Queen of Hearts

by Colleen Oakes Narrated by Moira Quirk

Overview

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!

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Editorial Reviews

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Every good villain deserves an origin story, and Oakes offers a fascinating glimpse into the mad queen’s complex and heartbreaking past. The novel offers some wonderful reinventions of Carroll’s classic, and fans of Alice’s more sinister elements will appreciate Oakes’ macabre touches.

Publishers Weekly

02/29/2016
Oakes (Wendy Darling) gives the Queen of Hearts an origin story in this deliciously dark tale, first in a series and originally self-published in 2014. Dinah, princess of Wonderland and the future queen, is eager for the day that she will reign—ideally beside the boy she loves, Wardley Ghane—even if her cruel father seems to barely tolerate her existence. When the king reveals the existence of a previously unknown daughter, Dinah is devastated and realizes that winning her father’s approval will be harder than ever. After receiving a mysterious message, Dinah and Wardley travel to the treacherous Black Towers; soon after, a shocking turn of events during Execution Day forces Dinah to flee for her life. Fans of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland will enjoy the twists Oakes gives to familiar characters, including Dinah’s rabbitlike guardian, Harris; her father’s creepy adviser, Cheshire; her mentally ill brother, Charles, who feverishly creates beautiful hats; and the Heart Cards, her father’s security detail. Heart-stopping action makes the pages fly, and Dinah’s struggle to stay true to herself amid impossible expectations resonates. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jennifer Unter, Unter Agency. (May)

Booklist

This latest in fairy tales retold makes the classic villain less villainous by showing her tenderhearted backstory.

NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Chanda Hahn

Oakes continues to weave literary magic as she pulls you down the rabbit hole into a Wonderland like you’ve never read before.

School Library Journal

02/01/2015
Gr 9 Up—Readers get a peek into the story behind the darkly twisted world of Wonderland before Alice arrived. Fifteen-year-old Princess Dinah, heir to the throne of Wonderland, tries to navigate her way to power around the ruthlessly brutal King; her half-sister, Vittore; her much adored "mad" brother Charles, who is the direct heir, but not able to take on the responsibilities of the throne; and an interesting hierarchy of characters who are either in support of or in opposition to her becoming the "Queen of Hearts" once she turns 18. In The Crown, readers catch a glimpse of the causes of the future Queen's anger-management issues and mistrust of people. Surrounded by few friends and numerous enemies—with the shape-shifter and king's advisor Cheshire being the most dangerous of all—Dinah lives in constant fear and is forced to hide her true feelings for mere survival. In The Wonder, Dinah is in exile, hiding from the king's assassins, and purported to be a traitor and murderer. Oakes expertly expands the children's classic into a complex and compelling series of plot twists that uncover the future Queen of Hearts's true origins. The author fleshes out some of the quirks in Carroll's work and adds more depth to the source material's secondary characters. Familiarity with the original isn't necessary, but will add richness to this tale. VERDICT Complete with a mad tea party in the woods, this cinematic series has just the right amount of fantasy and epic suspense to keep even the strongest of hearts on the edge of their seats.—Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA

Kirkus Reviews

2014-02-25
A story set in the world of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as seen from a very different perspective. Fifteen-year-old Dinah is the Princess of Hearts, the daughter and heir of the fearsome King of Hearts. But her life isn't exactly easy: She's awkward, plump and unattractive, and the butt of jokes from the palace courtiers and even the servants. Her mother died when she was a child, and her father ignores her except to criticize her. Dinah would give anything to win her father's approval, and when the king unexpectedly summons her, she hopes she'll have the chance to do so. But to her horror, the king has called an audience to announce to the court that he has an illegitimate daughter named Vittiore, whom he's brought to the palace to live with the royal family as a duchess. Vittiore's beauty makes her an instant favorite with the court and the king, which makes Dinah hate her all the more. Dinah swears that she'll never accept Vittiore as her sister, but she's the least of the princess's problems: The king's adviser, Cheshire, seems to be plotting something; Dinah's brother Charles, the Mad Hatter, drifts farther from reality as he spends his every waking moment crafting his amazing hats; and Dinah's best friend and secret love, Wardley, whom she intends to marry someday, doesn't seem to see her as anything but a friend. The more Dinah digs into the mysteries that surround her, the more sinister secrets she uncovers. Oakes' latest heroine is spoiled, headstrong, temperamental and prone to tantrums, yet she somehow remains an incredibly sympathetic character. Perhaps it's Dinah's oh-so-human nature that makes her so easy to like, despite her flaws. Just as Gregory Maguire's depiction of the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked (1995) gave her a background that changed readers' perspectives, so Oakes' portrait of the villain-to-be turns her into a real and even likable person while clearly foreshadowing her future as Alice's Queen of Hearts. A wonderfully entertaining twist on an old classic.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170006083
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Series:	Queen of Hearts Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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