mythos05's review against another edition
3.0
3/5 stars
I was expecting for this book to be shorter. Although I will say that this is by far one of my favorite retellings of the Queen of Heart's origin story. We get a more in-depth picture as to why the Queen of Hearts came to be.
Summary:
Cath is being courted by the King, which he had to reluctantly accept due to the pressure of her parents. Meanwhile, she is dealing with the growing tension she has had since meeting Jest, as well as dealing with the number of Jabberwock attacks. She tries to try and escape marrying the King by entering a baking contest in order to win enough money to open her own bakery. This results in a disaster and the contest is cancelled. She finds out that she's in love with Jest at the same time she finds out that he is a high-ranking military official for the White Queen.
Review:
One of my favorite aspects of this book is how the characters were depicted. Some of the best examples were from Cath and Jest. Jest was charming, intriguing, and bold. His character alongside Hatta provided a lot of serious and jarring scenes, as well as hilarious ones. At times, it's hard to do both, especially when you see them initially introduced as comic relief. Cath, on the other hand, was sweet and full of dreams. As the lies start to build up, we see the shift begin to happen, especially as she is fooling the King. By the end, it isn't as surprising to see how she became the unforgiving Queen of Hearts. I didn't necessarily hate any of the characters, as they all had their own intentions behind their actions.
Some of the things I didn't like about this book were the instant love between Jest and Cath. as well as how convoluted and twisted it got towards the middle. I felt that there really wasn't that much development in terms of how Jest and Cath fell in love (this may be more of a me thing since I was focused on understanding the worldbuilding). Also, the introduction of the Land of Chess and the Three Sisters threw me off and left me with a lot to process alongside what I already understood about the worldbuilding.
I would recommend this book but only if I was aware that the person liked villain origin stories or fairytale retellings. It's not a bad book, but it's also not the best book Marissa Meyer has ever written.
I was expecting for this book to be shorter. Although I will say that this is by far one of my favorite retellings of the Queen of Heart's origin story. We get a more in-depth picture as to why the Queen of Hearts came to be.
Summary:
Cath is being courted by the King, which he had to reluctantly accept due to the pressure of her parents. Meanwhile, she is dealing with the growing tension she has had since meeting Jest, as well as dealing with the number of Jabberwock attacks. She tries to try and escape marrying the King by entering a baking contest in order to win enough money to open her own bakery. This results in a disaster and the contest is cancelled. She finds out that she's in love with Jest at the same time she finds out that he is a high-ranking military official for the White Queen.
Spoiler
His mission is to steal Cath's heart (the passionate heart of the Queen of Hearts) in order to end the war. Cath crosses the land of Chess in order to be queen without marrying the king. In order to enter, they have to pay a price, which is to see prophecies that reveal their futures. When Jest dies, Raven becomes a murderer, Cath becomes a pitiless Queen of Hearts, and Hatta goes mad. They try to escape it, but ultimately fail. They kill the Jabberwocky, who turns out to be Lady Peter. Jest is decapitated by Peter as an act of revenge. Cath makes a pact with the Three Sisters: they will bring Peter to Cath in exchange for the heart of a queen. She marries the King to obtain the heart and pay the price. They take her heart, and she immediately orders for Peter to be decapitated. This is carried out by Raven, bringing all the prophecies to completion.Review:
One of my favorite aspects of this book is how the characters were depicted. Some of the best examples were from Cath and Jest. Jest was charming, intriguing, and bold. His character alongside Hatta provided a lot of serious and jarring scenes, as well as hilarious ones. At times, it's hard to do both, especially when you see them initially introduced as comic relief. Cath, on the other hand, was sweet and full of dreams. As the lies start to build up, we see the shift begin to happen, especially as she is fooling the King. By the end, it isn't as surprising to see how she became the unforgiving Queen of Hearts. I didn't necessarily hate any of the characters, as they all had their own intentions behind their actions.
Some of the things I didn't like about this book were the instant love between Jest and Cath. as well as how convoluted and twisted it got towards the middle. I felt that there really wasn't that much development in terms of how Jest and Cath fell in love (this may be more of a me thing since I was focused on understanding the worldbuilding). Also, the introduction of the Land of Chess and the Three Sisters threw me off and left me with a lot to process alongside what I already understood about the worldbuilding.
