littleread1
Written on Feb 20, 2017
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen. At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King's marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship. Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.
- ISBN10 1250148189
- ISBN13 9781250148186
- Publish Date 1 May 2018 (first published 2 February 2016)
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Square Fish
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 480
- Language English
Reviews
Silvara
Written on Dec 27, 2016
I liked a number of things about the book. Like how many Wonderland characters I recognized, and felt true to themselves. (Like Cheshire!) I also liked reading about the various confections Cath made, and how when she dreamed about Jest, things would appear in her room, grown by the dreams.
Jest was by far my favorite character. He was charming and sweet, mysterious and had so many magic tricks up his sleeve. (Can't say much more due to spoilers...)
The friendship between Cath and Mary Ann was really good too. They dreamed together about opening up their own bakery. And even though Mary Ann was technically a servant, Cath never really treated her as such.
There were also other fairy tales mixed into the Wonderland universe. Like Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, as well as Edgar Allen Poe's Raven (ok, so that's not a fairy tale...)
However, there was enough that irked me that I have no wish to own or read the book again. First is admittedly my own fault. I couldn't remember if this was based on the Queen of Hearts or not, and the synopsis didn't really say. But! At at least one point in the book, there is mention of a Red Queen who is fighting the White Queen. And since I have never heard of TWO Red Queens in the Wonderland universe, I was hoping that Cath was not in fact that Queen.
It was also a bit annoying how wishy-washy Cath was as far as the romance goes. It was pretty much insta-love from the moments she set eyes on Jest. But she kept waffling between marrying the King of Hearts the way her parents were pretty much forcing her to do, or choosing Jest. At pretty much every turn, she was running off and falling more in love with Jest, but choosing the King over him every time she was given a choice.
I liked Cath at first, when we were seeing her with Mary Ann, and dreaming about her bakery. But the more I read about her, the more spineless I found her. And by the end I just wanted to hit her over the head with a shovel. I slogged through a bunch of the book because I just didn't care for Cath anymore. But I kept reading because, Jest.
By the end of the book, I knew what was going to happen. (Because Cath is an idiot.) And instead of making me sad, it just made me mad. If not for Jest, Cheshire, and a few of the other side characters, I would say this book doesn't exist for me, it disappointed me so much. So I'm glad I read it for them, but not so much for any other reason.
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
Artemis
Written on Dec 23, 2016
Heather
Written on Dec 4, 2016
On one hand it is Alice in Wonderland which is my favorite fantasy world ever. I liked this author's Lunar Chronicles.
On the other hand, it is Alice in Wonderland which will make me extra mad if it gets all screwed up.
For the first 75% of this book, it was glorious.
Catherine is a privileged daughter in Wonderland. Her only allowable aspiration is to make a good marriage. She has a different goal though. She wants to open a bakery and make tarts with her maid as her marketing guru and business advisor. Unfortunately, Catherine's cooking has attracted the eye of the ineffectual King of Hearts. Now that a courtship is on the horizon, her mother devotes herself entirely to making sure that Catherine becomes Queen.
There was word play and appearances by most of the beloved Wonderland characters with just the right amounts of whimsy. I was rooting for Catherine to find the nerve to stand up to her mother and say that she wasn't going to be Queen. Obviously, that doesn't happen since this is the backstory to the Queen of Hearts, but a plausible explanation is built up to see how she could become Queen and still not have it go in exactly the direction that you thought it would.
And then it happened. (Obviously, spoilers ahead). Catherine is given a glimpse of two futures. One where she continues with her rebel plans and one where she doesn't. What happens if she rebels isn't clear but it is very clear that if she turns back, everyone with her will either die or suffer terribly. Almost immediately, she decides to turn back. What? It isn't even 5 minutes after the ominous warnings from spooky little seer girls and already you choose the stupid route?
Ok, ok, she turns back to help her maid. I could make a case for the needs of the many not always outweighing the need for a single person if I absolutely had to. I still think it is overwhelmingly stupid and I had to set the book aside for a few days to let my hot white burning rage simmer down but I eventually pushed on. Guess what happened next?
Everything the little freaky seers said about everyone will suffer and die was true! Who saw that coming?
