Fantasy, Mystery

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 3rd May, 2016

My Copy: publisher & edelweiss

Rate:             3/5 (Liked It)

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