Embracing the Looking-Glass

Sticking with its TV influences we start with Kallie trying to live a normal life and her relationship with West in between reading the lore sessions at the library. But soon enough she is drawn back to Wonderland after it calls for her help...

Once she gets there she and Ches, taking turns narrating again, are drawn into a rebellion against Queen Hartley. Hartley is once again amazing and basically the book version of an actor chewing scenery, and I loved every minute of it.

Kallie like the first time is just pulled this way and that way by everyone in Wonderland and she felt pretty passive once more, which undid her character development in the first of her coming into her own. She didn't seem to be the strong person that she was at the end of the first book anymore. Her romance with Ches is also constantly interrupted by something bad happening which just drags it out forever and this annoys me.

Ches though regains his memories including how he becomes a vampire. It is done with a dark twist of folklore which is fitting to the entire series. I found him to be more likable this time around, although the angst still grates a little.

In this installment, everyone's backstory is revealed. Kallie's destiny, why Alice is the way she is and Hartley and her sister Alana, who leads the rebellion. Pretty much everything about Wonderland is explained.

There is also a lot of action this time around. The rebellion means constant fight scenes with a lot of magical characters flinging around spells and it was fun.

More crazy characters, magical mayhem, and darker versions of fairy tales like you'd expect. Hopefully, Kallie regains her confidence back in the third and final book and the romance between the two ends in a satisfying way.