What We’re Reading

The Looking Glass Wars, Book 2: Seeing Redd | Frank Beddor

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Picking up were Looking Glass Wars left off, Alyss is now Queen of Wonderland, but all is not wonderful. No one knows what will become of Redd and The Cat, after their leap into the Heart Crystal, Alyss is worried that Dodge’s need for revenge will ruin him, she’s unsure if a Queen should love one of her guardsman, King Arch of Borderland seems to be planning something, and no one has heard from Hatter Madigan.

There’s never a dull moment. Especially once Redd imagines herself back into existence through a painter’s canvas. She and The Cat waste no time in collecting a new army on Earth. As luck would have it, one of the first people they run into is a member of Wonderland’s Tutor species, who fled through the Pool of Tears after having a falling out with Bibwit Harte. Vollrath, eager to prove himself, tells Redd all she needs to know about gaining her full powers, which will give her the best chance of defeating Alyss and reclaiming Wonderland as her own.

King Arch also has designs on Wonderland. After using the Diamonds to help start his plot on its way, capturing Homburg Molly and rendering the Crystal Continuum useless, he seems well on his way. The Diamonds are imprisoned (all but Jack, who has escaped), Hatter Madigan has done as expected and come for Molly, but all is not as smooth as Arch suspects. Jack of Diamonds will always side with whoever is most advantageous to him. And Hatter Madigan is not as loyal as he seems.

Back in Wonderland, Alyss’ powers are put to their test, as she helps to defend the city against the seeming endless army sent against her. Cryptic words from a caterpillar come at an unexpected time to help guide her along her way.

You’ll be left on the edge of your seat, eager for the final installment.

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Keys to the Kingdom, Book 5: Lady Friday | Garth Nix

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Definitely not a book to be read without reading the prior four, Lady Friday picks up not long after Sir Thursday left off. Leaf awakes in unknown surroundings, and feeling pretty funny. Following the warning of a worker, she makes it back to bed just in time to feign sleep, as she and her roommates are herded away by a group of Denizens of the House.

Within the House, Arthur is awoken in equally strange surroundings, though he realizes quickly he must be in Sir Thursday’s room. He has just enough time to get dressed, and find himself disturbed by the new vindictive streak Part Four of the Will seems to have added to Dame Primus, when he’s whised away to somewhere entirely unknown, and find himself in a pile of snow.

Spying Fetchers on the horizon, he immediately chooses a direction to make off in, and considers himself lucky to come upon a building. Though reluctantly, its occupants open up, and Arthur finds himself amongst some of the most unhelpful Denizens he’s met yet.

Leaf, whose destination turned out to be Lady Friday’s retreat, somewhere in the Secondary Realms, has called to the Mariner for help, and is trying to plot a way to save herself and her Aunt Mango from whatever nastiness Lady Friday is bound to have in store for them. She does manage to get a call off to Dr. Scamandros, though it gets cut off by Superior Saturday’s minions, and concludes with her getting caught by Friday’s Noon. Still, it’s something.

Arthur, finding himself surprised by the sudden appearance of Suzy Blue and Fred in the company of a Newnith soldier, is also working up a plan. One involving getting to the Top Shelf to find Part Five of the will, which he hopes can lead him to the Fifth Key, in possession of which he can force Lady Friday’s abdication. Along the way, many unexpected allies are made.

And on we go, jumping between stories, until the gang find themselves all in the same place, hoping their scheming hasn’t been for naught.

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River Secrets | Shannon Hale

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Picking up not long after the wars have ended, this latest Book of Bayern tells the tale of two countries trying to restore themselves to peace.

Bayern is uncomfortable with the idea presented to them–that Tira would like to send an ambassador to stay with them, and would like the Bayern to do the same. But as Queen, Isi feels she must try. After all, it’s easy to consider someone an enemy when you know nothing of them. It’s harder when you know they could be a friend.

Razo, who often questions his position in the King’s Own, as do the rest of the Own, is chosen to be among the 50 Bayern to make the trip. Much to his dismay, his friend Enna is chosen as well. After her part in the war, Razo feels this is unwise, but Enna feels she needs to go, and Isi seems to agree.

Razo finds his misgivings come to life early into their journey. While wandering around the camp where they awaited the Tiran, he stumbled upon a body burnt to a crisp. He tells only Captain Talone, who helps him to dump it in the river.

Now even more worried about his friend, Razo’s fate turns even bleaker when the Tiran arrive, and a fight immediately ensues.

The soldier who stabs him is left behind to starve, but his friend is still with them, and most definitely would waste no opportunity to finish what his companion had started.

Indeed, many more attacks on the Bayern are attempted while they stay in Tira. And more mysterious burned bodies found. Razo, set to spy the answers out by Talone, is in a race against time, trying to prove his old friend isn’t part of all the evil. He hopes equally that his new one isn’t either.

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The Looking Glass Wars | Frank Beddor

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As she watches the goings-on in honor of her seventh birthday, Princess Alyss Heart can’t help but feel that there’s got to be more to life. Or at least something more interesting. With her father being later and her best friend MIA, Alyss finds the whole affair leaving much to be desired. But when her party is crashed and her people killed by her evil Aunt Redd, Alyss quickly finds herself wishing to be back at the beginning when it was all so simple.

He father dead, he mother cornered, Alyss is sent through the Continuum with bodyguard Hatter Madigan, who is charged with keeping her safe. While in the Pool of Tears, Hatter loses hold of Alyss, exiting in France while she exits a puddle in England. While Hatter searches endlessly for her, Alyss is first taken in by a group of street children, then an orhpanage, then the Liddell family. In fact, she’s about to marry Prince Leopold when Hatter finally finds her.

Her childhood best friend Dodge’s appearance at her engagement party sparks questions in her mind. Questions about whether Wonderland was real, now that she’s convinced herself it couldn’t have been. About whether her past was as awful as she remembered it. Whether it was the true story she told the Reverend, only to have him contort and ruin in it his Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Wonderland, in the meantime, has turned to less than a shadow of its former self under Redd’s rule. The Alyssians fight a slow battle against her evil reign. And upon first reuniting with Alyss, are not at all sure that she can be the Warrior Queen they’ll need to save them.

To find out, Alyss must find and successfully navigate the Looking Glass Maze, which allows entrance only to those for whom it is intended. And while the White Scepter may seem an easy walk, appearances, as it happens, are quite deceiving.

This entirely new look at the Alice in Wonderland story may leave some readers up in arms. I personally found it incredibly intriguing and can’t wait for the next installment to see what comes of Redd after she’s thrown herself into the Heart Crystal.

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