This is an Alice in Wonderland reimagination. It takes the original story and makes it a nonsensical fairytale within this current story with an actual “truth” that is this book. In this book Alyss is from Wonderland, she is the princess and is to become Queen. The imagination they use is their power and actually what they use to create new ideas. The creatures of the original story show up in different, less foolish ways. They are advisors and soldiers, butlers and wise councilmen. It is so interesting to see how the original story is taken and turned completely around to form this story and this is probably the most interesting retelling I’ve read so far. 

Though the story was more serious than the original, I think it gave enough nods to Carrol’s story while keeping its originality. The characters aren’t really complex or even hard to understand their motives or feelings. There isn’t too much to reach for, it is just quite an intriguing story. If you are looking for a book closely related to Alice in Wonderland, this is not your story. This book is good but it is not the Alice we know from any other book or movie of the character and it isn’t meant to be. The view of this story is if Carrol took what Alyss said and made it a story of children’s imagination. I think if you approach this book with no preconceptions of hat it should be and see it as a war story in a magical land then you’ll see the possibilities of this story. You still see Alyss “before”, after she leaves Wonderland (in the real world) and then after she returns to Wonderland years later to save here people. 

This was a quick read with an interesting story. If you enjoy war stories, battles for self acceptance and growth, with the addition of some competing world ideals, then this will be a good book for you. Is it a best read for me? Nope. But I think it is a pretty good average book to envelope into. 

This book was a reread for me from several years ago. It again was an enjoyable remaining of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." A good read for tweens or those who just turned 13. The descriptions and minds-eye imagery may be too much for younger readers.