Heartless
by Marissa Meyer
I don’t usually pick up “fractured fairy tales” of the villain’s perspective, since they’re overdone and usually not as clever as the authors think they are. I’m not a fan of Wicked or the three Captain Hook retellings I picked up over the years. However, I took a chance on Marissa Meyer’s Heartless to see how the Queen of Hearts turned out the way she did – and I loved it!
I was instantly immersed in her fairy tale world of Wonderland, and the fashions, characters, and imaginative locales reminded me of the beloved Caraval series. The main character dreams of lemons and wakes up with a lemon tree growing in her backyard; a dark, mysterious court jester does impossible magic tricks and has a talking raven as an assistant. And, on two or three occasions, I read “the air smelled of bitter tears and disappointment” type of descriptive sentences I fell in love with in the Caraval world.
This exciting novel draws heavily on the Disney cartoon, so if you love the movie, you’ll love it. The little king bounces and giggles incessantly, food has magical powers, and direct lines of dialogue are taken from the film. The main storyline, though faithful to Disney, is very inventive. The protagonist has no desire to be queen at the start of the book, but instead she wants to open a bakery in town. But the silly king is enamored with her, and her parents are in favor of the match. When she meets the new jester, she’s drawn to his charm and wicked mystery. What follows is a love triangle, an adventure, and a battle against time and fate.
I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t read the novel fast enough. I adored the characters and wished I could continue to escape to the Wonderland world during more books. Even if you’re skeptical of villain re-tellings, try this one. It’s fantastic! And if you like it, pick up Caraval for more magical mystery.
I was instantly immersed in her fairy tale world of Wonderland, and the fashions, characters, and imaginative locales reminded me of the beloved Caraval series. The main character dreams of lemons and wakes up with a lemon tree growing in her backyard; a dark, mysterious court jester does impossible magic tricks and has a talking raven as an assistant. And, on two or three occasions, I read “the air smelled of bitter tears and disappointment” type of descriptive sentences I fell in love with in the Caraval world.
This exciting novel draws heavily on the Disney cartoon, so if you love the movie, you’ll love it. The little king bounces and giggles incessantly, food has magical powers, and direct lines of dialogue are taken from the film. The main storyline, though faithful to Disney, is very inventive. The protagonist has no desire to be queen at the start of the book, but instead she wants to open a bakery in town. But the silly king is enamored with her, and her parents are in favor of the match. When she meets the new jester, she’s drawn to his charm and wicked mystery. What follows is a love triangle, an adventure, and a battle against time and fate.
I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t read the novel fast enough. I adored the characters and wished I could continue to escape to the Wonderland world during more books. Even if you’re skeptical of villain re-tellings, try this one. It’s fantastic! And if you like it, pick up Caraval for more magical mystery.