Review: Seeing Redd

 

Title: Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars, #2)

Author: Frank Beddor

Publisher:Puffin (Penguin)

Release Date: August 21st 2007
Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

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 does her best to keep pace with the spiraling, 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. Has Redd somehow freed herself and her chief assassin, the Cat, from the confines of the Heart Crystal to challenge her niece once again? If not, then who has resurrected Redd's brutal footsoldiers, the Glass Eyes, and set them loose to attack Wonderland on all sides? Battles rage, looking glasses explode and the Alyssians are once again uniting to defend White Imagination in this fast-paced second book in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy.

The Cat - Redd's humanoid assassin

I loved the first book, The Looking Glass Wars, and having felt that way, I immediately jumped into this book. No joke. I closed The Looking Glass Wars, went to my bookshelf, and opened up Seeing Redd. I wish I could do the same for the third one, Arch Enemy, but I don't own it. Sad face.

Seeing Redd was really good, but it wasn't quite as spectacular as The Looking Glass Wars. The first book had just the perfect mixture of happiness, loss, war, love (well, maybe not enough of that), ...moreI loved the first book, The Looking Glass Wars, and having felt that way, I immediately jumped into this book. No joke. I closed The Looking Glass Wars, went to my bookshelf, and opened up Seeing Redd. I wish I could do the same for the third one, Arch Enemy, but I don't own it. Sad face.

Seeing Redd was really good, but it wasn't quite as spectacular as The Looking Glass Wars. The first book had just the perfect mixture of happiness, loss, war, love (well, maybe not enough of that), triumph, and suspense. This book, however, consisted mostly of stressful events, tense relationships, and war. Some of the moments were particularly dry, and those moments all consisted of King Arch. However, the overall book was really good. It had such a big ending to make me want to read Arch Enemy.

[spoilers!]
Now, romance wise. With the last book, I was severely disappointed in the lack of romance between Dodge and Alyss. In the end, though, it showed promise of a better romance relationship for the second book. This promise failed in a sort of way. Yes, there was definitely an emphasis on romance. However, was very poorly executed. The first scene was nice. I'll give Beddor credit there. The kisses on Dodge's scars and the sweet feeling in the air...it was very nice. But then Dodge and Alyss had their first REAL kiss and 

Dodge - Alyss' love interest

it was so understated that I nearly missed it. I'm so frustrated by this! They were supposed
to be childhood sweethearts, but there was no emotion from Alyss! Just "I could report you for that." What was that all about? Beddor wrote nothing for emotion, or feelings. It was just the action, like a movie script. Then, the next thing I know...they're engaged! People were congratulating Alyss, and sure she didn't know what they meant at first, but what she found out why they were saying it...she acted like it was normal. During that scene I flipped back many times to re-read everything between Alyss and Dodge, thinking I missed something. I didn't. So what happened there? No proposal, no sweetheart romance....nothing. I can't help but feel cheated on this aspect of the story.
[/spoilers!]

Anyway...Redd wise. She was just as vicious as ever, if not more. During the whole time she was advancing toward Wondertropolis, I could feel the impending doom getting closer and closer. It was almost suffocating. Redd and her minions were represented very well through out the book.

Homburg Molly

As for the whole Hatter/Molly/Weaver plot..... Oh. My. Gosh. So good! And I was completely shocked on how it turned out! I feel so sad for Hatter. He can never win.





All in all, a really good sequel but not the best. The Looking Glass Wars outshines it, but not by much. I'm still a huge fan of this series, and I definitely recommend going to the website to see all the goodies on these books. I'd also definitely recommend these books to anyone!

 

 

  

  I give it four sporks!