Pre-warning: Minor Spoilers
I’m a huge fan of the Luna Chronicles by Marissa Meyers, so when I heard she was writing something different I got very excited. Recently, I have gotten really into Alice in Wonderland themed films/books as I just finished Once Upon A Time In Wonderland (which was fab!) and then started reading Heartless! This is definitely one of those books where you have to be patient and persevere for a bit as it starts a bit slow however I can guarantee that if you keep reading you won’t be disappointed.
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.
You wouldn’t expect a character like Cath to become the evil Red Queen, and I loved how we were made to love and support such a villain. Her love of baking was a clever surprise and many a time I was wish I was there eating some of her creations. Jest is so mysterious and I was too easy to fall in love with him and his witty remarks and banter with Cath.Even though we mainly follow the story of Cath, it was nice to see and learn about other characters backstories like the Mad Hatta, The Mock Turtle and the King of Hearts.
The storyline (once the book got going) was romantic, heartbreaking and adventurous and I loved the subtle hints of different events and twists that were going to happen even if some of them were slightly predictable. Meyer’s interpretation of Wonderland was interesting and I was glad that we were able to explore a lot of it.
As I’ve already mentioned the beginning was a little slow to get into however I felt the ending was the complete opposite as we are rushed through different events and experience some serious character development in only a short amount of pages. There are some events I wished were slowed down and spent more time facing, but I don’t want to give anything away.
I’ve always been a fan of Meyer’s books and this wasn’t an exception, and I’ll happily give it 4/5 stars and recommend anyone who loves a twist on a fairytale retelling.
A Fangirl's Opinion 