Yeah. They literally just said it a few pages ago. I mean, I read those pages a few days earlier and yet I still managed to remember. It was way less time than that for Catherine but she was surprised. Seriously, if a trio of mystical fortunetellers shows you the deaths of people standing next to you and you choose to ignore them, you don't get to go off all crazy like someone tricked you. You don't get to feel like you are entitled to righteous indignation because of the consequences of your misguided actions. You really shouldn't expect people to feel all sorry for you when you immediately decide to abandon all your ethics and previously deeply held principles. Yes, immediately our previously tart-loving, nonqueenly Catherine decides that the only thing to do is to seize control of the throne by marrying the King and turning into a tyrant. Because.... trauma, maybe? She's suffering so everyone else must suffer too? I don't really know. It didn't make much sense in the book either. It was like it suddenly decided to say, "Yep, and now she's evil. Ta da!" It was completely out of her character.
The ending wouldn't have made me so mad if the beginning hadn't had so much promise. Has anyone else read this one? Am I the only person who it turned into a boiling ball of rage?This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
cornerfolds
Written on Nov 1, 2016
Initial reaction:
I'm going to be honest - I almost didn't read this book. Some friends had read it and really didn't enjoy it, especially in comparison to The Lunar Chronicles. But one day, in the mood for fantasy, I decided to give it a try and I knew within 20 pages that I was going to love it! I will warn you, this is not The Lunar Chronicles. (It's better.)
Catherine is the leading lady of this story and all she wants is to bake with her best friend and maid. Unfortunately, her parents have other plans for her. Catherine meets Jest the joker on the same night that she finds out the King of Hearts intends to ask for her hand in marriage. Together, Catherine and Jest manage to strategically delay the king's advances while they unintentionally grow closer together.
I loved Jest and Catherine, together and separate. Catherine is a strong, independent woman who is determined to live her life in a way that makes her happy. While she does have some issues with indecision, her goal never really changes. There were a few times when Catherine got under my skin. She made a few decisions that were absolutely ridiculous. I know this was done in order to get her from innocent baker to ruthless Queen of Hearts, but there were still some moments that were difficult to read. Jest is mysterious and magical and wholly unselfish. I swooned. The two of them together are so adorable it hurts!
I also adored several of the secondary characters, not least of which was Hatta (the hatter) who was as perfectly (nearly) mad as you'd expect. The Cheshire cat is also there along with the White Rabbit and the Hare (spelled Haiga). And, of course, a Wonderland story wouldn't be complete without the Jabberwocky. Each of these characters is familiar although they all have backstories you probably haven't heard before.
My absolute favorite thing about Heartless is that it is Wonderland. I felt like I had been dropped right back into the world I love so much and Marissa wrote it flawlessly. The world had just the right amount of madness and whimsy that made me want to crawl back to it every single time I got a chance. I loved the world of The Lunar Chronicles but this one surpasses it, in my opinion. Somehow this is the Wonderland we know while also being something unique and exciting with something new around every corner. Although we never get to see it, I also loved hearing about Chess and the war between the Red and White queens.
But let's talk about the plot. From the very beginning I wondered how in the world Catherine could possibly become the Queen we all love to hate. As the story went on and I got more and more invested in her and Jest, I became increasingly nervous about where it would all end up. Although I knew how things must end, I was still shocked more than once. Let me just say this book ripped my heart out but I enjoyed the journey so, so much! Marissa Meyer did a fantastic job of giving this villain a backstory that made her entirely sympathetic, which isn't surprising at all after reading Fairest.
So in case I haven't made it clear, I love this book. I could go on and on and on about all the things I loved, but I don't want this to become a fangirl post! Suffice it to say this is a book I will most definitely be reading multiple times, just to go back to Wonderland and see Jest again. I highly recommend Heartless to any fan of Wonderland who wants to know more about where the Queen of Hearts came from. Don't go into this expecting The Lunar Chronicles though! This is is a whole different animal!
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Oct 25, 2016
When we meet Catherine, she is baking lemon tarts. Catherine dreams of opening a bakery in Hearts with her maid. She has never known love and tries to both please her parents and realize her dreams and ambitions. At the black and white ball, she meets the Jester, and her heart begins to flutter, but the King is eying her to be his Queen. The tale that unfolds was indeed a trip down the rabbit hole.
I delighted in seeing characters from Alice in Wonderland. There was the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, and Peter Pumpkin. I adored, the Jester's companion a Raven who talked in rhyme. Meyer's said he was inspired by Edger Allen Poe and I delighted in the somewhat familiar verse. The Jester was mysterious, charismatic and handsome. I could see how Catherine was attracted to him. The King was portrayed as a bit of a bumbling buffoon and had me rolling my eyes at his attempts to court Catherine.
