Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars — (2004-2009) Ages 9-12. Publisher: Alyss, born in Wonderland, is destined to be a warrior queen. After a bloody coup topples the Heart regime, Alyss is exiled to another world entirely, where she is adopted into the Liddell family, renamed Alice and befriended by Lewis Carroll. At age 20 she returns to Wonderland to regain her sceptre, battle Redd and lead Wonderland into its next golden age of imagination.

Related book:
Princess Alyss of Wonderland — (2007) Publisher: Feast your eyes on the collected memorabilia of the real Alyss! This lavishly illustrated scrapbook includes:
• Alyss’ embattled correspondence with Lewis Carroll
• Actual annotated manuscript pages from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as the early reviews of the book
• A flip book given to Alyss by John Tenniel, the original illustrator of Carroll’s whimsical tale
• Journal entries and detailed drawings describing the indelible mark that Wonderland left on the young Alyss
• Removable letters that the princess wrote to her loved ones back home
• And a playable deck of cards created by “Alyss” to battle the imposter “Alice.”

This is a book for fans of fantasy and of the bestselling “ology” books, for Lewis Carroll scholars, and especially for young girls in search of a fresh, new, princess story.

The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars, somewhat a reimagining of Alice In Wonderland, has its moments but is generally weak throughout. It's a "multi-platform" concept, which means along with the requisite trilogy (Seeing Redd is out currently as book two), there are graphic novels and a planned movie and video game. What does all this mean?

Perhaps a wonderfully immersive experience in the world if one buys all the stuff. But if you're like me and just want to enjoy a book, you're a bit out of luck.

I don't know if Frank Beddor is saving material for the other platforms, or if they'll all have similar issues, but the big problem with LGW is its thinness. A thinness that permeates just about every aspect of the book.

Setting? Thin. Characters move across areas of land that we have no idea of how big they are or what they are like. I'd call them stage-set plains and forests but they don't even achieve that level. They just don't exist on the page. The same is true for the major city, the villain's fortress, even single rooms. Characters move effortlessly in and out whether they're crossing a doorway or a volcanic plain. It's almost like the author wrote "volcanic plain" and then is leaving it to the director or video game guy to actually draw a visual. So readers are left out. My guess is the story will work better in those more visual mediums where story is less paramount.

Characters? Thin. Evil characters are evil. Why? We don't know, really. How do we know they're evil? They kill people. Except when they don't. Or except when they do. Good people are good. Why? Because they're good. How do we know? They do good things—they're loyal for years for instance. "Years" of course being described over a few paragraphs. One character has the possibility of a grey area, but it's never realized. Another plays at amorality, but it's never taken seriously.

Plot? Plot is serviceable in the long arc but it all happens too quickly and too arbitrarily and with little sense of context. Some characters can "imagine" things into reality, but again, it's too arbitrary, happens or doesn't happen too conveniently, and is explained in too little detail. Victories and defeats are anti-climactic and seem to have little to do with what is important.

I could go on but I have no desire to beat up on a book or Frank Beddor just to belabor a point. Suffice to say there just isn't much here to enjoy beyond the basic premise and few all-too-short and all-too-thinly-developed concepts.

I know some will say one shouldn't expect a certain level of depth or sophistication in YA literature, but there is just far too much YA out there that does offer those things to make this an excuse. The Gregor the Overlander series of recent vintage, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series of classic vintage, and lots of other choices in between. They don't have multiple platforms—just moving stories with rich characters you care about.

Not recommended as a book. You might try the other mediums.  —Bill   Comments

Seeing Redd

For me, Alice In Wonderland is one of those unforgettable tales that has been imprinted onto my imagination for as long as I can remember, alongside such classics as The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars, and remains one of the most beloved stories of our time. So when I heard about Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars, which supposedly told the true story of Alice Liddell and a Wonderland that was real, I was definitely intrigued and picked up a copy. Even though the book was somewhat aimed toward a younger audience and was a little rough around the edges writing-wise, I enjoyed The Looking Glass Wars.

