A Blade so Black by L. L. McKinney
/Available Now
Reader Friends, I screwed up. Again. I had access to a smoking good sale last fall and bought a copy of A Blade so Black because the cover was gorgeous and it sounded amazing.
And then it sat on my YA shelf, looking gorgeous, until this month.
Why do I always wait so long to read these amazing books? The world may never know.
A Blade so Black is an action packed, modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Alice is 17, I think, attends high school, has an extremely tight knit group of friends, and slays Nightmares in Wonderland by night. Slays with swords and daggers. This is by far the most badass retelling of Alice in Wonderland I've ever read. Now, even though Alice has become a tough Dreamwalker, aka Nightmare killer, she still has an equally tough single mother who is incredibly protective of Alice. For good reason-Alice's father passed away leaving her a single mother and an innocent high school girl named Brionne was shot down by the police near their neighborhood. Mama is justifiably stressed.
I really loved how McKinney gives us a look at how complex being the hero can be. Alice is juggling friends, homework, house chores, and saving the universe. She's also ruining her clothes and shoes without an endless Tony Stark budget to replace them. And those friends of hers? Time runs differently when she crosses over to Wonderland which means she is always looking like a flake and missing out on plans. Sometimes, the most important plans get missed.
The world-building is incredible. It was so much fun to read how McKinney reimagines Lewis Carroll's original world. Classic characters come to life in new and exciting ways, and far more inclusive ways. Alice is a gorgeous, cosplaying black girl with a head full of smarts and the Mad Hatter? A hottie who trains her and runs a pub with Maddi, or that sleepy, slightly drunk critter from the original book. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum? Hottie Russian twins. Lots of hotness in this book.
Overall, this book was just what I was needing: an action packed adventure with amazing characters. I loved this retelling and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book because this one had one heck of a cliffhanger!
If you would like a copy for yourself, you can grab one here:
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