I would recommend this book but only if I was aware that the person liked villain origin stories or fairytale retellings. It's not a bad book, but it's also not the best book Marissa Meyer has ever written.
laceydbell's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I could do 4.5! This was hard to put down. It got a little aggravating at times because it was very back and forth - the main character changes her mind on the main plot multiple times. Other than that, I loved it. I loved her (and rooted for her) when she was a sweet and "lady-like" character. And I loved her even MORE when she was cynical and full of rage.
motivoslobos's review against another edition
4.0
Muy bien, quiero ser lo más honesto posible en cuanto a esta lectura.
Aunque la autora es muy conocida particularmente por su saga de crónicas lunares fue mi primera vez leyéndole y decidí iniciar por acá al ser un libro autoconclusivo. ¿Cómo me fue?
La experiencia no fue tan mala pero debo decir que tampoco ha sido maravillosa. Esto quizás por la primera mitad del libro que aunque entretiene puede llegar a cansar.
Es una historia con romance slow burn, va poco a poco desarrollándose y eso puede agotarte si quieres algo que avance más rápido, esto pasa igual con toda la historia también o ¿Es así el estilo de la escritora?
Luego de esa parte introductoria todo cobra más sentido e intriga. No por nada me leí la mitad del libro en dos días.
Aunque la autora es muy conocida particularmente por su saga de crónicas lunares fue mi primera vez leyéndole y decidí iniciar por acá al ser un libro autoconclusivo. ¿Cómo me fue?
La experiencia no fue tan mala pero debo decir que tampoco ha sido maravillosa. Esto quizás por la primera mitad del libro que aunque entretiene puede llegar a cansar.
Es una historia con romance slow burn, va poco a poco desarrollándose y eso puede agotarte si quieres algo que avance más rápido, esto pasa igual con toda la historia también o ¿Es así el estilo de la escritora?
Luego de esa parte introductoria todo cobra más sentido e intriga. No por nada me leí la mitad del libro en dos días.
imbored_soillread's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book ripped my heart out. I often don’t connect with the mcs in popular romantasy, and that can make or break a book for me. This one had me in love with the characters and hurting with them. It was beautiful and it is now one of my new favorites this year
lauren0danielle's review against another edition
5.0
As always, Marissa Meyer delivers a well crafted, emotional and riveting journey. Even though the inevitable conclusion is apparent from the beginning (due to the subject), I still was hoping until the very ending that Meyer would pull out a trick worthy of Jest and give me a happy ending. One of the most refreshing things about Heartless was how utterly different from other retellings of Alice in Wonderland in that it felt much more authentic to the original story, and less like it should have been sold at Hot Topic in the early 2000s. More about the fantasy, and less about the trippy quality sometimes ascribed to it.
cheyennelauren's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! I have mixed emotions about this story as well. Whether to be sad for Catherine or be pissed at her for her attitude. It’s mixed for Hatta as well.
readivine's review against another edition
5.0
"Three luscious lemon tarts glistened up at Catherine[...]This excerpt is definitely one to die for.
Setting the towels aside, she picked through the curled, sugared lemon peels laid out on parchment and arranged them like rose blossoms on the tarts, settling each strip into the still-warm centre. The aromas of sweet citrus and buttery, flaky crust curled beneath her nose."
[b:Heartless|18584855|Heartless|Marissa Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477740245s/18584855.jpg|26322524] is a decadent treat w/ an oddly bitter yet satisfying punch in the end. This is a unique take on the origins of The Queen of Hearts (not the Red Queen, they are two entirely diff. antagonistic queens in Wonderland). In order to get some sense in the references of the book, I've watched the animated Disney version and the live action before delving into this one. Which was a wise move mind you! But I hope this would not dissuade other readers from this, one would greatly appreciate [b:Heartless|18584855|Heartless|Marissa Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477740245s/18584855.jpg|26322524] more after watching the films.
[a:Marissa Meyer|4684322|Marissa Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1357318852p2/4684322.jpg] had conjured a more complex yet coherent Wonderland and had stitched her own stories without a snag. I have to keep telling myself that this wasn't Lewis Carroll's tie-in of the original Alice in Wonderland but daaaannng it was written so well and had even provided a distinct character depth for every character we've known. (Which is why I strongly recommend watching the films before reading this!) Every detail is meticulously included in this book like easter eggs ranging from the "three tarts" to even White Rabbit's pocket watch and maid! This isn't just The Queen of Hearts' tale, this was also a tale of the different facets of Wonderland we all had loved as a child.
