The Forge

We all know the story, how little Alice fell down the rabbit hole and ended up in a fantastical world filled with anxious rabbits, unbirthdays and angry queens. But what if that's not really what happened? What if Lewis Carroll got it all wrong, and Alice fell out of Wonderland into the real world? And what if that isn't how you spell her name?

These and plenty more are questions Frank Beddor would like you to consider as he invites you to read The Looking Glass Wars, book one of an intended trilogy, which dares to re-imagine Wonderland as a very different sort of place. Like its predecessor, LGW is marketed as a children's book; but also like its predecessor, the world of Wonderland is anything but princesses and hearts (though it has those too).

Alyss Heart is living quite the luxurious life while her mother, Queen Genevieve, does her best to fairly rule a kingdom just recovering from a civil war. While the royal families of the lesser suits (Diamonds, Spades and Clubs, naturally) squabble amongst themselves as to who ought to be ruling, the Hearts command a formidable empire in which one of the most striking events of the year is an inventor's parade. During this event, devices are presented to the queen for inspection. Those items found worthy are then brought to the Heart Crystal, where they are transported to other worlds (for example, the pogo stick and electric lamp). You may consider this trivial, however it brings up the most important part of all Wonderland: imagination.

'Tis imagination that rules the roost in Wonderland, and as this is after all an epic of good vs. evil it should not be a surprise that the forces of white and black imagination are pitted against each other in a struggle for control. Not long after the opening of the novel, the peaceful kingdom of Wonderland is under attack by Redd, none other than Alyss' aunt, come to retake the throne she was deposed from many years ago. Without giving too much away, there is quite a bit of bloodshed and viciousness in Beddor's wonderland. Alyss escapes with her mother's bodyguard, Hatter Madigan (wink wink) through the Pool of Tears (from which nothing has ever returned) and they end up separated here on earth--she in Victorian London and he somewhere in Paris.

I don't really think a plot summary is in order past there. The fact is, if you ever took a liking to Alice and her Wonderland, perhaps you'd be interested in taking another glance through the looking glass--where you just might find a battle brewing.

In the meantime, I will wait for Seeing Redd, the second book, which comes out this August.