In The Looking Glass Wars, readers are introduced to a world quite different from the one depicted in Lewis Carroll’s books. Earth and Wonderland are parallel universes connected by portals (The Pool of Tears). Wonderland itself is a fantastical landscape where magic (White Imagination / Black Imagination) and advanced technology exist side-by-side. Alice Liddell is actually Alyss Heart, future queen of Wonderland whose empire was usurped by her evil aunt Redd. The Hatter is really Hatter Madigan, the queen’s personal bodyguard and expert fighter; the White Rabbit is Bibwit Harte, the Heart family’s tutor; the Cheshire Cat is the Cat, Redd’s deadly assassin; Tweedledee & Tweedledum are represented as General Doppelgänger who can split his body into two personas: Doppel & Gänger; the caterpillars are actually oracles; and Reverend Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, is the writer who twisted Alyss’ real-life confessions into the fairy tale that became known as Alice In Wonderland. There are countless other ‘departures’ from the story readers know, but it’s best if you discover those on your own as Mr. Beddor’s vivid imagination is one of the major highlights of the series.

As far as the actual plot in The Looking Glass Wars, I won’t get into any specifics, but basically Alyss finds her way back to Wonderland, joins a group of rebels, and somehow defeats Redd. Needless to say, it’s probably in your best interest to read The Looking Glass Wars before starting on Seeing Redd, which takes place not long after the first book. In Seeing Redd, Alyss is dealing with the difficulties of being queen, which not only includes rebuilding her empire after the devastation wrought by Redd’s reign, but also facing new threats from such enemies as the chauvinistic King Arch of Boarderland, and dealing with her personal feelings for the Captain of the Palace Guard, Dodge Anders. Subplots include Arch’s devious plan for taking over Wondertropolis which involves Hatter Madigan and a weapon of mass destruction (WILMA), Homburg Molly (Alyss’ personal bodyguard) discovering who her parents are; Dodge Anders whose duties are threatened by his need for vengeance against the Cat, and of course Redd who may not be so defeated after all…

If you enjoyed The Looking Glass Wars I daresay you’re going to like Seeing Redd even more, which I think is better than the first book in many areas. The writing for one is tighter and more accomplished; because a lot of setup was taken care of in The Looking Glass Wars the pacing is much faster and there’s more heart-pounding action; the fabulous cast of characters return along with some cool new faces such as Arch’s bodyguards Ripkins and Blister, an evil version of Bibwit Harte (Vollrath), and such creative villains as Master Sacrénoir, Siren Hecht, et cetera; and Mr. Beddor’s imagination is wilder than ever. As far as the story, it’s a little bit darker, but still appropriate for PG audiences while also appealing to mature readers, and the ending comes to a nice stopping point even though it’s the middle volume in the series. In short, everything that made The Looking Glass Wars such a fun read is multiplied and improved upon in Seeing Redd and my only complaint is that I have to wait now for the final book in the trilogy. —Robert T.   Comments

ArchEnemy

PLOT SUMMARY: The power of Imagination has been lost! Now it’s all about the artillery as AD52’s, crystal shooters, spikejack tumblers and orb cannons are unleashed in a war of weapons and brute force.

As Alyss searches wildly for the solution to the disaster that has engulfed her Queendom, Arch declares himself King of Wonderland. Meanwhile, deep within the Valley of Mushrooms, the Caterpillar Oracles issue this prophecy: “Action shall be taken to ensure the safety of the Heart Crystal. For Everqueen.” But who is Everqueen?

As the metamorphosis of Wonderland unfolds, enemies become allies, bitter rivals face off, and Queen Alyss and Redd Heart must both confront their pasts in this thrilling, no-holds-barred conclusion to the New York Times bestselling series...

CLASSIFICATION: The Looking Glass Wars trilogy is a mix of fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction that audaciously reimagines Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. In The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, characters die, blood is spilled and the villians are scary, but overall the books adhere to their YA rating. Even though aimed toward a younger audience, I would still highly recommend the series to adults as well as younger readers...

FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 384 pages divided over three Parts, fifty-eight chapters, a Prologue and a Coda. Also includes interior illustrations provided by Vance Kovacs (AD-52 breakdown, Part One),
Tae Young Choi (Part Two), Jennifer Bricking (Part Three) and Brian Flora (Part Four). Narration is in the third-person via multiple characters including Alyss Heart, Redd, Arch, Dodge Anders, Bibwit Harte, Hatter Madigan, Homburg Molly, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, etc. ArchEnemy is the concluding volume in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy after The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd, and wraps up the series nicely while also leaving openings for possible sequels.

October 15, 2009 marks the North American/UK Hardcover publication of ArchEnemy via Dial Books. Cover art provided by Vance Kovacs.

ANALYSIS: “In The Looking Glass Wars, readers are introduced to a Wonderland quite different from the one depicted in Lewis Carroll’s books. Earth and Wonderland are parallel universes connected by portals (The Pool of Tears). Wonderland itself is a fantastical landscape where magic (White Imagination/Black Imagination) and advanced technology exist side-by-side. Alice Liddell is actually Alyss Heart, future queen of Wonderland whose empire was usurped by her evil aunt Redd. The Hatter is really Hatter Madigan, the queen’s personal bodyguard and expert fighter; the White Rabbit is Bibwit Harte, the Heart family’s tutor; the Cheshire Cat is The Cat, Redd’s deadly assassin; Tweedledee & Tweedledum are represented as General Doppelgänger who can split his body into two personas Doppel & Gänger; the caterpillars are actually oracles; and Reverend Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, is the writer who twisted Alyss’ real-life confessions into the fairy tale that became known as Alice In Wonderland...” — Taken from Fantasy Book Critic’s review of Seeing Redd

ArchEnemy is the third and final volume in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, and what a finish it is! In the wake of events in Seeing Redd, most notably the activation of WILMA (Weapon of Inconceivable Loss and Massive Annihilation), Imagination is now diminished throughout Wonderland and various factions are taking advantage, including King Arch of the Boarderlands and an anti-imagination rebellion led by the Lord and Lady Clubs. Unbeknownst to all are the dire repercussions that the lost Imagination is having on Earth. To make matters worse, the enigmatic caterpillar-oracles are pursuing their own agenda, one that includes the Heart Crystal, the mysterious Everqueen, and Homburg Molly who is still reeling from the terrible loss and shocking revelations experienced in Seeing Redd.

Backed by electric pacing, heart-pounding action, interesting subplots like Alyss & Redd working together and the events played out in Oxford, and satisfying resolutions (Alyss vs. Redd, Dodge vs. The Cat, Hatter M & Homburg Molly, Alyss & Dodge, etc), the story is one of ArchEnemy’s greatest strengths. Other strengths include the book’s witty humor (Redd’s home turned into a tourist attraction, Bibwit’s incessant chatter, and the caterpillar-oracles’ love for tarty-tarts are just a few examples) and Frank Beddor’s glowing imagination. Personally, what I love most about ArchEnemy, and the trilogy as a whole, is the creativity of the author. It is evident in everything, from Wonderland itself (Wondertropolis, Outerwilderbeastia, Boarderland, Everlasting Forest, Chessboard Desert, the Pool of Tears, Mount Isolation, Valley of Mushrooms) and his unforgettable cast of characters to the technology used in the trilogy (Glass Eyes, AD52s, cannonball spiders, crystal shooters, mauler rifles, whipsnake grenades, spikejack tumblers, the Crystal Continuum), as well as Wonderland’s flora and fauna (jabberwocks, gwynooks, hollizalea) and even measurements (spirit-dane lengths, gwormmy-blinks, lunar hour).

Comparatively, The Looking Glass Wars trilogy may lack the substance, characterization and complexity of such popular children’s series as the Harry Potter books, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials and Garth Nix’s Abhorsen Trilogy, but as a whole is just as fun and entertaining. In the end, ArchEnemy closes out Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars in exciting fashion and cements the trilogy as one of the best new YA fantasy series currently published. —Robert T.   Comments