As we learn about Cathrine, and the men in her life we engage in lawn crochet, attend teas and deal with her ambitious momma. All the while a mythological creature is attacking the people of Hearts and Catherine is determined to stop it. It was all splendidly done, and I found myself slipping into the world and connecting with these characters.
Magic, prophecies, and characters of the Kingdom all added interest and slowly pushed us towards the catalyst that would forever change Catherine.
Heartless was riveting and pulled me down the rabbit hole. For fans of Alice in Wonderland and Marissa Meyer, Heartless is a must read.
This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Kelly
Written on Oct 18, 2016
In the Kingdom of Hearts, Lady Catherine Pinkerton is acclaimed for her delicious delicacies, with the King himself her greatest connoisseur. Catherine is a lovely young woman, she's passionate and considerate, appeasing her mother the Marchioness who is determined to ensure her daughter becomes the Queen of Hearts while being forced to cast her aspirations aside.
The Kingdom of Hearts is imaginative and lavish landscape, wonderfully portrayed with enchantment and whimsy. Set within the confines of Wonderland, Heartless is a reimagined narrative of the Queen of Hearts from Catherine's origins, to her portrayal as a ruthless Queen. Her relationship with her parents consists of Catherine placating her mother, an often mean spirited woman living vicariously through her only child. Catherine's only friend and confidante is the kindhearted and intelligent Mary Ann, who is employed as a servant within the family's estate. Their warm and compassionate friendship was lovely despite her mother's disapproval, but it was Catherine's rivalry with Margaret where readers may foreshadow an indication of a ruthless Queen.
Although the King of Hearts is frivolous and whimsical, Catherine is apathetic and yearns for a passionate courtship, not anticipating Jest, the King of Hearts' enchanting Court Joker and the two engage in a tentative love affair. I absolutely cherished Jest, his character was so incredibly precious. But behind his jovial and dashing persona lies a boy on a covert mission.
The easiest way to steal something, is for it to be given willingly.
Although I enjoyed the attraction between Catherine and Jest, Jest was an enigma and the romance was seemingly that Catherine had fallen in love with the adventure and freedom Jest provided rather than the character himself.
Sometimes your heart is the only thing worth listening to.
The secondary characters were lovingly crafted, a reimagining of the original characters from Alice's Adventure's In Wonderland. The Jabberwock terrorising the residents of Hearts, extraordinary tea parties, Cheshire and the White Rabbit. Although the storyline was wonderful, the characters themselves felt superficial, leaving me unable to invest in Catherine and Jest as a romantic partnership. Regardless, it was incredibly entertaining.
My first foray into a world recreated and reimagined by Marissa Meyer was captivating and delightfully charming. The prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is delicate, enchanting and deliciously spectacular with a fusion of fantastically vivid imagining and childlike wonder.
Joséphine
Written on Jul 9, 2016
Full book review is up on Word Revel.
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July 9, 2016
Note: I received an advanced reading copy from a local distributor in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Initial thoughts: Going into Heartless as a Marissa Meyer fan, it's important to detach oneself from The Lunar Chronicles. The only similarity between them is that they were inspired by existing stories. The style of writing differs in a very fitting manner. The deftness of Marissa's storytelling gave me the Wonderland I had hoped to find in the original books of Alice's adventures. It was absolutely mad and fantastical and I came to adore the young Queen of Hearts. Best of all, she dreamt of a life of baking and with the stunning descriptions, I could almost taste each treat on my very own tongue.
(My full book review will be available on wordrevel.com closer to the publication date, 17 Nov 2016.)
Ashley
Written on May 26, 2016
...I don't like the Wonderland universe...
It's not because of Heartless at all - I just don't like Wonderland in general. I'm just not a fan of that weird style.
But that being said, Marissa Meyer made me enjoy it significantly more than I expected. The story was fun, but tragic—especially because you know where it's heading. I really felt for Catherine, her family struggles, and the situation with the king.
My biggest gripe has to do with the romance. I didn't care for Jest much at all. He just wasn't interesting. Also, his relationship with Catherine was crazy insta-love. They had like two private moments together (only one of which was substantial—an entire evening) before she claims she loves him. I didn't mind this too much at the beginning, since the focus felt like it was more on Catherine (her personal journey and longing to make her own life) than their romance. But towards the end it became a bigger problem for me because Jest's death took over her entire life and reshaped her entirely. I get that his death was tragic, but she also barely knew the guy all things considered...
It was good, especially towards the end when the action really picked up. I wish I could have enjoyed the romance more though.
Berls
Written on May 22, 2016