Queen of Hearts: Volume One: The Crown (Queen of Hearts, #1)

by Colleen Oakes

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah's days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts--and the love of her life. When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she's ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It's up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe. Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinah's furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath. Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But be warned...not every fairytale has a happy ending. This is the story of a princess who became a villain.

• ISBN10: 1940716020
• ISBN13: 9781940716022
• Publish Date: 3 April 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 20 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: SparkPress
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 222
• Language: English

Reviews

[tweetybugshouse]

I really loved this story, right from the start i was sucked into this retelling and not let go to the very end. You have the classic characters you come to expect, Mad Hatter, Chesire, but instead of Alice you have Dinah and instead of the wicked queen you have her father the King of Hearts and of couse who could forget her beau the soon to be knave of hearts Wardley. This story keeps you guessing with all it twists and turns right up to the end.

This was a wonderful read. Dark, fascinating, intriguing. At 200 pages, Queen of Hearts is a quick read that sucks you down the rabbit hole.

[zarahoffman]

This book was absolutely amazing. Queen of Hearts gives the audience a new perspective on the old tales of Wonderland (from Carroll, to Disney Animation and Tim Burton's adaptations). As an avid reader and a huge fan of both retellings and anything Wonderland-related, this was my perfect cup of tea. Colleen Oakes artfully weaves in hints of the original relationship between the Queen of Hearts and the White Queen from Carroll's stories while simultaneously creating a unique and wondrous backstory that endears readers to Princess Dinah. The main character's struggles with wanting her father's love, being a princess, jealousy, and young love make this an intriguing and complex narrative that pulls at your heartstrings from beginning to end. I cannot wait for the next installment! I give it 5 stars (or crowns, as the case may be).