Hatter M: Mad with Wonder

Hatter M: Mad with Wonder is the continuation of Hatter Madigan’s search for Princess Alyss in 19^th century England. This graphic novel starts at the fifth year of his adventure. He hears of an exceptional young girl in the southern United States and continues his quest there. On his adventures, he encounters a circus sideshow, an insane asylum, and the Civil War. This series of graphic novels is an addition to the story in The Looking Glass Wars, not merely a retelling, like so many others are.

Hatter Madigan is one of my favorite characters from The Looking Glass War series. I enjoyed seeing other sides of him, as well as some glimpses of his childhood. He is a mysterious character and his narrative sheds more light on his character and his motivations. Not only is he constantly vigilant, but he cares very deeply for his friends and is genuinely good at heart.

The change in scenery was one of my favorite parts of the book. In The Looking Glass Wars, the story only takes place in Wonderland and Victorian England. This book takes it to the United States where the Civil War is raging, leading to a new cast of characters, a new backdrop, and a different color scheme. It kind of expanded my view on the series to encompass more of our world, instead of limiting the story.

The blending of fact and fiction made this book very magical. It had fantastical elements, but was grounded with aspects of reality. The treatments that Hatter Madigan undergoes in the insane asylum were actually used in that time period. At the insane asylum, Hatter Madigan drew a set of playing cards. At the very end of the graphic novel (please keep reading after the preview of the next book!), there’s a section called “Greetings from the Hatter M Institute for Paranormal Travel,” in which Hatter’s playing cards are found to match the original illuminated playing cards that inspired Frank Beddor to write The Looking Glass Wars! The way that fact and fiction intertwine is very unique in this series.

I loved Mad with Wonder. The ending made me wonder what happens next and made me anxious for the next book!

4.5/5

Frank Beddor and ArchEnemy

First, I want to say that Frank Beddor is one of my favorite authors. This is not only because he writes enjoyable novels (which he does), but also because he reaches out to his fans and is generally a nice person. When I got an advance reader copy of ArchEnemy from San Diego Comic-con, Frank Beddor wanted me to send the review to him. I devoured the book quickly and sent him the review, thinking I wouldn't really get a response based on previous experiences with other authors. I was so surprised when he not only sent the review to his entire contact list, but he sent me a copy of the graphic novel, Hatter M Vol. 2: Mad with Wonder (to be released in October). I recently saw Frank Beddor at the Mission Viejo Book Fair and saw his wonderful presentation for The Looking Glass Wars. It was exciting, funny, and made all the kids there go out and buy his books. Go check out The Looking Glass Wars series if you haven't already!

My ArchEnemy review:

ArchEnemy is the exciting conclusion to The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy. Wonderland is left without the power of imagination after King Arch's Weapon of Inconceivable Loss and Massive Annihilation has rendered the Heart Crystal powerless. If imagination is destroyed, it is also destroyed on Earth. Now Queen Alyss and her loyal followers have to restore the power of imagination, repress the uprising of the Unimaginative, figure out the motives of the enigmatic caterpillar oracles, and defeat Redd Heart and King Arch. The events to follow are suspenseful, riveting, and utterly unexpected.

This series is a rich and original re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland. It blurs genre lines and is unlike any other series out there. The world Frank Beddor has created is incredibly detailed and complete. In this fantastical world, imagination is a real and tangible force, from which great and terrible things can be created. One of the things I love about this book is in this fantasy world, there is great darkness and realism. The main characters have to deal with real life issues such as genocide, misogyny, racism, and torture. These aspects put this series above many others in the young adult genre.

I feel very much for these characters. I have read them in my childhood and now I see these well-loved characters in markedly different roles. I like that the plot is very unpredictable. There is never an easy or obvious solution to their problems. It's like watching a chess match between four different players (Alyss, Redd, Arch, and the Caterpillars). The tactics they choose are interesting, whether they opt to ally together even though they are enemies or battle alone. The alternating plot lines between important groups of characters are a very effective form for this story. This concept allows the story to follow each aspect of the plot, while creating suspense and interest in each thread of the story.

ArchEnemy was a perfect conclusion to one of my favorite series. If you enjoy fantasy novels or Alice in Wonderland, I highly recommend The Looking Glass Wars series.