After a year of fighting nightmares, Alice is worried about leaving her mother with knowing and decides to give up the position and return to her normal life, but things don’t go as planned when she runs into the black knight, who curses Hatta. (Gonna add a review later today). How are Fiends made? I read Alice in Wonderland for the first time this year and I’m not too fond of it so I thought I’d give this one a try because the differences intrigued me and I was curious to see if I’d like it. L.L. A Blade So Black, by L.L. ( Log Out /  And, this book is incredibly diverse. Alice is a really relatable character who just happens to slay monsters, and this book is filled with a great cast of characters as well as really cool twists and turns. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I'm black and from the south. ( Log Out /  There were real problems Alice was facing. L.L. I found the twist to Wonderland interesting and the history of the Queens and Wonderland were unique and well thought out, but the book as a whole wasn’t that great. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Let me know in the comments below! Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2019, Buffy in Wonderland with a hint of Sailor Moon, Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018. Title: A Blade So Black Author: L.L. A Blade So Black NPR coverage of A Blade So Black by L. L. Mckinney. – Steph's Story Space, Review: A Phoenix First Must Burn – Steph's Story Space, Review: A Dream So Dark – Steph's Story Space. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Alice herself is strong, while still living a realistic life and having relatable fears. ( Log Out /  This page works best with JavaScript. Add in some seriously shippable side characters, an adorable and realistic BFF B-story, and action that will keep you glued to the page through the end, and you've got a recipe for the kind of book that will launch a thousand fanfics. Oh dang, I hate it when retellings just butcher all of the great things about the original story. The reader (me) was told in the beginning of the story about some big fight scene (remember – the writing simply told me a fight took place so I couldn’t picture it) but apparently that first chapter took place several months after the prologue but it was not ever stated. ARC Review: A Blade So Black Published on August 23, 2018 August 20, 2018 by Sara If you ever want to talk about a book that was an absolute struggle to get through, pull up a chair and get cozy because we’ll talk about this book. I really did love McKinney writing style and her world building. ( Log Out /  Change ). Kyra Leseberg Book Reviews, Uncategorized November 21, 2018 October 31, 2018 2 Minutes. Change ). I so much relate to the MC and her mom. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Will she be able to save him in time and maintain her relationships with her friends and mother, or will everything turn into a nightmare? I did not buy that for one hot minute. Alice herself is strong, while still living a realistic life and having relatable fears.… Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. So why was this such a rough story? The novel is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland in Atlanta, Georgia. How intriguing.... so my curiosity led me to a wonderfully written novel. Alice Kingston is just a regular geeky girl. It stinks too, because I was actually looking forward to this one… Great review, Sara! How beautiful is that?! When Alice confronts her first Nightmare, she … A fun and fierce debut from one of the nicest authors you’ll ever meet (She was wearing a tiny top hat. ☺. I didn’t see any of her history. For one thing, the protagonist spends most of her time fighting monsters, which automatically makes her absolutely awesome. Currently fangirling so hard over this book. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Mind that cliffhanger though—you’ll want the second book in hand as you finish. I’m not a fan of that. Everything changes the day her father dies, though, and Alice finds herself facing Nightmares and making frequent trips to Wonderland, saving her fellow humans from the horrors created there. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. My 2.5-star rating is because I didn’t really enjoy this book, but I think it was okay and with some improvement, it could be a really great book, which I hope it will be by the sequel and actually answer any questions I have. ( Log Out /  If Alice was staying out all night, she didn't have a clueless or forgiving mother. Alice is a fantastic character, she's smart and hard working and she knows how to kick butt. I can see what the author was trying to do but failed big time. ( Log Out /  McKinney Review by: Ivy On Sale Now! You can still see all customer reviews for the product. The cover is very pretty and the blurb was brilliantly written, but the entire execution was not good. I just lost interest after a while. A Blade So Black isn't what I expected before reading. McKinney Release Date: September 25, 2018 Rating: ★★ (2.5/5) A Blade So Black (ABSB) is an Alice in Wonderland retelling in which instead of a mostly happy Wonderland and a curious little girl we follow a black teenaged Alice, who after her dad's death is trained by Addison Hatta… The biggest problem this book has is that it's trying to hard. I can’t remember the last time I read something so close to the main character, and I found myself really enjoying this style from the first few pages. