Review of The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars - Frank Beddor

Here is a book review by me! I particularly recommend this book to fantasy lovers!!

REVIEW:

Many people say: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” However, to be entirely truthful, a reader’s first impression is normally gained from the cover! By looking at the cover of The Looking Glass Wars, it would not be a book that I would choose to pick up and read. Fantasy, other worlds: not my sort of thing. That would be my first mistake. The enthralling story of The Looking Glass Wars is written and told in such preciseness that the book is spot on!

A number of years ago, Frank Beddor visited the British Museum and came across an exhibition of ancient playing cards. At the very end of the exhibition was an incomplete deck of cards. The cards showed Alice in Wonderland. He went to an antique shop specialising in cards and when he told the dealer about the unusual exhibit he revealed that he in fact owed the other cards from the missing deck. The dealer then continued to tell Frank Beddor the story of The Looking Glass Wars, which is how Frank Beddor got the idea of writing about this. Some may call it: “A twisted tale of Alice in Wonderland.” Although Beddor may have based his idea on this, the true depth of the book reaches far beyond this. The Looking Glass Wars is definitely not a copy of a simple fairy tale with a few variations, but actually an extremely different book! Just as a composer takes extracts from other music and copies simple ostinatos, and then incorporates them in their own music, Frank Beddor has merely woven another simple well-known plot into a far more complex and amazing novel!

The Looking Glass Wars tells the story of a girl named Alyss. Her mother is the queen, and Alyss is the princess in training to take over the throne. However, Alyss’ Aunt, Redd has returned to claim the throne. Accompanied by her cat assassin and an endless supply of deadly card soldiers it appears she is indestructible. She isn't prepared to let anybody stand in her way. After Alyss’ parents are murdered, Alyss flees the battle and goes through “The Pool of Tears” that transports her to England. Naturally, whenever Alyss speaks of Wonderland, people say she is just a young girl with a wild imagination. She is forced to swallow and deny her life. She grows up and forgets as best she can where she came from, however back in Wonderland, things go from bad to worse. The remaining Wonderlanders join together, however without Alyss they have no chance of defeating Redd. After settling to her life in England she is dragged back to Wonderland where she must go through The Looking Glass Maze to reach her full potential and find her own confidence to be able to defeat Redd.

The Looking Glass Wars is a fast-moving story filled with amazing and realistic characters. Alyss’ strength, spirit and imaginative powers make her a heroine unlike any other, and whilst reading the book, you find yourself supporting her side, willing desperately for her to overpower Redd.

Vivid descriptions bring the book to life. With every detail covered, the reader can put themselves into the story and imagine the characters and surroundings perfectly. The characters are built up so accurately that the reader feels they know them extremely well.

Frank Beddor writes in such a way that keeps the reader hooked throughout. With an exiting and action-filled plot, sometimes the small things that add interest to the story are forgotten. Sentence structure, character dialogue, and similar things are all used extremely well making the book perfect!

The comments from three newspapers simply support what I have just said. The Guardian says:
“Fantastic battle scenes, plot twists, character interest and slow-burning love make this an ace read for both sexes.”
The Independent says:
“To say Beddor’s revolutionary novel is an adaption of Lewis Carroll’s original would do justice to neither author … The magic with which Beddor has imbued each character really and truly brings them to life.”
The Times says:
“This ingenious reworking … is powerful, eventful and dark. Which is entirely legitimate, given the surreality of the original.

What more can I say after this … The Looking Glass Wars definitely comes high in my list of favourite books and that it an extremely long way up!