This may be a love story but this is also a lot of things. This book skirts its way to different issues namely: the pressure of toxic manipulation from one's parents and family reputation,
" ‘We want you to be happy. That’s all we’ve ever wanted. Is this what’s going to make you happy?’
‘How different everything could have been,’ she said, ‘if you had thought to ask me that before.’ "
the willful blindness people don so casually through their luxuries, the masks we all wear to hide our true selves, and the bitter sucker punch of love and the anguish entailing it.
This is one of those books you'd actually want to read despite knowing that it could utterly destroy your heart. (Yes, I kinda shed some tears here and there) I felt oddly numb and satisfied by the end of this book and I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERY ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO READ NEXT. Truly a masterpiece of [a:Marissa Meyer|4684322|Marissa Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1357318852p2/4684322.jpg] and I'd go as far as telling that this is so much better than [b:Cinder|36381037|Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)|Marissa Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507557775s/36381037.jpg|15545385]. (Well to be fair I did not really love Cinder as much as everyone seems to, so there's that. HAH.)
I would love to finish this review w/ the Queen's iconic line:
"Off with his head!"
kccool12255's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Heyyy guysssss
So basically, I finished reading this book like a month ago, and then just...never reviewed it. (My schedule is literally pure insanity.) So we're doing it now!
This book is one of the most amazing things I have ever read. Marissa Meyer CANNOT write a bad story, it is IMPOSSIBLE. Catherine is a great character, she knows what she wants, and she is not going to settle until she gets it. She is willing to do anything to make her dream come true, and I respect that so much. She is an amazing protagonist.
Jest...Jest is the best character. It's not even a question. From the very MOMENT this man jumped on the page, I was hopelessly in love, and it did not stop from there. He is literally the most perfect human being, the way guys only are in books. I don't think I've ever loved a love interest more than I love this man. He is literally perfection.
Now, don't get me wrong, I WAS focused mainly on the romance, because....it's me, but I did like the Jabberwock plotline! It was fun, I love the mystery to it, ESPECIALLY with the reveal at the end, because it's SO SMART. I also love the character of the King, and it's hard to because of Catherine's aversion to him, but he is precious. I feel so bad for him, because he deserves to be with a girl who loves him.
I'm also (only slightly) peeved at the fact that they hype up the kiss between Catherine and Jest for the entire book, and then the actual scene is SO SHORT that you're left wanting. But that's my only very very slight criticism, because it's LITERALLY SO AMAZING. THIS BOOK DESERVES THE HYPE.
So basically, I finished reading this book like a month ago, and then just...never reviewed it. (My schedule is literally pure insanity.) So we're doing it now!
This book is one of the most amazing things I have ever read. Marissa Meyer CANNOT write a bad story, it is IMPOSSIBLE. Catherine is a great character, she knows what she wants, and she is not going to settle until she gets it. She is willing to do anything to make her dream come true, and I respect that so much. She is an amazing protagonist.
Spoiler
And her DETERIORATION at the end of the book is one of the BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. I HAD CHILLS. CHILLS. I LOVE THIS BOOK.Jest...Jest is the best character. It's not even a question. From the very MOMENT this man jumped on the page, I was hopelessly in love, and it did not stop from there. He is literally the most perfect human being, the way guys only are in books. I don't think I've ever loved a love interest more than I love this man. He is literally perfection.
Spoiler
AND THEY KILLED HIM. HE WAS PERFECT, AND THEY KILLED HIM. THEY JUST LOBBED OFF HIS HEAD. I'M STILL NOT OKAY. I HAVE BEEN SOBBING INTERNALLY FOR WEEKS.Now, don't get me wrong, I WAS focused mainly on the romance, because....it's me, but I did like the Jabberwock plotline! It was fun, I love the mystery to it, ESPECIALLY with the reveal at the end, because it's SO SMART. I also love the character of the King, and it's hard to because of Catherine's aversion to him, but he is precious. I feel so bad for him, because he deserves to be with a girl who loves him.
I'm also (only slightly) peeved at the fact that they hype up the kiss between Catherine and Jest for the entire book, and then the actual scene is SO SHORT that you're left wanting. But that's my only very very slight criticism, because it's LITERALLY SO AMAZING. THIS BOOK DESERVES THE HYPE.