Early Review – Looking Glass (The Chronicles of Alice Novellas) by Christina Henry (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: April 21, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-1984805638
Stand Alone or Series: Novella Collection for The Chronicles of Alice series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Lovely Creature
In the New City lives a girl with a secret: Elizabeth can do magic. But someone knows her secret–someone who has a secret of his own. That secret is a butterfly that lives in a jar, a butterfly that was supposed to be gone forever, a butterfly that used to be called the Jabberwock…Girl in Amber
Alice and Hatcher are just looking for a place to rest. Alice has been dreaming of a cottage by a lake and a field of wildflowers, but while walking blind in a snowstorm she stumbles into a house that only seems empty and abandoned…When I First Came to Town
Hatcher wasn’t always Hatcher. Once, he was a boy called Nicholas, and Nicholas fancied himself the best fighter in the Old City. No matter who fought him he always won. Then his boss tells him he’s going to battle the fearsome Grinder, a man who never leaves his opponents alive…The Mercy Seat
There is a place hidden in the mountains, where all the people hate and fear magic and Magicians. It is the Village of the Pure, and though Alice and Hatcher would do anything to avoid it, it lies directly in their path…”
Series Info/Source: This is a collection of novellas that mainly takes place after the main Chronicles of Alice books. I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley to review.
Story (5/5): I loved this collection of novellas just as much as I loved the original series. There are four novellas here; one loosely relates to the main story, two follow Alice and Hatcher on their further journeys, and one is about Hatcher’s past. I loved the stories with Alice and Hatcher in them the best, but also really enjoyed the one about Hatcher’s past.
Characters (5/5): I love Alice and Hatcher and it was so fun to learn about what happened to them after the main events of the Chronicles of Alice. I really enjoyed having a bit more closure to their story. I also really enjoyed learning all the background on Hatcher.
Setting (5/5): The majority of the stories are set in “Wonderland” which I really enjoy. It’s such a dark setting but also very creative and magical in its way.
Writing Style (5/5): I am always a fan of Henry’s writing and have loved all of her books. This book was no exception; it was easy to read and the writing flowed very nicely. I enjoyed it a lot.
Summary (5/5): Overall this was a fantastic addition to the Chronicles of Alice series and I am so happy that Henry decided to release this. I absolutely loved it and it made me want to go back and reread the whole Chronicles of Alice series. I would definitely recommend reading this after you read the rest of the Chronicles of Alice for full impact. I would also recommend this whole series if you enjoy dark fantasy or Alice in Wonderland retellings.
