Voice of Youth Advocates

In this follow-up to The Looking Glass Wars (Dial, 2006/VOYA October 2006), Alyss Heart reigns over Wonderland after seizing the throne back from her traitorous Aunt Redd, who has escaped to Earth to regroup. Alyss struggles with her feelings for Dodge, her childhood friend who seems to believe himself too lowly for the Queen, while Hatter Madigan, the elite fighting Milliner, learns something astonishing about his past. Meanwhile seemingly random attacks in outlying areas of Wonderland signify that Redd might still pose a threat. As with the first book, this sequel is all style and little substance. The villains are a joke: Redd insists that her minions call her "Your Viciousness," and the King of the misogynistic Boarderland carves his dictates, such as "Boarderland men do not cry when watching sentimental crystal-vision programs with their wives," into his kingdom's cliff-faces. Even if this parody can be considered successful, other elements are difficult to take seriously, such as when Alyss interprets her personal bodyguard's prolonged absence as sulking instead of realizing that something is wrong. There is no hint of a resolution, making the book entirely incapable of standing on its own, but libraries should be prepared to stock it because its marketing and production values will likely yield a significant demand. As a side note, an Alyss Heart picture book for younger readers is slated for fall 2007 publication, thus expanding this flashy but thin series even further.-Amy Sisson.

Kirkus Reviews

Beddor's introduction to The Looking Glass Wars (2006) dealt with the return of Princess Alyss to take her rightful place as Queen of Wonderland, expelling her evil Aunt Redd from the usurped throne. That first volume did not live up to the promise of the premise; this one is a definite improvement. Redd ("her Imperial Viciousness") has indeed been sighted, and represents a significant threat to the peace of the kingdom. But the real threat may be closer and deadlier. King Arch of Boarderland has his eye on Wonderland and is especially fond of deposing female rulers. And unlike Redd, he prefers to move his pieces around the chessboard of diplomacy with a combination of subtlety and deceit. He has a plan that will bring chaos and ruin to Alyss' new-found peace. Until, that is, Redd throws everything awry by moving the pieces to her own personal advantage. Beddor gives familiar characters new life and introduces interesting new ones. The plot is well-structured, even though the conclusion is still at least a volume away. More original than the first—although Beddor still couldn't resist the urge to "borrow" the now-famous bar scene from the first Star Wars movie—this comes to a satisfying cliffhanger that leaves the reader looking for more. (Fantasy. 12-14)

ALA Booklist (Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Having defeated Redd in The Looking Glass Wars (2006), Alyss is now Queen of Wonderland. She has little time to rest, as she's thrown into conflict with neighboring Boardertown, whose king sees Wonderland as ripe for the taking. Meanwhile, Redd surfaces on Earth and prepares for her return. There's a good, solid twist at the close, but complicated political machinations and long-winded battles become wearing, and Beddor's fans may find this installment in the Looking Glass Wars series doesn't advance the intriguing premise; chances are, however, they will want to read it anyway.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-10-This second volume in the series continues the story of Alyss Heart, who defeated her Aunt Redd and is now Queen of Wonderland. She struggles to restore the devastated queendom to its former glory with the help of characters from the first book, including Bibwit, Hatter Madigan, and Homburg Molly. As she works to balance her duty with her private times alone with Dodge, Alyss finds that she has more enemies than just her Aunt Redd. Or perhaps Redd is behind everything. Alyss must rely on her amazingly strong imagination to defend herself, her friends, and her world. While The Looking Glass Wars (Dial, 2006) was a triumph of imagination, this one lacks a bit of its sparkle. Still, it is similarly filled with battles and gore, and fans of that book will be clamoring for it.-Tasha Saecker, Menasha Public Library, WI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.