Queen of Hearts: Volume 1

Colleen Oakes

May 2016 · Queen of Hearts Book 1 · HarperCollins

About this eBook

The first novel in Colleen Oakes’s epic, imaginative and twisted series, perfect for fans of Dorothy Must Die and Heartless, tackles the origin of one of the most infamous villains—the Queen of Hearts.

This is not the story of the Wonderland we know. Alice has not fallen down a rabbit hole. This is a Wonderland where beneath each smile lies a secret, each tart comes with a demand, and only prisoners tell the truth.

Dinah is the princess who will one day reign over Wonderland. She has not yet seen the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father’s approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into Wonderland’s dangerous political game. Dinah must stay one step ahead of her cunning enemies or she’ll lose not just the crown but her head.

Don’t miss Blood of Wonderland, the must-read sequel to Dinah’s story!

Ratings and reviews

ne thing that I personally enjoyed about this novel was the characterization of the different players in the world of Wonderland. Our main character, Dinah, the future Queen of Hearts, is just alright. She's not really a character that makes you want to root for her or sympathize with her. But the side characters were a ton of fun. I absolutely loved the Mad Hatter, and I wish I could have spent more time with him. The White Rabbit and the Cheshire cat were interesting as well, but again, we didn't get to spend very much time with them. The world of Wonderland also seemed pretty cool, but there wasn't nearly enough description to satisfy me. There would be a passing mention of pink snow (cool!) or tress that move (creepy!) and then nothing was expanded upon and it left me wondering what Wonderland looked like. This was a fun read, but it wasn't anything mind-blowing. I really felt like not very much happened in the plot. The level of excitement remained pretty flat throughout the book; there weren't any highs or lows or suspenseful moments. Even now, as I am sitting here writing this review, I can barely remember what happened in this book. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but it doesn't seem to have made a lasting impression on me. I had fun reading this book, but I am not sure it is for everyone. It is a quick read, so it can't hurt to give it a try. If I manage to get my hands on the next book in this series when it comes out, I might give it a try, but I don't think I will go searching for it. While I enjoyed my time with Queen of Hearts, I'm not sure this is a series I really want to get invested in.

The personality and details of characters and settings are great. I fell in love with Charles. Only downside is it's slow to progressed but I feel like it's just an intro to the really good part of the story

I loved this book! I couldn't stop reading it until I was done. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Very well written. Can't wait to read the next two

About the author

Colleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including the Queen of Hearts trilogy and the Wendy Darling saga. She lives in North Denver with her husband and son and surrounds herself with the most lovely family and friends imaginable. When not penning new books, Colleen can be found swimming, traveling, reading, or advocating for adoption and literacy. Visit her at www.colleenoakes.com.