*I received a physical copy from Imprint via Hear Our Voices book Tour. All views are my own
As promised, after finishing L.L. McKinney's A Blade So Black, I immediately jumped back into the Nightmare-Verse world to continue to the sequel, A Dream So Dark. After the cliffhanger produced in ABSB, I didn't want to forget the vibe, so here we are! Because we are reviewing the sequel, there will be some spoilers from Book 1, so if you have not read the first book in the trilogy, step away from the screen!
"Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates), Alice must abandon her friends to complete her mission: find The Heart and prevent the Red Lady's rise. 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."
Following tradition, I experienced this title via audio with Jeanette Illidge returning to voice Alice and two new narrators giving a male perspective, Jacob York and Matthew Barnes. I wasn't expecting additional character POVs in the sequel, but it made the 12 hours and 7 minutes of listening palpable. Honestly, neither of the male narrators nor their POVs were necessary. It didn't add or take away from the story, and if anything, it annoyed me that we had to focus on the men in the first place because I wanted to get back to Alice and her chaotic life. But I applaud York and Barnes for now giving me a better audible image of what these characters sound like.
When we left Alice in ABSB, she revealed to her mother what she's been doing since her father's passing. And she's in so much trouble because of it! I mentioned before in Book 1 that if the mom ever had a spinoff, I'd be here for it. She was the best character in that book, bringing more heat to ADSD. Yes, we see Mom's fiery personality even more through the pages because now that she knows what Alice is doing, she's still in overprotective mom mode and is still not here for it. I love it!
Besides the mom reappearing, seeing the familiar faces from the first book still fighting the good fight was a comforting and reassuring experience. We also met new characters who also left a lasting impression. McKinney's inclusion of characters from different nationalities, such as the twins Tweedle Dee and Dem from Russia and the new characters from Ireland and Japan, adds a rich diversity to the story.
While I appreciated the characters and the colorful world of culturally appropriated Wonderland, I was still bored with the story. ADSD elevated from ABSB, but I still considered it background noise. The story had its moments, but not enough to wow me through the text. In my opinion, the climax wasn't strong enough, and it confused me even more about how the villains were created in the first place. It was a very Attack on Titan-esq with the background premise.
Overall, I rated this book 3-stars. It still has its potential but hasn't been fully realized yet. So far, I'm not as thrilled as some readers and reviewers, but I'm still in it to win it. Even though the book's tone ended on finality, I'm curious how Book 3, A Crown So Cursed, will play out. I hope it will tie up the loose ends, particularly the mystery of the Red Queen, and delve deeper into the history of Wonderland. I'm also eager to see more of Alice's character development and if my predictions of her becoming a hidden Wonderland Queen will come to fruition.
A Dream So Dark is available now!
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