The Looking Glass Wars, Frank Beddor; Dial

“When she is cast out of Wonderland by her evil aunt Redd, young Alyss Heart finds herself living in Victorian Oxford as Alice Liddell and struggles to keep memories of her kingdom intact until she can return and claim her rightful throne.”
Robin’s Note: If you like richly imagined fantasy, Frank Beddor’s new series featuring a very different Hatter.  Although the series draws inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Beddor’s version of the players are skewed: Hatter M is a lethal, loyal bodyguard of the lost heir to the throne, Alyss, and his desperate search to find her in our world is plagued by enemies from all side.  There are currently two books in the series, with a third to come.

Into The Wild, Sarah Beth Durst; Razorbill

“Having escaped from the Wild and the preordained fairy tale plots it imposes, Rapunzel, along with her daughter Julie Marchen, tries to live a fairly normal life, but when the Wild breaks free and takes over their town, it is Julie who has to prevent everyone from being trapped in the events of a story.”

Robin’s Note: This fast-paced, wild ride spins off of traditional fairy tales by giving them a whole new spin.  Julie, Rapunzel’s courageous daughter, is a great new heroine, unwilling to give up and determined to use her knowledge of the Wild to win back her world.  She’s a reluctant heroine, to begin with, but as she moves forward, she becomes a force to reckon with.  Humor and snappy dialog make the whole adventure fun, and Julie’s “brother”, once Puss-in-Boots, brings in hilarious comic relief.  The sequel, Out of the Wild, is a worthy sequel.  This title is both funny and fast-paced, and the fun of reworking fairy tale characters.