Inspired by a deck of cards, Frank Beddor’s debut novel The Looking Glass Wars tells the ‘true’ story of Alyss Heart of Wonderland, where Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll / Charles Dodgson is the author’s misinterpretation of the Princess’s tragic tale.
One of the things I liked most about this book is how the author adds just the right amount of dark imagination to the story, not so much that it become something stupid for trying to hard. Some of the best reimaginings have really lost something in translation for changing either too much or too little, or changing it in the wrong way. But Frank Beddor has managed to avoid all those little missteps and created something perfect.
One of my favorite elements in the story are the dimension-jumping puddles, puddles where no puddles should be, that enable to inhabitants of Wonderland to cross form their world to ours, and vice versa. Very cool. They even have their own song. (More on that later.)
The story is expertly written, and the characters are very real, and understandable. You can really get to know them through the course of the story. Most of the characters are reimagined versions of characters from Lewis Carroll’s novels, and even though they are changed to fit the storyline, they stay true to the original characters, as do all elements of the story that come from the original novels. As I read, I really came close to believing that this was the true story; it’s very easy how everything could be interchange from dark, tragic story to silly, whimsical children’s novel.
The book even has it’s own soundtrack. I’ve only heard a few full tracks from the website, but I’ve really loved what I heard. Don’t be fooled into the thinking the soundtrack is just bunch of silly little instrumental tracks made to go with the books. While there are a few instrumental tracks, which are beautifully executed, the album does feature songs by established bands that fit with the theme of the book. There is also supposedly a movie in the works, but don’t tale my word for it. There’s information on the official site, though.
The Recommendation – I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone, but especially fans of reimagined novels and Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
The Other Books – Well, I already own the sequel, so that should tell you how I feel about continuing with the story. There is also a companion book called Princess Alyss of Wonderland which is a book made similar to Dragonolgy and the other ‘Ology books. I’ve been meaning to give it my money, because I think it’s incredibly worth it (I collect those, too.) but I either can’t find it or have forgotten about it when I make it to the bookstore. But I think they’re well worth the money for my collection. A graphic novel series called Hatter M (Bet you can’t guess who it’s named for.) is also in publication.
The Vitals* – The Looking Glass Wars is available in Hardcover ($17.99) and Paperback ($8.99) from Dial Press.
The Links - the Looking Glass Wars Official Website has tons of information and extra content, as well a few tracks from the soundtrack you can stream for free. They also have specials in the store sometimes, so it can be a great place to purchase the books and other merchandise in combinations.
* = All prices from Borders.com and are approximate and subject to change.
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