Publishers Weekly
11/26/2018
Ever since police in Atlanta, Ga., killed an unarmed black girl at a school football game, Alice Kingston’s mother has watched Alice like a hawk. The attention is proving problematic for the 17-year-old black Dreamwalker, who secretly guards the city’s Gateway to Wonderland (the “collective unconscious of the entire world”) and slays any monsters (aka “Nightmares”) that attempt to cross over. Alice is pondering retirement when her mentor, Addison Hatta, contracts a mysterious disease dubbed the Madness. Fellow Dreamwalkers Dimitri and Demarcus Tweedlanov join Alice on a quest to secure help from the White Queen, but when they find the queen similarly afflicted, Alice realizes that she might have to risk more than a grounding in order to save the day. Relentless action, spiraling stakes, and a fierce heroine distinguish debut author McKinney’s fantasy update of Alice in Wonderland. The mechanics of Wonderland, its features, and its creatures sometimes feel hastily sketched, and secondary characters lack depth, but McKinney’s imagination knows few bounds, and Alice’s devotion to the others is contagious. A heartbreaking cliffhanger will leave fans clamoring for a sequel. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"Mixing elements of Alice in Wonderland and Buffy the Vampire Slayer... a delectable urban twist on beloved fantasy tales." —Entertainment Weekly
"This really is Lewis Carroll by way of Buffy, and it makes for a fun, gritty urban fantasy." —NPR
"With memorable characters and page-turning thrills, A Blade So Black is the fantasy book I've been waiting for my whole life. Alice is Black Girl Magic personified."
—Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Hate U Give
"I loved the 'our world' framing and the 'other world' adventure so deeply. They were at such odds, but the overall effect was just chefkiss.gif perfect."
—E.K. Johnston, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka and A Thousand Nights
"Wholly original and absolutely thrilling—A Blade So Black kicks so much (looking gl)ass."
—Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl From Everywhere
"A dark, thrilling fantasy-meets-contemporary story with a kickass heroine." —Bustle
"Retold fairy tales have been a popular trend... but you’ve never read one quite like A Blade So Black." —Nerdist
"A brash, refreshing, vitally diverse retelling of a classic... You need this book." —Tor.com
"A Blade So Black is a novel that roars mightily in the face of all those Wonderland tales that have come before. L.L. McKinney is on her way to someplace special with this debut; get onboard now." —Locus magazine
"This isn't a retelling, this is Alice in Wonderland 2.0." —BlackSci-Fi.com
"An epic about Black Girl Magic." —We Need Diverse Books blog
"An explosive, kickass debut... The Alice in Wonderland retelling the world has always needed." —Booklist, starred review
"Relentless action, spiraling stakes, and a fierce heroine... A heartbreaking cliffhanger will leave fans clamoring for a sequel." —Publishers Weekly
"A thrilling, timely novel that ensures readers will be curious for a sequel." —Kirkus Reviews
"With a modern flair, a rich backstory, and just enough emotional heft, this particular looking glass will have readers eagerly falling through it." —The Bulletin
"Teens will root for Alice as a strong, multidimensional black girl usually unseen in YA fiction... A must-purchase." —School Library Journal
"A Blade So Black is a modernized version of a well-known story that retains enough of the original to be lauded by both fans of the classic and readers wholly new to Wonderland." —Shelf Awareness
School Library Journal
09/01/2018
Gr 8 Up–Seventeen-year-old Alice is attacked by a Nightmare the night her father dies. She is saved and mentored by Addison Hatta, a handsome and mysterious Curiouser who decides to train her in becoming a Dreamwalker—a destroyer of Nightmares with magic weapons—in Wonderland. Her overprotective mother worries about her in their urban Atlanta community. Her high-maintenance best friend, Court, anticipates a huge birthday celebration at a time when it clashes with Alice's secret and near-deadly Dreamwalker life. Alice finds herself attracted to both Hatta and friend Chess. When Hatta is poisoned with the Madness at the hands of the Black Knight, Alice has to find the Heart and Eye antidotes, which have been hidden and misplaced in Wonderland. She receives help from unexpected characters on a life-defining journey to defeat the Black Knight, Nightmares, and Fiends—and to save herself from losing her head. McKinney has infused this urban contemporary retelling of Lewis Carroll's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer sensibility and "Black Girl Magic." Readers will enjoy the acerbic sarcasm and comedy. The inclusion of various cultures, skin tones, languages, ages, and sexual orientations is expertly woven into the narrative and world-building. Teens will root for Alice as a strong, multidimensional black girl usually unseen in YA fiction. The novel's pace slows at times, but it will keep readers in suspense. VERDICT This is a must-purchase where refreshing urban fantasies and retellings are in demand.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library
DECEMBER 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Jeanette Illidge sets the perfect tone in this reimagined urban fantasy based on the classic ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Young, black teen Alice is living a normal life, but everything changes when she crosses paths with a young lad named Addison Hatta, who saves her from being attacked by a devilish creature called “Nightmare.” Soon, she takes on saving the world herself, along with the fairytale-like realm known as Wonderland. When Addison is poisoned, Alice must venture deep into Wonderland to find the antidote. Although the written narrative is lackluster in some instances, Illidge elevates it with her multifaceted and authentic portrayal of the characters. Whether she’s delivering Russian, English, or Ebonics, her voice and accent are varied. This debut lays the groundwork for a sequel. A.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
