Author: Sarah J. Pepper
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publish Date: November 29, 2013
Publisher: Createspace
Length: 333 pages
Format: paperback, ebook
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Description: If the king loses his head, then the Queen with a Bleeding Heart would rule the Red Court until Time ceased to move forward. When a second carried on for infinity, every creature in Wonderland would tip their Hat to the misfit girl with a Boy’s name (or was it a boy with a Girl’s name?) who’d end the Reign of Terror. However, it all hinged on the One-Eyed Hare being able to convince an uninspirable Heir that the impossible was indeed possible—like stopping time—and that Love was worth a Beheading.
Heads would Roll…
Hearts would Break…
In the end, would it matter who Reigned?
My Review: I absolutely loved Death of the Mad Hatter. Alice in Wonderland is one of my absolute favorite stories and I love to read any adaptations. I especially liked how, in this story, the original story line was not followed at all.
I liked the changes that Ms. Pepper has made in characters of Alice in Wonderland. They are mostly the same in that Hearts is still an evil queen who has a abnormal obsession with beheading and the Cheshire cat is still insane. The Joker has a much more prominent role in this story and I'm not sure how I liked it because he works for Hearts, is evil, and tortures people.
I was upset with the death of the Mad Hatter. Yes the title of the book already tells you that it will happen but I still wanted to cry. The Mad Hatter is probably one of my favorite characters in the original story. The character who has been changed the most is definitely Alice, or Alice Mae.
Alice is definitely not the same little girl that everyone knows who simply falls down the rabbit hole and is left in the confusing world of Wonderland. She is capable of leaving and returning Wonderland as long as she is working for the queen, Hearts. She is strong, loyal, and loving. I think that Alice is much more of a three dimensional character in this novel than in the original because you get to see more of her feelings and her life than just what is in Wonderland.
The story mainly follows Ryley, an almost eighteen year old boy, who has moved around many times in his life per his father's request to keep him safe. Ryley is oblivious to everything that is Wonderland and his own involvement in prophecies that will alter everyone's lives. Throughout the novel Ryley must learn about himself, Alice Mae, Wonderland, and his own father's involvement.
I really liked the dual narrative of this novel because you are able to see Alice Mae and Ryley's reactions to varying events. I think that Ryley and Alice Mae's interactions were beautifully written. I loved that Ryley simultaneously wanted to strangle and kiss Alice Mae at the same time.
Alice Mae has definitely spent too much time in Wonderland as she has developed their curious ways. Any simple question results in a riddle from her which adds to Ryley's frustration.
I loved the ending of this novel because everything was resolved in the right way IMO. In the end Ryley learns about his destiny and Wonderland is changed.
Excerpt: I didn’t know what a heart attack felt like, but if I were to guess, I’d say it was the pounding sensation in my chest that almost paralyzed me when Ryley’s lips met mine. Resting my elbows on the queen’s table, I buried my head in my hands and willed my heartbeat to slow. My palms were sweaty. My legs were shaking. Even so, none of my physical ailments had anything to do with my impromptu fall down the rabbit’s hole.
“Why do you insist upon sticking your arms and legs out when falling down through the rabbit holes, Al?” Chez said. His fuzzy tail swept across my hands.
That cleared the butterflies from my stomach. I lowered my hands and glared at the damn cat. “Because I’m just a stupid girl and won’t learn,” I said, sarcastically.
Rolling onto his back, Chez chuckled, “I think you secretly like tracking mud into the castle. You know it annoys the queen.”
“It’s no secret,” Hearts said, walking into the room. “How many times have you scrubbed the floors clean of your mud prints?”
“Two hundred and forty eight times,” I said, smiling like it didn’t bother me, even though I hated the ancient sponge (a glorified germ factory) and the bucket of bleach.
Hearts stepped up a series of short stairs and then sat down on a chair, much higher than mine. She lifted the black and crimson colored tea pot and poured herself a cup. After dropping two sugar cubes into it, she looked me over.
Overall Opinion: Overall, I loved Death of the Mad Hatter. I think it is a beautiful take on a classic story. Everything that you thought you knew about Alice is completely changed. The romance between Alice Mae and Ryley is sweet and I love their HEA. I give this story 5 stakes and I would love a novella or short story to see an update on Wonderland and the couple. Also, this cover is amazing. I simply love this author's book covers.
Get to Know the Author (from Amazon): Sarah J. Pepper lives in South Dakota with her real-life prince charming. At a young age, she fell for paranormal books and now incorporates that genre with the romance that thrives in the hearts of us all. When she's not storytelling, she's most likely biking, hoarding chocolate, or taking a bubble bath.
Author Links:
Where to Get Your Copy: This book is currently available for preorder and will be available on Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes & Noble. Here it is on Smashwords
Suggestions: I definitely suggest another book by this author, Fallen Tears, it is an amazing story of love, angels, and just enough darkness for those of you who like an edge. You can check out my review of Fallen Tears here.
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