War of the Cards - (Queen of Hearts) by Colleen Oakes (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Colleen Oakes's twisted reimagining of the Queen of Hearts origin story comes to a thrilling conclusion in War of the Cards--now in paperback!

Dinah has lost everyone she ever loved. Her brother was brutally murdered. The wicked man she believed was her father betrayed her. Her loyal subjects have been devastated by war. And the boy she gave her heart to broke it completely.

Now a dark queen has risen out of the ashes of her former life. Fury is blooming inside Dinah, poisoning her soul and twisting her mind. All she has left is Wonderland and her crown, and her obsession to fight for both. But the war rages on and Dinah could inherit a blood-stained throne.

Can a leader filled with love and rage ever be the ruler her kingdom needs? Or will her all-consuming wrath bring Wonderland to its knees?

This is not a story of happily ever after.

This is the story of the Queen of Hearts.

From the Back Cover

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS.

Dinah has lost everyone she ever loved. Her brother was brutally murdered. The wicked man she believed was her father betrayed her. Her loyal subjects have been devastated by war. And the boy she gave her heart to broke it completely.

Now a dark queen has risen out of the ashes of her former life. Fury is blooming inside Dinah, poisoning her soul and twisting her mind. All she has left is Wonderland and her crown and her obsession to fight for both. But the war rages on, and Dinah could inherit a bloodstained throne. Can a leader filled with love and rage ever be the ruler her kingdom needs?

Or will her all-consuming wrath bring Wonderland to its knees?

Review Quotes

"Oakes continues to weave literary magic as she pulls you down the rabbit hole into a Wonderland like you've never read before." -- NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Chanda Hahn

"Fans of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland will enjoy the twists Oakes gives to familiar characters. Heart-stopping action makes the pages fly, and Dinah's struggle to stay true to herself amid impossible expectations resonates." -- Publishers Weekly

"This latest in fairy tales retold makes the classic villain less villainous by showing her tenderhearted backstory." -- Booklist

"Every good villain deserves an origin story, and Oakes offers a fascinating glimpse into the mad queen's complex and heartbreaking past. The novel offers some wonderful reinventions of Carroll's classic, and fans of Alice's more sinister elements will appreciate Oakes' macabre touches." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books