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. I did expect it to be good, but I didn't expect to love this tale as much as I did. On the mean streets of the internets I am called NekuTheBOOKlocke, but you can just call me R.C., like the soda. As a huge Alice in Wonderland fan the second I heard A Blade so Black is a retelling where it was actually Buffy who fell down the rabbit hole I was all in for this book and I'm so happy to say that it lived up to my high expectations. Then I read that it’s a modern day retelling of Alice in Wonderland set in Atlanta and I ran to the library to pick it up immediately! Thank you for the kind words! Follow me as I delve into the world of books and publishing, one post at a time. Add in some seriously shippable side characters, an adorable and realistic BFF B-story, and action that will keep you glued to the page through the end, and you've got a recipe for the kind of book that will launch a thousand fanfics. The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. The characters are relatable. McKinney, is a remake of Alice in Wonderland, but so much more bad-ass than that. For one thing, the protagonist spends most of her time fighting monsters, which automatically makes her absolutely awesome. A fun and fierce debut from one of the nicest authors you’ll ever meet (She was wearing a tiny top hat. The love triangle MCKinney is trying to set up is forced as hell. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2018. For one thing, the protagonist spends most of her time fighting monsters, which automatically makes her absolutely awesome. I can't tell you how many stories I have read/watched where teens are off "saving the world" with no parents to in sight. creatures, “superpowers” acquired once crossing the veil and peculiar Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. You are correct – the author tried too hard and ended up missing the mark. A BLADE SO BLACK has little nods and tributes to the story we all grew up on, but the author has taken that framework and created something darker, something much more interesting. This book is confused, childish and a little dull in places and should not really be linked to the legacy of the originals. The story flowed really well, the characters really jump off of the page. I'm not too familiar w/ the Alice series other than the Disney animated movie, but I was a huge Buffy fan. Alice In Wonderland, black by popular demand! McKinney. A Blade So Black, by L.L. Thanks for sharing. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. I fell in love with the main character, Alice. I didn't finish this book. , I am reading a book now that completely shows you everything, got so lost I read more than half of it in one sitting. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. What more can I say.) It's pitched as Alice in Wonderland meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that is SO ACCURATE. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2019, Buffy in Wonderland with a hint of Sailor Moon, Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018. nature of Wonderland, but I didn’t get enough of those because of the emphasis … The story flowed really well, the characters really jump off of the page. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. How intriguing.... so my curiosity led me to a wonderfully written novel. reread things. I like how it had elements of Alice in Wonderland, but it wasn't a complete retelling with a black cast. Review | A Blade So Black. She is a fierce female who has to weather the death of her father, and then, the feelings she has for two of the guys in her life has her heart split. Currently fangirling so hard over this book. The biggest problem this book has is that it's trying to hard. This was a great novel, and one I’m happy to have read it. I also liked that she struggled to juggle her normal life and crime fighting life and that she had a mom who was overprotective. A Blade So Black by L.L. A BLADE SO BLACK has little nods and tributes to the story we all grew up on, but the author has taken that framework and created something darker, something much more interesting. ( Log Out /  That’s difficult to do when I’m told  how much of a badass Alice was but never given any true reason to believe it. Number two: unoriginal take on the well known plot. This page works best with JavaScript. I'm not too familiar w/ the Alice series other than the Disney animated movie, but I was a huge Buffy fan. I can't tell you how many stories I have read/watched where teens are off "saving the world" with no parents to in sight. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I love fantasy books and this one was awesome! It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Which I liked, really. The overuse of AAVE got to be annoying as well. A Blade So Black by L.L. A Blade so Black by L L Mckinney feels like this. Can humans really be turned into those and is there any way to reverse it? The story got a little confusing at times, especially while trying to keep up with the fights and I thought the end was a cop-out for a real conclusion until I found out there’s a sequel, which I’m not too sure I’ll read. They’re just gone? Despite enjoying it more than the original, I’m not too impressed by this book. She is a fierce female who has to weather the death of her father, and then, the feelings she has for two of the guys in her life has her heart split.