Would have loved to have read this a few years ago but after reading Heartless by Marissa Meyer I just honestly don't think anything else could match up to that retelling.

A really unique retelling of Alice in Wonderland, following the Queen of hearts as she comes of age. The only other story of the Queen of Hearts that I’ve read was ‘Heartless’ by Marissa Meyer, I didn’t enjoy that version very much. So I was hoping that this trilogy would have a lot more within the plot and how the characters were devolved.

I enjoyed reading this trilogy. The series gets better as the books go on, certainly a lot darker than Marissa Meyer’s version, I also liked working out who was who, and I loved the way the Cheshire Cat was portrayed.

One of the best ‘retelling/origin’ stories I’ve read in the past couple of years.

This was a brilliant trilogy!! Following the Queen of Hearts as she comes of age, and battles it out with her wicked father.
These were fast paced, heart (excuse the pun) felt reads. I flew through all of them and loved every second. I adored the way the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat were portrayed. My favorite thing about all of the books was the incredible world building, I could picture each and every thing described, in my head!!
Great reads for any one looking for a fairy-tale with a bloody twist.

A great series especially for fans of fairy tales. This collection will make you like Dinah aka the Queen of Hearts. Dinah is a great character and you easily become invested in her story. The first book takes a bit to get going but when it does it leaves you hooked for more.

Queen of Hearts:

I read Queen of Hearts make in 2017 because it was gifted to me. I loved the idea of a Queen of hearts/wonderland retelling and was so amazed by it. (I don't have a full review of it so this will have to do)

Blood of Wonderland:

Ever since I picked up Queen of Hearts last year, I’ve had this book on my tbr but never truly got round to it until now. As I was given an arc copy of the entire trilogy set by netgalley, I quickly refreshed myself on the last couple of pages of Queen of Hearts so I could know what exactly was going on. This did help me some bit but at times I could not concentrate of the true story of the book. However, the ending shocked me and I immediately went on to the next book. That would have been a killer to wait for.

3 out of 5 stars.

War of the Cards:

With this being the last book in the trilogy, I was a lot more engaged in the actual plot line of this unlike the 2nd book. Everything Dinah did in this book was either her being manipulated or manipulative. There was no in between. What she did to Wardley in the end, was just pure cruel and that’s why honestly she made such a good anti-hero. She got what she wanted in the end and that shows just how much she truly was like her father. I love the view of Wardley telling Lewis Caroll everything incorrectly because he was grieving, which many reviewers have claimed that this is why the Caroll books do not match up with this retelling. I seriously love that inside joke between the author and the readers. Plus when Dinah goes to see Harris in the Blacktowers, it is truly heart breaking. A good conclusion to a trilogy.

3 out of 5 stars.

The other Queen of Hearts retelling/origin I have read was Marissa Meyer's Heartless which didn't manage to live up to the sheer amount of hype it generated. This story, by contrast, had a lot more bite to it and was certainly a lot darker (which appeals to my shriveled dark soul). I also think it is definitely a series that builds as it develops throughout the three books. Not only does the worldbuilding improve but Dinah (our protagonist) get's hugely less whiney by the end of book two. 

My main issue with this and all Alice in Wonderland retellings I have found is that none of them have managed to capture the whimsy of Carroll's original books. This is a captivating story, that much is certain. These are interesting characters and the setting is powerful. But it's lacking in those ludicrous elements that made Alice in Wonderland what it was. This book, while there are a lot of fantasy elements (there are evil trees, I love evil trees) still feels very grounded and sure of itself. In some ways that difference is explained near the end of the third book, which I appreciated, but it can't be avoided that Carrol's work was a bit of a jacket for this story to wear (if that makes sense?).

There are also some elements of 'tribal' lifestyles which is always a bit of a worry for me. For the most part...I think these were handled well. It's hard to do so when the mentality of the culture from which your main character comes has a prejudice against the 'tribe' so that is the viewpoint that has to constantly come across. In later books, this handling got a little better, though there were moments that felt a little white savior-y. 

Overall, I did enjoy reading all three of these books. As a fan of Alice in Wonderland I appreciated a lot of the references the book made, I enjoyed working out who was who and what was what. There are a good number of red herrings and plot twists to keep you interested and while the ultimate ending had some problems (which I won't discuss here because spoilers but hopefully those who have read it will understand what I mean) it was satisfactory.

My rating: 3/5 stars overall.

I received a digital advanced review copy of these books from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.