Speaking of vastly overrated books with serious marketing mojo, I picked up this at my local library a few days ago:


This, dear readers, is a scrapbook-style book that serves as a companion to Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars series. The plot (such as it is) is a summary of Beddor's first novel as told by a "Historian Emeritus" via admittedly pretty artwork, pictures, maps, and letters. There's also a card game included at the end of the book.

I first ran across Beddor's series in England, several years ago. It was initially released there as an unassuming paperback with great cover art, and I (a lifelong Alice fan) happily picked it up, but found the storyline forgettable and Beddor's re-imagined "Alyss" unsympathetic. I was very surprised, then, when I encountered a far more imposing hardback version of the novel here in the States a year or two later, and even more taken aback when I discovered the publisher had planned sequels, a graphic novel adaptation, even a soundtrack... and now this. Seriously, this series is just not that good. When will the tie-ins end?

Labels: Frank Beddor

Seeing Redd, the sequel to Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars, is out in bookstores now. While I was impressed by Mr. Beddor's original concept for this series (it doesn't pay to get too picky about Alice in Wonderland re-tellings, because there aren't many of them), I was less enthusiastic about the finished product. As we mentioned in an earlier blog post, The Looking Glass Wars was okay, but it wasn't interesting enough to merit a hardcover re-release, soundtrack, and comic book spin-off.

However, publishers don't offer re-releases/comic books/soundtracks if there isn't money in it, which means that at least a few of our readers must be all a-flutter over the release of Seeing Redd. If you happen to be one of them, here's the official description:

Alyss of Wonderland's rule has only just begun and already those who prefer chaos to peace are threatening to destroy everything worth imagining. Trailed by newly appointed Royal Bodyguard Homburg Molly, Alyss is doing her best to keep pace with the non-stop demands of being Queen while attempting to evade Molly for a few private moments with Dodge. Alyss's life is already a challenging mix of duty, love and imagining when a series of phantom sightings set fire to an urban myth of her imperial viciousness's return and have everyone...Seeing Redd.

Ugh. Sounds like an unholy hybrid of Alice in Wonderland and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.

Labels: Alice In Wonderland, Frank Beddor, Sequels