ArchEnemy

by Frank Beddor

Book Overview

The Heart Crystal's power has been depleted, and Imagination along with it. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive, and most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is without her powers.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803731566
• ISBN13: 9780803731561
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Dial Books
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.4"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

ordered good copy

ordered good copy came in wasn't even acceptable it isn't even acceptable to them it was stamped red inside with missing pages and stamped discard inside the cover.

ArchEnemy

I must say, I'm a little torn. Part of me wants to say that this was a fantastic book, a perfect ending to the trilogy, but unfortunately, I don't think I can. A lot of this book was insignificant fighting scenes that seemed to go on forever. I'm sure this makes it a popular read for some readers, but that's really not what I go into books for. The writing was spectacular, sharply witty, albeit going overboard sometimes with the details of the fight scenes, and it was through this amazing writing that these characters really came to life. I found myself switching favorite characters from Dodge (who sadly doesn't make as many appearances as I had hoped/expected him to make) to good old Hatter. My heart really broke for him and Molly, and Beddor portrayed the awkward phase they were going through really well. I've not read many books where the author has so fully developed a complete world. I didn't know what to think of the many instances of blatant foreshadowing; it had its plusses and minuses, sometimes it worked, other times it was a little much. Up until the ending, it was really a great read. However, the ending seemed, in my opinion, completely rushed, slowed down, and anticlimactic--not as epic as the rest of the series. I know Beddor could have done better. I still do highly recommend this series to all fans of fractured fairytales and the like. Rating: 4.5/5

An amazing book!

I'm not very good at book reviews - I think it stems from the fact I was never good at book reports as a kid, either. But this book is absolutely amazing. It's the final volume of a wondrous trilogy that poses this question: What if Alice in Wonderland was real, and Lewis Carroll (AKA Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) got it very, very wrong. Political plots, vengeful aunts, a tiny touch of romance, and a LOT of action and adventure all mixed up with colorful, hookah-smoking caterpillars addicted to tarty-tarts. It's all in here, and the final book in the trilogy simply completes a tale that kept me locked into my seat for hours on end. Highly recommended to anyone that likes fantasy, adventure and a little hint of steampunk.

Awesome Archenemy

This was a great ending to a wonderful trilogy. I was very pleased with the product and with the timely manner in which it was delivered.

Review from The Neverending Shelf

In this third and final installment of The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, Beddor takes no prisoners as he closes this beautifully crafted retelling of the Alice in Wonderland tale. The plot was well done and well paced. I felt like every plot aspect took its time to be resolved and was not rushed. I still love all of the characters, but find myself loving Redd a lot more than I had ever anticipated. While the reader discovered much of her true personality and history in Seeing Redd, I felt like ArchEnemy gave me a chance to see a different side of her. Yes, she is still evil and wants Wonderland for herself. But I was surprised to see how vulnerable she was in regards to King Arch, and how much I sympathized with her experiences. All in all, the ends are nicely tied up with reasonable explanations given for certain character's actions. While this novel was a bit different than the previous two, it still maintained the charm and magic that made me fall in love with this series in the first place.

Fans will not be disappointed in this third installment

At the end of SEEING REDD, Frank Beddor's second book in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, Wonderland was in disarray. The power of the Heart Crystal had been contained and imagination was seemingly lost. Queen Alyss and her meddling aunt, Redd Heart, were left powerless and forlorn. Only one person looked to capitalize from the confusion and hysteria the citizens of Wonderland were experiencing: King Arch. Not content with sitting idle in the neighboring Borderland, King Arch leads an all-out assault on the capital of Wonderland, while Alyss and Redd remain powerless without the use of their imaginations. He overtakes the palace and starts to construct a plan that can only end in disaster and leave him as the last royalty standing. Along with her host of deadly assassins and without the use of imagination, Redd seeks to return to her origins. Still as bitter, spiteful and evil-hearted as ever, she would like nothing more than to regain her rightful place as Queen from Alyss. King Arch, however, poses a bigger threat at the moment, and Redd is starting to feel that familiar energy of imagination seep back into her. Queen Alyss recognizes that, with or without imagination, a queen still needs to take care of her people. Alyss cares deeply for the inhabitants of Wonderland, so when she's forced on the run, her only concern is to overthrow King Arch and restore peace to her beloved country. It doesn't help that her thoughts are preoccupied with her bodyguard, Dodge, and their ever-complicated relationship. Does he love her? Does she love him? If only imagination could fix things already. And let's not forget the caterpillar oracles. They may know the desires and future of those in Wonderland, but they always seem to have an ulterior motive of their own. It may indeed be that the fat oracles care only for tarty tarts (and lots of them), but they keep mentioning the safety of Everqueen. Who is Everqueen? As the last book in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy, the stakes are as high as ever. Lives will be lost, relationships will be severed, and old enemies will unexpectedly unite in a climactic battle that is beyond imagination. Frank Beddor's re-imagination of ALICE IN WONDERLAND has succeeded on so many levels. The introduction of The Cat and Hatter Madigan as assassins was enough by itself to take the storyline to a whole new level. Once heavily-armed card soldiers, epic battle scenes, and more imagination than your standard daydream were added to the mix, Beddor's tale transcended the level of fun children's story. Fans of THE LOOKING GLASS WARS and SEEING REDD will not be disappointed in this third installment. If anything, Beddor ups the ante and dives even deeper into the characters by offering rare insights into their psyche. And action fans, don't fret: there are more knives, guns, ammunition and bombs than you can shake a jabberwocky at. On a final note, make sure you take time to visit the official website of the series, which contains info