the game of hearts – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy
Length: 372 pages
Author: Courtney Millecam
Publisher: Laurel Ink Press
Release Date: February 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Win the game, change your fate. Lose the game, lose your life.

When Alice Liddell runs away on the night of her engagement party and stumbles into a shadowy pub on a forgotten street, she thinks her life is ruined. Her parents are furious, her reputation is destroyed, and her fall from society will be printed in all of London’s gossip columns. Then a mysterious stranger gives her an unexpected solution to all of her problems: A yearly game inviting mortals into the land of Faerie to play the queen’s infamous Game of Hearts. To win is to gain a wish of your heart but to lose means sacrificing your freedom.

Alice quickly realizes the game is far more intricate and deadly than she was led to believe and teams up with the rebellious and irreverent cat-shifter Ches. Together they must outwit the other players by solving the obscure riddles given as clues and get out of the queen’s enchanted hedge maze unscathed. It also means staying far away from Maddox, the queen’s champion player and Alice’s fiercest competition. He’s determined to win at all costs, but Alice suspects his motives may not be his own.

The deeper Alice goes inside the world of cunning fae, bloodthirsty beasts, and vengeful queens, the more she fears that winning means betraying those closest to her. And in this Game of Hearts, Alice needs to guard hers.

This 1920’s Alice in Wonderland reimagining is the second book in the Otherworlds Trilogy and is perfect for fans of fairytale retellings with dark twists, atmospheric settings, and slow burn romance that’s swoony, not spicy.

Thank you Courtney Millecam and Book of Matches Media for the gifted copy & eARC.

WHERE IS BOOK THREE.

This was incredible! There is absolutely no second book syndrome here. I thought everything was taken to the next level. The writing, the characters, the story, all of it.

I adored seeing all of the subtle allusions to Alice in Wonderland. It was so cleverly accomplished and had all of the elements I love in a retelling while still being a completely different story. I loved Alice and seeing her character growth throughout the book. She found her voice and deep dived into how strong she can be in the face of multiple trials.

And the side characters!! I’m especially partial to Ches. I loved his friendship with Alice. I feel like often with competition style plots the story can get bogged down in all of the different games, and this was not the case here. I loved how the sub-plots and the larger story kept moving forward. I loved the nods to where this series is going next.

Seriously an incredible read. I love so many things about this series!

Overall audience notes: